# Most Records Released Ever? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 2, 2002, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-records-released-ever/117075 "2002-07-02T18:26:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![fippo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/2bfe46/32.png) [@fippo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fippo)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2002, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-records-released-ever/117075/1 "2002-07-02T18:26:42Z")
Here at work we were pondering the following: Which artist/band has released the most albums during their career? We were thinking maybe the Greatful Dead or Elvis. We checked Billboard and the Guinness Book of World Records but they didn’t have the answer. Anyone know? Official releases only, please. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2002, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-records-released-ever/117075/2 "2002-07-02T18:36:06Z")
The Dead only released a dozen or so “official” albums. Elvis’ stuff has be repackaged and released ad nauseum. For the most, it’s probably gonna be a country star or “popular” singer (Dean Martin, Sinatra, etc). Some have been known to release over 100 albums. I’m at work right now, but I’ll check when I get home and post. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2002, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-records-released-ever/117075/3 "2002-07-02T18:58:48Z")
My guess is that it will be an Asian recording artist (Indian, perhaps). Someone unknown to most Westerners. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2002, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-records-released-ever/117075/4 "2002-07-02T22:18:23Z")
Questions about music usually do best in our arts forum, Cafe Society. I’ll move this thread over there. ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2002, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-records-released-ever/117075/5 "2002-07-02T22:46:54Z")
Years ago, I heard someone claim that it was the 101 Strings Orchestra, which is a depressing thought. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2002, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-records-released-ever/117075/6 "2002-07-02T23:54:40Z")
According to Billboard’s album charts (through the end of 2001): Elvis: 104 Sinatra: 81 Johnny Mathis: 72 …etc. I don’t have access to the country albums charts, but it is likely someone there will have more. Jazz artists have been known to put out quite a few lps as well. ---
**Author:** ![Jello](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f05b48/32.png) [@Jello](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jello)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2002, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-records-released-ever/117075/7 "2002-07-03T00:04:57Z")
The Grateful Dead have, when I last counted in October, 63 official releases. It’s up to maybe 67 now, I think. Most of this is live material. (The 25 installments in the Dick’s Picks series, released on the Dead’s own label, the nine Warner Brothers releases, the three Grateful Dead Records studio albums from the mid-70s, the seven releases on Arista, and the From the Vault and View from the Vault series) IIRC, Frank Zappa has around sixty releases as well. Bob Dylan has 43. ---
**Author:** ![Ich\_Bin\_s](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Ich\_Bin\_s](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ich_Bin_s)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2002, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-records-released-ever/117075/8 "2002-07-03T14:56:43Z")
My vote has to be for **Bill Laswell**. By some accounts, he’s been involved in over 560 albums. The problem is that while many of these are honest to goodness groups, he also serves as a session musician and producer. I’ve never taken the time to sit down and count them all. I personally own about thirty albumns by him. I admit that one man churning out albums is different than a group of people sticking together for years and touring. I’ll include a link that will connect you to some dedicated discography web site, so you can decide for yourself. [http://www.silent-watcher.net/](http://www.silent-watcher.net/) My second vote would be for **John Zorn**. I’ve provided a link listing 270 albumns that he has recorded. Again, I only own about thirty; I stopped trying to keep up a long, long time ago. [http://www.acns.nwu.edu/jazz/artists/zorn.john/discog.html#zorn\_discography](http://www.acns.nwu.edu/jazz/artists/zorn.john/discog.html#zorn_discography)