The music industry has an adage that a recording artist has a whole lifetime (or 3, 5 or 10 years) to make a first album, but only a short time (months or weeks) to write the second album. Once the initial effort is successful, the industry wants to quickly capitalize on that success.
   
“A band has three years to write the first album and three weeks to write the follow-up” was cited in print in 1998. “Musicians like to say that a band has five years to write their first record and two weeks to write the next one” was cited in 2002. It’s not known who first created the saying.
 
   
New Times (Phoenix, AZ)
Trunk Stop
Trunk Federation’s second album finds each member getting in touch with his disturbed inner child
By Serene Dominic Thursday, Mar 19 1998
(...)
“It was a stressful yet prolific time,” says Sanford, proving true the old adage that a band has three years to write the first album and three weeks to write the follow-up.
     
Google Books
Bang Your Head:
The Rise and Fall of Heavy Metal
By David Konow
New York, NY: Three Rivers Press
2002
Pg. 184:
Musicians like to say that a band has five years to write their first record and two weeks to write the next one.
   
Thai360.com
Most Disappointing Pile of Shite CD you’ve bought!
Fiery Jack 
Posted 02 February 2004 - 17:51
(...)
They say a band has five years to write their first album and five months to write their second.
 
Epinions
Spinning Around, Right ‘Round Baby, Right ‘Round
Jul 22, 2005 (Updated Sep 25, 2005)
(...)
“A band has its whole life to write the first album and about two weeks to write the second one”
~Aaron Comess, Drummer, Spin Doctors (I’ll address this quote later)
   
Comic Book Resources Forum
THREAD: RITA’S CXLVII: OH, IF THERE’S AN ORIGINAL THOUGHT OUT THERE, I COULD USE IT RIGHT NOW
Spike X
03-06-2013, 03:53 AM
Yeah, it’s often said that a band has ten years to write their first album, and six months to write their second.
 
Twitter
Peter Abraham
‏@PeterAbraham
A band has its entire life to write its first album, and, after touring, about three months to write the second one. That explains a lot.
11:41 PM - 8 Dec 2013
 
Clash
Next Wave #552: The Orwells
Feral indie rock from Chicago…
CLASHMUSIC / FEATURES / 15 · 01 · 2014
As the old saying goes: a band has 20 years to write its debut album, and about six months to complete a follow-up.