I'm looking for artists that, to you, can basically do no wrong. No matter what they do or how bad their albums might become, you will always support them and probably always consider anything they put out better than 90% of anything else being released.

Let's do top-5. Here are mine:

1. Dinosaur Jr. / J Masics
2. Radiohead
3. Wilco
4. Old 97s
5. Bob Dylan

Meat Puppets
MOTO
Roky Erickson
Daniel Johnston
Willie Nelson

bill callahan
malkmus
b. eno
liars
p. elvrum
lennon (save double fantasy)
f. kuti

01 Pavement
02 The Coral
03 Stone Roses
04 The Beatles
05 Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan. I'd probably like him rappin' while takin a bloody dig, and pay 19.95 for it. That's probably it. Everybody else is fair game for my spite.

5? Scratch Lennon and put in Palace Bros.

Blonde Redhead

i can't think of any artists that can do no wrong. wel, maybe the Exploding Hearts, but they didn't really have much of a chance to release a hunk of shit now did they?

I'm with Cotton.

Everyone can do wrong, especially if you give 'em a little time.

ani difranco

There's no one in this category for me. For the most part, I know which albums and songs my favorites have put out that don't measure up.

1. Beth Orton
2. Tool
3. Bad Religion
4. Soundgarden
5. DJ Shadow

and
Radiohead
Greg Dulli projects
NIN
ummmm, probably 10-20 more...

No one is sacred.

do I really need the say the band name again? Y'all know who.

also:

Peter Murphy
David Bowie

Mark Knolpfler/Dire Straits
Van Morrison
Paul Westerberg
Spoon
Wilco

They all have their clunkers, but for the most part I enjoy a good
portion of their work.

my current list would include:

radiohead
ryan adams
wilco
modest mouse


but i've had "lists" like this in the past, and former "can-do-no-wrong" entries have since moved into the "never-buy-again" bin.

i'll add boards of canada as well.

Hmmmmm. This is a good one.

1. Sting - Even though I bought his last one, and then promptly sold it. GARBAGE!)
2. Ryan Adams - Put out 14 records a year, I'll still by 'em.
3. Wilco - Even though they might not grab me at first, I know they will at somepoint and I want to have it when it does.
4. Billy Corgan - I don't know what it is, but I think I'll always be interested in what this puts out.


Metallica used to be on this list but It hink we all know why they're not anymore.

EDIT: How the fuck could I forget?

5. Bruce - No explanation required.

1. Enigma
2. Billy Corgan
3. Peter Gabriel
4. Gregg Alexander
5. Basement Jaxx

Man I'm a liar.

Yeah i was thinking about mentioning shadow as far as having an extremely high batting average with me. Others (albeit not sentimental) would be The Deadly Snakes, Mclusky, Grandaddy, NMH, Sam Cooke, Otis Redding, Walkmen, RJD2, etc…
It’s kinda sad that most of my favorite artists (Stones, Who, Springsteen, ‘Mats, MF Doom, Primal Scream, etc..) don’t make this list despite having so much more material that is capable of punching me in the throat. 75% of 15 albums is always better than 90% of three albums, but still…..

I think I'm very honest with myself in this regard.

However I do get 'sentimental' about 80's pop. "Frankie" by Sister Sledge probably wasn't all that but damn if I don't think it's great!

I will continue to buy every new Bruce Springsteen record the day it is released until the day I die.

If we're sentimental about an artist, does that mean we whole-heartedly accept all of their output even though if someone we're less emotionally attached to released it, we'd all rag on it to no end? If those are our terms, then:

Stereolab
Belle and Sebastian
Pavement
Pixies
Ryan Adams
Stone Roses
Sonic Youth
Tragically Hip
Sleater-Kinney
Sloan
PJ Harvey
Beck
Neil Young
Yo La Tengo

And last but certainly not least, Concrete Blonde. Jonette could sing me the phone book and I'd buy it.