Fourth time's the charm...

We've all heard of 'second album syndrome'. A band or singer put out a phenomenal debut effort and just can't match it on their next attempt. Bands like the Darkness, the Strokes and the Stone Roses all famously suffered from second album blues but fast forward two albums and there's another phenomena that is far less spoken about. A band's fourth album is often the culmination of their hard work and the evolution of their sound up to that point. For that reason there are many fourth albums that represent the peak of a band or singer's career. This doesn't mean that their musical output declines after this point, more that Album 4 often becomes the crown jewel in a stellar career. With that in mind here are five fourth albums that will forever stand as all time greats.

Toto: Toto IV

In 1982 Toto were a band struggling to live up to a hit debut album. Follow-ups 'Hydra' and 'Turn Back' achieved modest success but the band needed a hit album or be at risk of being dropped from Columbia Records. Enter 'Toto IV'. Tracks such as 'Make Believe' and 'I Won't Hold You Back' became big hits for the band and that's not even including the amazing 'Africa' or 'Rosanna' which gifted Toto one of it's 6 Grammy Awards for the album in 1983. To top it all off the band delayed touring the album so they could help on a little album called 'Thriller'. Talk about a band on fire!

Queen: A Night At The Opera

Queen were a band on the fringe of success. Their third effort 'Sheer Heart Attack' had been well received but a contract signed at the beginning of their careers meant that the band were making next to no money while their management reaped the rewards. 'Opera' was a make or break album. The most expensive album ever made at the time, Queen went all out and made the album they'd always dreamed of. The album stands tall as the one that sent Queen over the top on the road to becoming one of the biggest music acts in history. Still need convincing? Two words: Bohemian Rhapsody.

Def Leppard: Hysteria

Like Queen and Toto, Def Leppard were in a difficult position between albums 3 and 4. 'Pyromania' had been a huge success and even certified Diamond in the US. It was always going to be tough to create a follow up. Meat Loaf collaborator Jim Steinman started out on production duties but left due to creative differences. This was all before drummer Rick Allen lost his arm in a horrific car accident. Allen stayed with the band and had a drum set customised to accommodate his amputation. It may have taken four years but 'Hysteria' eclipsed even the success of 'Pyromania'. 'Pour Some Sugar On Me', 'Animal' and 'Love Bites' were all monster hits and the band still perform most of the album to this day.

Led Zeppelin: Led Zeppelin IV

Led Zeppelin's career is full of such great albums that it's difficult to pick one as a highlight. Zep's fourth album saw the band coming off a lukewarm response to 'Led Zeppelin III'. Guitarist Jimmy Page purposefully left the album untitled ('Led Zeppelin IV' is just one name given to the album over the years) in order to downplay the band's notoriety. 'IV' gave birth to some of the most iconic Led Zeppelin songs of all time including 'Black Dog'. 'Rock and Roll' and the now iconic 'Stairway to Heaven'. The album put the band back on track and created in 'Stairway' arguably the most iconic rock song of all time.

David Bowie: Hunky Dory

While David Bowie's career was already on the rise, his albums weren't exactly lighting the album charts on fire. Signing with RCA for his fourth album, Hunky Dory marked a moment where Bowie creatively and commercially hit his stride. Not only is 'Hunky Dory' home to tracks like 'Changes' and 'Oh! You Pretty Things' but it is also the album from which 'Life On Mars' was born; a track that has only gained more significance over the years particularly after Bowie's death earlier this year. An absolute classic.

Please check out Episode 3 of 'My Classic Album' right now on iTunes, TuneIn or at www.myclassicalbum.co.uk.

Don't forget on 1st November to check out Episode 4. Perhaps it'll have the same success as these fourth albums!