Oh, yeah. When you’ve got guitarists like Peter Buck and Johnny Marr backing you, chances are you’re no slouch, musicianship-wise.
Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M. will be 50 years old this October, and Paul Simon is still going strong.
Good choice, but I personally wouldn’t call anything he’s done since around 1997 “amazing.” Still, even that gives us about 35 years.
I suggest Arvo Pärt. His medievalish-sounding compositions (mainly choral) aren’t to everyone’s taste, but many people love his music, and there’s no denying that his composing is as accomplished and masterful now as it was in the 1970s.
I agree that it’s been a while since Simon did anything new and good.
But his career goes farther back than 1965! He and Art Garfunkel had a hit called “Hey Schoolgirl” as Tom & Jerry back in the Fifties.
Elvis Costello is still going strong. I saw him a few years ago, he played for 2.5 hours, and I left wanting more.
Béla Fleck has been making records since 1978 and is still at it. In 2013 he released The Impostor, a concerto he composed for banjo and symphony orchestra. In 2012 he released Across The Imaginary Divide with the Marcus Roberts Trio, a jazz CD. His last album with the Flecktones (Rocket Science) was released in 2011 and was one of their best, in my opinion.
The problem with Elvis Costello is similar to Paul McCartney and Paul Simon - they can put on good shows because they’ve got a large greatest hits back catalog to draw on, but none of them have put out an objectively “great” album in quite a long time.
True. They were so young then, they could sing a song with that title and it wasn’t skeevy! 
All three have put out new albums within the past few years that, while they may not be objectively great, are at least considered good or interesting by a substantial number of people. So we could charitably say they’re “still doing amazing work” at least in the sense of “it’s amazing they’re still around and releasing new material that doesn’t suck.” 
Billy Idol has a new album, a book and a US tour all coming out later this year. I’ve seen him several times over the last 10 years and he is still rocking it.
In the thread currently right above this one, they are talking about Ted Nugent rambling incoherently about terrorist attacks and allahpoop and obesity booze cellphones. That’s pretty amazing work, in is own way. Amazing that he’s allowed to walk around loose.
Yeah, I mean, I personally really liked When I Was Cruel which was released in checks …oh, 2002. And I haven’t listened to any of his newer albums since then. Oops.
Whatever, he still puts on a good show! His voice is intact, his musicianship is stellar, and he’s still got charisma.
I agree that a lot of our musicians are still lucky and still doing great after three decades. Among my fave is Neil Young for his song included in his greatest hits “Only Love can Break your heart”. I really appreciate Mr Young’s fame and legacy with regards to Music.
Well Victor Borge gave his first piano recital at the age of 8, but didn’t start adding stand up until 1933. He was performing up to he death in 2000 at 91.
Amazing is subjective of course, but near the begining of his career:
But I will admit that classical comedy is a niche market.