Couple of the CD's I played while driving today were U2 ... the first being WAR which I'd first bought in vinyl about (mumble grumble) 20 years ago and the other was Vertigo, thier latest that I got around Christmas last year. That's not a bad run for one band and no doubt they'll have more.

What other bands (or singers) can you think of that have past the test of time?

Two spring to mind real quick, Copago. The Rolling Stones (perhaps the Spinning Wrinkles) and Aerosmith (the only front man who has a daughter who looks older than him. Beverly Hills, that is. Black Gold. Plastic surgeons...)

Alice Cooper and Suzi Quatro?

How about our own John Farnham?

The name that popped into my head was Eric Clapton. Whenever I feel like having a good cry, I dig out his CD and listen to "No Tears in Heaven". It gets to me every time. sniff, sniff

The primo that comes to mind is David Bowie. Others rate, as they still tour, reaping the back catalogue of their creative years. Bands like the Stones, Aerosmith, Kiss, Eagles etc. Unlike the old bands, Bowie still turns out a new album/cd every 1-2 years, and has done since he was 16. I think his music has been excellent over the last 5 years, probably his best since the early 70’s.

I believe Kate Bush has come out of reclusiveness and recorded a new CD, which will release in 2005. She still looks and sounds damn fine.

20 years or more of (mostly uninterupted) endurance and still has some good releases-

U2, REM, Sonic Youth, Tom Waits, Neil Young, Yo La Tengo, Van Morrison, Steve Earle (close enough to 20 years), Bruce Springsteen, Nick Cave, Metallica.

Also, Aimee Mann through both her solo work and her time with Til Tuesday.

As for lesser known but always consistant for releasing excellent tracks- The Bevis Frond and The Green Pajamas, who have been around 21 and 27 years respectively. The Go-Betweens had a 12 year leave of absense but they were excellent before their break and even better now. These best kept secrets need to be revealed.

Too soon to add Radiohead to the list, I suppose.

Can't forget the one and only Bob Dylan who continues to crank out new albums, is booked to the teeth and sells out in every venue!

I agree with Bertho's assessment of Kate Bush. Still selling albums.
So is American gospel / pop star Amy Grant, after almost 30 years of recording and touring.

Elvis Costello has been turning out great stuff for well over 20 years. I'll second Rogue's Steve Earle comment, the man is still making great music.

Social Distortion just celebtated their 25th anniversary not too long ago. Not bad for a bunch of So Cal punks.

what about Tom Jones? He's been around for a while hasn't he?

The greatest band ever - Rush!

The band from Europe, Scorpions is still around.

One of the band's songs "The Wind of Change" is one of the best (political?) songs I have heard.

snhha

Pink Floyd. Their music never gets stale. They still hold the record for the longest run of any albumn on the Billboard charts-over 14 years(Dark Side of the Moon)

Depeche Mode

Tom Petty. New music consistently for almost 30 years.

I dunno, I think Aerosmith has done pretty well with new music. They put out a new album just 4 years ago, and one 5 years before that. With touring so much, I imagine it isn't hard to get into the studio. But that's just me, and I like Aerosmith, from the old stuff to the new.

I'd also add the Beastie Boys, though they've never been terribly prolific, they've been around for 20 years now, and I still enjoy their music, from old to new.

For myself, I'm not sure Metallica HAS stood the test of time. Their new releases irritate me. After the Black album, I can't stand them. The voice sounds like Metallica, the guitar sounds like Metallica, but it almost seems as though they took a bunch of riffs from old songs, added a pop beat to them, trited up the lyrics and crossed their fingers they could appeal to the teenagers again. Metallica-street Boys. And I wish they'd kept their dirty mitts off of Turn the Page.

Tori Amos has had a long career, albeit now always as Tori. She was under the name Ellen Amos for a long while, until a friend told her she 'looked more like a Tori.'

Don't forget the ladies, folks. Cher, Diana Ross, Tina Turner & Aretha Franklin.

Does almost twenty years count? No Doubt released their first album in 92, but they had a bunch of demos from before then. In 2 years, it's their anniversary.

Bjork has. She released Gling-Glo in 1987, and is still immensely popular. But if you count the albums she had with random punk bands she'd have survived a little more than 20 years.

Nobody mentioned the Ramones? Although Joey, Johnny and Dee Dee are now departed, if someone mentions the word 'punk', the Ramones are the band that started it all. I might be British, and I do enjoy the Sex Pistols, but the Ramones were the pioneers of punk music.