# Artist you own the most albums by **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 3, 2020, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artist-you-own-the-most-albums-by/853049 "2020-05-03T03:03:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2020, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artist-you-own-the-most-albums-by/853049/41 "2020-05-03T17:40:31Z")
I recently went through my lifetime collection and got rid of hundreds of CD’s and LP’s I never intended to listen to again. All of my “forever” vinyl albums have been copied to CD. Leaving me with… **Beatles** , by far. About 100 CD’s. Only 5-6 are solo/post Fabs releases; less than a dozen are bootleg/unauthorized. **Frank Zappa**. I’ve collected his work since 1968. Considering how wildly uneven his recorded output is, I’ve cherrypicked and recompiled dozens of his albums into many custom discs of my own choices. With those compilations, as well as untampered-with original discs, I have at least 30 CD’s. **Stones**. About 30 discs. Almost entirely from '65 through '80. At least a couple of dozen CD’s by each of the following: **J.S. Bach** (Organ, Harpsichord/Piano compositions) **Brian Wilson** (mostly as “The Beach Boys”) **Ry Cooder David Lindley Bob Brozman ELP **and** Keith Emerson** solo **Nat Cole Trio** **R. Crumb** (Yes, R. Crumb the visual artist. Performing with The Cheap Suit Serenaders, Les Primitifs du Futur, and various albums he’s released of his own esoteric collections) ---
**Author:** ![epbrown01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ba0ec/32.png) [@epbrown01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/epbrown01)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2020, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artist-you-own-the-most-albums-by/853049/42 "2020-05-03T18:14:49Z")
> [@epbrown01](#): > > This thread is wild for me. I typically like a band or artist for one or two albums, with only two groups going to three, and that was decades ago. The Police (Outlandos D’amour, Zenyatta Mendatta, Synchronicity) and the Art of Noise (Who’s Afraid, In No Sense? Nonsense!, Below the Waste). There’s nobody I’ve liked for their entire career, or even close to it. Whoops, correction. The Police win, as I realized i also have Ghost in the Machine, so they hold the title at 4 albums. ---
**Author:** ![epbrown01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ba0ec/32.png) [@epbrown01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/epbrown01)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2020, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artist-you-own-the-most-albums-by/853049/43 "2020-05-03T18:22:49Z")
> [@epbrown01](#): > > This thread is wild for me. I typically like a band or artist for one or two albums, with only two groups going to three, and that was decades ago. The Police (Outlandos D’amour, Zenyatta Mendatta, Synchronicity) and the Art of Noise (Who’s Afraid, In No Sense? Nonsense!, Below the Waste). There’s nobody I’ve liked for their entire career, or even close to it. Whoops, correction. The Police win, as I realized i also have Ghost in the Machine, so they hold the title at 4 albums. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2020, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artist-you-own-the-most-albums-by/853049/44 "2020-05-03T20:04:02Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > There’s plenty of ambiguity in the question: what counts as an “album,” and what counts as “by”? This post made me laugh—You sound like a character in a Nick Hornby book. I think you know that you’re overthinking this. Just answer each question to yourself as you please; no one is going to hold you to account for your claims. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2020, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artist-you-own-the-most-albums-by/853049/45 "2020-05-03T20:16:27Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > I think you know that you’re overthinking this. Yup. This was a question just begging to be overthought. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2020, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artist-you-own-the-most-albums-by/853049/46 "2020-05-03T20:39:55Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Back in the mid-1970s Deustche Grammaphon issued a Beethoven box set that was von Karajan and the Berlin Philharmonic doing every single piece of music that Beethoven ever wrote, including the folk songs and the obscene beer hall ditties. Technically, it’s _one_ release (album.) 17 boxes, but 1 album. I have no idea how to count it. [This one](http://losslessclassics.com/beethoven-complete-works-100-cd-box-set-flac/) contains 100 CDs. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2020, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artist-you-own-the-most-albums-by/853049/47 "2020-05-03T20:49:37Z")
67 Mike Oldfield albums, including EPs and bootlegs, plus 3 more tribute albums by other people. Some are remixes. This includes vinyl singles. 53 Dylan albums, counting multi-CD albums as one. Includes all the official bootlegs and 3 real bootlegs. 45 Beethoven albums. I’m working on getting a complete set, and am almost there. I even have “Wellington’s Victory.” ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2020, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artist-you-own-the-most-albums-by/853049/48 "2020-05-03T20:51:31Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Not really sure, but possibly Thelonious Monk. Neat! Almost Bird or Beatles, but AxCx. ---
**Author:** ![HyacinthBucket](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hyacinthbucket/32/3063_2.png) [@HyacinthBucket](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HyacinthBucket)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2020, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artist-you-own-the-most-albums-by/853049/49 "2020-05-03T21:07:51Z")
If we’re talking actual performers or performing groups, for pop music it’s probably The Beatles if we’re counting both CDs and vinyl, followed by Simon and Garfunkel and Bowie. A decent smattering of The Kingston Trio and Queen. For Classical, (performing artist(s) remember!) it’s the Academy Of Ancient Music by a landslide, mostly Vivaldi and Handel, plus Scarlattti, Bach, and too many others to remember, followed by the Chicago Symphony, primarily the Solti years. After that, Vladimir Ashkenazy and Glenn Gould. ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2020, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artist-you-own-the-most-albums-by/853049/50 "2020-05-03T21:15:21Z")
Rem - 11 ---
**Author:** ![HyacinthBucket](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hyacinthbucket/32/3063_2.png) [@HyacinthBucket](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HyacinthBucket)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2020, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artist-you-own-the-most-albums-by/853049/51 "2020-05-03T21:18:35Z")
double post, sorry ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2020, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artist-you-own-the-most-albums-by/853049/52 "2020-05-03T21:23:59Z")
I’ve always put 7" vinyl under the category of “album” - YMMV Three or four 7"s each (or split 7"s) from the following: Agothocles (from Belgium, the kings of split 7"s) Agoraphobic Nosebleed Discordance Axis Despise You peachy Slap-A-Ham label’s 3 X 7" Bleeeaaauuurrrgghhh compilation series Brutal Truth Godstomper Potato Justice Burn Up Bled Dry Well imagine if **Snoboarder Bo** posts it’ll take up the rest of the page.🙂 ---
**Author:** ![installLSC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/54ee81/32.png) [@installLSC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/installLSC)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2020, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artist-you-own-the-most-albums-by/853049/53 "2020-05-03T21:45:05Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > I’m almost ashamed to give my answer: Liberace. > > Liberace is the absolute last artist I would ever buy, but once upon a time I got a job ghost-writing arrangements for him, and the publisher gave me a few dozen albums so I could study the style. > > I wrote three arrangements. Then we went in the studio to record them, and Lee decided to play something else. I don’t think he even looked at my work. Since I got paid anyway, in the long run, it didn’t matter much. > > I still have the LPs. Okay I’m going off topic but is there any chance you could do an “Ask the arranger/music publisher” thread? ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2020, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artist-you-own-the-most-albums-by/853049/54 "2020-05-03T21:48:10Z")
And wouldn’t mind seeing **scabpicker** ’s list. ---
**Author:** ![Author\_Balk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Author\_Balk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Author_Balk)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2020, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artist-you-own-the-most-albums-by/853049/55 "2020-05-03T21:48:22Z")
Either… Styx with 10. This Includes vinyl and cassette even though I dont have anything to play them on. Plus one that I own, but is lost somewhere. Steely Dan/Donald Fagen with 13. These are what I listen to regularly. However, this includes some that I listen to with my Apple Music account. Cars, Styx and Steely Dan with 7. These are ones that I own on CD or digital. ---
**Author:** ![jaycat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaycat/32/3015_2.png) [@jaycat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jaycat)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2020, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artist-you-own-the-most-albums-by/853049/56 "2020-05-03T21:53:38Z")
I have two Ed Sanders records. I bet that’s more than the rest of you guys. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2020, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artist-you-own-the-most-albums-by/853049/57 "2020-05-03T21:57:51Z")
Patti Smith, followed by Philip Glass. ---
**Author:** ![GESancMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gesancman/32/2923_2.png) [@GESancMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GESancMan)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2020, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artist-you-own-the-most-albums-by/853049/58 "2020-05-03T22:09:15Z")
> [@GESancMan](#): > > Are we counting bootlegs? > > Yes, Dream Theater, Marillion, and Frank Zappa. I’ve easily got more than 50 albums by each. Since a few people are also counting solo albums by band members… If I do that, then the clear winner is Yes, with well over 100 albums. Maybe even close to 150. It’d be too much of a project to try to count them all, since there’s been like 300 people in the band over the past 50 years. I did count the number of albums I own by Anderson (14), Howe (24), and Wakeman (36). If we include side-projects as well, then things get really out of control. Dream Theater may be back in the running. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2020, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artist-you-own-the-most-albums-by/853049/59 "2020-05-03T22:34:49Z")
> [@GESancMan](#): > > Since a few people are also counting solo albums by band members… > > If I do that, then the clear winner is Yes, with well over 100 albums. Maybe even close to 150. It’d be too much of a project to try to count them all, since there’s been like 300 people in the band over the past 50 years. I did count the number of albums I own by Anderson (14), Howe (24), and Wakeman (36). > > If we include side-projects as well, then things get really out of control. Dream Theater may be back in the running. Well, I would have bet that your pick was Genesis, though they really had not quite as much side and solo projects as Yes. And who wants to own every Phil Collins album anyway ;)? ---
**Author:** ![cieskokid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cieskokid/32/5374_2.png) [@cieskokid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cieskokid)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2020, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artist-you-own-the-most-albums-by/853049/60 "2020-05-03T23:31:46Z")
Led Zeppelin: all 8 studio albums the live “The Song Remains The Same” , “How The West Was Won” & "BBC Sessions’’ albums the post-Bonham collection “Coda” & MANY bootlegs. IMHO, the greatest band EVER 🆒 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artist-you-own-the-most-albums-by/853049.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artist-you-own-the-most-albums-by/853049.md?page=4)