# Who has the most albums? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 10, 2002, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-has-the-most-albums/141786 "2002-12-10T16:58:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Soup\_Nazi\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/db5fbb/32.png) [@Soup\_Nazi\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soup_Nazi_1)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2002, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-has-the-most-albums/141786/1 "2002-12-10T16:58:38Z")
What artist / singer / band has released the most albums? I asked this at work and the top 2 contenders were Dolly Parton and Elvis Presley. ---
**Author:** ![unclviny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e274bd/32.png) [@unclviny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/unclviny)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2002, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-has-the-most-albums/141786/2 "2002-12-10T17:00:23Z")
Frank Zappa would be a contender, i’m not sure of the actual count, but it is well over 80 albums. unclviny ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2002, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-has-the-most-albums/141786/3 "2002-12-10T17:22:11Z")
It depends on how you define things. Do you mean original albums only or compilations? Do alternate versions matter? Zappa has 28 original albums credited at [http://www.allmusic.com](http://www.allmusic.com) (though he recorded material for many more), plus 12 compilations. Frank Sinatra at 103 original albums credited and at least 300 compilations. I’d say he’s the leader. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2002, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-has-the-most-albums/141786/4 "2002-12-10T17:23:18Z")
You’d think it’d be Chicago. ---
**Author:** ![photopat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e95f7d/32.png) [@photopat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/photopat)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2002, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-has-the-most-albums/141786/5 "2002-12-10T18:04:55Z")
I’d guess Chicago too, although it sounds like Zappa might have beat them. ---
**Author:** ![unclviny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e274bd/32.png) [@unclviny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/unclviny)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2002, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-has-the-most-albums/141786/6 "2002-12-10T18:15:57Z")
On [www.zappa.com](http://www.zappa.com) if you go to the “music is the best” page and look for the .pdf discography FZ is credited with 71 albums (but some of these are doubles, triples, quads hell the original “lather” is 10 discs!) unclviny ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2002, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-has-the-most-albums/141786/7 "2002-12-10T18:53:36Z")
Chicago has 29 plus 12 Compilations. Not even in the ballpark. My count on Zappa was off; I neglected to view all his record. Allmusic lists him with 80, plus 33 compilations. Still nowhere near Old Blue Eyes. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2002, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-has-the-most-albums/141786/8 "2002-12-10T18:57:42Z")
i thought this was gonna be a poll about Dopers who OWN a lot of records, in which case I was gonna mention the Cosmo(?) article about “Elvis Costello’s 500 essential albums”, about which I am intensely jealous. I have barely even HEARD 500 albums let alone consider 500 essential:mad: oh well, carry on… ---
**Author:** ![Dreaming\_of\_Maria\_Callas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f14d63/32.png) [@Dreaming\_of\_Maria\_Callas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dreaming_of_Maria_Callas)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2002, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-has-the-most-albums/141786/9 "2002-12-10T19:05:29Z")
The Japanese icon Misora Hibari is said to have released nearly 300 albums during her forty year career. She must have lived in the studio. UnuMondo ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2002, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-has-the-most-albums/141786/10 "2002-12-10T19:10:02Z")
Who did the soundtracks for Rocky? ---
**Author:** ![photopat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e95f7d/32.png) [@photopat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/photopat)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2002, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-has-the-most-albums/141786/11 "2002-12-10T19:17:20Z")
101 Strings? ---
**Author:** ![syncrolecyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f08c70/32.png) [@syncrolecyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/syncrolecyne)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2002, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-has-the-most-albums/141786/12 "2002-12-10T23:18:19Z")
I remember hearing when Tito Puente died he averaged 2 new albums a year for about 50 years. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-has-the-most-albums/141786/13 "2002-12-11T00:36:56Z")
Australian country music icon [Slim Dusty](http://www.slimdusty.com.au/top100.html) has released 103 albums so far. ---
**Author:** ![Lukeinva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lukeinva/32/17872_2.png) [@Lukeinva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lukeinva)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2014, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-has-the-most-albums/141786/15 "2014-10-14T22:41:34Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > Australian country music icon [Slim Dusty](http://www.slimdusty.com.au/top100.html) has released 103 albums so far. Great name for an Australian country music icon. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2014, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-has-the-most-albums/141786/16 "2014-10-14T22:49:59Z")
Dave Brubeck released 121 albums during his career as a jazz musician, according to the wiki discography. Sadly, I only own about 70 of them. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2014, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-has-the-most-albums/141786/17 "2014-10-14T22:50:17Z")
> [@aliengtr](#): > > He also completed and released 86 albums in one year in 2006. You released an album better than every four days? Who does your quality control? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2014, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-has-the-most-albums/141786/18 "2014-10-14T22:57:07Z")
Quality control? What’s that? Sounds like someone who records every extraneous noodle that comes out of his guitar, makes a file of 20 minutes of said aimless noodling, then uploads it as an “album.” ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2014, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-has-the-most-albums/141786/19 "2014-10-14T23:27:00Z")
**Frank** is responding to a spammer who has been dealt with. Note that said spammer bumped a thread that’s more than a decade old. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2014, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-has-the-most-albums/141786/20 "2014-10-14T23:34:38Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > **Frank** is responding to a spammer who has been dealt with. > > Note that said spammer bumped a thread that’s more than a decade old. Do I need to take it to ATMB to note that the “spammer” was, at worst, promoting his artistic work (if that’s what you want to call it), which is generally condoned by the SDMB? ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2014, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-has-the-most-albums/141786/21 "2014-10-14T23:45:21Z")
Even in 2002, this question needed to be qualified by “famous” or “professional” or “widely distributed.” It’s too easy to put out a cassette or CD. Like [Kevin Bath](http://kevinbath.com/Music.htm) did. > [@](#): > > Each week starting Oct. 1, 2006 and ending Sept. 23, 2007 I set a world record by releasing a CD a week for a year. Each album has 8 original songs written, performed, recorded and released by me. > I did 52 CD’s…416 songs…IN ONE YEAR !!! Was the spammer Dennis Taaffe? No link if he was. > [@](#): > > Bloomington, IN based Guitarist Denis Taaffe (pronounced Tayf) uses electric guitar, guitar loops done on the fly, Bass emulations on guitar, drum machines & drum samples to create a musical style that is his own. All of his compositions are performed & recorded live with no additional overdubs & are improvised on the spot. To date, Denis has completed & released 193 albums in his Modern rock guitar Series since his debut album in 1999. 10 were recorded in 2005, 75 in 2006, 20 in 2007, 24 in 2008, 7 in 2009, 9 in 2010, 12 in 2011, 10 in 2012, 15 in 2013, 6 in 2014 thus far… [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-has-the-most-albums/141786.md?page=2)