His cover of Alabama Song was pretty awful.
I like everything I’ve heard from Big Bad Voodoo Daddy. I also have to second the Alan Parsons Project as being consistently good.
Inclined to agree. There many bands where I won’t skip tracks on my old-fashioned CD’s, but that doesn’t mean I love every song. There are perfect albums, etc., but everybody’s output varies.
I’m not sure I want to like a band that only produces sweet-spot-to-me music. Not exactly sure why, just doesn’t strike me as important. Sorry, not trying to shit on the thread, more trying to think through the concept of “band with no bad tracks”…
Sufjan Stevens does not have a single track I skip when I’m on a Sufjan kick, and my Sufjan kicks tend to last for a week or so. Not every track is as good as ‘Lord God Bird’, which is my favorite, but no clunkers.
Same for Ryan Bingham, but I don’t have all of his discography. I’m missing a few early albums, so there may be some duds there.
And, I’ll throw in another vote for Zep. I like ‘Hot Dog’. I see it as a little bit of them playing with their audience, and with their image, but I still think it’s a good track.
Hah, I’ll have to YouTube it; I’ve not owned it in any format for probably 20 years. 
I love the Ramones, but IMHO none of their albums from Halfway To Sanity through the end of their career was consistently good. Two or three great songs per album and a lot of filler. Hell, Joey’s posthumous solo album was the best record with the word “Ramone” on the cover to come out in 15 years. 
“Golden Lights,” I’d say–although that is a cover. “Meat is Murder” would qualify for me, as well. “Barbarism Begins at Home.” Some you just gotta tune out the words, like “Some Girls are Bigger than Others.” I like the tune, but the lyrics just … it’s best I just don’t listen to them. 90-95% of their work is solid, but they have songs I skip over (besides these ones.)
You worry about “radio song” yet ignore “shiny happy people”?
They would be my example if this was about a perfect streak of albums, not individual songs. Because there are maybe a handful songs of theirs which are not perfect like the rest, but at least they are all recorded and sound exceptionally well.
If they just stuck with their first six albums, I’d probably agree (although I can see arguments for some clunkers here and there). But once they got to Presence, it all kind of fell apart for me. But that was an amazing run of six albums there, one of the greatest in rock history, in my opinion.
You take that back! No song with Kirsty MacColl singing backup could possibly be bad. Fairytale Of New York and Sexuality are my cites.
Naaah. Love it (and I love my steaks)
I take songs as a gestalt (or I wouldn’t be a fan of Cocteaus and Dead Can Dance), and Marr’s music just overwhelms any naffness in the lyrics. And the lyrics to some songs may be naff, but the voice is still there on all of them.
Me too. I can’t understand the dislike. Sure, it’s not like any of their other songs, but it’s still a fun little jam.
To answer the OP: I can’t think of a band that I universally love. Beatles come close, but no cigar. The Fratellis come close too. Perhaps closer than the Beatles, since they haven’t been around as long.
Yeah, but it’s easy to tune out the Cocteau Twins lyrically. 
(I tend to tune out lyrics, but it’s hard to do with the Smiths, as the lyrics are part of the charm. It’s what first drew me to them. But there’s a few songs that I just need to tune out, but I find it difficult to, as the voice is clear, front-and-center.)
You may very well be the first Smiths fan I’ve met that actually likes “Golden Lights,” so, if that’s the metric, then, yeah, the Smiths have 100% good output. I’m still trying to rack my brain trying to find a band that I enjoy on that level. The suggestion of Joy Division comes closest so far, I think.
I would have to say the doors, some people talk about soft parade but it’s actually my favorite album of theirs.
also put me down as a fan of hot dog and Mr moonlight , if not just for John singing his heart out in the intro=“Book Antiqua”][/FONT]
It helps that it has MacColl, but also it’s thematically connected to “You Just Haven’t Earned It Yet, Baby” and “Paint a Vulgar Picture” and I like the mini-movie they make in my head.
I’ve listened to most of his stuff, and I can’t think of a bad song.
My contribution would be the Drive-By Truckers. I’ve listened to all their stuff, and it’s all good.
Mr. Bungle: if you “get” it, you “get” it all; I know of no one who only likes “a little” Mr. Bungle.
Metallica all the way up until the black Album. That’s a fairly decent run.
Now, if the question were: Albums with a 100% output, I would have a list as long as your arm.
I agree. I’d probably even put it through the divisive black album. That’d be another interesting question: what bands had a run of three or more perfect or near-perfect albums? I’d probably nominate the Pixies for their first four. Van Morrison has a hell of a run from Astral Weeks to St. Dominic’s Preview. Led Zep is already mentioned, and, like with Metallica, their run starts from their first album.
Oh, I just thought of one. Only three albums, but how about Nick Drake?
Agreed on both counts, Land Speed Record and Cut The Crap are a mess, but everything else is gold, as albums go. But not every individual song: Baby Song anyone? I agree with those who said that nobody has an absolute flawless canon of songs, but as I said before, for me Steely Dan comes closest.
That’s a good one I hadn’t thought about. Small output, but really flawless. Better than the Experience’s original three for example, there are some clunkers on Axis and Electric Ladyland.