Which band had the most double albums?

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Vic333, Jan 13, 2021.

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  1. Vic333

    Vic333 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Minnesota
    I'm thinking of double albums of new original music, so compilations and live albums don't count.
    Chicago come to mind quickly, with CTA, C, C3, and C7 all fitting the bill.
    Which other bands released an extraordinary number of double albums?
     
  2. WHMusical

    WHMusical Chameleon Comedian Corinthian & Caricature

    Coming in very HOT and HEAVY at #2 for The (MIGHTY) Who!

    Tommy (1969)

    Quadrophenia (1973)


    Cheers!
     
    Last edited: Jan 13, 2021
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  3. (Young) Rascals: 2

    Smashing Pumpkins: 5
     
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  4. bRETT

    bRETT Senior Member

    Location:
    Boston MA
    XTC had three, though all were fairly short by CD era standards.
     
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  5. Elmer McMuffin

    Elmer McMuffin Forum Resident

    Location:
    Oxfordshire
    Zappa by a country mile I suspect.
     
  6. yeah, at least 6 of new studio material, and then a few others of compilation type collections
     
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  7. bRETT

    bRETT Senior Member

    Location:
    Boston MA
    Yep. Six double albums (Uncle Meat, Sheik Yerbouti, You Are What You Is, Tinseltown Rebellion and Joe's Garage #2 and Them or Us) and two triples (Thing Fish, Shut Up & Play Yer Guitar(. during the vinyl era. And that's not counting two all-live doubles.
     
  8. Elmer McMuffin

    Elmer McMuffin Forum Resident

    Location:
    Oxfordshire
    And more if you include The Mothers.
     
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  9. bRETT

    bRETT Senior Member

    Location:
    Boston MA
    Yes, so add Freak Out and 200 Motels and say he made eight non-live double albums. And the two live albums were mostly exclusive material as well, so it's really ten.
     
  10. RudolphS

    RudolphS Forum Resident

    Location:
    Rio de Janeiro
    Not a band, but Miles Davis had many double albums. Granted, some were recorded live but they contained mostly new material.

    Also, all Radiohead albums I have on vinyl are double, however on compact disc they were released just as single albums.
     
  11. If I Can Dream_23

    If I Can Dream_23 Forum Resident

    Location:
    United States
    Even if they don't technically qualify as "most", Chicago is the one that stands out as the artist that did it with the most "notoriety". If just because they did it from the get-go and never even released a single record until their fifth release!

    I once remarked how remarkable it is that they gave us ten discs of music with just their first four releases. :p

    And they also did so by choice without much critical regard. In fact, after some critics dismissed the quality of Chicago III, they responded with a four album live set. :laugh:

    Columbia did not want to even release it.

    Thankfully, as fans, we were the beneficiaries. :)

    And we still are a half century later listening to all that wonderful music.
     
    Last edited: Jan 13, 2021
  12. bRETT

    bRETT Senior Member

    Location:
    Boston MA
    Chick Corea too. In recent years alone he did The Vigil and the Corea/Gadd album, which on vinyl were a double and a triple.
     
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  13. Jamsterdammer

    Jamsterdammer The Great CD in the Sky

    Location:
    Málaga, Spain
    Ayreon (a musical project by Dutch songwriter, singer, musician and record producer Arjen Anthony Lucassen) has released five double cds, including "Into The Electric Castle", "The Human Equation", "01011001", "The Theory Of Everything" and "The Source". Swedish progrockers The Flower Kings released 6 double cds. Prince also releases a bunch of studio doubles as well as triple cds. and the Swans released 3 double LPs and 4 double CDs.
     
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  14. ecajohn

    ecajohn Forum Resident

    Location:
    Jamesburg, NJ, USA
    Chicago came to mind first.
    If we look into the CD era, The Flower Kings have eight double CD albums (triple LPs if they were released on vinyl, as some have been):

    -Stardust We Are (1997)
    -Flower Power (1999)
    -Unfold The Future (2002)
    -Paradox Hotel (2006)
    -Banks Of Eden (2012) - There is a 2-CD version with additional new tunes that many consider the "official" version
    -Desolation Rose (2013) - Ditto
    -Waiting For Miracles (2019)
    -Islands (2020)
     
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  15. jmxw

    jmxw Fab Forum Fan

    Well, since every thread is deep down really a Beatles thread...

    While an ongoing concern:
    1. The Beatles (aka The White Album)

    Post-breakup:
    2. Live At The BBC [sort of live, but lots of new material, all unreleased] [2-CD/3-LP]
    3. Anthology 1 [all unreleased material] [2-CD/3-LP]
    4. Anthology 2 [all unreleased material] [2-CD/3-LP]
    5. Anthology 3 [all unreleased material] [2-CD/3-LP]
    6. On Air: Live At The BBC vol. 2 [sort of live, but lots of new material, all unreleased] [2-CD/3-LP]

    So, even without counting Past Masters or other comps, there's one double and five triple LPs...

    Ok, I'll see myself out now. :hide:
     
  16. vinylontubes

    vinylontubes Forum Resident

    Location:
    Katy, TX
    This is tough to call. The RIAA redefined the double album to be 100 minutes in the CD era. There have been a lot of double vinyl releases that are only counted as single albums. As an example, Radiohead's OK Computer clocks in at 53:21, so it's not considered a double album even though it's never been released on a single LP.
     
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  17. tim_neely

    tim_neely Forum Hall Of Fame

    Location:
    Central VA
    The 1994 vinyl version of the BBC album was 2-LP, not 3-LP.
     

  18. Tinseltown is problematic, live of new songs and new versions of old songs, almost a live album, almost a comp. The Shut Up series is just solo cut outs from live work, a compilation.

    So, Frank and Mothers, looks like 8
     
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  19. Moth

    Moth fluttering by

    Location:
    UCI
    Swans has 7 studio albums that are over an hour long, most of which are closer to (or over) 2 hours in length. They also have 6 live albums that are over an hour long, most being 2 hours or more. If you factor in main songwriter Michael Gira's side projects, you have at least 3 more studio albums that are above the 60 minute threshold.
     
    Last edited: Jan 13, 2021
  20. MGSeveral

    MGSeveral Augm

    The 1975 have made four albums, all have been double lps although two are around 50 minutes. (the others are closer to 80 if not more)

    How can an 80 minute album be classed as a single lp? It's not possible
     
  21. Mosholu

    Mosholu Forum Resident

    I think it would have to be the Grateful Dead.
     
  22. ThunderDan

    ThunderDan Forum Resident

    Location:
    Hungary
    Prince had a TRIPLE album. :goodie:
     
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  23. Elmer McMuffin

    Elmer McMuffin Forum Resident

    Location:
    Oxfordshire
    For me, the creativity behind Tinseltown and Shut Up... easily justifies their status as original work, but to each his own. How do you rate Yellow Shark or Civilization iii?
     
  24. Scott6

    Scott6 Forum Resident

    Location:
    UK
    Miles Davis surely?
     
  25. Plus the Blue and Red albums and the original Star Club release. If you add Alpha Omega Thar’s 9.
     
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