Usually it's the opposite - the artist dips their toes into an idea, and if it works, they will try it out fully on the next album. Or if artists do try radical experiments on the first go and it ends up not working, they just abandon the idea completely rather than trying to compromise.

Two examples of the top of my head:

There's A Riot Goin On' > Fresh
Plastic Ono Band > Imagine

Not including debut albums where the artist is still finding themselves, that's a cheat answer

I guess lots of bands who made the punk -> post-punk -> synthpop transition would fall into this category but I'm not really familiar with their discographies

experimental to more accessible I'd think Danny brown with atrocity exhibition to uknowhatimsayin? but its not based on same themes I guess

CRASH -> brat

her gimmick on crash was being a pop star and she did it the right way on brat

I think artists following experimental releases with accessible releases is the norm, either alternating between them (common examples given are Kendrick and Kanye) or simply becoming less experimental over time. Dealing with the same themes/ideas is the rare part

Rare because:
If the experiment succeeds (financially/critically/influentially) -> why concede to pop sensibilities at all, either keep doing what you're doing, or try something completely new because you've proved you can
If the experiment doesn't work -> risky to try salvaging it, music industry doesn't let people fail twice

Is a crash an experimental album?

she went from experimental to "basic" as an experiment

son

yeah i didnt like her gimmick during crash era either

Yeezus -> TLOP

No

Actually maybe

Jesus is King -> DONDA

DAMN. going full pop rap

animal collective. they kinda had the formula figured out on their debut (spirits theyve gone, spirits theyve vanished) and each subsequent album up to merryweather post pavilion was a new take on it, but slowly getting more and more accessible (generally speaking).

its still strange though, but their debut def filters people out with the high pitched sounds lol

also pink floyd, after syd barrett lost it.

same kinda thing with animal collective where they had the formula figured out on they debut and then kept reworking it

maybe endless into blonde?

they have a similar atmosphere to me. but theyre pretty different…

Kiss Land into the 2020s Weeknd trilogy

80’s pop and new order inspired music in both, but the new trilogy was after The Weeknd was more established and had cleaner songs, so it was successful

Veteran to All My Heroes Are Cornballs

Both albums are experimental but Heroes is more melodic and has some traditionally structured songs compared to Veteran which was more over the top

SB2H -> Passion Pain and Demon Slayin
Went from cathartic and critically panned grunge album then returned to form
Revival -> Kamikaze
Em received backlash for corny bars and an album filled with pop stars, returned to form with his Slim Shady persona dissing everybody

Kinda funny when you think about it

Thread title so big I can’t go to any of the pages lol

walpurgis night to beam of prism