Artist with longest, most consistent quality over time?*

Long careers, great catalogs

Joni Mitchell
Miles Davis
John Coltrane
Duke Ellington
Rolling Stones
Van Morrison
Tom Petty
Marvin Gaye
Willie Nelson

Artists who qualify if you consider their first +/- 20 years
Neil Young
Pretenders
The Who
Aretha Franklin

 

Jack White

 

Jeff Beck
Buddy Guy
Andres Segovia
Bob Dylan
BB King
Van Morrison
Joni Mitchell
John Lee Hooker
Muddy Waters
Solomon Burke

 

If you asked me who was the most frustrating, inconsistent regurgitating musician ... then my answer would be without a doubt Neil Young. Yet if you asked me who had the best ten years in rock I would say without a doubt Neil Young (66-76) or maybe Joni. Maybe the answer is Richard Thompson. Bless him.

 

Rush!

 

It's Richard Thompson, though I don't know if I'd say he's still doing okay. I mean, the Thompson Twins had some hits in the 80s but what've they done since then???

 

C'mon, at a minimum you have to extend the date range to 1979: Decade, Comes A Time, Rust Never Sleeps and Live Rust...
NYF

 

Tool

 

What's on Decade that wasn't recorded in '76 or before ? Even Hitchhiker was 76 ..The rest not fussed about anymore ...

 

Etta James

 

Martin Carthy ....no dips in quality....still going since 1960!!

KT

 

I'll be the only one to mention them and it's a travesty that it's not well known:

Super Furry Animals

 

Joni Mitchell
Kate Bush
Patti Smith

 

The Ian Paice Quintet (formed in 1968).

 

Judas Priest has to be in this conversation. The newest record Firepower, this solid, this good, this deep into a career, pretty nice. From here on out, who knows, but till now, great run.

 

Keith Jarrett
Wayne Shorter
Herbie Hancock
Ornette Coleman

 

Time Fades Away is a stinker from this period. I agree that 80s output until Freedom was pretty dreadful.

 

Jack Bruce RIP

 

Paul Weller - still making good records after 40 years.

 

I again would have to go with Jack Jones here. Or perhaps Vic Damone. Both of those gentleman took very good care of their voices and were singing extremely well into their 70s. FS on the other hand could not give up the late night drinking and smoking which took a tremendous toll on his voice, esp. after hitting age 60.

 

you had me till 1980 or so, wildly inconsistent after that, love neil but not really a good candidate here

 

Another vote for Richard Thompson. Every album he’s ever done has been at worst very good. Most have been excellent to brilliant.

 

Cher
1963 - present

 

Led Zeppelin
The Doors
Bob Marley

 

I don't know about long....the doors only lasted 4 years?