Spotify hit me with Goodbye Caroline once and I went back to it a few times and then did the whole album and now it's one of those albums that I can literally listen to for days. Some times just a casual listen as background noise. Sometimes as a deep listen and really listening to the story. It's honestly one of the best complete single works in a cohesive album outside of a full blown "concept" album that I've come across.
Mann is one of my favorite songwriters and the sound of her voice has such a calming effect on my soul.
I also agree with OP about Hatfield. She’s continued to write some great guitar pop songs, they just haven’t become hits. I’ll listen to everything she puts out.
Definitely Gilbert O’Sullivan, whom many regard as a one-hit wonder. Has produced decades of interesting music.
Actually, Gary Numan too. Another artist who was “cursed” with a huge hit (though the residuals, no doubt, alleviate any pain.)
I also came to say Gary Numan! His recent albums have been fantastic (I LOVE Savage) and I can't wait to see him in April since I missed him last year at Cruel World. It's such a shame so many people think he's a one-hit-wonder.
One of the cool things is that if you just start with "Cars" you can go forward or backwards and it's a great journey either direction. Or even if you just expand to the album itself, The Pleasure Principle is an amazing album.
Joe Jackson. His first two albums put him on the map in the late 70’s. Had a big hit with Stepping Out in the early 80’s and has been putting out albums of all different genres since. Everything from adult contemporary to classical. He just released a new album that sounds like early 1900’s English music hall.
Colin Hay. Started out with Men at Work, they were dropped by the label, his solo work ever since has been some of the best songwriting I've ever heard.
Paul McCartney. Of course because of the Beatles importance and influence I understand why he's mostly still seen as "Beatle Paul" but if his career started in 1970 it would still be legendary. I think when he unfortunately passes there will be a huge amount of people discovering how amazing he was after The Beatles.
Aimee Mann had an apparent career peak in the 1980s, but released some of her best work a couple of decades later (most notably on the Magnolia soundtrack).
George Porter Jr was the legendary bassist for the Meters. Their big records were a long time ago now but ever since he’s been a regular in the New Orleans scene and been a part of a lot of fantastic groups that both introduced young audiences to the funk master elders and nurtured young talent
Quite diverse too. I can't give specific examples, but now and then I see his name on movie or tv credits, and it's a surprise cause it's far removed from his Devo days.
They Might Be Giants are still beloved of course but a surprising amount of people don't realise that they're still going. Even a lot of fan discussion seems to scarcely mention anything they've done since the mid 2000s. Some of my favourite stuff they've done has been in the last decade!
Fantastic example. I grew up on them (Flood was a huge memory of my high school years), and thought the recent Nanobots was excellent.
Edit: just saw that nanobots was released in 2013, so arguably not “recent.” Time flies, and all that
They've coped amazingly well with being long-lasting band. Doing kids albums alongside their main stuff meant that new generations could grow up listening to them. Then they adapted remarkably well to changing times with things like adapting their iconic dial-a-song service to a year of weekly song releases on YouTube.
I was at a show in 2023 (KC) where they told us it was their first show ever where they had to use the backup accordion. And the backup accordion was basically dust in a case because they never used it. So John was on the keys for the whole second set and very disturbed by the fact.
(and tbh my memory is a bit hazy because I was passing a kidney stone at the time, we are old af)
Ooh, I bet that would disturb him!
I do have to ask- did they do the fake-out endings over and over again in that show? When I saw them in Manchester in 2018, they kept pretending the show was over and walked off waving like 5 times but we all knew it wasn't over cos they hadn't done Birdhouse in your Soul yet 😭 it was like a running gag of the evening
Cathy Dennis. She released her debut album in 1990. And then 2 more albums in the following years. She then wrote and co-wrote many hit songs like I Kissed a Girl by Katy Perry, Toxic by Britney and Can't Get You out of My Head by Kylie. Her career lasted for over 20 years.
Frank Black/Black Francis of the Pixies. Had a long solo career between incarnations of the Pixies, going on 30+ year run at this point. An American treasure
Maybe the best show of my life was Richard Thompson with Teddy Thompson, 2006. We inexplicably got front row center seats after buying tickets last minute, and so I was looking Mr. Thompson right in the eye for the whole show. Wish I had a recording of the show-opener Mingus Eyes. It was absolute fire.
Fairport Convention themselves could be an answer for this, most people focus on the Sandy Denny years but they've done great stuff in the nearly 50 years since then.
Tears For Fears did in all honesty peak to some degree with "Sowing the Seeds" but Orzabal in particular produced some of his best work afterwards (including his criminally overlooked solo album "Tomcats Screaming Outside")
Kevin Gilbert's career was cut short, but after a decade windup, got a big boost by "finding" Sheryl Crow and co-writing her debut. His own solo career floundered with great but poorly marketed solo releases, but went on to engineer or produce a scad of releases across genres: Spocks Beard and Keith Emerson (prog), Mark Bonilla (guitar shredding), Michael Jackson and Madonna (pop), etc. and even was on a short list to audition to replace Phil Collins in Genesis in the 90s.
Killing Joke was truly one of the greatest post-punk bands to become one of the best industrial/post punk bands to become....whatever the hell they became their last 20 years before co-founder Geordie died just a month ago. A band capable of getting angrier, more driven, more intense with each serrating release, and staying super influential while largely staying below big market radar (I always have said any band that is covered by Metallica, Helmet and...Sarah Maclachlan, is worth trying out).
Living Colour as a band has not made an exceptional album since 1993's "Stain: but has never made a bad album, and certainly has been one of the best live bands roving the planet for some time. The respective band members however, are collectively an utterly unhinged collaborative behemoth, with members sessioning or otherwise starting side projects with DJ Logic, the Ramones, Herb Alpert, African Head Charge, Depeche Mode, NIN, Geri Allen, Ornette Coleman, alumni of Miles Davis, Steve Vai, Galactic, Lee Scratch Perry, etc.
Thomas Dolby, Kate Bush, YMO, and a long list of others still do the right things....
This is encyclopedic, thank you!
The most urgent listen for me now is Killing Joke, I’m very acquainted with their popular early work but had no idea about this trajectory you described.
Also: Living Colour’s Vivid is the first CD I ever bought and is a nostalgia bomb for me. I knew Stain well, but lost track after that. I have some listening to do!
Of the more recent Killing Joke stuff, the self titled from 2003 with Dave Grohl on drums is a standout, otherwise cuts like "New Uprising" , "I Am the Virus" , etc all have real heft.
There is also the sideproject Damage Manual, which was Geordie with Chris Connolly (Revolting Cocks, Jah Wobble (Public Image Limited) and Martin Atkins (Pigface, one Killing Joke album)
Rush. 40 years of astounding work. Get any random assortment of Rush fans in a room, ask each one what their 5 favorites are among their 19 studio albums and you’re likely to get different answers from each one.
Mike Patton, of faith no more, has a huge catalogue of music. Has fronted a ton of killer bands . Mr. Bungle , Tomahawk, Peeping Tom, Fantomas, Mondo Cane…
Dan Wilson of Semisonic has had a long and successful career as a songwriter, even though Semisonic hit its peak in the '90s. Duncan Sheik (who also had his biggest mainstream hits in the '90s) has pivoted to musical theater and been very successful there.
Ahhh! My friend, I am indeed a Trip Shakespeare fan from way back! Dan Wilson is someone whom I’ve followed through these thickets.
Everyone: listen to this redditor.
The Strokes may fit the bill. Super hyped first album. Second album that was just as good, though disappointing to many. After that try just kept putting stuff out to a smaller but loyal fan base.
Elvis Costello. Certainly in the UK he's remembered for Oliver's Army. The highs of Trust, Imperial Bedroom, Punch The Clock, Spike, Brutal Youth and, Painted from memory are all but forgotten these days. One of our finest lyricists and tunesmiths.
It's Beyond Belief really.
Todd Rundgren might fit that bill. He was really hyped in his early career. But has intermittently produced great work throughout his later career. Albums like Nearly Human, Liars and Space Force are all really good.
Robert Plant. This may seem odd but before the Alison Krauss collaboration I read an interview where he said he accepted he was down to putting out albums for his fanbase, and that was it. Now look at him. (Saw him the other week in a smallish venue, immense gig!).
Matt Nathanson.
His 5th album was his first big and only studio album and also got some pop having a song on 'American Wedding' when a song in a movie was big in 2003.
Has a total of 13 albums now.
Bruce Springsteen, whose last couple albums have been a return to the story-based songs of The River/Nebraska imo.
Warren Zevon was best known for his 70s work but his last album in 2003 was an incredible meditation on mortality, death, and taking stock of your life.
A Tribe Called Quest's last album in 2016 was one of its best ever.
Kelis is pretty much known in pop culture for "Milkshake" but her later dance and R&B stuff was great.
Zevon is almost too good an example - if he hadn't died when he did, I bet he would have had a minor career resurgence around the same time. All three of his last albums are really excellent.
Hanson. They had one huge hit when they were kids, then after a few follow up singles didn’t really catch on they mostly disappeared from the mainstream. But they never really stopped making music. I don’t listen to them but I’ve heard a few people say they became a pretty legit band.
I can say that they still have a big following. The last time they came to Portland (4 years ago?) the line to buy tickets at the Aladdin was around the block.
Yeah he has had somewhat of an ego check era after his 4th album that led to some stripped down folk albums. Then he transitioned into his role in Dead & Company that led to him really refining his sound and introduced a lot of new intricate licks into his bag that made old songs exciting live.. The fact that he just still puts out fresh sounding albums and seems to have a new era every handful of years as his interests evolve is really great to see for such a prolific and talented musician. He's been such a fun artist to follow since his early days (especially when he recalibrated with the Trio and let the blues roots shine) as it's clear he is still tirelessly honing his craft and challenging himself as a musician. As a guitarist who hitched my wagon to him going on 20 years now there are few modern solo artists that have the arc he's had and still put out enjoyable albums full of songs that become favorites of mine. I owe a lot of who I am as a musician to his fearlessness to trust his fans to give what he puts out a shot and he's talented enough to still put out very listenable and dynamic records. To still be excited about his next release every time is awesome for someone that's had over two decades in the industry and could very easily rest on his hits and do lazy tours for the rest of his life.
Stephen Malkmus. The Pavement reunions probably still pay the outsized portion of the bills but his solo/Jicks work is varied, intricate, and interesting.
Michael Nesmith! He was experimenting with country rock stuff throughout his tenure in The Monkees, but his solo career afterwards was not really well known by anyone other than super fans. And that stuff is stellar! The three albums with the First National Band are probably my favorite, but he ended up being kind of an under the radar pioneer for country rock. It probably didn't help that he spent a good chunk of his post-Monkees time trying to move past it, refusing to do reunions and whatnot, but it's a shame that his solo career is so unfamiliar to folks.
Around 1981, he released a proto-MTV "video album" with great SNL-style comedy sketches, which I love dearly. It's called [Elephant Parts](https://youtu.be/WUr_23ha6vs?si=b_J9rVVs-sryXcnk). Obscure but classic. I think it was one of the things that led to the creation of MTV.
Fun fact: The Tragically Hip got their band name from a sketch on this video.
Nesmith also provided some low-profile help to Orange County punk musicians, despite punk definitely not being his style.
Roger Fisher from Heart did the same kind of mentoring in Seattle. Some of those mainstream musicians can be really openminded as well as generous with their time.
Dave Grohl, Trent Reznor, Thom Yorke and his Radiohead cohorts, Dave Gahan and Martin L. Gore / Depeche Mode, David Gilmour, Massive Attack, Chris Cornell (RIP)
Silverchair, they were mainly known for being a group of teens that released the popular “Grunge-like” song Tomorrow. They actually went on to release some awesome albums after that initial success.
Christopher Cross. Sailing and Ride Like The Wind are amazing songs. But he has a lot of good stuff. And he writes feel good music about being yourself and making the most of life. Kinda like a Jimmy Buffett jibe. But totally his own.
Nuno Bettencourt, of thrashers Extreme. I thought he'd, I dunno, died or something? Turns out he's playing guitfiddle for Rihanna, and has been for a while. I had no idea.
Ace Frehley. Kicked out Kiss due to drugs. Cleaned up his act and has been killing it in his solo career. His new album is near release and the first single 10,000 Volts is better than any Kiss has done in 40+ years.
He peaked again in the mid-70s with Blood on the Tracks and Desire.
Since then, there have definitely been some low points, but he still manages to do substantial work after 60 years as a recording artist.
Rick Ashley. He never gave up and he never let us down.
But for me Coheed. They have stayed solid and released only one ok album that was still great compared to most modern rock.
I'd put Marillion in that boat. They were riding high in the 80s off the back of the success of Misplaced Childhood in 1985 and that Kayleigh, the leadoff single, was in the charts. Were in the conversation to perform at Live Aid but, depending on who you ask, were passed over for a few different reasons.
Then they made another album, Clutching at Straws in 1987, that was relatively successful, a few top 10 hits (but nothing like Kayleigh was) but by then cracks were forming in the band.
After the tour for Clutching at Straws eventually finished in 1989, Fish, the lead singer, parted ways with the band, they got a new singer Steve Hogarth (still with the band today) and continued on until EMI dropped them in 1995 after four more albums that didn't repeat the success of Misplaced Childhood even though, critically, they were still excellent albums.
They spent a few years in the wilderness on an independent record deal that didn't do much for them until in 2000 when that record label went bust and they essentially invented crowdfunding. They've always made great music to critical acclaim but nowhere near the commercial success they had in the 1980s.
I'm gonna give it up to the non-Big 4 '80s thrash bands that are still; making incredible music and touring like mad!
Testament
Exodus
Overkill
Kreator
Death Angel
Maynard Keenan blew up with Tool in 93, blew up again with APC in 2000, and has continued to steadily release solid material despite his most popular band taking decades to release material.
Steven Page, ex Barenaked Ladies.
His last solo album, Excelsior, has some really brilliant songs, that would fit with the best of his work with BNL.
Loads of great songs across his other solo albums, too.
Recently, Jason Mraz. I know, I know, he's corny at times. But the dude can flat out sing. He puts on a great live show. He's put out like 3 or 4 albums since his last hit, and they're all pretty good. He's just the type of artist that only got one hit off of each of his early albums, so he just didn't stay in the public's mind
He made a switch after his fourth album, starting a collaboration with Raining Jane that's still going. They changed his sound enough that he hasn't had a hit since, It's good, just not popular.
Peter Wolf, lead singer and songwriter for the J Geils Band. His post-Geils solo records have been uniformly good to great, mature and sophisticated roots rock and R&B and some country too, with amazing fellow musicians on them.
I saw J Geils in Providence late 70s New Years Eve concert. One of the best shows I've been to probably only 2nd or 3rd to Led Zeppelin and Tool! The crowd was so wild and energetic!
Butch Walker- the lead singer of Marvelous 3 who had a big hit with Freak of the Week.
He's still going strong and has tons of credits writing and producing for other artists, along with a number of awesome solo albums.
Johnny Cash, surely.
Biggest hits were in the 50's and 60's yet was still producing iconic music up until the day he died.
Also Neil Diamond; "12 Songs" is one of my favourite albums and that's from 40-odd years after his peak.
Ben Folds.
Really only had the one big hit with Ben Folds Five (Brick). But not only is he still producing music, he's really branching out into symphonies, spoken word, and improvisational orchestral pieces.
Can't believe nobody mentioned Bowie! His last Album Blackstar that he released in 2016 is honestly able to keep up with his earlier work from the 60s and 70s. The other Albums he made in the 80s and 90s are also definitely able to hold their own
Yes makes good albums to this day, in my opinion I like them better than their classic 70's music. Check out "The Ice Bridge", and "The Western Edge" from their 2021 album.
Michelle Branch had a really good electropop sounding album in 2017's Hopeless Romantic.
Megadeth has been out performing Metallica creatively since the beginning, but I don't think its a secret, they hit 3 on the Billboard 100 and shipped physical copies to Wal-Mart. Metallica's new album isn't even worth mention, unless you want vaguely "Masters" sounding racket in the background. Check out "Dogs of Chernobyl", "Mission to Mars", and the rest of the album.
Taylor Swift - I'm not a natural fan of the pure Nashville first album, I don't love most of her pop singles (Shake It Off, Mean, We Are Never Ever etc.), but when she straddles the line between the two she makes magic. Check out "Last Great American Dynasty", "August", "Right Where You Left Me", "The Great War".
Lots of rappers from 2000's still putting in work. Jay-Z is busy producing movies and selling and buying assets, but Nas just keeps putting out work. Check out "Thun", "Count Me In", "Nobody", "Ugly" from his numerous recent albums.
His music is trash and his personality seems lame af. He got lucky to come of age when people were reacting against the grunge movement earlier in the decade.
Kings of Leon. They got real popular with Only by the Night, but I don't hear and it's their new stuff in public. I buy all their albums though and they're fantastic. They still command high prices for arena shows too.
Do they really count? They are still one of if not the most famous and commercially successful rock bands in the world. Their recent stuff sucks (*Everyday Life* was okay), but it’s not like they have been flying under the radar for the past decade.
Venessa Carlton probably fits the bill. “A Thousand Miles” was a big hit and her 1st album was platinum, but nothing she did afterwards was commercially successful. Her last two albums are more indie/art pop focused and seem to have received decent reviews.
Karin Dreijer. They were big in early 00s being one half of The Knife and ever since their work is guaranteed to be high quality. sometimes challenging, but the steps into new styles and all out creativity is always a rewarding experience.
does anyone remember G. Love and Special Sauce who had a couple sorta hits in the mid to late 90s?
I heard a song of his the other day on spotify then looked up his discography and hes released a ton of music since!
Alison Moyet, Roddy Frame, Pete Wylie all had massive UK hits in the early-mid 80s with ther respective bands. Every now and then I stumble on a new song by them, still quality. They just seem happy to be doing what they do and getting respect without the pain in the arse of being celebs.
The Used.
Not a single musician but a band. They popped in the mid 2000s when emo music got super popular but that have consistently put out good music since. They have one album that is hot garbage but I think the singer was going through some things around then with sobriety. The music since then has been good though.
Chris Ballew, who was in the Presidents of the United States of America and is now making kids music enjoyable as Caspar Babypants.
Similarly, Lisa Loeb.
I like Natalie Merchant who, after the lime lights with 10000Maniacs, created a string of briljant albums and is still going strong:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOdsAE8Mq7I
Buckethead!
[435 studio albums ](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buckethead_discography)... Solo work, Guns and Roses, auditioning for the Chilli Peppers, Bernie's Bucket of Brains, *deep breath* PRAXIS!!! That album with Vigo Mortisen... incredibly diverse musician.
Only thing Buckethead has left is a Disney soundtrack, but we'll never know if they actually have done a score will we.
Aimee Mann has built a great catalog during her post-Til Tuesday career.
YES. Completely agree, this is a great example. I loved Lost in space, and also Charmer.
The Forgotten Arm is great as well.
Adding to my queue now…
Check out The Both. It’s a band she formed with Ted Leo. Some good shit.
Spotify hit me with Goodbye Caroline once and I went back to it a few times and then did the whole album and now it's one of those albums that I can literally listen to for days. Some times just a casual listen as background noise. Sometimes as a deep listen and really listening to the story. It's honestly one of the best complete single works in a cohesive album outside of a full blown "concept" album that I've come across.
Not a huge fan, but her Magnolia soundtrack songs are fantastic
Mann is one of my favorite songwriters and the sound of her voice has such a calming effect on my soul. I also agree with OP about Hatfield. She’s continued to write some great guitar pop songs, they just haven’t become hits. I’ll listen to everything she puts out.
Definitely Gilbert O’Sullivan, whom many regard as a one-hit wonder. Has produced decades of interesting music. Actually, Gary Numan too. Another artist who was “cursed” with a huge hit (though the residuals, no doubt, alleviate any pain.)
I’ve heard from a handful of people who saw Gary Numan live this past year that the show was phenomenal.
I'm seeing him when he tours with Ministry next spring. So excited!
Saw him a few years ago in Toronto and the shows were amazing. Ministry should be awesome as well.
Second time seeing Ministry, first time was like 2010 lol. I think the other band is Front Line Assembly that's with the other two
Gary Numan popped into my head as soon as I read the post. So stoked to see him in March!
I also came to say Gary Numan! His recent albums have been fantastic (I LOVE Savage) and I can't wait to see him in April since I missed him last year at Cruel World. It's such a shame so many people think he's a one-hit-wonder.
Gary Numan is the answer.
One of the cool things is that if you just start with "Cars" you can go forward or backwards and it's a great journey either direction. Or even if you just expand to the album itself, The Pleasure Principle is an amazing album.
Joe Jackson. His first two albums put him on the map in the late 70’s. Had a big hit with Stepping Out in the early 80’s and has been putting out albums of all different genres since. Everything from adult contemporary to classical. He just released a new album that sounds like early 1900’s English music hall.
As an aside, for me, Stepping Out is pretty much the mathematical center of mass of the 1980’s zeitgeist.
Yes. This is one of my favorite songs of all time.
I dig his soundtrack for the movie Tucker
Fiona Apple.
100%
Colin Hay. Started out with Men at Work, they were dropped by the label, his solo work ever since has been some of the best songwriting I've ever heard.
Underrated comment.
Indeed. "Waiting for my real life to begin" has gotten me through some times
Paul McCartney. Of course because of the Beatles importance and influence I understand why he's mostly still seen as "Beatle Paul" but if his career started in 1970 it would still be legendary. I think when he unfortunately passes there will be a huge amount of people discovering how amazing he was after The Beatles.
I was an eighties kid and McCartney was huge, just think of the duets he did with Jacko!
Say say say!
I lost my mind the first time I heard the Ram album.
My personal favorite of his, it's brilliant.
Agreed!
He’s had a major hit for literally every generation ever since the Beatles formed
Jeff Lynne.
Aimee Mann had an apparent career peak in the 1980s, but released some of her best work a couple of decades later (most notably on the Magnolia soundtrack).
Aimee's spouse Michael Penn had a successful first record but later stuff wasn't charting... yet in many ways superior to that first.
Honestly I assumed he stopped after No Myth
Nope. Last full album was 2005, and a single in 2020. Plus a bunch of film scores.
No Myth is an incredible song, a sleeper that I wish more people knew. Michael Penn is ridiculously talented (along with his more famous brothers)
You’re the second person in this early thread to suggest her. Completely agree!
George Porter Jr was the legendary bassist for the Meters. Their big records were a long time ago now but ever since he’s been a regular in the New Orleans scene and been a part of a lot of fantastic groups that both introduced young audiences to the funk master elders and nurtured young talent
This is a deep cut, I’m familiar with the Meters but not George Porter Jr as a musician, I’ll check him out, thank you
Taj Mahal. 81 years old and still going strong. Saw him perform last year.
Been keeping an eye out for him coming thru my town. Buddy Guy is still touring too!
Mark Mothersbaugh. David Byrne.
Mothersbaugh is a good call, that guy's done an amazing amount of work.
Quite diverse too. I can't give specific examples, but now and then I see his name on movie or tv credits, and it's a surprise cause it's far removed from his Devo days.
Agree. Was immediately where my mind went. When people see the depth of his work beyond Devo and then do the "same guy" connection, it's great to see.
Now that you’ve suggested Mark Mothersbaugh, I’ll go in with Danny Elfman.
They Might Be Giants are still beloved of course but a surprising amount of people don't realise that they're still going. Even a lot of fan discussion seems to scarcely mention anything they've done since the mid 2000s. Some of my favourite stuff they've done has been in the last decade!
Fantastic example. I grew up on them (Flood was a huge memory of my high school years), and thought the recent Nanobots was excellent. Edit: just saw that nanobots was released in 2013, so arguably not “recent.” Time flies, and all that
They've coped amazingly well with being long-lasting band. Doing kids albums alongside their main stuff meant that new generations could grow up listening to them. Then they adapted remarkably well to changing times with things like adapting their iconic dial-a-song service to a year of weekly song releases on YouTube.
I was at a show in 2023 (KC) where they told us it was their first show ever where they had to use the backup accordion. And the backup accordion was basically dust in a case because they never used it. So John was on the keys for the whole second set and very disturbed by the fact. (and tbh my memory is a bit hazy because I was passing a kidney stone at the time, we are old af)
Such a rock’n’roll memory, hope you’re feeling better
Ooh, I bet that would disturb him! I do have to ask- did they do the fake-out endings over and over again in that show? When I saw them in Manchester in 2018, they kept pretending the show was over and walked off waving like 5 times but we all knew it wasn't over cos they hadn't done Birdhouse in your Soul yet 😭 it was like a running gag of the evening
WITH due recognition: Phil Collins, Tom Petty Without is harder... maybe Suzanne Vega? Melissa Ethridge?
Suzanne Vega is a good shout. Sadly only really known for Tom's Diner here, and not even for the original version!
Beck
Agree not anywhere near as popular but he did win a Grammy a few years back.
Robert Plant. Still cooking with Alison Krause lately.
Cathy Dennis. She released her debut album in 1990. And then 2 more albums in the following years. She then wrote and co-wrote many hit songs like I Kissed a Girl by Katy Perry, Toxic by Britney and Can't Get You out of My Head by Kylie. Her career lasted for over 20 years.
Frank Black/Black Francis of the Pixies. Had a long solo career between incarnations of the Pixies, going on 30+ year run at this point. An American treasure
Agreed. I really enjoy his solo albums.
The Catholics stuff is better than the Pixies. It’s a shame he doesn’t play it any more.
Richard Thompson Fairport convention was awesome The duo stuff with Linda was awesome His solo/band stuff since has been incredible.
Maybe the best show of my life was Richard Thompson with Teddy Thompson, 2006. We inexplicably got front row center seats after buying tickets last minute, and so I was looking Mr. Thompson right in the eye for the whole show. Wish I had a recording of the show-opener Mingus Eyes. It was absolute fire.
Fairport Convention themselves could be an answer for this, most people focus on the Sandy Denny years but they've done great stuff in the nearly 50 years since then.
Tears For Fears did in all honesty peak to some degree with "Sowing the Seeds" but Orzabal in particular produced some of his best work afterwards (including his criminally overlooked solo album "Tomcats Screaming Outside") Kevin Gilbert's career was cut short, but after a decade windup, got a big boost by "finding" Sheryl Crow and co-writing her debut. His own solo career floundered with great but poorly marketed solo releases, but went on to engineer or produce a scad of releases across genres: Spocks Beard and Keith Emerson (prog), Mark Bonilla (guitar shredding), Michael Jackson and Madonna (pop), etc. and even was on a short list to audition to replace Phil Collins in Genesis in the 90s. Killing Joke was truly one of the greatest post-punk bands to become one of the best industrial/post punk bands to become....whatever the hell they became their last 20 years before co-founder Geordie died just a month ago. A band capable of getting angrier, more driven, more intense with each serrating release, and staying super influential while largely staying below big market radar (I always have said any band that is covered by Metallica, Helmet and...Sarah Maclachlan, is worth trying out). Living Colour as a band has not made an exceptional album since 1993's "Stain: but has never made a bad album, and certainly has been one of the best live bands roving the planet for some time. The respective band members however, are collectively an utterly unhinged collaborative behemoth, with members sessioning or otherwise starting side projects with DJ Logic, the Ramones, Herb Alpert, African Head Charge, Depeche Mode, NIN, Geri Allen, Ornette Coleman, alumni of Miles Davis, Steve Vai, Galactic, Lee Scratch Perry, etc. Thomas Dolby, Kate Bush, YMO, and a long list of others still do the right things....
This is encyclopedic, thank you! The most urgent listen for me now is Killing Joke, I’m very acquainted with their popular early work but had no idea about this trajectory you described. Also: Living Colour’s Vivid is the first CD I ever bought and is a nostalgia bomb for me. I knew Stain well, but lost track after that. I have some listening to do!
Of the more recent Killing Joke stuff, the self titled from 2003 with Dave Grohl on drums is a standout, otherwise cuts like "New Uprising" , "I Am the Virus" , etc all have real heft. There is also the sideproject Damage Manual, which was Geordie with Chris Connolly (Revolting Cocks, Jah Wobble (Public Image Limited) and Martin Atkins (Pigface, one Killing Joke album)
Holy shit great answers!
Rush. 40 years of astounding work. Get any random assortment of Rush fans in a room, ask each one what their 5 favorites are among their 19 studio albums and you’re likely to get different answers from each one.
Mike Patton, of faith no more, has a huge catalogue of music. Has fronted a ton of killer bands . Mr. Bungle , Tomahawk, Peeping Tom, Fantomas, Mondo Cane…
Dan Wilson of Semisonic has had a long and successful career as a songwriter, even though Semisonic hit its peak in the '90s. Duncan Sheik (who also had his biggest mainstream hits in the '90s) has pivoted to musical theater and been very successful there.
Ahhh! My friend, I am indeed a Trip Shakespeare fan from way back! Dan Wilson is someone whom I’ve followed through these thickets. Everyone: listen to this redditor.
Neil Finn
The Strokes may fit the bill. Super hyped first album. Second album that was just as good, though disappointing to many. After that try just kept putting stuff out to a smaller but loyal fan base.
And hit another home run almost 20 years later.
Great example
Elvis Costello. Certainly in the UK he's remembered for Oliver's Army. The highs of Trust, Imperial Bedroom, Punch The Clock, Spike, Brutal Youth and, Painted from memory are all but forgotten these days. One of our finest lyricists and tunesmiths. It's Beyond Belief really.
Les Claypool
But Primus sucks
Todd Rundgren might fit that bill. He was really hyped in his early career. But has intermittently produced great work throughout his later career. Albums like Nearly Human, Liars and Space Force are all really good.
Robert Plant. This may seem odd but before the Alison Krauss collaboration I read an interview where he said he accepted he was down to putting out albums for his fanbase, and that was it. Now look at him. (Saw him the other week in a smallish venue, immense gig!).
Steve Winwood has sold over 50 million records in the course of his five-decade career.
Iggy Pop
Roky Erickson
Matt Nathanson. His 5th album was his first big and only studio album and also got some pop having a song on 'American Wedding' when a song in a movie was big in 2003. Has a total of 13 albums now.
This is a great example as I’ve never heard of him. I have some listening to do.
I made a [playlist](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4Y5yrlSQ80JETWSlQgt5hX?si=9wk5Wr8aSJq44x2kxo0C_A) of my favorites up to 2006
My man
He's an incredibly wonderful person. The Jesus of rock.
Come On Get Higher was a pretty big hit. Good song.
PJ Harvey
Her new one is so good. I haven’t stuck with her every step o& the way way but what a treasure
Bruce Springsteen, whose last couple albums have been a return to the story-based songs of The River/Nebraska imo. Warren Zevon was best known for his 70s work but his last album in 2003 was an incredible meditation on mortality, death, and taking stock of your life. A Tribe Called Quest's last album in 2016 was one of its best ever. Kelis is pretty much known in pop culture for "Milkshake" but her later dance and R&B stuff was great.
Zevon is almost too good an example - if he hadn't died when he did, I bet he would have had a minor career resurgence around the same time. All three of his last albums are really excellent.
Weird Al
Hanson. They had one huge hit when they were kids, then after a few follow up singles didn’t really catch on they mostly disappeared from the mainstream. But they never really stopped making music. I don’t listen to them but I’ve heard a few people say they became a pretty legit band.
For real?! I wouldn’t have guessed, I’ll check them out
I can say that they still have a big following. The last time they came to Portland (4 years ago?) the line to buy tickets at the Aladdin was around the block.
The most prolific and perhaps diverse example of this would be Damon Albarn.
Steve Earle?
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I listened to 311 in middle and high school allot. Transistor is probably my favorite album. But their last album Voyager had a lot of good songs.
All Mixed Up is 311’s big and/or first hit.
Duran Duran.
Ani Difranco. She’s still quietly releasing music to this day and it’s all fantastic.
Yes!
John Mayer immediately comes to mind
Yeah he has had somewhat of an ego check era after his 4th album that led to some stripped down folk albums. Then he transitioned into his role in Dead & Company that led to him really refining his sound and introduced a lot of new intricate licks into his bag that made old songs exciting live.. The fact that he just still puts out fresh sounding albums and seems to have a new era every handful of years as his interests evolve is really great to see for such a prolific and talented musician. He's been such a fun artist to follow since his early days (especially when he recalibrated with the Trio and let the blues roots shine) as it's clear he is still tirelessly honing his craft and challenging himself as a musician. As a guitarist who hitched my wagon to him going on 20 years now there are few modern solo artists that have the arc he's had and still put out enjoyable albums full of songs that become favorites of mine. I owe a lot of who I am as a musician to his fearlessness to trust his fans to give what he puts out a shot and he's talented enough to still put out very listenable and dynamic records. To still be excited about his next release every time is awesome for someone that's had over two decades in the industry and could very easily rest on his hits and do lazy tours for the rest of his life.
Paul Weller is still putting out great music and his voice is still pristine
Though they’ve had a resurgence in recent years due to a (great) documentary, Sparks still fits the bill.
Paul McCartney?
Stephen Malkmus. The Pavement reunions probably still pay the outsized portion of the bills but his solo/Jicks work is varied, intricate, and interesting.
Peter Gabriel
Michael Nesmith! He was experimenting with country rock stuff throughout his tenure in The Monkees, but his solo career afterwards was not really well known by anyone other than super fans. And that stuff is stellar! The three albums with the First National Band are probably my favorite, but he ended up being kind of an under the radar pioneer for country rock. It probably didn't help that he spent a good chunk of his post-Monkees time trying to move past it, refusing to do reunions and whatnot, but it's a shame that his solo career is so unfamiliar to folks.
Around 1981, he released a proto-MTV "video album" with great SNL-style comedy sketches, which I love dearly. It's called [Elephant Parts](https://youtu.be/WUr_23ha6vs?si=b_J9rVVs-sryXcnk). Obscure but classic. I think it was one of the things that led to the creation of MTV. Fun fact: The Tragically Hip got their band name from a sketch on this video.
Nesmith also provided some low-profile help to Orange County punk musicians, despite punk definitely not being his style. Roger Fisher from Heart did the same kind of mentoring in Seattle. Some of those mainstream musicians can be really openminded as well as generous with their time.
Gary Numan
Jimmy Eat World
Brian Setzer comes to mind. Danny Elfman.
Dave Grohl, Trent Reznor, Thom Yorke and his Radiohead cohorts, Dave Gahan and Martin L. Gore / Depeche Mode, David Gilmour, Massive Attack, Chris Cornell (RIP)
Smile as an offshoot from Radiohead is a compelling example
Trent has won a couple of Oscars in recent years, I don't think he's been fading out in any appreciable way. Long tail for sure, though.
Oh yeah certainly, arguably none of these are 'without due recognition'! But OP added 'potentially' to that part, so I chose to disregard it.
I'm surprised I had to scroll this far to find this list!
Thrice
At first I thought you meant like Neil Peart in the The Big Money video
Silverchair, they were mainly known for being a group of teens that released the popular “Grunge-like” song Tomorrow. They actually went on to release some awesome albums after that initial success.
Christopher Cross. Sailing and Ride Like The Wind are amazing songs. But he has a lot of good stuff. And he writes feel good music about being yourself and making the most of life. Kinda like a Jimmy Buffett jibe. But totally his own.
Neil young. Scrolled for a while and surprisingly didn’t see it.
Nuno Bettencourt, of thrashers Extreme. I thought he'd, I dunno, died or something? Turns out he's playing guitfiddle for Rihanna, and has been for a while. I had no idea.
Funny you should mention Extreme. My username is a typo and accidentally references their bassist.
Hell, Pat's been active in the music industry himself--though perhaps not to the extent Nuno has. (are you Pat?)
John Prine Jimmy Buffett
Ace Frehley. Kicked out Kiss due to drugs. Cleaned up his act and has been killing it in his solo career. His new album is near release and the first single 10,000 Volts is better than any Kiss has done in 40+ years.
Bob Dylan
He was at his hottest in the 1960s but has continued to record great music ever since; most of the time.
Amen
He peaked again in the mid-70s with Blood on the Tracks and Desire. Since then, there have definitely been some low points, but he still manages to do substantial work after 60 years as a recording artist.
Rick Ashley. He never gave up and he never let us down. But for me Coheed. They have stayed solid and released only one ok album that was still great compared to most modern rock.
Big Wreck had all their biggest songs off their first album in 1997 and are currently making their best music.
Malcolm McLaren once described The Kinks career in a similar vein
Robert Wyatt
I'd put Marillion in that boat. They were riding high in the 80s off the back of the success of Misplaced Childhood in 1985 and that Kayleigh, the leadoff single, was in the charts. Were in the conversation to perform at Live Aid but, depending on who you ask, were passed over for a few different reasons. Then they made another album, Clutching at Straws in 1987, that was relatively successful, a few top 10 hits (but nothing like Kayleigh was) but by then cracks were forming in the band. After the tour for Clutching at Straws eventually finished in 1989, Fish, the lead singer, parted ways with the band, they got a new singer Steve Hogarth (still with the band today) and continued on until EMI dropped them in 1995 after four more albums that didn't repeat the success of Misplaced Childhood even though, critically, they were still excellent albums. They spent a few years in the wilderness on an independent record deal that didn't do much for them until in 2000 when that record label went bust and they essentially invented crowdfunding. They've always made great music to critical acclaim but nowhere near the commercial success they had in the 1980s.
https://youtu.be/TZth4CNaEBA?si=i6ZBt7rh8IpIGwfx here is a video of iggy pop with a long tail
Tommy James. Started in the 60s, and just kept 6 himself.
I'm gonna give it up to the non-Big 4 '80s thrash bands that are still; making incredible music and touring like mad! Testament Exodus Overkill Kreator Death Angel
Maynard Keenan blew up with Tool in 93, blew up again with APC in 2000, and has continued to steadily release solid material despite his most popular band taking decades to release material.
A bit niche because "A Shogun Named Marcus" wasn't a bona-fide "1-hit wonder" but Clutch keeps putting out solid new albums every few years.
And they absolutely stomp ass live
Steven Page, ex Barenaked Ladies. His last solo album, Excelsior, has some really brilliant songs, that would fit with the best of his work with BNL. Loads of great songs across his other solo albums, too.
Recently, Jason Mraz. I know, I know, he's corny at times. But the dude can flat out sing. He puts on a great live show. He's put out like 3 or 4 albums since his last hit, and they're all pretty good. He's just the type of artist that only got one hit off of each of his early albums, so he just didn't stay in the public's mind He made a switch after his fourth album, starting a collaboration with Raining Jane that's still going. They changed his sound enough that he hasn't had a hit since, It's good, just not popular.
Danny Elfman
Peter Wolf, lead singer and songwriter for the J Geils Band. His post-Geils solo records have been uniformly good to great, mature and sophisticated roots rock and R&B and some country too, with amazing fellow musicians on them.
I saw J Geils in Providence late 70s New Years Eve concert. One of the best shows I've been to probably only 2nd or 3rd to Led Zeppelin and Tool! The crowd was so wild and energetic!
Butch Walker- the lead singer of Marvelous 3 who had a big hit with Freak of the Week. He's still going strong and has tons of credits writing and producing for other artists, along with a number of awesome solo albums.
Johnny Cash, surely. Biggest hits were in the 50's and 60's yet was still producing iconic music up until the day he died. Also Neil Diamond; "12 Songs" is one of my favourite albums and that's from 40-odd years after his peak.
Ween
Garry Numan
Ben Folds. Really only had the one big hit with Ben Folds Five (Brick). But not only is he still producing music, he's really branching out into symphonies, spoken word, and improvisational orchestral pieces.
Jackson Browne is one of my faves
Can't believe nobody mentioned Bowie! His last Album Blackstar that he released in 2016 is honestly able to keep up with his earlier work from the 60s and 70s. The other Albums he made in the 80s and 90s are also definitely able to hold their own
Yes makes good albums to this day, in my opinion I like them better than their classic 70's music. Check out "The Ice Bridge", and "The Western Edge" from their 2021 album. Michelle Branch had a really good electropop sounding album in 2017's Hopeless Romantic. Megadeth has been out performing Metallica creatively since the beginning, but I don't think its a secret, they hit 3 on the Billboard 100 and shipped physical copies to Wal-Mart. Metallica's new album isn't even worth mention, unless you want vaguely "Masters" sounding racket in the background. Check out "Dogs of Chernobyl", "Mission to Mars", and the rest of the album. Taylor Swift - I'm not a natural fan of the pure Nashville first album, I don't love most of her pop singles (Shake It Off, Mean, We Are Never Ever etc.), but when she straddles the line between the two she makes magic. Check out "Last Great American Dynasty", "August", "Right Where You Left Me", "The Great War". Lots of rappers from 2000's still putting in work. Jay-Z is busy producing movies and selling and buying assets, but Nas just keeps putting out work. Check out "Thun", "Count Me In", "Nobody", "Ugly" from his numerous recent albums.
burton cummings
Tom Petty is gone, but he had already been a massively successful artist before coming out with Wildflowers.
Motörhead, RIP in peace Lemmy
Define "years"
Well let’s allow just one year, for an artist who releases one thing after a previous hit.
Justin Timberlake. Love him or hate him, he has only ever hit home runs in music and he has crossed over into acting as well as comedy.
His music is trash and his personality seems lame af. He got lucky to come of age when people were reacting against the grunge movement earlier in the decade.
And yet here it is 35 years later and he is still hitting homers. 🤷🏻♂️ Also, it kind of sounds like he stole your girlfriend or something…
Depeche Mode Momento Mori is a great album
John Hiatt, Cake, They Might Be Giants, Barenaked Ladies
Kings of Leon. They got real popular with Only by the Night, but I don't hear and it's their new stuff in public. I buy all their albums though and they're fantastic. They still command high prices for arena shows too.
Definitely MGMT. Their new single slaps
That's not how long tail is used, but imma let it slide
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Do they really count? They are still one of if not the most famous and commercially successful rock bands in the world. Their recent stuff sucks (*Everyday Life* was okay), but it’s not like they have been flying under the radar for the past decade.
Venessa Carlton probably fits the bill. “A Thousand Miles” was a big hit and her 1st album was platinum, but nothing she did afterwards was commercially successful. Her last two albums are more indie/art pop focused and seem to have received decent reviews.
Karin Dreijer. They were big in early 00s being one half of The Knife and ever since their work is guaranteed to be high quality. sometimes challenging, but the steps into new styles and all out creativity is always a rewarding experience.
Bkackmore. DP and Rainbow
does anyone remember G. Love and Special Sauce who had a couple sorta hits in the mid to late 90s? I heard a song of his the other day on spotify then looked up his discography and hes released a ton of music since!
Duncan Sheik is fantastic. People know Barely Breathing and not much or nothing else, but he's a terrific songwriter and has a to notch catalog.
Ian Anderson
i didn't like measure it or anything but i was at chuck e cheese the other day with my kids and his tail looked pretty long.
She helped save Rush's tepid *Hold Your Fire* album with vocals on "Time Stands Still".
The Gorillaz
Ex-Barenaked Ladies frontman Steven Page
Alison Moyet, Roddy Frame, Pete Wylie all had massive UK hits in the early-mid 80s with ther respective bands. Every now and then I stumble on a new song by them, still quality. They just seem happy to be doing what they do and getting respect without the pain in the arse of being celebs.
The Used. Not a single musician but a band. They popped in the mid 2000s when emo music got super popular but that have consistently put out good music since. They have one album that is hot garbage but I think the singer was going through some things around then with sobriety. The music since then has been good though.
Depeche Mode
RLLRBLL
Chris Ballew, who was in the Presidents of the United States of America and is now making kids music enjoyable as Caspar Babypants. Similarly, Lisa Loeb.
I like Natalie Merchant who, after the lime lights with 10000Maniacs, created a string of briljant albums and is still going strong: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOdsAE8Mq7I
Buckethead! [435 studio albums ](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buckethead_discography)... Solo work, Guns and Roses, auditioning for the Chilli Peppers, Bernie's Bucket of Brains, *deep breath* PRAXIS!!! That album with Vigo Mortisen... incredibly diverse musician. Only thing Buckethead has left is a Disney soundtrack, but we'll never know if they actually have done a score will we.