# Best Album Streaks
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-album-streaks/661235
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [June 18, 2013, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-album-streaks/661235 "2013-06-18T02:40:33Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 3
### Author:  [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)
#### Post date: [June 18, 2013, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-album-streaks/661235/41 "2013-06-18T19:02:27Z")
> [@GargoyleWB](#):
>
> There’s fan appeal, then there’s chart success. Streaks can vary wildly on these metrics.
Yeah, the OP merely asked for “a series of great albums” without further defining what “great” means.
The criterion I myself used was that I myself had to recognize the albums’ greatness _and_ they had to have significant critical acclaim. Unfortunately, there’s nothing similar to “Rotten Tomatoes” for music (AFAIK) by which critical acclaim can be quantified.
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### Author:  [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)
#### Post date: [June 18, 2013, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-album-streaks/661235/42 "2013-06-18T19:05:16Z")
find someone with an extensive collection of Rolling Stone
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### Author:  [@ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness)
#### Post date: [June 18, 2013, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-album-streaks/661235/43 "2013-06-18T19:11:13Z")
In addition to the 60s streak mentioned above, The Kinks also had a good streak from the late 70s to mid 80s:
Low Budget (1979)
One For The Road (1980)
Give The People What They Want (1981)
State of Confusion (1983)
Word of Mouth (1984)
and even though Dave didn’t play on it, I’d even include the Return to Waterloo soundtrack (1985)
The Replacements had a short but intense 1-2-3 punch I never get tired of listening to:
Let It Be (1984)
Tim (1985)
Pleased To Meet Me (1987)
Cheap Trick’s first 5 albums:
Cheap Trick
In Color
Heaven Tonight
At Budakon
Dream Police
The Ramones’ first 5 albums:
Ramones
Leave Home
Rocket To Russia
Road To Ruin
End of the Century - yes, I like this one too. With the exception of the “Baby I Love You” misfire and the neutered “Rock and Roll High School” rerecording, I think Phil Spector’s overproduction complimented most of the songs, especially “Do You Remember Rock and Roll Radio?” and “Danny Says”
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### Author:  [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)
#### Post date: [June 18, 2013, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-album-streaks/661235/44 "2013-06-18T19:12:50Z")
i agree that the 60s groups (especially then and points after) were good strings, it must have been something in the water. though i might change the length on some.
also performers during that era might be in multiple strings in different groups (or guests) or solo (their own groups).
others to include
Paul Butterfield
Neil Young
Jeff Beck
Mothers of Invention/Frank Zappa
Al Kooper
Mike Bloomfield
Steve Winwood
Grateful Dead
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### Author:  [@Accidental\_Martyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Accidental_Martyr)
#### Post date: [June 18, 2013, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-album-streaks/661235/45 "2013-06-18T20:31:06Z")
> [@woodstockbirdybird](#):
>
> Elvis Costello:
>
> My Aim Is True
> This Year’s Model
> Armed Forces
> Get Happy!!
> Trust
>
> Husker Du:
>
> Zen Arcade
> New Day Rising
> Flip Your Wig
> Candy Apple Grey
> Warehouse: Songs and Stories
> (And that was in a span of 3 years, with two of those being double albums)
Excellent choices. 🙂
> [@woodstockbirdybird](#):
>
> Thought of another - XTC:
>
> Drums and Wires
> Black Sea
> English Settlement
> Mummer
> The Big Express
> Skylarking
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### Author:  [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)
#### Post date: [June 18, 2013, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-album-streaks/661235/46 "2013-06-18T20:45:38Z")
Well, I’ll speak up for The Who (except for Sell Out, all top 10 albums in the UK)
My Generation
A Quick One
Sell Out
Tommy
Live at Leeds
Who’s Next
Quadrophenia
By Numbers
Who Are You
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### Author:  [@Fred\_Garvin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fred_Garvin)
#### Post date: [June 18, 2013, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-album-streaks/661235/47 "2013-06-18T21:59:05Z")
Elton John:
Madman Across the Water (1971)
Honky Chateau (1972)
Don’t Shoot Me I’m Only the Piano Player (1973)
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (1973)
Caribou (1974)
Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy (1975)
Rock of the Westies (1975)
Blue Moves (1976)
8 Albums in 5 years, 6 of them reaching the top of the charts.
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### Author:  [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)
#### Post date: [June 18, 2013, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-album-streaks/661235/48 "2013-06-18T22:41:45Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#):
>
> [
> Stevie Wonder:
> 72: Talking Book
> 73: Innervisions
These two came to my mind instantly because they came out within a year of each other. Remarkable.
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### Author:  [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)
#### Post date: [June 18, 2013, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-album-streaks/661235/49 "2013-06-18T22:44:53Z")
Talking Heads:
1977 - Talking Heads '77
1978 - More Songs About Buildings and Food
1979 - Fear of Music
1980 - Remain in Light
1983 - Speaking in TOngues
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### Author:  [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)
#### Post date: [June 18, 2013, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-album-streaks/661235/50 "2013-06-18T23:14:18Z")
> [@Fred\_Garvin](#):
>
> Elton John:
> Madman Across the Water (1971)
> Honky Chateau (1972)
> Don’t Shoot Me I’m Only the Piano Player (1973)
> Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (1973)
> Caribou (1974)
> Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy (1975)
> Rock of the Westies (1975)
> Blue Moves (1976)
>
> 8 Albums in 5 years, 6 of them reaching the top of the charts.
Why leave off 1970’s Elton John and Tumbleweed Connection? The first had several good songs and the second is a first rate themed album. They are technically separated from the others by Friends, but that’s a soundtrack album, and 17-11-70, but that’s a recording of a radio broadcast that the label rushed into production because of a bootleg version. I think they’re stronger than some of those later albums, and besides you left out the live album Here and There so we’re talking a straight string of studio albums.
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### Author:  [@Bumbershoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bumbershoot)
#### Post date: [June 18, 2013, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-album-streaks/661235/51 "2013-06-18T23:29:25Z")
I think Creedence Clearwater Revival deserves to be mentioned for densest streak. In just over two years they recorded and released:
Creedence Clearwater Revival (1968)
Bayou Country (1969)
Green River (1969)
Willy and the Poor Boys (1969)
Cosmo’s Factory (1970)
It could be argued that the first two aren’t great, but are merely very good (although I would disagree). But the last three are fantastic, and were released between August 1969 and July 1970.
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### Author:  [@Hippy\_Hollow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hippy_Hollow)
#### Post date: [June 19, 2013, 10:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-album-streaks/661235/52 "2013-06-19T10:41:11Z")
Let me add The Smiths’ oeuvre here:
84: The Smiths
85: Meat Is Murder
86: The Queen Is Dead
87: Strangeways Here We Come
That’s a ridiculous record of achievement in three bloody years. Not to mention the numerous singles during this time that were amazing.
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### Author:  [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)
#### Post date: [June 19, 2013, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-album-streaks/661235/53 "2013-06-19T11:36:17Z")
Neil Young.
1968 Neil Young
1969 Everybody Know This Is Nowhere
1970 After The Gold Rush
1972 Harvest
1973 Time Fades Away
1974 On The Beach
1975 Tonight’s The Night
1975 Zuma
1976 Long May You Run (good not great)
1977 American Stars 'n Bars (good not great)
1978 Comes A Time
1979 Rust Never Sleeps
1979 Live Rust
He’s released a string of good albums since 2003 but several are old live performances.
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### Author:  [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)
#### Post date: [June 19, 2013, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-album-streaks/661235/54 "2013-06-19T12:56:36Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#):
>
> Neil Young.
>
> 1968 Neil Young
> 1969 Everybody Know This Is Nowhere
> 1970 After The Gold Rush
> 1972 Harvest
> 1973 Time Fades Away
> 1974 On The Beach
> 1975 Tonight’s The Night
> 1975 Zuma
> 1976 Long May You Run (good not great)
> 1977 American Stars 'n Bars (good not great)
> 1978 Comes A Time
> 1979 Rust Never Sleeps
> 1979 Live Rust
>
> He’s released a string of good albums since 2003 but several are old live performances.
You could extend this backward with some Buffalo Springfield, and throw in some CSNY, too. Then, you could end the streak cleanly with “Zuma.”
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### Author:  [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)
#### Post date: [June 19, 2013, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-album-streaks/661235/55 "2013-06-19T13:19:07Z")
The answer to this thread is The Beatles. There’s no other group or artist who remotely compares.
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### Author:  [@K364](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/K364)
#### Post date: [June 19, 2013, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-album-streaks/661235/56 "2013-06-19T14:06:41Z")
> [@Bumbershoot](#):
>
> I think Creedence Clearwater Revival deserves to be mentioned for densest streak. In just over two years they recorded and released:
>
> Creedence Clearwater Revival (1968)
> Bayou Country (1969)
> Green River (1969)
> Willy and the Poor Boys (1969)
> Cosmo’s Factory (1970)
>
> It could be argued that the first two aren’t great, but are merely very good (although I would disagree). But the last three are fantastic, and were released between August 1969 and July 1970.
Off the top of my head, the next album is “Pendulum” which, although quite different from the preceding albums, is another masterpiece.
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### Author:  [@Slade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slade)
#### Post date: [June 19, 2013, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-album-streaks/661235/57 "2013-06-19T14:55:33Z")
> [@NDP](#):
>
> Rolling Stones (studio albums):
>
> 1. Beggars Banquet (1968)
> 2. Let It Bleed (1969)
> 3. Sticky Fingers (1971)
> 4. Exile on Main St. (1972)
Yeah, this is the unbeatable sequence for me too. The live Get Yer Ya Yas Out (1970) isn’t too shabby either.
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### Author:  [@edwards\_beard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/edwards_beard)
#### Post date: [June 19, 2013, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-album-streaks/661235/58 "2013-06-19T14:56:56Z")
For me I’d say Iron Maiden with eight albums:
1980: Iron Maiden
1981: Killers
1982: The Number of the Beast
1983: Piece of Mind
1984: Powerslave
1985: Live After Death
1986: Somewhere in Time
1987: Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
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### Author:  [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)
#### Post date: [June 19, 2013, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-album-streaks/661235/59 "2013-06-19T15:01:49Z")
With Pink Floyd, I’d say their real “streak” was the Big Four albums from DSOTM thru The Wall. Of course since all of their albums are much better than your average album you could consider their entire discography one huge streak. But I agree that Obscured by Clouds, despite having the second best guitar work of their whole discography, lacks that certain something I can’t pinpoint. Maybe it’s that the music doesn’t differentiate itself enough from other bluesy rock.
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### Author:  [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)
#### Post date: [June 19, 2013, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-album-streaks/661235/60 "2013-06-19T17:31:17Z")
**Wilco** : _Being There, Summerteeth, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, A Ghost is Born_
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