Famous bands/artists with an important catalogue that have an OST as their best/most famous album (or at least part of their canon). Soundtracks composers not included, of course !

One obvious answer would be Prince - Purple Rain

Also the Beatles - Hard Day's Night and Help.

of course, Curtis Mayfield - Super fly

Isaac Hayes - Shaft.

Damn right !

Ryuichi Sakamoto - Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence

Bee Gees

I love that Prince has FOUR of these

the purple morricone !
although only purple rain and arguably parade really fit the criteria (best album or part of the canon !).

I can't really think of a recent artist/band in this situation.
Air have done some OSTs but I don't think it's considered in their best work (maybe the Virgin Suicide, though). Same thing for Daft Punk. and Sebastien Tellier.
Many french artists make OSTs actually !

Batman is ABSOLUTELY part of the canon and Graffiti Bridge is underrated IMO

come on now !

All Prince's OSTs are about him. or a bat.

All of Prince's movies are about him! Or a bat.

Maybe Tindersticks?

Definitely Tangerine Dream. Several of their film scores could be argued to be their best work.

Vangelis IMO

Ooh good call with Vangelis

Tindersticks I have no idea. Indeed good one with Vangelis since I actually thought he was mainly a soundtrack composer !

I have searched for someone in hiphop but couldn't find a good one.
it should be Kanye's next challenge !

Not Tindersticks.

Popol Vuh?

All of Prince's films are about him, or a bat.

Arguably, Simon & Garfunkel (they share soundtrack space with Dave Grusin).

Jimmy Cliff

I thought about Jimmy Cliff but there are many other acts on The harder they come.

hmmm Simon&Garfunkel is arguable indeed. But why not since it's mostly considered as one of their albums.

Susumu Hirasawa ;)

Micah Levy, currently.

Is More considered part of the Floyd canon? Seems to be ignored by the casual listener as far as I can tell.

Cat Stevens?

if it's compiled from previously released material does it still count? The Graduate has only or couple (or one?) previously unreleased track on there.

Wang Chung an obvs choice. surely, easily THE most famous of their albums.

arf!

http://eil.com/images/main/The-Cure-Faith--Carnage-Vi-83376.jpg

Beatles of course had FOUR aswell; Yellow Submarine, Help, AHDN and (arguable) Magical Mystery Tour (which for the UK was only ever a double-EP until the 87 CD reissues)

Philip Glass

Beatles of course had FOUR aswell; Yellow Submarine, Help, AHDN and (arguable) Magical Mystery Tour

And, more or less, Let It Be.

Miles Davis - Jack Johnson and Ascenseur pour l'echaufaud.

Duke Ellington - Anatomy of a Murder

Sun Ra - Space is the Place

Monkees - Head

Vince Guaraldi Trio - A Charlie Brown Christmas

that guy from The Life Aquatic - The Life Aquatic

Harry Nilsson "The Point" and "Popeye"