Artists with short careers, but huge popularity and impact

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by mercuryvenus, Mar 1, 2021.

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  1. mercuryvenus

    mercuryvenus Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Maryland, USA
    I’m looking for artists that had short careers, but huge impact at the time and since.

    The Beatles are the obvious first example. 8 years from getting a record deal to breaking up.

    Nirvana is another one. Only 3 years from record deal to Cobain dying.

    What are some others?
     
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  2. Rfreeman

    Rfreeman Senior Member

    Location:
    Lawrenceville, NJ
    I would have figured you were looking at much shorter careers than Beatles (and I would include their post Beatle careers too).

    I'd mostly think of artists who died young

    Buddy Holly
    Richie Valens
    Jimi Hendrix
    Janis Joplin
    Jim Morrison
    Amy Winehouse
    Gram Parsons
    Clarence White
    Robert Johnson
    Pigpen
     
  3. mercuryvenus

    mercuryvenus Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Maryland, USA
    I think the Beatles have had such a massive impact that it remains outsized, compared to the length of their career. I’m not including post Beatles careers.

    yes, all of yours obviously qualify.
     
  4. Glenn Christense

    Glenn Christense Foremost Beatles expert... on my block

    The Velvet Underground certainly qualify.
     
  5. mercuryvenus

    mercuryvenus Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Maryland, USA
    Yep for sure! I was going to list them, but didn’t want to list too many up front.

    Derek and the Dominoes too, IMO.
     
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  6. pdenny

    pdenny 22-Year SHTV Participation Trophy Recipient

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  7. Beamish13

    Beamish13 Forum Resident

    The Smiths existed from conception to final show for under 5 years
     
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  8. Beamish13

    Beamish13 Forum Resident


    Nirvana formed in 1987. Cobain died in 1994
     
  9. Beamish13

    Beamish13 Forum Resident

  10. Beamish13

    Beamish13 Forum Resident

    2 years, 2 albums, one original tour, one reunion tour. The end.


     
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  11. Glenn Christense

    Glenn Christense Foremost Beatles expert... on my block

    And..the Byrds only went about three years between releasing their Mr. Tambourine Man and Sweetheart of the Rodeo albums.

    That’s six albums in three years. Amazing.
    They were around after that of course, but these are the albums that get mentioned as influential, not their later releases.

    Syd Barrett has been very influential, with only one album with Pink Floyd and two solo albums .

    Oh, and that Hendrix fellow also, already named previously .:D
     
    Last edited: Mar 1, 2021
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  12. Beamish13

    Beamish13 Forum Resident

    7 years and 4 LP’s. Perfection


     
  13. speedracer

    speedracer Forum Resident

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  14. PopularChuck

    PopularChuck Senior Member

    Location:
    Bay Area
    Guns N Roses. Formed in 1985, released its last album of any consequence in 1991 and essentially split up in 1993.

    I don't count Chinese Democracy because of the 17-year gap from Illusion and because the "band" was by then The Axl Rose Show with a bunch of hired Guns. It has since become Axl Rose's Guns n Roses Inc. LLC and spent the past eight or nine years milking nostalgia for the band's heyday.
     
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  15. Frip

    Frip Forum Resident

    Location:
    UK
    Sex Pistols win this one, I think.
     
  16. Beamish13

    Beamish13 Forum Resident

  17. Beamish13

    Beamish13 Forum Resident

  18. StarThrower62

    StarThrower62 Forum Resident

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  19. Beamish13

    Beamish13 Forum Resident

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  20. hutlock

    hutlock Forever Breathing

    Location:
    Cleveland, OH, USA
    I would say the Clash as well.

    And in the UK at least, Stone Roses.
     
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  21. Beamish13

    Beamish13 Forum Resident


    Stone Roses WERE about 11 years, so maybe a touch longer than the OP wanted, but their periods of public activity obviously slowed down considerably
     
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  22. Beamish13

    Beamish13 Forum Resident

  23. Frip

    Frip Forum Resident

    Location:
    UK
    Clash were also about 7 years, even if you discount the last album.
     
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  24. Acoustic Warrior

    Acoustic Warrior I Come From The Water

    Location:
    Frankfort Kentucky
    Indeed!
     
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  25. danasgoodstuff

    danasgoodstuff Forum Resident

    Location:
    Portland, OR
    Eric Dolphy, 4-5 years actively recording, still impacting current players of all 3 of his instruments. More impact than popularity.
     
    Last edited: Mar 1, 2021
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