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Any Prolific Music Artists with a Near-Perfect Discography?

posted 2 years ago by HarveyManFredSin (4877)
30 replies | jump to latest

I can't think of any. As much as I love David Bowie, Prince, Marvin Gaye, Kate Bush, Talking Heads, The Clash, CHIC, Hall & Oates, The Jam, and The Police, for example, all of them have released at least a couple of stinkers or also-ran singles. Stevie Wonder had a good run until the mid-80s, when he came out with the terrible "I Just Called to Say I Love You." Honestly, and I'm ashamed to say this, but I think the musical artist who had the greatest run of gem-after-gem, at least until the mid-90s, when he descended into saccharine twaddle, is Michael Jackson (whatever else one may think of him).

Off the Wall, Thriller, Bad, and most of Dangerous, is filled with classic songs (although a large part of that is attributable to Quincy Jones, who also pretty much had a flawless midas touch throughout the 70s and 80s, although, save for a few singles, he's regarded more as a producer than a solo artist).

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[–] Kowalski (79156) 2 years ago

WARREN ZEVON.

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[–] AndyKing1967 (39867) 2 years ago

Boston

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[–] robocat893 (16257) 2 years ago

Slayer

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[–] nyctc7 (44116) 2 years ago

Jimi Hendrix https://www.allmusic.com/artist/jimi-hendrix-mn0000354105/discography
The Beatles https://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-beatles-mn0000754032/discography
The Police https://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-police-mn0000413524/discography
Bob Marley https://www.allmusic.com/artist/bob-marley-mn0000071514/discography
Bob Marley & The Wailers https://www.allmusic.com/artist/bob-marley-the-wailers-mn0000069402/discography

EDIT: Hendrix and The Police may not qualify as prolific. Also, I am going by albums only.

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[–] AndyKing1967 (39867) 2 years ago

Off the Wall Had some gems written by the underrated genius that is Rod Templeton - mastermind behind the band Heatwave (Dance trivia Andy).

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[–] HarveyManFredSin (4877) 2 years ago

Honestly, I think it's a contender for greatest album of all-time, IMHO.

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[–] AndyKing1967 (39867) 2 years ago

It’s definitely way up there 🪩🕺

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[–] InquiringMind (2272) 2 years ago

Pink Floyd
I consider them the best band of all time.
Their music will resonate with people hundreds of years from now. It is timeless. They will be seen they way we see Mozart or Beethoven today.

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[–] AndyKing1967 (39867) 2 years ago

I love Pink Floyd and have all their albums, however, I think some purists might take issue with some of the later Gilmore albums.

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[–] nyctc7 (44116) 2 years ago

Yah...and I don't mean to imply that allmusic is right about everything.
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/pink-floyd-mn0000346336/discography

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[–] InquiringMind (2272) 2 years ago

Yeah, I'm not including David Gilmour's later stuff. To me Pink Floyd is when Roger Waters was still in the band.
So for me, Pink Floyd's discography starts with Atom Heart Mother and ends with The Wall. That is not to say that I didn't like A Momentary Lapse of Reason or Division Bell. Division Bell was actually pretty good. But it's not Pink Floyd.

And as for Atom Heart Mother, it really is an underrated album. Even Roger Waters said it's garbage which I totally disagree with.
This part at 5:23 sounds like God contemplating his own creation. It is so hypnotic and beautiful.
https://youtu.be/uUHb3cBvWMY?t=323
This is Mozart level good.

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[–] AndyKing1967 (39867) 2 years ago

“I'm not including David Gilmour's later stuff.” That’s cheating, lol.

Pink Floyd were basically 3 bands; Syd Barrett era, Waters era, Gilmore Era.

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[–] InquiringMind (2272) 2 years ago

I don't think it's cheating. Like you said, it's basically 3 different bands, they just happen to have the same name.
Syd Barret's Pink Floyd was an experimental acid rock/jazz band. David Gilmour's Pink Floyd was a kind of New Age type music that is more like a David Gilmour solo album. Only Roger Waters' Pink Floyd was the Pink Floyd that was most influential. When people refer to Pink Floyd they are mostly talking about the successful band that created Dark Side of the Moon, Which You Were Here, and The Wall.
Likewise, when I'm talking about Pink Floyd, I'm talking about Roger Waters' band, which existed between Atom Heart Mother and The Wall.

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[–] [deleted] 2 years ago

So for me, Pink Floyd's discography starts with Atom Heart Mother and ends with The Wall.

So you're willing to neglect more than half their catalog? While you're free to for your own satisfaction it really puts a big dent into the question as stated.

For my opinion, Everything aside from The Wall and The Final Cut rates at least an 8/10. Even The Endless River. Roger's solo "Floyd" works are the boring ravings of a rancid ego given too much of a voice.

But on Atom Heart Mother he might not be totally wrong. Listening to the Early Years versions of Atom Heart Mother shows that the song, as presented on the album, really could have been something much better. The album version is kind of a let down compared to the early studio version they included. The brass and choir kind of dulls it a bit.

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[–] InquiringMind (2272) 2 years ago

Yes I'm neglecting the other albums because I don't consider them music from the same band.
I'll give you the same answer I gave Andy King above:

[Pink Floyd] is basically 3 different bands, they just happen to have the same name.
Syd Barret's Pink Floyd was an experimental acid rock/jazz band. David Gilmour's Pink Floyd was a kind of New Age type music that is more like a David Gilmour solo album. Only Roger Waters' Pink Floyd was the Pink Floyd that was most influential. When people refer to Pink Floyd they are mostly talking about the successful band that created Dark Side of the Moon, Which You Were Here, and The Wall.
Likewise, when I'm talking about Pink Floyd, I'm talking about Roger Waters' band, which existed between Atom Heart Mother and The Wall.

As for Atom Heart Mother, I think it's one of the most beautiful pieces of music ever created. It's not for everybody though. It's kind of an acquired taste, but once you acquire it, the experience is divine.

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[–] [deleted] 2 years ago

I'm pretty sure I have the "acquired taste" for Atom Heart Mother. It's much better than 99% of what was released its time but it's not all it could have been. That's my only agreement that might be in line with Roger. In fact, The Early Years proves that it actually *was* better at one point.

And for someone to call Momentary Lapse of Reason and Division Bell "new age type music" but talk up Atom Heart Mother as "divine" is very... we'll just leave it at odd.

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[–] InquiringMind (2272) 2 years ago

I would probably exclude Momentary Lapse of Reason from the New Age category, but Division Bell sounded kind of New Agey to me. Why is calling Atom Heart Mother divine odd? To clarify, I'm not talking about the album, I'm just talking about the song. Like I wrote in my original post, I consider this part divine:
https://youtu.be/uUHb3cBvWMY?t=323
It is so hypnotic and beautiful.

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[–] [deleted] 2 years ago

As someone who is very familiar with actual new age music I can only say we'll just have to agree to disagree on this one. Trust me, AHM is much more in line with actual new age than anything from Division Bell.

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[–] InquiringMind (2272) 2 years ago

Cluster One from Division Bell sounds New Agey to me.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hoEDw18mkbU
I wouldn't say that AHM is New Age. I don't actually know what it is. It doesn't really fit into any category.

I should say, that all my knowledge of New Age music comes from the New Age channel from Dish Network Satellite TV. My father had it like 20 years ago, and I used to turn it on before going to sleep.

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[–] [deleted] 2 years ago

I think it would be fair to call Cluster One ambient but not heavy ambient. Signs of Life is a much more traditional ambient, new age-ish, sound. The pads on SoL are much better than those on Cluster One. Anyway...

AHM has strong new age feels in Breast Milky, Mother Fore and Mind Your Throat Please. Mother Fore is pretty much the definition of New Age in its time. I'll give credence to anyone who'd like to call Mind Your Throat as simply experimental but it still has new age connectivity. The song and album as a whole squarely fits the Prog genre.

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[–] Nanook (2056) 2 years ago

Include the J5 with MJ and bingo.

Not sure what the cutoff is to qualify as prolific, but adding Ween as they changed their style quite a bit, yet put out consistently great material.
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/ween-mn0000817754/discography

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[–] GolfnGuitars (3123) 2 years ago

Jim Croce never made a dud recording (he passed away before he was able to do so).

The Eagles had a great run thru "Hell Freezes Over," IMO. However, they went south after getting rid of Don Felder.

Led Zeppelin never really made a dud album...their discography is pretty amazing.

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