Low output to high regard ratio

[PeterG]

(please don't include posthumous releases)

While I was just adding a Hendrix track to my response to the Songs about Jam thread, it dawned on me, not for the first time, that Hendrix must be very close to the top of that list of artists that have had a gargantuan affect on music and are highly regarded but were only active for a very short period and with only a few albums. The JHE released just 3 albums, and then Jimi made that Band of Gypsys live album with Billy Cox and Buddy Miles, and that was it.

Janis Joplin on the other hand, a white female blues singer who proved that women could also be rock singers and sing rock in as ballsy a fashion as the men! Just 3 albums before she died.

Hank Williams, for me the grandpappy of rockabilly, rock 'n roll, raisin hell and lovin' it! Loads of singles and EPs of course and live appearances at The Opry, he was a prolific song writer and regular performer but just 2 albums before he died in 53, "Hank Williams Sings", an 8 track 10" MGM album released in 51; and "Moanin' the Blues" also an 8 track 10" MGM album.


(Nick Drake had and still has a cult following, but did he have much of an affect on the development and progress of music? Nah, not really, many others were doing the same sort of stuff at the same time.)

[klothos]

Frankie Goes To Hollywood --- two studio albums

....arguably one of the best MTV-generation bands

[PeterG]

hhmmmm....As much as I love 'em, I have both on vinyl. I seem to remember that they were not held in such high regard by that many people in the UK or the music branch.
I also have the first Holly Johnson solo LP Blast from 89.

[ronmac]

Buddy Holly. 19 months on the scene.

[klothos]

hhmmmm....As much as I love 'em, I have both on vinyl. I seem to remember that they were not held in such high regard by that many people in the UK or the music branch.

They were HUGE in the USA for about a year. "Frankie Say" T-Shirts were everywhere

[JJ88]

Jeff Buckley only gave us one full album whilst he was alive.

Robert Johnson basically recorded 20-odd songs, that was it (and alternate takes of those same songs). But look at how many of those were to get covered by rock acts decades later...'Crossroads Blues', 'Dust My Broom', 'Love In Vain', 'They're Red Hot', 'Hellhound On My Trail' etc.

Original post does not specify they have to be dead so I'd say Cream count. Four albums and a couple of non-album single tracks, then they split. A few releases after the split but mostly live stuff rather than anything truly 'new'.

Not that much featuring Gram Parsons either, really.

[Facelift]

Sex Pistols (one album)
Velvet Underground
Nirvana
National Health (well, for prog...)

[Vonta Jitty]

One of Gabriel's favourite bands The Blue Nile have released only 4 albums in 34 years.
Mind you they are all great albums

[bob_32_116]

I think the Sex Pistols (already mentioned) take the crown for musical influence vs number of albums.

[Brad to the Bone]

Buddy Bolden, supposed "inventor" of jazz, never recorded.
Joy Division, only two albums (I think).
Neu!, three albums in the 70s and one poorly regarded reunion effort a decade later.

[bob_32_116]

M (one album, and known only for one song)

[rcarlberg]

Blanket of Secrecy, one LP in 1982 but hugely influential
If you include Cream you must include Blind Faith

[ronmac]

Was Blind Faith that influential? I don't think so. They really didn't bring anything new to the table, like Cream did.

[JJ88]

Blind Faith has a few good songs which have endured but some of it feels half-baked...particularly its second side. In terms of Clapton's 'supergroup' type projects, it's a distinct third to Cream and Derek and the Dominoes IMHO.

Joy Division had a few non-album things in addition to those two albums...'Love Will Tear Us Apart' and 'Atmosphere' were not on albums at the time. But yes, definitely a small output.

[Facelift]

Wire were definitely a contender for this - until they got back together, anyway.

My Bloody Valentine (2 albums - and 3 Eps - prior to the 2013 comeback album)

Talk Talk (5 albums, the final three of which are considered very influential and important)

Guns N Roses?

[ronmac]

I guess it's me, but I haven't even heard of some of these influential bands. Maybe I need to get out more.

[Facelift]

How about the opposite: bands with sizable catalogs and long careers that didn't do much to dent the music scene at large in terms of influence (though they probably needed an early hit or two to be able to have long careers) garnered critical indifference, and were just generally ignored outside their base of fans?

Blues Traveler? Marillion?

[bob_32_116]

Buffalo Springfield

[bob_32_116]

How about the opposite: bands with sizable catalogs and long careers that didn't do much to dent the music scene at large in terms of influence (though they probably needed an early hit or two to be able to have long careers) garnered critical indifference, and were just generally ignored outside their base of fans?

Not so easy.

An easier challenge is bands with sizable catalogues and long careers, who may have been influential but where one album would have been sufficient for all that influence.

Two that spring to mind are AC/DC and Kiss.

[klothos]

How about the opposite: bands with sizable catalogs and long careers that didn't do much to dent the music scene at large in terms of influence (though they probably needed an early hit or two to be able to have long careers) garnered critical indifference, and were just generally ignored outside their base of fans?

Blues Traveler? Marillion?

Gong

[trurl]

Not so easy.

An easier challenge is bands with sizable catalogues and long careers, who may have been influential but where one album would have been sufficient for all that influence.

Two that spring to mind are AC/DC and Kiss.

Uriah Heep? They just keep going on, for no discernible reason. Maybe BOC...

[No Pride]

Buffalo Springfield

Good call! Two albums before CS&N, right? I liked Buffalo Springfield better.

How about the American proto-prog band, Touch? They made one album that they refused to tour behind and the record label dropped them like a hotcake. Both Yes and Kansas have cited them as an influence.

[simon moon]

Edgard Varèse

Only about 18 total works composed in his 80+ year life.

Considered by many as the father of electronic music.

One of Frank Zappa's biggest influences.

[Mister Triscuits]

How about the opposite: bands with sizable catalogs and long careers that didn't do much to dent the music scene at large in terms of influence (though they probably needed an early hit or two to be able to have long careers) garnered critical indifference, and were just generally ignored outside their base of fans?

Jandek.

[JJ88]

How about the opposite: bands with sizable catalogs and long careers that didn't do much to dent the music scene at large in terms of influence (though they probably needed an early hit or two to be able to have long careers) garnered critical indifference, and were just generally ignored outside their base of fans?

Blues Traveler? Marillion?

In the UK at the time Marillion would have been seen as quite different, and also sold in large amounts.

I nominate all these mega-selling bands like Matchbox 20, Train, Maroon 5 etc. I can barely tell any of them apart. Everything people say about the AOR bands like Journey, Foreigner, Boston etc., I think applies far more to these sort of bands.