Artists who lengthened their career by doing nothing

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Stereo Mcs (by about ten years). Let's face it: if they'd released that second album in, say, 1993, we'd have seen the back of them quicker than you can say Sunscreem and Oceanic.

― Kim Tortoise, Monday, 28 April 2003 10:39 (twenty-two years ago)

the stone roses

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Monday, 28 April 2003 10:56 (twenty-two years ago)

But did anyone care about the Stereo MCs all those ten years? (I wouldn't know, I don't think anyone cared about them in first place in the US.)

I would say Beastie Boys or Metallica, who were very popular during the long pause they took before releasing their career-destroying clunkers (Hello Nasty and Load).

― fletrejet, Monday, 28 April 2003 10:59 (twenty-two years ago)

elastica

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Monday, 28 April 2003 11:00 (twenty-two years ago)

― duane, Monday, 28 April 2003 11:05 (twenty-two years ago)

i can't believe it took me this long to get it. i feel so dumb! It's called Chinese Democracy because it doesn't exist!

― scott seward, Monday, 28 April 2003 11:08 (twenty-two years ago)

Sisters of Mercy

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 28 April 2003 11:15 (twenty-two years ago)

Scott you are an utter genius.

― J0hn Darn1elle (J0hn Darn1elle), Monday, 28 April 2003 11:26 (twenty-two years ago)

It's called Chinese Democracy because it doesn't exist!

BRILLIANCE!

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 28 April 2003 11:47 (twenty-two years ago)

Definitely Weezer - even if all the post-Pinkerton stuff is mediocre.

New Order maybe?

― Mil, Monday, 28 April 2003 13:12 (twenty-two years ago)

John Cage....ba dum dum!

― gage o (gage o), Monday, 28 April 2003 13:54 (twenty-two years ago)

Michael Jackson. Formerly a musician, now star of tawdry TV reality shows.

― mike a (mike a), Monday, 28 April 2003 13:55 (twenty-two years ago)

Fiona Apple seems to be doing a pretty good job of it.

― teeny (teeny), Monday, 28 April 2003 13:55 (twenty-two years ago)

Patti Smith took 9 years off between "Wave" and "Dream of Life".

― Sean (Sean), Monday, 28 April 2003 13:59 (twenty-two years ago)

Green Gartside/Scritti Politti

― Jay Vee (Manon_70), Monday, 28 April 2003 14:01 (twenty-two years ago)

Isn't anyone going to mention My Bloody Valentine/Kevin Shields?

― Johnny Jarvis, Monday, 28 April 2003 15:09 (twenty-two years ago)

Wire

― Ferg (Ferg), Monday, 28 April 2003 15:17 (twenty-two years ago)

Beethovens been a bit quiet for a while now.

― Flippa, Monday, 28 April 2003 15:28 (twenty-two years ago)

i cared about the Stereo MCs...sniff...

― stevem (blueski), Monday, 28 April 2003 15:29 (twenty-two years ago)

Isn't anyone going to mention My Bloody Valentine/Kevin Shields?

I think that's just a case of being fondly remembered, more than having any sort of sustained career.

― Kenan Hebert (kenan), Monday, 28 April 2003 15:31 (twenty-two years ago)

The Strokes seem to be quite happily doing this.

― Ally (mlescaut), Monday, 28 April 2003 15:32 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm incredibly happy they're doing that.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 28 April 2003 15:47 (twenty-two years ago)

Derrick May

― Chris Breitenbach, Monday, 28 April 2003 16:10 (twenty-two years ago)

I think Blue Nile belong here

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Monday, 28 April 2003 20:29 (twenty-two years ago)

John Lennon Post-1980

― Mike Taylor (mjt), Monday, 28 April 2003 20:31 (twenty-two years ago)

Syd Barrett...but the new one's going to be a cracker.

― Nordicskillz (Nordicskillz), Monday, 28 April 2003 20:32 (twenty-two years ago)

I cannot believe no-one's mentioned Kraftwerk yet. They are the masters of this strategy.

― colin s barrow (colin s barrow), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 00:13 (twenty-two years ago)

Evan Dando

― SplendidMullet (iamamonkey), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 00:23 (twenty-two years ago)

Wire and Kraftwerk--mmm. Everyone else has had some diminution of cred or audience, though maybe not GNR, from the size of the riots their non-existent asses produce.

― Sasha Frere-Jones (Sasha Frere-Jones), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 00:39 (twenty-two years ago)

Colin, you phrased that wrong; it's "I'm surprised no one's...."

― Mr. Diamond (diamond), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 00:45 (twenty-two years ago)

John Fogerty

― Chris Barrus (Chris Barrus), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 00:59 (twenty-two years ago)

Mr. Diamond, you must be an english teacher.

Kate Bush.

― colin s barrow (colin s barrow), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 01:04 (twenty-two years ago)

buzzcocks.... should've stayed doin nuttin
stiff liddle fingahs... see above
kenny rogers
annie lennox
simple minds
fleetwood mac

― idi, Tuesday, 29 April 2003 01:08 (twenty-two years ago)

I sometimes suspect Derrick May is consciously emulating Kraftwerk's strategy.

― colin s barrow (colin s barrow), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 01:10 (twenty-two years ago)

the smiths

― JP Albin (John Paul Albin), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 01:48 (twenty-two years ago)

ther morrissey i guess would be rather appropriate. he's doing a good job of it right now. i find it hard to believe he can't get a record deal. it's gotta be a conspiracy.

― JP Albin (John Paul Albin), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 01:49 (twenty-two years ago)

he can get one easy enough, he just doesn't want to accept the terms on offer.

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 01:50 (twenty-two years ago)

he should start self-releasing his shit

― JP Albin (John Paul Albin), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 01:56 (twenty-two years ago)

that brings an unpleasant image to mind

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 01:59 (twenty-two years ago)

of course it does !

― JP Albin (John Paul Albin), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 02:01 (twenty-two years ago)

The pre-Pinkerton stuff is pretty mediocre too.

(Pinkerton may itself be mediocre but I haven't heard it.)

― sundar subramanian (sundar), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 02:06 (twenty-two years ago)

the post-pinkerton is stuff is superior.. but all the albums are good.

― JP Albin (John Paul Albin), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 02:08 (twenty-two years ago)

...nah, I won't bother.

― M Matos (M Matos), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 04:37 (twenty-two years ago)

Jeez, from what I can remember _Hello Nasty_ was adored by
critics and sold briskly. I'd hardly term it career
destroying just because you personally consider it an
artistic dissapointment.

― Squirrel_Police (Squirrel_Police), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 05:45 (twenty-two years ago)

Scott Walker -- he's surely one of the greatest

― george gosset (gegoss), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 06:27 (twenty-two years ago)

Pink Floyd (David Gilmour era)

― Evan (Evan), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 06:30 (twenty-two years ago)

I cannot believe no-one's mentioned Kraftwerk yet. They are the masters of this strategy.

I thought about them early on, but at the start, this thread looked sort of like we were looking for acts that would have been long forgotten a lot earlier hadn't it been for the fact that they had been taking long breaks.

Of course, now that that's not the case anymore, I might as well mention Peter Gabriel as well.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 09:19 (twenty-two years ago)

"The pre-Pinkerton stuff is pretty mediocre too.
(Pinkerton may itself be mediocre but I haven't heard it.)"

Pinkerton is Weezer's best album yet!

― JP Almeida (JP Almeida), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 16:50 (twenty-two years ago)

Laryn Hill. Though she should NEVER have released that Unplugged album its awfulness almost makes my anticipation greater—"has she really lost it?"

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 17:03 (twenty-two years ago)

Actually, Lauryn Hill belongs on a Artists who lengthened their career by going completely nuts thread.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 18:16 (twenty-two years ago)

one month passes...

i agree JP. i think weezer is a great example of this. i'd say that most people who were fans of the first 2 albums are at least a bit disappointed with the newer stuff. but in the (is it?) 5 years after pinkerton they amassed this absolutely huge fanbase of would be sk8ters and emo-niks. i guess they're looked at as kind of the godfathers of dorky pop-punk-metal (although they're indeed far better than bands like blink 182 etc). So by the time Green came out, anticipation was huge and all the little kiddies went out to buy it.

heh, i know i did.

― AaronK (AaronK), Tuesday, 10 June 2003 18:13 (twenty-two years ago)

While I'll admit the lyrics on Pinkerton are light years above anything they've done since, I have a hard time claiming the same about the Blue Album. I definitely think the two later albums aren't as startlingly classic (it's all in the Matt Sharp), but "My Name Is Jonas," "Undone" and "Surfwax America" aren't exactly astounding lyrics compared to the later stuff. Maladroit's lost some appeal on me, but I still really dig the Green album.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Tuesday, 10 June 2003 19:14 (twenty-two years ago)

Breeders

― Chris Clark (Chris Clark), Tuesday, 10 June 2003 19:58 (twenty-two years ago)

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