I agree but that doesn't always mean the albums will be any good. Some artists lose steam after their third or fourth effort, while others continue to make good music (Bowie, Melvins, The Sonics) long after their debut, sometimes getting better and developing more as artists along the line.

Well, if I don't feel they keep making good music, they're not going to be a favorite artist in the first place.

At any rate, I can't offhand think of anyone where I liked their first few (or couple or whatever) albums a lot, but then felt that their subsequent work wasn't worthwhile. There are cases where I don't like subsequent work as much as earlier stuff, but in every case I can think of offhand, I still think it's worthwhile and would like more of it if I was a fan of their first few albums.

You're lucky or maybe just extra forgiving. The vast majority of my favorite artists have made a lot of worthless stuff. Doesn't make me love them any less. Anyway..



A Tribe Called Quest

They made three of the most important and enjoyable albums in hip hop history. That was 1990 - 1993. Then they released a fourth album in 1996 that was worthwhile but markedly worse, and the magic was clearly gone. Then they made some other bull**** after that.

Expiry date: 1995

De La Soul was pretty much the same way.

I think plenty of artists get better with age. I can think of bands that kind of dropped off in quality after a certain point, but not much when it comes to bands I actually really like a lot. Many even make their (to my mind) best music now, 10-30 years down the line.
Bryan Ferry is the big exception. He's been boring since around 1990.

Most bands had good songs here and there after these albums, but these are the last truly great albums from these bands IHMO.

Beastie Boys - Hello Nasty
The Byrds - Sweetheart of the Rodeo
Clark - Totems Flare (I'm open to being proven wrong with future albums though)
The Kinks - Muswell Hillbillies
Ministry - ΚΕΦΑΛΗΞΘ [Psalm 69]
Modest Mouse - The Moon & Antarctica
Nine Inch Nails - The Fragile
The Rolling Stones - It's Only Rock 'n' Roll
The Shins - Wincing the Night Away
Smashing Pumpkins - Adore
Spirit - Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus
Squarepusher - Hello Everything
Suicidal Tendencies - Lights Camera Revolution
Ween - Quebec
Weezer - Pinkerton (even though I never liked it as much as blue album)

This.
And that's sad