The longest and most lucrative coast on past glories

[dissolute ocelot]

Similar to Don McLean, Ralph McTell is still alive. Streets of London was recorded in 1969. Not sure if Pachelbel sued over alleged similarities, but I'm guessing he's doing ok.

[turnstyle]

Queen innit?

Lead singer dies, get another bloke in and basically become your own tribute band for the next 30 years. Repackage everything and sell it over and over and over again.

[Video Game Fan 2000]

Morrissey.

Elvis if the comeback special didn't grab you.

[badaids]

The Cure must qualify for this thread.

Their last decent album was Wish nearly 30 years ago.  Since then they've released a handful of terrible records, greatest hits tours and appearances, and have started to look like a tribut act of themselves. I love Smith and their run of records from 79-92 is up there with any band but what happened that made him go from shitting out incredible songs several times a year to an irrelevance? They've been complete shit for twice as long as they were good now...

[chveik]

The Cure must qualify for this thread.

Their last decent album was The Top nearly 40 years ago.

fixed

[Fr.Bigley]

Cilla Black. She dined out on that shite few songs until she became and ex-scouser.

[Famous Mortimer]

What has Mike Love got to do with Feel Flows in particular? 

The point was that he didn't (I thought I mentioned that in the post) - I was working back through good or well-remembered Beach Boys songs to point out that he didn't have much to do with any of them.

[Famous Mortimer]

Sumahama from 1979 is a banger. He definitely intervened lyrically on I Know There's An Answer and Good Vibrations for the better and his lyrics overall are an integral part of the Beach Boys sound. Also spokesperson for Transcendental Meditation. And there's that classic Baywatch episode.

Okay, so 42 years, not 60. My apologies.

[Brundle-Fly]

I don't think artists who have continued to record albums over a long career should be included in this list. So what if they only play the hits at concerts with a smattering of new material? That's what 'most' fans want and it would be churlish of a band to think otherwise. Personally, I like to hear album tracks and new stuff at legacy act gigs but I know I'm in the minority. 

[badaids]

fixed

Really? I love the top but it's in the lower half of their records. Everything after Wish is embarrassingly shit though.

[Video Game Fan 2000]

Frank Black

[Head Gardener]

Ralph McTell is still alive. Streets of London was recorded in 1969. Not sure if Pachelbel sued over alleged similarities, but I'm guessing he's doing ok.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1YNEtaHbzA

[Spiteface]

it's not even his best song.

EXACTLY the song I was hoping for.

[Jockice]

fixed

The Head On The Door. Just for argument's sake.

[poodlefaker]

According to this: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2011/jan/04/gerry-rafferty-obituary Gerry Rafferty was earning £80,000 a year in royalties from "Baker Street" when he died 10 years ago. That's pretty lucrative.

[Fr.Bigley]

According to this: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2011/jan/04/gerry-rafferty-obituary Gerry Rafferty was earning £80,000 a year in royalties from "Baker Street" when he died 10 years ago. That's pretty lucrative.

Rafferty was a god.

[The Culture Bunker]

According to this: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2011/jan/04/gerry-rafferty-obituary Gerry Rafferty was earning £80,000 a year in royalties from "Baker Street" when he died 10 years ago. That's pretty lucrative.

I remember talking to someone about 15 years ago who claimed from knowing one of the co-writers of 'Come on Eileen' who isn't Kevin Rowland that he was making about £30/40k a year out of it - usually from it turning up on 80s compilations or use in "One Hit Wonder" radio and TV shows in the States.

[gilbertharding]

Gotta be Rolling Stones. Trotting out their greatest hits from the 60s and 70s for the billionth time on wildly successful world tours instead of digging into the zeitgeist and exploring new hyper pop or trap sounds.

The Rolling Stones were at least trying to be a relevant creative force at least as late as 1990 ( or whatever year Steel Wheels came out) ... maybe a bit later.

Not until Wyman's departure did they settle into being their own tribute band. Admittedly that means a twenty five year coast, but that's after thirty five years graft...

[Chriddof]

it's not even his best song.

Everybody needs to stop what they're doing (such as kung fu fighting) and listen to this RIGHT NOW.

Says he's got a thing about burnin' witches
Some of these were mighty fine bitches...

[El Unicornio, mang]

PSY? Gangnam Style has had 4 billion views and still gets a ton of daily interaction 8 years after it was released. I don't think most people could name a single thing he's done since.

[PeasOnSticks]

Chuck Berry has to be up there. Playing the same songs with random hired bands for aeons.

[chveik]

Bob Dylan

[rue the polywhirl]

Patti Smith.

[Swoz_MK]

EXACTLY the song I was hoping for.

Weyyyyy that's my upload!
Just checked discogs, three notes, I'm having some o' that.

[Huxleys Babkins]

PSY? Gangnam Style has had 4 billion views and still gets a ton of daily interaction 8 years after it was released. I don't think most people could name a single thing he's done since.

In the west, maybe. Most of the singles off his last album are still well over a hundred million hits on YouTube each.

[Video Game Fan 2000]

Patti Smith.

Winner for the sheer scale of the coast.

A fantastic single, two good singles, an arty party record and a half good art rock record and she got to play a major cultural figure aloof from mere pop music in all the papers for decades and is beloved by people who have put out the kind of music she pretends to make.

What if I had a band, not my band you understand but a band, play "My Generation" but we pretend like we can't play it. Oops, not me, them. I'm sure this is a new idea in current year *checks date* 1977?

[El Unicornio, mang]

In the west, maybe. Most of the singles off his last album are still well over a hundred million hits on YouTube each.

Oh...

Is that not just due to Gangnam Style though? If you have nearly 15m subscribers I imagine anything that's released is going to get a shitload of hits. Do his albums/singles sell a lot?

[buzby]

Oh...

Is that not just due to Gangnam Style though? If you have nearly 15m subscribers I imagine anything that's released is going to get a shitload of hits. Do his albums/singles sell a lot?

He is a massive star in Korea - he had 4 number 1s and 5 other Top 10s there prior to Gangnam Style, starting with his debut single in 2001. He's had 3 more number 1s and two more Top 5s there since. His follow up to Gangnam Style, Gentleman, was a worldwide hit too, and reached #10 in the UK charts. He runs his own record label/management company now.

[Goldentony]

PSY? Gangnam Style has had 4 billion views and still gets a ton of daily interaction 8 years after it was released. I don't think most people could name a single thing he's done since.

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[El Unicornio, mang]

He is a massive star in Korea - he had 4 number 1s and 5 other Top 10s there prior to Gangnam Style, starting with his debut single in 2001. He's had 3 more number 1s and two more Top 5s there since. His follow up to Gangnam Style, Gentleman, was a worldwide hit too, and reached #10 in the UK charts. He runs his own record label/management company now.

Ooooh...

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Only 240million views for that song, dying on his arse.