Artists whose peak period was middle-age

Pulp was formed in 1978, but didn't creatively or commercially peak for almost two decades later (albeit with a mostly revamped lineup). They have some live shows scheduled for this year, by which time at least one band member will be 50.

As for artists whose commercial peak came long after their creative peak, I'll nominate Steve Winwood, who creatively peaked around 1967-68 - although some would argue it was anywhere from 1966 to 1971. But he was 40 when "Roll With It" (both the album and the single) topped the charts in 1988.

Decrepit old bluesmen.

To wit:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRgg_9TmI-w&feature=fvwrel

Sorry - got lost in the thread - posted, then read the thread title.

thought of a good one: Mark Sandman turned 40 the year Morphine released its first album

I don't know how old Nina Nastasia is (40-ish?), but she waited a long time before recording her debut (having performed live in NYC since the early '90s), and last year's Outlaster is as good as anything I've heard by her.

oh, and Mark Lanegan has produced some of his best work while in his 40s. the latest Soulsavers album is one of the high points of his career, I think.

Howlin Wolf was 41 when he started to record for Chess in 1951.

Muddy Waters hit Chess Records peak started around 1950 when he was 37.

Erykah Badu? She's just put out two of her best albums in her late 30s.

I would be curious to see an argument that the Fall's peak period is from 1992 onward...

― in my world of loose geirs (Shakey Mo Collier)

http://www.residentadvisor.net/images/features/2009/mark-e-dj.jpg ≠ http://media.musicfeeds.com.au/files/mark-e-smith.jpg

he's been dormant for a decade!! sigh

only five years. no idea if much of the smattering he did in the five years before that is any cop though.

Revive.

There are very, very few women mentioned on this thread. Why is that?

Well here's one: Jane Weaver's at he absolute peak at the moment and she's 46.

Parenting affecting female careers more than male careers, perchance.

Neko Case seems to be in peak form in her 40s. Many of the artists on the ILX Gonna Shine in My Backdoor Someday are late bloomers, probably due to the proficiency required.

also rampant gatekeeping throughout their youth

no "perchance" about the parenting thing either

Tina Turner

Ella Fitzgerald, probably lots of other jazz women

Yeah I argued for Peggy Lee upthread, her run between "Fever" at age 37 and "Is That All There Is?" at 49 is for me her most fun period to listen to and also when she took the most chances

Vi Subversa was 42 when she founded the Poison Girls

https://www.discogs.com/artist/420468-Vi-Subversa

Gyorgy Ligeti

38 for Atmosphères, probably the start of his peak period

Laurie Anderson?

Lou Reed

Kim Gordon was 42 when Washing Machine was released, many people think SY peaked after that

The majority of Moondog's recording career was between the ages of 37 and 55, and the most famous stuff is all from his 50s.

many people think SY peaked after that

Is this actually true?

hi!

to my ears they released with a couple of mediocre exceptions a string of wonderful albums through 2006 but

GBV?

I do like the latter day albums and, maybe especially, a lot of the SYR stuff! I just don't think of "post-1995" as Sonic Youth's peak period.

Alex Harvey was 33 when The Sensational Alex Harvey Band was formed, which seemed really old for a rock star at the time.

I think Bill Callahan's best work was done as Bill Callahan, and Woke on a Whaleheart came out when he was already 41. Even the best Smog material (imo) was done in his 30s.

Yeah, tbf, even Sonic Youth's 80s work was done when Gordon was in her 30s; the band name was always ironic.

It would be an easy argument to make that Celia Cruz peaked after age 35 or even after 40

Bill Frisell: mid-30s during downtown NYC days, 37 when he moved to Seattle, over 40 by the time of Have a Little Faith. Some of my favourite work of his might actually be post-middle age!

Duke Ellington was in his early 40s when he composed/released a string of masterworks ("Take The 'A' Train," "Cotton Tail," "Harlem Air Shaft," "Jack The Bear," "Ko-Ko," "Concerto For Cootie," etc. etc.).

And he was in his late 60s when he started a series of brilliant suites (The Far East Suite, The Latin American Suite, The Afro-Eurasian Eclipse, New Orleans Suite).

Wow I didn’t realise Kim Gordon was 66! I would have guessed at a minimum five years younger.

Sorry, should correct the above to co-composed -- Billy Strayhorn was either the sole composer or a collaborator with Duke on many of the '40s pieces.

xp

Duke is a good one.

Nels Cline was in his 50s when he made my favourite albums of his, probably past middle age when he made Macroscope.

personally i'm planning to peak around 43

― adult music person (Jordan), Tuesday, March 29, 2011 4:27 PM (eight years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Still on track for this

Pauline Oliveros fits in here for sure

Steve Reich was 39 when Music for 18 Musicians premiered. I think this is common for classical and jazz artists in the contemporary era.

Lucette Bourdin was a visual artist who released her first ambient album in 2005, when she was 51... Then, in following 7 years, she released something like 25 albums, most of which are excellent. Sadly, she died in 2012, but it was an amazing burst of music from someone who had never made (commercial) recordings at all in her first fifty years.