Consistency is key: Which artists have had the longest classic album runs in history?
There’s always an immense amount of pressure placed upon artists to keep a level of consistency with their art, whether that’s in terms of its quality or its frequency, and fans tend to get unreasonably bothered when their favourite artists fail to live up to these standards.
Of course, those who take a lengthy amount of time to produce new work often put themselves at an advantage when it comes to being able to keep up a level of high quality, but the desire that comes from fanbases to have their insatiable thirst for new material quenched can often turn into an obstacle that prevents said creators from continuing a streak. The tendency to retreat into hiding that these artists often display then gets in the way of them ever releasing an extended streak of classic albums, with very few offerings to their name.
When compared to the fruitfulness of discographies from the past, where artists were actively encouraged to follow up albums in quick succession of one another, this approach makes it seem as though there has been a shift in what’s expected of an artist by the industry that has given them a platform. However, because of how proactive artists used to be, it was also a rare occurrence for them to produce album after album that matched the quality of the predecessors, with all solid runs eventually coming to an end.
Being able to establish a streak of albums that are universally regarded as classics is something that tends to be reserved only for the greatest artists, and while scoring a hat-trick or delivering four on the trot might seem like a remarkable achievement, there are plenty of acts who have managed to keep their most prolific periods running over the course of many more consecutive albums.
Many tend to look at the likes of Stevie Wonder’s five-album run between 1972 and 1976, beginning with Music of My Mind and finishing with Songs in the Key of Life, as being one of the most untouchable hot streaks in the history of popular music, but even this pales in comparison to what others have managed to register in their careers.
Acclaimed Music, a website dedicated to aggregating best-of lists and reviews from throughout the history of music criticism, has painstakingly used decades of data and statistics to compile a list of the 3000 greatest albums of all time, with many of the most revered artists registering multiple entries in their rundown, but with all of this taken into consideration, let us look at the acts that have managed to get the most consecutive studio albums into the top 3,000, and who has the longest classic album run in the history of recorded music.
Which artists have recorded the longest classic album runs?
Upon realising that Wonder’s five-album run would be a suitable benchmark, research showed that 23 acts have managed to register a run of six or more classic albums on the trot, with a number of surprising omissions from this elite group.
Neil Young, Led Zeppelin and Prince are among the ten acts to have achieved six consecutive entries on the list, demonstrating an incredible ability to maintain a level of consistency, while The Rolling Stones, Joni Mitchell and Steely Dan all managed to extend their impeccable sequences to seven in a row. Going one step further with eight in succession are a foursome of David Bowie, Bruce Springsteen, Radiohead and Kanye West, but four artists have all managed to surpass this already staggering level of consistency.
Registering an astounding nine consecutive albums on the chart is Bob Dylan, whose career-opening gambit running from his self-titled 1962 debut until his country-tinged 1969 record, Nashville Skyline, cemented his status as one of folk music’s most prolific and celebrated artists.
Taking things a step further, although surprisingly not topping the list are The Beatles, whose first ten albums from Please Please Me until The White Album (including the ambiguous status of Magical Mystery Tour, which was only issued as an LP in certain territories) make it onto the list, only coming to an end with the underwhelming dip in quality seen on Yellow Submarine.
However, two artists share top spot with an untouchable run of 11 albums on the list apiece are college rock icons REM and Australian gothic rockers Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, both of whose runs also begin with their respective debuts. To be able to make a handful of consecutive albums that have gone on to be regarded as all-time classics is impressive, but to register close to a dozen is a frankly astounding achievement, highlighting just how dedicated they are to perfecting their craft.
The 23 acts with six or more consecutive classic albums:
- REM / Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds (11)
- The Beatles (10)
- Bob Dylan (9)
- David Bowie / Bruce Springsteen / Radiohead / Kanye West (8)
- The Rolling Stones / Joni Mitchell / Steely Dan / Wilco / Blur (7)
- Neil Young / Led Zeppelin / Prince / The Who / U2 / Talking Heads / Tom Waits / Sonic Youth / The Byrds / The National (6)
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