Readers Poll: The Best Third Albums Ever
This week in 1980, Van Halen released their third album Women And Children First, which contained the hits "And the Cradle Will Rock...," "Everybody Wants Some!! and fan favorite "Romeo Delight."
It's not the best VH album ever, but it was, in fact, their third album. Most VH super-freaks I know and/or read say it is one of their least favorite albums. Understandable.
But it did make me think about other "third" albums in other bands' catalogs. It seems that it took tons of bands three proper full-length studio albums to finally hit on a winning formula, or at least a signature sound.
Kinda like how some people get married three times before they either find the right person they die with, or they just stop getting married. Yeah, that's a great metaphor.
This list excludes EPs and compilations, which means that the Replacements' third album is in fact Let It Be, and not Hootenanny. 1982's Stink was an EP.
This list came from reader submissions on Facebook and Twitter, which means I had to cut the wheat from the chaff as it were when it came to some albums. Someone said that Kid A was Radiohead's third album. What's the matter with you?
Deftones, White Pony
U2, War: It's totally crazy that at this point in 1983 when U2 was releasing War, they were just then warming up. In five years they would be the biggest band on the planet. Like, after War, they could have broken up and they would still be a huge influence on indie-rock. That's saying something. They were just two steps away from The Joshua Tree at that point. 
Led Zeppelin, Led Zeppelin III
Nirvana, In Utero
Everclear, So Much for the Afterglow
Spoon, Girls Can Tell
Pearl Jam, Vitalogy
Blink-182, Enema Of The State
ZZ Top, Tres Hombres
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