Not a lot of artists can say they have at least one great album released in 4 separate decades, let alone two.
For Lou:
1960's: Velvet Underground & Nico, Velvet Underground
1970's: Loaded, Transformer
1980's: VU, New York
1990's: Songs for Drella, Magic and Loss

Any other artists who can match this?
Aside from Neil Young and Dylan...

The "great" modifier is giving me trouble on this one.

It's bad timing to say it, but I don't know if Lou put out a great album in all four decades. His solo work was, at best, spotty. His work with the VU is undeniable genius, but is there a Lou Reed album that even approaches those first four?

Ditto Dylan and Neil, really. Each put out a string of music that towers over the cultural landscape, but that kind of greatness can't be maintained nor revisited. If I was generous I'd say Dylan's last great album was Blood on the Tracks (although I'm not a fan), and Neil faded away after Rust Never Sleeps. That's not to say their 4 or 5 decades have been worthless, just... a wholly different definition of "great."

More dittos to:

Bowie
Iggy
Costello
Van Morrison
Springsteen
the Stones

I guess I could maybe nominate Ian Hunter, even if his peak (and cultural significance) doesn't come close to Lou, Dylan, and Neil. And even though the 90s are his missing decade, it still counts out to 4 decades. But great? I dunno. To his fans, yeah.

What about Nick Lowe? Again, the definition of "great" needs to be adjusted, but he's as strong as ever in his 5th decade of recording.

And Tom Waits, maybe.

Fun question to ponder though.

Byrne?

Eno?

Isley Brothers?
though I'm too lazy to look up if it was the same dudes in the 80s as the late 50s.

neil young
elvis costello

Duke Ellington

Anyway, RIP Lou. I would rather listen to VU than Ellington any day.

I have the same issue Radcliffe has with the "great" modifier. It's really a notable accomplishment when an artist in their 3rd or 4th decade is putting out work worth listening to let alone "great" or "very good." I like most of the Lou Reed albums you mentioned, but I'm not sure that I'd call any of the solo ones great. Maybe "New York" if I'm being charitable.

I was thinking someone like Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson or Merle Haggard might qualify but I don't think any of them really do. Haggard probably comes closest with some great albums in the 60's, 70's, and 80's..

If you're just asking for who was as good as Lou Reed for as long as he was, there's lots of candidates for me including most of the ones brought up so far. I'd say you don't have to look further than John Cale. I'm a much bigger fan of his solo work than Reed's.

Frankly, no one puts out nothing but diamonds over that length of time. Ellington is probably the closest I see mentioned here so far, but I'm guessing that's as much to do with my not having as complete a knowledge as necessary of his catalog to find the clunkers. Really it's just not possible to never make a mistake if you're trying at all. Tom Waits perhaps comes closest of stuff I have a solid knowledge of, but even there I think you have to be charitable with some of the material.

For me, Lou's got multiple albums I consider great. Transformer and Berlin perhaps chiefly among them. But really, a word like great means whatever you want it to mean. For me, I like his music enough that I have no issue with calling the ones I love and have played over and over again great. I'll refrain from the argument about how I think Cale's solo work pales in comparison.

Maybe one definition for me of his solo career being great, without splitting hairs over individual albums, is I'm trying to make up a Lou Reed mix tape covering as much of his solo career as possible and there's simply no way to hit all the highlights on one tape. Gonna hafta be a double at least... or I'll just give up. There's just too much that's too good to gather it up neatly in a single package.

Mark E. Smith could deserve a mention as well.

I don't love him as much as I love some of the other artists we're talking about, but Tom Petty has made an album I love in the last four decades.

He's Tony Gwynn.

hell yeah.

'Great' is completely subjective, no doubt.
Repeat listening of 'New York', however, make me want to defend this one to the hilt.
So much of it is when it hits you in your life and 'discovering' VU when I did makes it much more memorable.
I'm just hoping that Bowie can steer clear of the alcohol, hepatitis and fructose long enough to at least let me adequately mourn Lou's passing before his liver gives out as well. That one is going to fuck me up big time.

Lots of jazz possibilities, Miles and Ornette Coleman come quickly to mind.

And Leonard Cohen.

i mean most of lou reed's music is great, no doubt. but pretty much anybody who has consistently written and recorded for almost 50 years could fit in this category.

my votes for nick cave

Yep, this is the first one that really works for me.

I know that I am absolutely 100% biased here. Like, totally have no ability to be subjective.
But for me it would be Thurston Moore.

80s-Daydream Nation (with a nod to EVOL and Sister)
90s-Entire Sonic Youth Decade (major albums)
00s-Murray Street (with a nod to The Eternal)
10s-Demolished Thoughts solo album

Of course, since decades count differently than actual years, his career's really only been 30 years long, to date. So I'm totally manipulating facts to suit my purposes. That said, I totally expect more greatness to come, whether that is through solo work, Chelsea Light Moving (which has potential), or some kind of SY regathering.

Well, personally I wouldn't even consider "consistency" to be a factor here. Any musician that can stick with it for 4 decades is special, and the ones who can put out a gem in each of the decades is rarer still.

Kinda like George Brett of the KC Royals. Sure, there were some years he hit .260 or .280, but he did win batting titles in 3 different decades, so he gets mad props for that.

Great topic, folks. Agreed on the jazz suggestions and Waits, and I'm especially loving the baseball analogies.



I would nominate Cash expect, like Rad said toward Ian Hunter, the decades in question aren't continguous. He has his heyday in the 50s-60s and then came back into the 90s-00s (mostly the latter) with his American recordings. This makes him... what... Bartolo Colon?

What about...
Randy Newman?!?!? *gets coat*

I think those American Recordings albums are more good to very good than great which actually makes the Bartolo Colon analogy even more appropriate.

I'm probably one of the bigger Randy Newman fans on obner but I don't think he quite works. He was great in the 70's, has a few good 80's albums, and I really like Harps & Angels from the 00's although I'm not sure I'd call it great. He did mostly soundtrack work though in the 90s and although I don't think I've heard any of it, I highly doubt that any of the 90's albums would qualify as great for me.


Leonard Cohen is probably the strongest candidate for me...I think you could argue that only a couple of his albums aren't great.

If you are looking for more baseball analogies, who are the musical equivalents of the following?:

Julio Franco - Never great but good for a long, long time and active/relevant for some years past being good.

Raul Ibanez - Late bloomer but great career for getting going so late in age. If his 20's were as strong as his 30's, he'd be an all time great.

Tony Phillips - Good at his peak but most of his value comes from his value comes from his versatility.

Barry Bonds - Naturally gifted and among the best of his generation, but then late in his career got into drugs and became the greatest of all time.

Maybe Ian Mckay can have a surprising coda to his career.

I think you are short selling Wilie Nelson, Beeg, even if you only use the tightest of qualifiers; To wit, he put out high quality material from at least the early 60's until the late 90's (you could argue he has done some strong work this century but I'm willing to concede that Teatro is his last "great" record.)

I'm not a huge fan of the Cash American records.

I really enjoy Willie and the Wheel