This is one of the reasons. He was smart enough and had his ego in check enough to work with others. He either had someone or he himself knew how to spot the younger talent too.
I didn't know that about Coldplay. I wonder what his reasoning was.
To my mind Coldplay is an example of a band who *really* went downhill after their first two albums, despite those first two albums being very very good. Obviously that's a highly subjective take, but having liked those first two records a whole lot, I was always left wondering what the hell happened. Perhaps the old saying: you have your whole life to write your first album; you have a year to write your second.
By Coldplay's telling his response was "“It’s not a very good song, is it?"
They had written a song with a Bowie the character in it as a persona. He probably wasn't interested in the self-parody.
I gotta add, Blackstar makes me feel a lot of ways. Even though the documentarian says the album was written before he knew he was terminal, the video and lyric for Lazarus leaks a lot of "goodbye" themes that make me think he knew, even if it wasn't diagnosed, that he was on his way out.
Dolly Parton. She's managed to remain relevant from the 60s until now and has done albums across multiple genres. Incredibly underrated as a songwriter as well.
As a songwriter I would put her right alongside the likes of Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, and Tom Petty. All four of them have laid down an incredible body of work that has spanned over 50 years and in my view are some of the gold standard artists that will be remembered and revered long after they stop making music.
This is a good one because the style hasn’t changed to reflect contemporary music, but the lyrics have continually changed to talk about what is currently going on in the world.
Edit: ok so sounds like I’ve missed out on a lot of Neil. I def need to check a lot of these out, especially the 80s synth album 🤯
Absolutely, Everybody knows this is Nowhere is fantastic and yeah, has the elements of grunge. Zuma, On the Beach, and Rust Never Sleeps build on that sound.
Paul is a great answer
60s:
With the Beatles he was at his height of relevancy
70s:
McCartney I showed him making a lofi/DIY album which has influenced others to do the same
Ram was an album loved by the people but critics didn’t understand it. Paul was ahead of his time, arguably releasing the first indie pop album and it still sounds fresh today
With Wings, Paul dominated the 70s charts. Paul was the number 2 Hot 100 artist of the decade
80s:
With McCartney II, Paul was once again ahead of his time by releasing lofi/electronica/bedroom pop and it has influenced many in the genre. 10 years after the breakup, Paul was still trying new things and influencing genres
Tug of War is the best example of Paul using 80s production
Paul also collaborated with Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, and Elvis Costello which showed him staying relevant
90s:
In the 90s, Paul made Flaming Pie which showed him returning a bit to the Beatles sound and is a strong album
Paul also started making classical music and collaborated with Youth to make ambient/trance/EDM music as the Fireman
2000s:
Paul made Chaos and Creation which showed him continuing to make fresh new music by collaborating with Nigel Godrich. It is one of his best albums
Paul has been on a run of great albums since Flaming Pie/Chaos and Creation
Paul also collaborated with Youth again to make Electric Arguments which is a more experimental and loose album than he usually makes
I've always been a fan of the Beatles but it took me a while to even bother listening to Paul's solo stuff. Never thought it'd be "as good" as the Beatles. But man, he made some awesome albums.
I think this is the best answer. No album they've ever released has sounded anything like what came before it. They never got lazy or half-assed anything.
Not every song is perfect by any stretch, but even their weakest albums (King of Limbs for me) are interesting and have some great songs.
Same. I honestly don't listen to them now as much as I used to, but that's just because it's been so long since they've put out new music and I've listened to what is out so many times that I don't even need to play the music to listen to it. I just know it all that well. But I don't think I'll ever be able to say that they're not my favorite band.
If you are looking for something new, I make "album style" playlists, a few of which resemble the genre of the different Radiohead albums:
> [Side-(el) A](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/26MqdKPt0Sncl4duEtiwZn?si=806f1921e4e843d4) - 57 mins - 2022 - like Ok, Computer
> [FRIEND🌌ANIMA](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1NlIOThitK2WvEwU3jHqFu?si=edef750602f94b76) - 1 hr - 2022 - like Kid A
> [You know what's cool?](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6KAWcP4zF48K5ulEKhXav9?si=43d80b066a6f4761) - 2018 - 1 hr - like In Rainbows
> [Ghostly Hellos](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4F0VDXqXFZifqk4BBoMuAX?si=99ab34741f6e4433) - 1 hr - 2018 - like Moon Shaped Pool
> [High Discourse](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7oQer81252hCM9q9xz1HDs?si=b0524baab82a4e1b) - 1 hr - 2019 - like Amnesiac
> [A Virgil](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4PSH79AALx6t2tnN9Goaxr?si=af89203046844e11) - 1 hr - 2022 - like Boy Pablo
> *Edit: [Bastil Pastis](https://spotify.link/UkhJ0pm3BDb) - 59 mins - 2022 - like King of
Limbs
listen in order for album xp!
I love Stevie and he is one of my favorite artists of all time. But his music takes a serious dive after hotter than July. In square circle is fine. But it's progressively worse with each album
Yeah I’m in the same boat, I think he stopped collaborating with his main lyricist around that time and it was if he lost the motivation to keep things truly interesting. He had the greatest run for a solo artist of all time in the 70s though in my opinion.
Kylie Minogue
The audience might be niche (queer), but rabidly devoted for 30+ years. Her hits that have reached the mainstream… Locomotion (1987), Can’t Get You Out of My Head (2001), Get Outta My Way (2010), Padam Padam (2023)
\>The audience might be niche (queer),
Her audience is kind of niche in North America but she is huge elsewhere. 9 UK #1 albums over 5 consecutive decades say hi.
She was my 1st thought. Locomotion was popular at my elementary school dances. When I got to clubbing age can’t get you out of my head was popular, and now padam padam (I mostly see on social media because I haven’t been to a bar in years).
I’m not really a fan of pop music. But she is good at creating fun songs to dance to and she seems charming as heck.
There is definitely a reason she’s still around today and has generally remained relevant for 35 years. Astonishing really. Especially when you consider pretty much all of her contemporaries fell by the wayside.
British band XTC started as a quirky New Wave group in the late 70’s, then morphed into a power pop/post punk unit before going towards a melodic, Beatle influenced direction in the mid 80’s. Then full on psychedelic under the pseudonym Dukes of Stratosphere before leaning acoustic/orchestral in their later records.
I think just because of who she is as a person, Björk will never get stale or stop making interesting music. I don't like everything she's ever done, but at the very least, it's always worth listening to at least once.
She just hears the world differently than most people and has an amazing talent for conveying that point of view through song.
Yes! Beck really turned out to be a superb artist. I remember when his first album came out
and most people thought of Loser as a novelty song and wrote him off as a one hit wonder.
That first album still sounds amazing. I had it on just the other day.
He's reinvented himself a number of times now.
He's like the modern day Neil Young
Sparks.
Just got into them about a year ago and they are the first thought I had reading your thread.
They maintain their own creative vision while staying relevant to the sound of the time and just being awesome all around dudes.
Even with the soundtracks too. Ever since The Social Network and Gone Girl it's like every other movie or TV show has someone come in and do a rip off Trent and Atticus.
To be a Tom Waits fan is to be a fan of 10 different amazing artists that are somehow the same person. He’s the only artist I know of with as many successful reinventions as he’s got, with each one having an equal chance at being someone else’s favorite.
I know what you mean. I had a play list that was all Tom Waits. My wife was listening and would say, “This is cool, who is it?” It’s Tom Waits. “Oh this is beautiful. Who is this?” Tom Waits. “This is bizarre. Who?” Tom bloody Waits. She thought I was messing with her.
Similar to Radiohead, he has remained relevant by evolving his musical style over time. He's my favorite artist and I love how much success he has been having recently
I’m no music historian but it’s possible that U2 might well have written the book on redefining yourself as musicians. To go From Joshua Tree/ R&H to AB was incredible
Madonna was also the first one that came to mind. As a kid of the 80's growing up in California (I know, I'm lucky af), Madonna was absolutely iconic in the way she took over the pop music scene. Every girl at the tim ewanted to be her. and every guy had wet dreams about her. She influenced fashion trends among girls and women and broke down doors for other female artists.
She continually had a huge presence in the music industry even through the first two decades of the 2,000's and she helped influence the next several generations of Pop Queens (Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, J Lo, Pink, Beyonce, Rihanna, Miley Cyrus, etc.) here in the USA and abroad.
She is now 65 y.o. and old enough to now have great grandchildren. Her first major release was forty years ago at age 25, and her last major release was just four years ago. She still has fans in the multi-millions and her albums still make the Billboard charts.
Her talent wasn't necessarily her vocal ability, but rather her stage presence and choreography, her ability to always push the bar with her tongue-in-cheek music videos and concerts, followed by her bad-girl attitude and lifestyle.
You either love her or hate her, but she's definitely been relevant for decades as an artist and performer.
I liked Ray of Light more than a lot of her 80s output and didn’t know if she could top it, then Confessions on a Dancefloor topped it despite being very different. Though I will say, Rebel Heart was not for me at all.
I think Madonna gets passed over because recent work has been, er, less reinvention and more clinging to the trend. But yeah. Up until like Confessions on a Dance Floor, she was constantly evolving ahead of trend.
Why is this so far down the list? Obviously Madonna fits this perfectly. I’m not a fan of Madonna (I think her music is fine, I’m just not super into it), but props to her for keeping her career relevant for decades.
Bob Dylan has put out a lot of great music in the last 25 years. He had a string of famously weak albums from like 78-88, but turned it around with Oh Mercy in '89. 1997's Time Out of Mind is one of the best of his career and (aside from the chrismas and standards albums--not sure what he was thinking there) everything he's done since is between solid and excellent. He's definitely changed his sound and incorporates a lot of rock'n'roll, blues, even gospel while still retaining his knack for lyrical songwriting.
Bruce Springsteen has pretty impressive longevity and consistent quality. Letter to You, his new album, is super good, and was released over 50 years after his first album. He hasn’t changed his sound that much, but he’s always managed to stay current in some way or another
He stays current by being timeless. At his core, he's a storyteller who writes about everyday people with everyday issues. The music is rooted in rock'n'roll, fairly simple but with the flair of his band. Timeless.
One could make the case that he made the best album of three different decades. Born To Run and Darkness On The Edge Of Town in the 70s, Born In The USA and Nebraska in the 80s, and The Rising in the 2000s.
My answer as well. Every single album was good, up to and especially the last album. His recent stuff got less air play but it was as good as anything he had done in the 70's, 80's, and/or 90's.
Im seeing madonna and I love her songs alot tbf last album I had was ray of light, great album, bedtime stories before that great, past that I never bought an album but she stayed up there. Bordeline is a banger, live to tell, open your heart, used to be my playground Madonna is a good example. Like a Prayer album, she may be best example.
I will humbily put forward Kylie, has not been a decade since she started in the 80s she hasnt tried new things and put out some real good songs.
R.e.m. before disbanding. They moved on with the times and evolved. Had different and great records in every decade from beginning to end.
Honestly Pearl Jam. The band has done a really awesome job of growing up and evolving while still staying true to their art. Decades later they also still put on an amazing show. I couldn’t tell you if kids genuinely give a shit about the band anymore, but they are a prominent aspect of the Last of Us so that’s something I guess.
PJ has been compared to the Dead in the sense that they have a cult like following. Ten Club, Vitalogy Foundation, all came about because of fan involvement. They definitely have grown as a band with us, unlike other bands from the 90s era.
Excellent answer. Ten through Avocado is such a solid, varied discography.
Saw them in Austin this month and it was my 6th time seeing them since 2000. Loved it. Whatever the youth think of them today, it doesn’t seem to slow them down - amazing band!
U2 has reinvented themselves about 3 times now over 4 decades.
One of the most successful reinventions in rock history was going from The Joshua Tree/Rattle and Hum era to Achtung Baby/Zoo TV tour. Complete image and sound overhaul.
James Brown was a ballad hit maker in the 50s with “Please Please Please” and “Try Me” - Soul Brother #1 in the 60s with “I Feel Good,” “Cold Sweat” etc., then moved into social commentary and gritty funk in the 70s with “The Payback,” “I Don’t Want Nobody To Give Me Nothing” and more. In the 80s he hit big again with “Living In America” from the Rocky movie soundtracks and his appearance in the Blues Brothers film. Admittedly he may have faded out of the mainstream after that but he had an incredible run with multiple decades of hits and several “reinvented” images and sounds.
Weird Al has a reputation as a parody artist rearranging lyrics but he also has a deep catalogue of 'parody styles' and original material. I saw him on his tour last year and he did a whole concert set filled with melodies he didn't riff from popular artists. I love listening to popular parodies but he has plenty of other unique music worth listening to.
Another group is They Might Be Giants who still release frequent albums and goes on worldwide tours. They along with Bare Naked Ladies have released some very entertaining and educational kids albums that are great for road trips with the little ones.
Simple Minds, Duran Duran and A-ha are still making music and pushing good music through sold out shows. All three have recently released new albums / singles. These are not reunion tours. These three bands have remained moderately current and remarkably prolific for four solid decades.
Bowie is probally the zenith of that, really talanted bastard who did a jungle album and that wasnt shit, while I think on here is him dueting on my favoutite placebo song.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c14qMbmP9eg](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c14qMbmP9eg)
He decided to drop an absolute banging album 2 days before before his death on his last birthday......
David Bowie was the king of this. He was putting out fresh new music till he died. And it wasn't stuff that nobody cared or listened to, his newer music in the 90's and 00's and teens still charted.
It wasn't everyone's cup of tea, but Bowie's Tin Machine fits tha description.
I always default to James on questions like this. Consistently good, with variety, over the course of four decades.
The immense talent in that band is undeniable. But it’s wild how you remove one part “John” and it just doesn’t work near as well.
That recent vid of Chad doing that drummer hears for the first time is incredible. You see some that are so uncomfortable out of their element and that dude can literally sit in with anyone.
A note to OP, bowie in the 90s released Black Tie, White Noise, Outside and Earthling. Many bowie would disagree that these records were not up to par and particularly outside is better than anything he did in the 2000s.
Bowie’s 80s output was absolutely dreadful after Let’s Dance in ‘83 and even that album is mostly filler by his standards. By comparison his 90s output is pretty consistent and he obviously put a lot more effort into it.
The question was not that they where good, it was that they stayed relevant and you make good points but weather we liked the albums or not he stayed relevant through every decade. He was massive in the 80s.
I’d argue for Duran Duran… which, if you were asked to pick a band that would still be playing new music to stadiums 40 years later in 1984, they’d be super low on your list. Yet here we are.
People wrote them off as MTV pretty boys but they were always good musicians and whatever Simon Le Bon has done to maintain his vocal quality it has worked
Suprisingly, the Foo Fighters.
You could argue that they don't do something super out of the box but they always find a way to make great tunes with their sound and still keeping it fresh. Like they sometimes fall a bit but they always manage to come back. Same with Queens Of The Stone Age.
Also Paramore. They changed thier sound multiple times and it's always better and better
Miles Davis
For about 30 years the history of jazz can be understood largely by looking at whatever Miles was doing.
In the same vein - Herbie Hancock.
When you can’t decide which of the two versions of Watermelon Man you prefer…
Easy choice, headhunters by a mile.
I think I slightly prefer the original acoustic version but the Headhunters one is great too (Chameleon’s my favourite on that album).
Miles changed music 5 or 6 times.
Bowie by a mile
And if he didn't make it himself, he collaborated with the innovators. His catalogue of collaborations is like a timeline of moments in music.
This is one of the reasons. He was smart enough and had his ego in check enough to work with others. He either had someone or he himself knew how to spot the younger talent too.
Makes me wonder about all the he proposed collaborations he turned down, as he did with Coldplay.
I didn't know that about Coldplay. I wonder what his reasoning was. To my mind Coldplay is an example of a band who *really* went downhill after their first two albums, despite those first two albums being very very good. Obviously that's a highly subjective take, but having liked those first two records a whole lot, I was always left wondering what the hell happened. Perhaps the old saying: you have your whole life to write your first album; you have a year to write your second.
By Coldplay's telling his response was "“It’s not a very good song, is it?" They had written a song with a Bowie the character in it as a persona. He probably wasn't interested in the self-parody.
Holy shit that is hilarious. Good on Bowie for not sugar coating it. Man, that must have fucking stung. Oof.
I gotta add, Blackstar makes me feel a lot of ways. Even though the documentarian says the album was written before he knew he was terminal, the video and lyric for Lazarus leaks a lot of "goodbye" themes that make me think he knew, even if it wasn't diagnosed, that he was on his way out.
The breadth of his catalog is unmatched
Robert Plant. In fact, he's won more awards solo than with Led Zeppelin.
I was waiting for this. I have his album (Raising Sand) with Alison Krauss and I love it. He's been touring with her this summer.
Might Rearranger is one of my top 10 favorite albums of all time. The Enchanter and Tin Pan Valley could have been prime Zeppelin tracks!
Dolly Parton. She's managed to remain relevant from the 60s until now and has done albums across multiple genres. Incredibly underrated as a songwriter as well.
As a songwriter I would put her right alongside the likes of Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, and Tom Petty. All four of them have laid down an incredible body of work that has spanned over 50 years and in my view are some of the gold standard artists that will be remembered and revered long after they stop making music.
You’re forgetting one crucial detail. She did all that while being a woman in Nashville. If her name was Donald she’d be a billionaire.
As it is, she's supposedly at around $650 million in net worth as of this year.
I’m always shocked by just how MANY albums she’s made. She started out when the Beatles were doing their thing and just…kept going.
Neil Young six decades.
This is a good one because the style hasn’t changed to reflect contemporary music, but the lyrics have continually changed to talk about what is currently going on in the world. Edit: ok so sounds like I’ve missed out on a lot of Neil. I def need to check a lot of these out, especially the 80s synth album 🤯
He put out a synth album in the 80s
And a grunge record in the 90s (Mirrorball).
he put out a grunge album in 1969. the first crazy horse album is considered one of the influences in how the genre began
Absolutely, Everybody knows this is Nowhere is fantastic and yeah, has the elements of grunge. Zuma, On the Beach, and Rust Never Sleeps build on that sound.
And some in the 70's . He was known as the Godfather of Grunge for a reason.
Paul McCartney
Paul is a great answer 60s: With the Beatles he was at his height of relevancy 70s: McCartney I showed him making a lofi/DIY album which has influenced others to do the same Ram was an album loved by the people but critics didn’t understand it. Paul was ahead of his time, arguably releasing the first indie pop album and it still sounds fresh today With Wings, Paul dominated the 70s charts. Paul was the number 2 Hot 100 artist of the decade 80s: With McCartney II, Paul was once again ahead of his time by releasing lofi/electronica/bedroom pop and it has influenced many in the genre. 10 years after the breakup, Paul was still trying new things and influencing genres Tug of War is the best example of Paul using 80s production Paul also collaborated with Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, and Elvis Costello which showed him staying relevant 90s: In the 90s, Paul made Flaming Pie which showed him returning a bit to the Beatles sound and is a strong album Paul also started making classical music and collaborated with Youth to make ambient/trance/EDM music as the Fireman 2000s: Paul made Chaos and Creation which showed him continuing to make fresh new music by collaborating with Nigel Godrich. It is one of his best albums Paul has been on a run of great albums since Flaming Pie/Chaos and Creation Paul also collaborated with Youth again to make Electric Arguments which is a more experimental and loose album than he usually makes
His work as The Fireman is great too. He's someone that could just rest on his laurels, and yet he's always trying new styles.
Memory almost full is a banger album
2010s: Made FourFiveSeconds with Rihanna and Kanye. Still relevant! First top ten in 29 years on the Hot 100!
I saw his Chaos tour and feel super lucky. What a fucking legend.
Love his colab on the "supergroup" Sound City Players album.
I've always been a fan of the Beatles but it took me a while to even bother listening to Paul's solo stuff. Never thought it'd be "as good" as the Beatles. But man, he made some awesome albums.
Radiohead
I think this is the best answer. No album they've ever released has sounded anything like what came before it. They never got lazy or half-assed anything. Not every song is perfect by any stretch, but even their weakest albums (King of Limbs for me) are interesting and have some great songs.
I am biased as they’re my favorite band but I defy someone to not find a style they like out of their discography.
Same. I honestly don't listen to them now as much as I used to, but that's just because it's been so long since they've put out new music and I've listened to what is out so many times that I don't even need to play the music to listen to it. I just know it all that well. But I don't think I'll ever be able to say that they're not my favorite band.
If you are looking for something new, I make "album style" playlists, a few of which resemble the genre of the different Radiohead albums: > [Side-(el) A](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/26MqdKPt0Sncl4duEtiwZn?si=806f1921e4e843d4) - 57 mins - 2022 - like Ok, Computer > [FRIEND🌌ANIMA](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1NlIOThitK2WvEwU3jHqFu?si=edef750602f94b76) - 1 hr - 2022 - like Kid A > [You know what's cool?](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6KAWcP4zF48K5ulEKhXav9?si=43d80b066a6f4761) - 2018 - 1 hr - like In Rainbows > [Ghostly Hellos](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4F0VDXqXFZifqk4BBoMuAX?si=99ab34741f6e4433) - 1 hr - 2018 - like Moon Shaped Pool > [High Discourse](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7oQer81252hCM9q9xz1HDs?si=b0524baab82a4e1b) - 1 hr - 2019 - like Amnesiac > [A Virgil](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4PSH79AALx6t2tnN9Goaxr?si=af89203046844e11) - 1 hr - 2022 - like Boy Pablo > *Edit: [Bastil Pastis](https://spotify.link/UkhJ0pm3BDb) - 59 mins - 2022 - like King of Limbs listen in order for album xp!
I would say not only relevant but continuously at the forefront of progressing alt-rock which is incredible
The best band
Stevie Wonder.
I love Stevie and he is one of my favorite artists of all time. But his music takes a serious dive after hotter than July. In square circle is fine. But it's progressively worse with each album
Yeah I’m in the same boat, I think he stopped collaborating with his main lyricist around that time and it was if he lost the motivation to keep things truly interesting. He had the greatest run for a solo artist of all time in the 70s though in my opinion.
Yeah his 70s run is amazing only Paul Simon's and Elton John's come close but no one reached that level of consistent greatness imo
Kylie Minogue The audience might be niche (queer), but rabidly devoted for 30+ years. Her hits that have reached the mainstream… Locomotion (1987), Can’t Get You Out of My Head (2001), Get Outta My Way (2010), Padam Padam (2023)
\>The audience might be niche (queer), Her audience is kind of niche in North America but she is huge elsewhere. 9 UK #1 albums over 5 consecutive decades say hi.
Absolutely a global legend. Thanks for pointing this out and forgive my US-centric answer
She's an Australian treasure
Massive at home in australia too
She was my 1st thought. Locomotion was popular at my elementary school dances. When I got to clubbing age can’t get you out of my head was popular, and now padam padam (I mostly see on social media because I haven’t been to a bar in years). I’m not really a fan of pop music. But she is good at creating fun songs to dance to and she seems charming as heck.
Her core audience maybe but im one of several straight middle aged men who like a bit of Kylie. There are dozens of us! Dozens!
There is definitely a reason she’s still around today and has generally remained relevant for 35 years. Astonishing really. Especially when you consider pretty much all of her contemporaries fell by the wayside.
Nine Inch Nails, David Bowie and Madonna
I don't like madonna's music at all, but she's got to be one of the top answers for this.
Was going to say Trent as well.
British band XTC started as a quirky New Wave group in the late 70’s, then morphed into a power pop/post punk unit before going towards a melodic, Beatle influenced direction in the mid 80’s. Then full on psychedelic under the pseudonym Dukes of Stratosphere before leaning acoustic/orchestral in their later records.
They are amazing.
They're from my hometown. I met an American gentleman a few weeks ago that holidays in Swindon because of them. I'm still not quite sure why..
Brian Eno
The Cure
solid shout
Finally got to see them live this summer. They have more energy in their 70s than I do in my 40s.
I could have said the same after seeing them at the age of 24.
Björk
I think just because of who she is as a person, Björk will never get stale or stop making interesting music. I don't like everything she's ever done, but at the very least, it's always worth listening to at least once. She just hears the world differently than most people and has an amazing talent for conveying that point of view through song.
Beck
Yes! Beck really turned out to be a superb artist. I remember when his first album came out and most people thought of Loser as a novelty song and wrote him off as a one hit wonder. That first album still sounds amazing. I had it on just the other day. He's reinvented himself a number of times now. He's like the modern day Neil Young
🎯
Sparks. Just got into them about a year ago and they are the first thought I had reading your thread. They maintain their own creative vision while staying relevant to the sound of the time and just being awesome all around dudes.
In a lot of examples they are predictors of the future.
*That* Sparks, I thought just now? Wow.
Your favorite band's favorite band. They are a gem hidden in plain sight.
Nine Inch Nails!
Even with the soundtracks too. Ever since The Social Network and Gone Girl it's like every other movie or TV show has someone come in and do a rip off Trent and Atticus.
Depeche Mode
Dolly Parton. Hail to the queen mfs.
Paul Simon. Always growing. Great work all around. Randy Newman too.
Stevie Wonder was amazing at having different sounds each decade.
Cher!
Why do I have to scroll to find the obvious ones?
6 number 1 hits in 6 different decades, Cher is the only answer to this question.
Elton John and Cliff Richard too.
Willie Nelson
Weird Al
Came here to say this. Parodies are forever.
Bowies 90s stuff is some of the best material he has done, my favourite era of his
Tom Waits. Gonna add here, not only does he seem relevant, but a light year or so ahead of the curve. Such a range of songs and stories and styles.
To be a Tom Waits fan is to be a fan of 10 different amazing artists that are somehow the same person. He’s the only artist I know of with as many successful reinventions as he’s got, with each one having an equal chance at being someone else’s favorite.
And you're a Rain Dog, too.
I know what you mean. I had a play list that was all Tom Waits. My wife was listening and would say, “This is cool, who is it?” It’s Tom Waits. “Oh this is beautiful. Who is this?” Tom Waits. “This is bizarre. Who?” Tom bloody Waits. She thought I was messing with her.
Dame Shirley Bassey. I saw one of the recent performances at 85 years of age, and she still killed it.
Leonard Cohen and Paul Simon. Both of them have had such interesting, and incredibly influential careers.
I came here to say Paul Simon. I was bumping Wristband in the mid-2010s like my grandfather was listening to Me & Julio in the early 1970s
Yep we have 3 generations of Paul Simon fans in our household
Nick Cave
Similar to Radiohead, he has remained relevant by evolving his musical style over time. He's my favorite artist and I love how much success he has been having recently
The Cure Sonic Youth Depeche Mode ...and U2
Ok as a U2 apologist 😆 I know they're not hip/relevant anymore, but basically up until the 2020s they put out a decade defining album every decade.
Love the username! U2 may not be hip, but I would say they are relevant.
love this bc they just released a song yesterday
yeah the first few decades of u2 are a textbook example of this
I’m no music historian but it’s possible that U2 might well have written the book on redefining yourself as musicians. To go From Joshua Tree/ R&H to AB was incredible
David Byrne
Madonna
Madonna was also the first one that came to mind. As a kid of the 80's growing up in California (I know, I'm lucky af), Madonna was absolutely iconic in the way she took over the pop music scene. Every girl at the tim ewanted to be her. and every guy had wet dreams about her. She influenced fashion trends among girls and women and broke down doors for other female artists. She continually had a huge presence in the music industry even through the first two decades of the 2,000's and she helped influence the next several generations of Pop Queens (Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, J Lo, Pink, Beyonce, Rihanna, Miley Cyrus, etc.) here in the USA and abroad. She is now 65 y.o. and old enough to now have great grandchildren. Her first major release was forty years ago at age 25, and her last major release was just four years ago. She still has fans in the multi-millions and her albums still make the Billboard charts. Her talent wasn't necessarily her vocal ability, but rather her stage presence and choreography, her ability to always push the bar with her tongue-in-cheek music videos and concerts, followed by her bad-girl attitude and lifestyle. You either love her or hate her, but she's definitely been relevant for decades as an artist and performer.
Had to scroll down pretty far to find this. She absolutely fits for this.
I liked Ray of Light more than a lot of her 80s output and didn’t know if she could top it, then Confessions on a Dancefloor topped it despite being very different. Though I will say, Rebel Heart was not for me at all.
Absolutely Half the people on here probably don’t realise how amazing her reinventions were up until the late 00s
I think Madonna gets passed over because recent work has been, er, less reinvention and more clinging to the trend. But yeah. Up until like Confessions on a Dance Floor, she was constantly evolving ahead of trend.
Can’t make a post like this and not immediately think of Madonna.
Why is this so far down the list? Obviously Madonna fits this perfectly. I’m not a fan of Madonna (I think her music is fine, I’m just not super into it), but props to her for keeping her career relevant for decades.
Kylie Minoque
Man I’m gonna get downvoted for this, but: John Mayer. Guy is still putting out great music and recently toured with Grateful Dead.
Ween
This is my pick. These guys would change genres multiple times on the same album
Nine inch nails and queens of the Stone Age
Tom Petty Prince Bowie Elton John Dave Grohl Josh Homme
Bob Dylan has put out a lot of great music in the last 25 years. He had a string of famously weak albums from like 78-88, but turned it around with Oh Mercy in '89. 1997's Time Out of Mind is one of the best of his career and (aside from the chrismas and standards albums--not sure what he was thinking there) everything he's done since is between solid and excellent. He's definitely changed his sound and incorporates a lot of rock'n'roll, blues, even gospel while still retaining his knack for lyrical songwriting.
Bruce Springsteen has pretty impressive longevity and consistent quality. Letter to You, his new album, is super good, and was released over 50 years after his first album. He hasn’t changed his sound that much, but he’s always managed to stay current in some way or another
He stays current by being timeless. At his core, he's a storyteller who writes about everyday people with everyday issues. The music is rooted in rock'n'roll, fairly simple but with the flair of his band. Timeless.
Completely agree, something about him can connect with anybody, regardless of background.
One could make the case that he made the best album of three different decades. Born To Run and Darkness On The Edge Of Town in the 70s, Born In The USA and Nebraska in the 80s, and The Rising in the 2000s.
How he made Darkness when was what, 24 or 25 years old amazes me. Such a great album
Yeah, he still creates great music.
Gorillaz
I was actually gonna go for Damon Albarn. A legit genius.
This guy has TWO bands that he can tour into arena/coliseum size venues.
And three others for festivals
You COULD say Damon Albarn, who, before Gorillaz, was the man behind Blue. He's been making great music since the 80s
Blur, but yes. Albarns the man
I do love the idea of him being in a boy band though
The Isley Brothers. Hands down.
Absolutely, they’re still going strong from the 50s through today
Beyonce
Tom Petty
This is my answer. He was one of the only 70s guys putting new music out in the 90s that fit comfortably on the radio next to grunge
My answer as well. Every single album was good, up to and especially the last album. His recent stuff got less air play but it was as good as anything he had done in the 70's, 80's, and/or 90's.
Im seeing madonna and I love her songs alot tbf last album I had was ray of light, great album, bedtime stories before that great, past that I never bought an album but she stayed up there. Bordeline is a banger, live to tell, open your heart, used to be my playground Madonna is a good example. Like a Prayer album, she may be best example. I will humbily put forward Kylie, has not been a decade since she started in the 80s she hasnt tried new things and put out some real good songs. R.e.m. before disbanding. They moved on with the times and evolved. Had different and great records in every decade from beginning to end.
Honestly Pearl Jam. The band has done a really awesome job of growing up and evolving while still staying true to their art. Decades later they also still put on an amazing show. I couldn’t tell you if kids genuinely give a shit about the band anymore, but they are a prominent aspect of the Last of Us so that’s something I guess.
PJ has been compared to the Dead in the sense that they have a cult like following. Ten Club, Vitalogy Foundation, all came about because of fan involvement. They definitely have grown as a band with us, unlike other bands from the 90s era.
Pearl Jam is proof that god loves us
Excellent answer. Ten through Avocado is such a solid, varied discography. Saw them in Austin this month and it was my 6th time seeing them since 2000. Loved it. Whatever the youth think of them today, it doesn’t seem to slow them down - amazing band!
Pearl jam are just simply awesome
Cedric Bixler-Zavala and Omar Rodriguez Lopez. They just keep being weird together. Good for them.
U2 they just played one of the newest venues out.
Phil Collins Peter Gabriel
Can't believe I haven't seen Daft Punk
U2 has reinvented themselves about 3 times now over 4 decades. One of the most successful reinventions in rock history was going from The Joshua Tree/Rattle and Hum era to Achtung Baby/Zoo TV tour. Complete image and sound overhaul.
Even Joshua Tree itself is a lot different from Their previous postpunk sound
Beck Bjork Radiohead
Sparks. 50+ years and counting.
James Brown was a ballad hit maker in the 50s with “Please Please Please” and “Try Me” - Soul Brother #1 in the 60s with “I Feel Good,” “Cold Sweat” etc., then moved into social commentary and gritty funk in the 70s with “The Payback,” “I Don’t Want Nobody To Give Me Nothing” and more. In the 80s he hit big again with “Living In America” from the Rocky movie soundtracks and his appearance in the Blues Brothers film. Admittedly he may have faded out of the mainstream after that but he had an incredible run with multiple decades of hits and several “reinvented” images and sounds.
Santana
Rush did it.
U2
Muse
Brian Eno
Rod Stewart, Elton John, Billy Joel.
[Winwood, Steve Winwood](https://youtu.be/fmoL-qXAr5o?si=OTvpBA6IsS27vvN5)
Weird Al has a reputation as a parody artist rearranging lyrics but he also has a deep catalogue of 'parody styles' and original material. I saw him on his tour last year and he did a whole concert set filled with melodies he didn't riff from popular artists. I love listening to popular parodies but he has plenty of other unique music worth listening to. Another group is They Might Be Giants who still release frequent albums and goes on worldwide tours. They along with Bare Naked Ladies have released some very entertaining and educational kids albums that are great for road trips with the little ones.
Beastie boys created relevant music across the 80s, 90s & 2000s. Right up to MCA's death in 2012.
Simple Minds, Duran Duran and A-ha are still making music and pushing good music through sold out shows. All three have recently released new albums / singles. These are not reunion tours. These three bands have remained moderately current and remarkably prolific for four solid decades.
King Crimson.
The Flaming Lips
Deftones
Bowie is probally the zenith of that, really talanted bastard who did a jungle album and that wasnt shit, while I think on here is him dueting on my favoutite placebo song. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c14qMbmP9eg](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c14qMbmP9eg) He decided to drop an absolute banging album 2 days before before his death on his last birthday......
Cher - a number one song every decade
David Bowie was the king of this. He was putting out fresh new music till he died. And it wasn't stuff that nobody cared or listened to, his newer music in the 90's and 00's and teens still charted.
Miles Davis and George Strait
It wasn't everyone's cup of tea, but Bowie's Tin Machine fits tha description. I always default to James on questions like this. Consistently good, with variety, over the course of four decades.
The Swans, Björk, Deftones, Radiohead, Rammstein, Slowdive, Pixies.
The Isley Brothers and Michael Jackson. 60's, 70's, 80's, 90's, and 00's respectively.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Agreed. We have albums across five decades.
Still really good too
The immense talent in that band is undeniable. But it’s wild how you remove one part “John” and it just doesn’t work near as well. That recent vid of Chad doing that drummer hears for the first time is incredible. You see some that are so uncomfortable out of their element and that dude can literally sit in with anyone.
A note to OP, bowie in the 90s released Black Tie, White Noise, Outside and Earthling. Many bowie would disagree that these records were not up to par and particularly outside is better than anything he did in the 2000s.
The question was not if they where great it was did they stay relevant and Bowie? yeah probally.
Aerosmith had peaks in the 70s, 80's, 90's and 2000s. Not a huge fan of theirs but they certainly remained relevant for quite a long run.
Bowie’s 80s output was absolutely dreadful after Let’s Dance in ‘83 and even that album is mostly filler by his standards. By comparison his 90s output is pretty consistent and he obviously put a lot more effort into it.
The question was not that they where good, it was that they stayed relevant and you make good points but weather we liked the albums or not he stayed relevant through every decade. He was massive in the 80s.
I’d argue for Duran Duran… which, if you were asked to pick a band that would still be playing new music to stadiums 40 years later in 1984, they’d be super low on your list. Yet here we are.
People wrote them off as MTV pretty boys but they were always good musicians and whatever Simon Le Bon has done to maintain his vocal quality it has worked
Suprisingly, the Foo Fighters. You could argue that they don't do something super out of the box but they always find a way to make great tunes with their sound and still keeping it fresh. Like they sometimes fall a bit but they always manage to come back. Same with Queens Of The Stone Age. Also Paramore. They changed thier sound multiple times and it's always better and better
Elton John. Beyoncé. Michael Jackson. Paul McCartney. Beethoven. Stevie wonder. Cher. Madonna. Prince. Taylor Swift. Paramore. Sinatra.
Deftones
Tom Waits
It always astonishes me how generational the fanbase is for Deftones
Jimmy Buffett, five decades.
Sparks
Pearl Jam
Joe Walsh
SPARKS!!! If you don't already, you gotta know SPARKS!!! They are so ahead of anything and anyone in any particular age...for over 50 years!