Artists with short careers, but huge popularity and impact

13th Floor Elevators.

Three studio albums in a little over three (very) turbulent years.

 

How so? They became influential later on, but they did not have any kind of popularity when they were actually together (their albums barely charted anywhere).

 

You could say that about plenty of bands or artists already mentioned in the thread .
The OP agreed with me, so take it up with her.

Did the 13th Floor Elevators, have HUGE impact at the time or since?

 

Came here to post this.
They became iconic is a short period of time.

 

With all due respect, you threw their name out there, which is why I asked you. Velvet Underground did not have a huge impact at the time during their run, so I don't think they qualify. Do you disagree?

 

I guess I’m basically interested in artists whose popularity and/or impact outweighs the length of their career. Clearly the popularity and impact has to last, but it doesn’t have to have begun during their career. It just has to be clear, by now, that their popularity and/or impact is outsized, compared to the length of their career.

Hope that makes sense? So VU and Robert Johnson qualify.

 

Okay, noted. My impression from the original post was that it had to be bands that were huge at the time of the short run, ala Nirvana or The Beatles, not ones whose big impact didn't happen until after their run, ala Velvet Underground or Talk Talk.

 

Oh yeah, sorry! I should’ve been clearer. Bands can obviously have been popular at the time, but they can’t have been flashes in the pan. That popularity has to have lasted, if it started during their career.

 

The Monkees if you count the first 4 years

 

<<<<<<<<THIS^^^^^^^^

 

YES

 

Four pages and no mention of Jimi Hendrix.

And I'll mention Jim Morrison, too.

 

Johnny Marr was only 23 years old when the Smiths ended. Marr first met Morrissey when he was only 14 years old. Amazing how young Marr still was, when the band was all over.

 

Paul Weller was, what, 24 when he broke up the biggest band in the U.K.?

 

You said their popularity had to have started at the time in your opening post - which is why I did not post ‘VU’.

 

Paul Weller was in the Beatles?

 

I'd say 'Propaganda' (German/UK-band) does qualify well

Soft Cell (original run, the revivals didn't add somthing of the same league)

 

Especially Schubert.

I mean, the guy died at 31 (!!!), and still is one of the most prolific composers ever. I wondered many times how little I have accomplished till age 31, LOL.

 

From first to last concert, 26 months.

 

Do Pixies count? The original band were massively influential. 4 albums in 3 1/2 years.

 

Pink Floyd for those who think that real Floyd were finished with Piper. I know many of them

 

Whoops! Well I’ve since changed the rules.

 

In the Contemporary Christian world, Keith Green and Rich Mullins both apply.

 

Yesss! I love the Pixies.

 

Yep, they win by a country mile.

The Clash, Joy Division , Pixies, Buzzcocks and others mentioned on this thread probably wouldn’t have existed but for the Sex Pistols.