History GrowingTheBeard / Music

* Music/TheAllAmericanRejects' ''Move Along'' is universally considered better than their debut.
** ''Kids in the Street'' is this to [[BrokenBase the half of the base that likes it.]]

*** The consensus is that they really hit their stride once Taylor Hawkins joined the band, as he was the first drummer who not only could play as well as Grohl, but stood out as a charismatic musician in his own right. These days he is considered the second FaceOfTheBand.

* Music/AlanisMorissette was generally a bubblegum pop artist in the vein of Debbie Gibson prior to ''Jagged Little Pill.'' At the time, she had become embarrassed enough by her previous work that she had her previous two albums recalled from stores just prior to the release of ''Jagged Little Pill.''

* Finnish folk-metal band Music/{{Korpiklaani}} broke out of relative obscurity as the synthesizer-heavy, predominantly folk-sounding Shaman; when frontman Jonne Järvelä's work with similar folk-metal band Finntroll inspired him to change the name, drop the synthesizers in favour of more standard Metal-style guitar work and traditional instruments such as the jouhikko, accordion, fiddle, and bodhran; while replacing the Saami-language lyrics with more accessible English and Finnish. Not only did this result in a larger audience for the band itself; but also made them [[IncrediblyLamePun instrumental]], along with fellow Finns Ensiferum, Finntroll, and Moonsorrow, in the rapidly-growing popularity of the folk-metal genre as a whole.

** Fans alienated by Eminem's switch into ArenaRock-infused PopRap following his 2010 CareerResurrection tend to view Eminem's 2018 album ''Kamikaze'' as a sudden uptick in quality, with Eminem returning to making edgier and more combative BattleRapping albums that were further in sound but [[SpiritualSuccessor closer in spirit]] to the work of his late 20s and early 30s. A year before, Eminem had signalled letting go of his youth with a drastic change in look, going from colourful military fashion to slim-fitting black sweatsuits, reverting to his natural dark hair colour and -- yes -- growing a beard. (Though the first album released in his new look is generally considered to be his all-time worst.)

** Fans alienated by Eminem's switch into ArenaRock-infused PopRap following his 2010 CareerResurrection tend to view Eminem's 2018 album ''Kamikaze'' as a sudden uptick in quality, with Eminem returning to making edgier and more combative BattleRapping albums that were further in sound but [[SpiritualSuccessor closer in spirit]] to the work of his early 30s. A year before, Eminem had signalled letting go of his youth with a drastic change in look, going from colourful military fashion to slim-fitting black sweatsuits, reverting to his natural dark hair colour and -- yes -- growing a beard. (Though the first album released in his new look is generally considered to be his all-time worst.)

** Fans alienated by Eminem's switch into happy, StadiumRock-infused, hypertechnical PopRap following his 2010 CareerResurrection tend to view Eminem's 2018 album ''Kamikaze'' as a sudden uptick in quality, with Eminem returning to making edgier and more combative hip-hop that was further away in sound but [[SpiritualSuccessor closer in spirit]] to the work of his early 30s. A year before, Eminem had signalled letting go of his youth with a drastic change in look, going from colourful military fashion to slim-fitting black sweatsuits, reverting to his natural dark hair colour and -- yes -- growing a beard. (Though the first album released in his new look is generally considered to be his all-time worst.)

* Music/TheBeachBoys had this with ''Music/TheBeachBoysToday'', particularly the second side. The upward trend culminated with the incomplete ''Music/{{Smile|TheBeachBoys}}'' and Music/BrianWilson's breakdown. Depending on how you look at it, they either subsequently went through a DorkAge, or the other members grew their own beards (figuratively and literally. Though Bruce Johnston only grew a mustache).

* Music/PinkFloyd admit that they spent most of their (Post-Syd) early career [[DorkAge not knowing what they were doing]]. They started off covering songs, experimented with psychedelia, then Syd Barrett started fronting the group and wrote a couple hit singles, then [[CreatorBreakdown left]], and they had to go back to doing "long stuff", as they put it. Then, during production of ''Music/{{Meddle}}'', they managed to get their heads around the whole process of having ideas and turning them into albums. The next album, ''Music/TheDarkSideOfTheMoon'', stayed in the charts for 741 weeks, and subsequent releases and tours were correspondingly bigger. Of course, this change was not universally popular with the [[BrokenBase fans]] - some preferring the [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks older, lighter psychedelic]] stuff - and Roger Waters soon developed [[ArtistDisillusionment mixed feelings]] about the larger, mainstream audiences.

** Others believe their earlier material to be artistically superior, with more idiosyncratic sounds and songwriting, whereas ''Comatose'' and, to a greater extent, ''Awake'' being more formulaic and commercialized represent a DorkAge for the band (touring with critically derided acts such as Music/PapaRoach and aforementioned Music/ThreeDaysGrace doesn't help a band's image much, either). As a general rule, fans will most likely consider ''Invincible'' to be their official Beard-Growing album, with it, ''Alien Youth'' and/or ''Collide'' encompassing the pinnacle of the band's career.

* General consensus in the Music/{{ABBA}} fandom (if such a thing is possible) places this moment somewhere around the third and fourth albums, ''Music/{{ABBA|Album}}'' (1975) and ''Music/{{Arrival|Album}}'' (1976). The band members themselves pin this more firmly on ''ABBA'' and the release of "S.O.S." as a single, when the public stopped dismissing them as one-hit wonders and they settled on a pop style. (''Music/{{Waterloo|Album}}'', their second album, is a mix of attempts at different styles as they tried to find their place. Their debut ''Music/RingRing'' is just... um... [[EarlyInstallmentWeirdness yeahhh]].)

** As far as beards go, "Tales" was but a thin goatee compared to the long and bushy beard Blind Guardian would grow with their 1998 album "Nightfall in Middle Earth". Though the two albums following "Tales" saw further evolution in Blind Guardian's musical style, it was "Nightfall" which took their carefully written fantasy lyrics and studio wizardry to new heights and set the stage for their brilliant later material.

* Music/TheRollingStones were writing songs as early as their first album, though it wasn't until the release of their 1965 single "The Last Time", that the Jagger/Richards songwriting machine went into full swing, gradually shifting their material from covers to originals.

** Their second album, ''{{Trespass|GenesisAlbum}}'' (before Collins and Hackett joined), is also considered to be a huge step above their first, ''From Genesis to Revelation'', which falls under CanonDiscontinuity.

** Their second album, ''Trespass'' (before Collins and Hackett joined), is also considered to be a huge step above their first, ''From Genesis to Revelation'', which falls under CanonDiscontinuity.

* Music/{{TNT}} started off as a generic Hard Rock outfit with 1st singer Dag Ingebrigtsen but grew into a HairMetal outfit with Progressive Rock tinges around the time ''Tell No Tales'' was released with 2nd singer Tony Harnell.

* Finnish power metal band Music/{{Nightwish}} started off with generic power metal fantasy lyrics (which isn't necessarily a bad thing), but by the album ''Century Child'', their lyrics had shifted more towards themes of tragic romance, sin and temptation, betrayal, and personal growth and struggles, generally considered more mature than their previous work.

* While none of the member of Music/{{Genesis}} are well known for their beards, it's generally agreed that the introduction of Music/SteveHackett and Music/PhilCollins boosted the band from a largely forgettable pop and folk group to being one of the giants of ProgressiveRock. If there are any literal examples, then Phil's beard during the ''Music/ATrickOfTheTail'' and ''Music/WindAndWuthering'' tours would have to count, given that ''Seconds Out'' (recorded during those tours) is generally considered to be their best live album. And after he shaved it off, the band really began to change direction and lost a lot of their progressive rock prestige.

* While ''Music/{{Paranoid}}'' (1970) is Music/BlackSabbath's greatest commercial success, hardcore fans see ''Master of Reality'' (1971) as where they hit their stride, in-part due to guitarist Tony Iommi tuning his strings down to C# Standard Tuning for the first time, influencing many metal bands in the process. The band would continue their artistic and commercial success, reaching a peak with ''Sabotage'' (1975), and then a DorkAge followed by a ''second'' Beard in 1980 with the arrival of Music/RonnieJamesDio and ''Heaven and Hell''.

* General consensus in the Music/{{ABBA}} fandom (if such a thing is possible) places this moment somewhere around the third and fourth albums, ''Music/{{ABBA|Album}}'' (1975) and ''Music/{{Arrival|Album}}'' (1976). The band members themselves pin this more firmly on ''ABBA'' and the release of "S.O.S." as a single, when the public stopped dismissing them as one-hit wonders and they settled on a pop style. (''Music/{{Waterloo|Album}}'', their second album, is a mix of attempts at different styles as they tried to find their place. ''Music/RingRing'' is just... um... yeahhh.)

** Music/GeorgeHarrison had one by himself. While not, strictly speaking, actually ''bad'', his early works tended to lean a bit to the saccharine side of things, and most of his best performances were on songs written by [[Music/JohnLennon John]] and/or Paul. However, he eventually became an accomplished songwriter in his own right, even managing to hold his own in a solo career after the band broke up. (Like Riker, he also grew an actual beard in the interim).
** In a reversal, Music/PaulMcCartney literally growing the beard during the "Get Back" session signaled the end of Music/TheBeatles.

** Arguably, Music/RingoStarr joining the band could be a signature event, as this marked their break into the mainstream. Unlike the others, Ringo (the oldest of the Beatles) was already a well-established musician and along with manager Brian Epstein introduced a note of maturity to the band. Ringo also not only grew the beard, but has kept it to this day.

* Blue Cheer's first album, ''Vincebus Eruptum'', was a heavy, and sometimes silly, take on Music/JimiHendrix's blues style. However, their second album, ''Outsideinside'', began showing the band injecting their own personality into their music while retaining their heavy edge, resulting in what is probably their best album. Sadly, further beard growth ended when original guitarist Leigh Stephens left and the band became an average hard rock group.

* Although progressive death metal band Music/BetweenTheBuriedAndMe never had a truly hated album, it's commonly stated that they really start to reach greatness with the album ''Colors''. It's where they started some of the [[NeoclassicalPunkZydecoRockabilly genre mixing]] that is one of their trademarks at this point. ''The Great Misdirect'', which is the follow-up album, is also considered about on par with ''Colors''.

* Music/TearsForFears' first album, ''The Hurting'', was well-received, but their second album, ''Songs from the Big Chair'', received lots of favorable reviews, is their best-selling album to date, and features three of their most popular songs, those being "Everybody Wants to Rule the World", "Shout", and "Head Over Heels", with the former two songs being their most well-known and their {{signature song}}s.

* Music/DaveGrohl. In his first band, Scream, he was just a regular drummer. This was the case with his first album with his next band (Music/{{Nirvana}}'s ''Music/{{Nevermind}}''), but his songwriting contributions increased by ''Music/InUtero''. Upon Kurt Cobain's death, Grohl started his own band, Music/FooFighters, who became better over the years, culminating with the critical and commercial smash ''Echoes, Silence, Patience, & Grace''. Oh, and he also literally grew a beard.

** It can be said that they have done this twice. When Bruce and guitarist Adrian Smith returned in 2000, many fans considered the accompanying album "Brave New World" to be a return to form for the band.

* [[OlderThanTheyThink Not many people know]] Music/{{PSY}} during his debut years, but his early songs during TurnOfTheMillennium (''Bird'', ''Urbanite'' and ''We Are The One'' for example) were DarkerAndEdgier, having foul-mouthed, cynical and gritty tones criticizing on some social phenomenon in a BlackComedy VulgarHumor way that garnered so much criticism from public. Come to TheNewTens, his newer songs (''Music/GangnamStyle'', ''Napal Baji'' and ''Daddy'' for example) have gone LighterAndSofter, having more-lighthearted and comical tones even if parodied AccidentalInnuendo are present. This results in better reception than when he debuted.

* Music/OldDominion's debut album was largely met with negative critical reception for the meatheaded lyrics of songs such as "Break Up with Him" and "Snapback". Their latter albums have been met with stronger reception as they moved to a more mature lyrical style as seen by such songs as "No Such Thing as a Broken Heart".
* Music/ColeSwindell's debut album was largely panned as passé "bro-country" with douchey womanizing lyrics and [[LoudnessWar God-awful production]] (particularly "Hope You Get Lonely Tonight"). His second and third albums have shown a more mature lyrical style in more thoughtful songs such as "Break Up in the End" and "You Should Be Here", and the production has improved markedly.
* Music/ShaniaTwain's self-titled debut album was solid but unremarkable mid-90s country. Her second album ''The Woman in Me'', the first with Creator/RobertJohnMuttLange behind the boards, sold 12 times platinum and established her as one of the genre's leading women. Followup ''Come On Over'' poised her for mainstream crossover, selling '''''twenty''''' times platinum, making it the second best-selling album by any Canadian artist and the ninth best-selling of all time in the United States.

** It's also fairly well accepted amongst fans that the beard growing process began with the previous album ''Sheer Heart Attack'', moving from a heavier and proggier sound to a more commercial and varied output. (And it had both fan favourites "Killer Queen" and "Now I'm Here"). ''Queen II'' is also considered a step above their début album and is a CultClassic among fans of ProgressiveRock (it's actually their highest rated studio album on Prog Archives, even above ''A Night at the Opera'').

* Music/HankWilliamsJr figuratively and literally grew the beard (the literal growth was done intentionally, to hide facial disfigurement that resulted from him falling off a mountain) around the time that he started moving from being an {{expy}} of [[Music/HankWilliams his dad]] to forging his own sound by combining the best of Southern rock and the then-prevalent "outlaw country" movement of the 1970s. He continued to maintain his peak until the late 80s, by which point outlaw was pretty much passé.

* Many Music/UFOBand fans consider their shift from space rock to hard rock in their third album, ''Phenomenon'', to be their beard-growing moment, thanks in part to the addition of guitarist Michael Schenker and the presence of their first major concert staples, "Doctor Doctor" and "Rock Bottom".

* Many Music/{{UFO}} fans consider their shift from space rock to hard rock in their third album, ''Phenomenon'', to be their beard-growing moment, thanks in part to the addition of guitarist Michael Schenker and the presence of their first major concert staples, "Doctor Doctor" and "Rock Bottom".
* Music/VanDerGraafGenerator's first album, ''The Aerosol Grey Machine'', was more or less a Peter Hammill solo album that was later given the band moniker to get out of their contract with Mercury Records. When they signed to Charisma for ''The Least We Can Do Is Wave to Each Other'', it gave the band more room to breathe, expanding upon the darker concepts in their songs. It also introduced saxophonist/flautist David Jackson, giving the band a jazzier flavor. The band continued the beard-growing process with their next two releases, culminating in their two best-regarded albums, ''Pawn Hearts'' and ''Godbluff''.

* Music/{{Eminem}}, once a talented technical rapper with a small fanbase and a wack studio album, had a sudden massive uptick in quality once he created [[KayfabeMusic his Slim Shady alter-ego]] and started writing and performing songs from his HeroicComedicSociopath perspective. Eminem's producers were all shocked enough by the change that they had to create a whole different sound for his beats, bringing him out of the cliched boom-bap style of his first album and into experimenting with quirky, stiff, classical-music-inflected beats that hadn't been heard in hip-hop before.

* Music/{{Eminem}}, once a talented technical rapper with a small fanbase and a wack studio album, had a sudden massive uptick in quality once he created [[KayfabeMusic his Slim Shady alter-ego]] and started writing and performing songs from his HeroicComedicSociopath perspective.