Making an album is no easy feat. No matter the size or magnitude, it’s difficult. Although there are a handful of musicians who just had so much music in their souls that they went above and beyond. Above and beyond given that they recorded and released more than 100 albums. What have you personally created 100 of?
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The musicians who’ve accomplished this challenge are the best of the best and made it look easy. Now, was it? Of course not; however, thanks to the plethora of music pulsing through their ears and fingers, they just had to release this astounding number of albums. So, here are three musicians who released more than 100 albums during their careers and after.
Willie Nelson
Willie Nelson is 91-years-old and still touring as well as still making new music. That being so, the number of albums he’s released could increase, but as of now, the outlaw country musician has released a whopping 102 studio albums. Of those 102 albums, seven of them reached No. 1.
The 102 studio albums are comprised of 76 solo studio albums and 26 collaborative studio albums. His most prominent solo albums are Shotgun Willie, Red Headed Stranger, and Always on My Mind. Of the collaborative albums, the most notable is of course The Highwaymen’s 1985 album, Highwayman.
Johnny Cash
With no surprise, another artist to surpass 100 album releases is Willie Nelson’s good friend, Johnny Cash. During his career, Johnny Cash released a grand total of 130 albums, most of which were released by Columbia Records. Of those 130 albums, Johnny Cash acquired 10 No. 1’s.
A few of the albums that are featured in the list were released posthumously following his death in 2003. Several of those albums are Out Among the Stars, Songwriter, and A Concert Behind Prison Walls. Frankly, given just how much music Johnny Cash created, it would be no surprise to see more posthumous releases in the future.
The Grateful Dead
During their time together, the Grateful Dead released 90 records, 13 studio albums, and an impressive 77 live albums. However, 90 is not the final total the band settled on. Since their disbandment in 1995, the Dead have released another 77 full-length albums, bringing the total number to 167.
It’s no surprise that the Dead is one of the bands to release more than 100 albums, as each one of their shows consisted of at least two albums worth of material. Though, regardless, 167 albums is quite impressive, and there are only a few bands that are ahead of them.
Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
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