# Recording artists with long careers **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 29, 2005, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recording-artists-with-long-careers/301802 "2005-04-29T22:59:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mamboman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecb155/32.png) [@mamboman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mamboman)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2005, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recording-artists-with-long-careers/301802/1 "2005-04-29T22:59:18Z")
Buncha pals and I were sitting around last night trying to think of artists who have had long recording careers (say \> 12 albums) who haven’t ever recorded an absolute stinker - e.g. guys like, say Joni Mitchell or John Prine or Miles Davis. Can anyone offer some artists who have been around for a while who don’t have a really embarassing “skeleton in the closet” album, or at least one that all their fans seem to agree sucks? mm ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2005, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recording-artists-with-long-careers/301802/2 "2005-04-30T03:29:40Z")
Tom Waits has been recording sublime album after album since _Closing Time_ in 1972. Personally, I like his '70s-'80s output best, but he released \*Real Gone \* in 2004, and he’s still “got it.” ---
**Author:** ![Waterman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b2d939/32.png) [@Waterman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waterman)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2005, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recording-artists-with-long-careers/301802/3 "2005-04-30T04:52:26Z")
The first artist that comes to my mind with a long, and extremely eclectic, career would be Elvis Costello who has covered every genre known to pop music and made a positive contribution. ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2005, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recording-artists-with-long-careers/301802/4 "2005-04-30T04:58:42Z")
I can’t think of a _ **James Taylor** _ record that I don’t like. And he’s been going at it steadily since his first record with The Original Flying Machine (“Sweet dreams and flying machines, in pieces on the ground” _Fire and Rain_), back in 1967. StG ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2005, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recording-artists-with-long-careers/301802/5 "2005-04-30T06:00:28Z")
Elton John ---
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2005, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recording-artists-with-long-careers/301802/6 "2005-04-30T06:37:56Z")
> [@Starving Artist](#): > > Elton John Uh!! …Blue Moves in '76 was acrually recorded by a Elvis John! :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Seven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Seven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seven)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2005, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recording-artists-with-long-careers/301802/7 "2005-04-30T06:43:05Z")
David Bowie has had quite a good run of things ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2005, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recording-artists-with-long-careers/301802/8 "2005-04-30T06:51:54Z")
[Blind Boys of Alabama](http://www.blindboys.com/main.html) 66 (!) years and counting. They have a raft of Grammys under their belt, including a couple in “popular music” categories. As far as I know, they have _never_ released a stinker. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2005, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recording-artists-with-long-careers/301802/9 "2005-04-30T12:19:24Z")
Willie Nelson, and a lot of other country people. Tom Paxton, and a lot of other folk people. ---
**Author:** ![Waterman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b2d939/32.png) [@Waterman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waterman)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2005, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recording-artists-with-long-careers/301802/10 "2005-04-30T14:18:52Z")
> [@Ogre](#): > > [Blind Boys of Alabama](http://www.blindboys.com/main.html) > > 66 (!) years and counting. They have a raft of Grammys under their belt, including a couple in “popular music” categories. As far as I know, they have _never_ released a stinker. I toured their website - quite a history and what an incredible range of artists that they have and are currently working with! Is it true that there are three original founding members still with the group? ---
**Author:** ![Waterman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b2d939/32.png) [@Waterman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waterman)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2005, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recording-artists-with-long-careers/301802/11 "2005-04-30T14:21:47Z")
Also to echo \*\*Annie-Xmas’s \*\* post - how about the recent success of one of the “old guard” of country music Loretta Lynn. ---
**Author:** ![Ignatz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/3be4f8/32.png) [@Ignatz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ignatz)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2005, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recording-artists-with-long-careers/301802/12 "2005-04-30T14:24:19Z")
Just bought Johnny Mathis’ brand new “Isn’t It Romantic”. Still have his “Wonderful, Wonderful” etc., 45 vinyls that I bought in 1954+. He’s pushing 70 and still sounds like 20 (though seems to be some electronic enhancements in the new one). ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2005, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recording-artists-with-long-careers/301802/13 "2005-05-02T01:04:28Z")
> [@Waterman](#): > > I toured their website - quite a history and what an incredible range of artists that they have and are currently working with! > > Is it true that there are three original founding members still with the group? Yep. Pretty amazing, huh? And they tour! ---
**Author:** ![Frostillicus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Frostillicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frostillicus)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2005, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recording-artists-with-long-careers/301802/14 "2005-05-02T01:27:09Z")
\*\*Greetings From Asbury Park \*\* came out in 1972. \*\*Devils and Dust \*\* came out this week. In between, Bruce Spingsteen has created some of the most original and moving music ever. “It ain’t no sin to be glad you’re alive”. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2005, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recording-artists-with-long-careers/301802/15 "2005-05-02T02:31:30Z")
Niel Young. Although some people may take issue with that thing with “The Shocking Pinks”, I thought it was somewhat interesting at the time . . . 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Hoodoo\_Ulove](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/58956e/32.png) [@Hoodoo\_Ulove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hoodoo_Ulove)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2005, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recording-artists-with-long-careers/301802/16 "2005-05-02T02:44:30Z")
Alberta Hunter recorded in the twenties through the eighties. She rocked.