Which band has the best discography?

Nobody remembers "Anitina (The First Time I See She Dance)"

M|A|R|R|S are so perfect for this that they split up before recording, and different people did the A and B sides

Incunabula, Anti and Amber sound almost like a different group compared to more abstract sound that came later on. Those early Autechre records had bass lines and pads etc like you would think a techno or idm track to have. Later on, it's WTF is that? pretty much became their sound. To be fair, the last one I got was Confield, but I got most of their early cds including eps.

xp Best band that never really existed but seem to have released a brilliant single anyway

The Smiths did not make an Ob-la-di-ob-la-da.

Girlfriend in a Coma, Golden Lights, Meat Is Murder, Never Had No-One Ever, Work Is a Four Letter Word...all less fun than Ob-La-Di, imo.

The Birthday Party's discography is really solid. Only thing that might be considered missing is a top notch sounding live record.

Low

Uh, "Anitina (The First Time I See She Dance)" is amazing.

Came here to post Roxy Music and see it's been done twice. Yeah, their quality control (and progression between albums) still amazes me.

"you know my name, look up the number" isn't that bad, gtfo with that

It's honestly among my favorite Beatles songs.

A band that released exactly one undeniably perfect song, and then immediately broke up, could potentially win this category.

― Okay, you're an ambulance (Ye Mad Puffin), Tuesday, January 28, 2020 3:23 PM (one minute ago) bookmarkflaglink

surely M|A|R|R|S gets posted by now every time one of these threads is done

― don't care didn't ask still clappin (sic), Tuesday, January 28, 2020 2:23 PM (one hour ago) bookmarkflaglink

Ooh, Low ...

xp. there is a doug groover track on here https://www.discogs.com/Various-Best-Of-Home-Tapes/release/4752119

Young Marble Giants is a good call since all their non-album stuff is ace

Tom Waits never really faltered imo (assuming you can get behind the early stuff, which I very much can)

Al Green and Pet Shop Boys, obviously. How is this even a question?

deffo second pet shop boys and third young marble giants

Bardo Pond

Motorpsycho have kicked out something great pretty much every year or two since 1992. only their debut album is 'less than good'.

I def think "reliable" bands in the AC/DC/Motorhead/Ramones tradition are their own separate argument

PSB are always worth checking in on to see where their ideas are at this year, but are hardly consistent across 35+ years (although if you stick to B-sides...)

PSB for sure. I think of anything of theirs that is less than good as kind of bonus music, like side three of Sandinista.

ok, musicians who only put out one song, here we go:

aspidistra - cradle (a single, but same song on both sides)
arthur miles - lonely cowboy (one song split over two sides)
the aforementioned elizabeth city state (track on a compilation album)
sphinx tush - crashville - german '70s band who appeared on a comp; only one song but there are two different recordings of it...

there are others but i tend to forget them or else find out that they did in fact do a _second_ song - like the calico wall would count it seems because their single was one song backed by an electronic beep, but they also did a song called "i'm a living sickness" which was released later so they're out.

tons of great blink-and-you-missed-them reggae one-offs

i would also add neu if we ignore 4 and pour one out for the 'remixes' off 2
writing that sentence probs means its a no go actually haha

The Death discography is wall-to-wall classics

if we're talking metal, Opeth has never really put out a bad album.

Mick Smiley just did Magic on the Ghostbusters soundtrack, not sure if it's the best song tbh, but it's a good story.

Wham!

pet shop boys, steely dan, afghan whigs, bijelo dugme, haustor, vu, joy division

a lot of the big names of the early 80s UK seemed to start out immediately big then end things while they were still on top - wham!, the police, the jam, the specials

i said husker du not haustor vu

Actually Nirvana is a good answer imo

I love the Police but they had some really really bad songs

I don't really like them, just starting an appendix

The Police had a few clunkers for sure but I think their non-single tracks are quite underrated as a whole. they even had some really great B-sides, like "how the fuck did this not make it on the album" level quality - "Low Life" & "I Burn For You" come to mind but there are several more

I like Broadcast as an answer. Or my heart does. But then my brain is all "not sure many people have actually made it through the entirety of those Microtronics EPs"

Judee Sill

ooo Death is a good one. Also Talk Talk/Hollis (mentioned early on).

but... now that I think about it, fucking KENDRICK LAMAR is on a path few pop artists have taken in terms of utter perfection on any and every release thus far.

Like his side project for Black Panther was just ridiculously good. And it seems any time he lays down a rap for another artist that track ends up being the best on the record. I mean this dude has some magic fairy dust of talent and taste that's pretty remarkable

Nick Drake

The Cardigans

If ths is limited only to bands, and only ones with sizeable doscographies (which it apparently isn't), I would say Can have the best discography overall.
"Flawless" is another thing. Yummy Fur?

Funkaelic and Can would be my two picks. So much goodness over so many records.

Yeah, if quantity of classic records is the criteria it's probably Can for me.

I actually dumped all my Can CDs post-Landed, did I fuck up?

I have no problems with Can and Funkadelic, even though ymmv will vary on albums in their respective streaks.

I was thinking their studio albums up to 1975 + Soundtracks and Delay 1968 + various odds and ends, side projects is a formidable enough discography that I feel disinclined to name a punk band with one incredible album. The Beatles are also a very good and sensible choice.

Inclusive of non-bands, this gets much harder. I love everything Jorge Ben recorded up to about 1980. Heck, there are dozens (at least) of Morricone scores I can't live without...

Suicide kept it short and sweet

Joanna Newsom is my choice, at least among more recent music

agree about Autechre though

Nick Drake

― mfktz (Camaraderie at Arms Length), Tuesday, January 28, 2020 5:49 PM (three hours ago) bookmarkflaglink

otm