Some artists make a masterpiece or two. A select few sustain greatness over an entire decade, delivering album after album with barely a falter.
These are the runs that define careers, reshape genres, and give fans the sense that they’re witnessing lightning in a bottle again and again. What’s striking isn’t just the consistency but the variety – how often these records evolve, taking daring risks while still feeling inevitable in hindsight.
These rare runs capture artists at their creative peak, driven by momentum, daring, and an almost reckless refusal to repeat themselves. Neil Young moved from fragile confessionals to ragged, electrified storms, releasing some of the most fearless music of the ’70s. Elton John poured out hits and deep cuts at such a rate that his decade-long streak feels like a marathon of melody. And Led Zeppelin built a myth around themselves by expanding the vocabulary of heavy rock with each new record, never content to stand still.
What makes these streaks special is that they’re more than strings of good albums – they’re cultural landmarks, each one reshaping what rock could be. Here, then, are 13 of the greatest album runs in history: bold, brilliant, and without a weak link.
13. The Moody Blues (1967-72)
The Moody Blues’ late '60s / early '70s album run may be one of the most underappreciated in rock. Starting with Days of Future Passed, they pioneered a lush, orchestral sound that bridged pop and progressive rock. Over the next six albums, they built a world of mellotrons, harmonies, and mystical lyrics. In Search of the Lost Chord chased psychedelic adventure; On the Threshold of a Dream explored inner journeys. To Our Children’s Children’s Children looked outward to space.
A Question of Balance and Every Good Boy Deserves Favour brought sharper rock edges, before Seventh Sojourn closed the run with maturity and gravitas. Each album feels part of a single arc, an exploration of philosophy and sound that prefigured prog rock’s grandeur while keeping pop accessibility. While they’ve never been as hip as the Beatles or Bowie, their sustained brilliance deserves reappraisal.
Pick of the streak: In Search of the Lost Chord (1968)
12. Marvin Gaye (1971-78)
Marvin Gaye’s streak represents the birth of the modern soul artist. It began with a literal revolution: 1971's What’s Going On, where Gaye fought Motown’s rigid hits factory to release a cinematic, socially conscious suite about war, poverty, and the environment. Having established his independence, he then pivoted to the sensual, defining the 'quiet storm' and bedroom soul genres with Let’s Get It On (1973) and the lush, atmospheric I Want You (1976).
The run concluded with the hauntingly raw Here, My Dear (1978), a double album detailing his divorce. This period saw Gaye transform from a 'prince of soul' hitmaker into a vulnerable, deeply complex architect of the long-form album, proving that R&B could be as high-concept as any rock masterpiece.
Pick of the streak: What’s Going On (1971)
11. Steely Dan (1972-80)
Steely Dan’s run may be the most “studio-perfect” streak in rock history. From the sly, jazzy pop of Can’t Buy a Thrill through the increasingly sleek sophistication of Countdown to Ecstasy, Pretzel Logic, and Katy Lied, Donald Fagen and Walter Becker refined their sound with each release. The Royal Scam added bite, and Aja perfected their blend of jazz harmonies, session-musician precision, and urbane cool.
By Gaucho, they were perhaps too meticulous for their own good, but still operating at a level few bands could touch. Every record in this run has hits, deep cuts, and astonishing musicianship. What makes it special is that Steely Dan albums are not just good – they are endlessly replayable, full of subtle details and sly humour that reveal more over time.
Pick of the streak: Pretzel Logic (1974)
10. Joni Mitchell (1970-76)
Few artists have traced personal evolution through albums as seamlessly as Joni Mitchell. From Ladies of the Canyon (1970) through to 1976's Hejira, she moved from folk confessional to jazz-tinged experimentalist without missing a step. Ladies gave us 'Big Yellow Taxi' and 'Woodstock', songs that became generational anthems. Then came Blue, still regarded as the pinnacle of singer-songwriter intimacy, every track stripped bare and devastating.
For the Roses expanded her palette, while Court and Spark added a full band and jazz inflections, yielding her biggest commercial success. The Hissing of Summer Lawns proved she would not be boxed in, with complex rhythms and layered production, and Hejira closed the run with a meditative, spacious masterpiece that redefined travelogue songwriting. What ties the streak together is Joni’s refusal to compromise – her lyrics unflinching, her melodies adventurous, her artistry always ahead of her time. It’s one of the most flawless six-album arcs in rock history.
Pick of the streak: Blue (1971)
- Two of these albums feature in our lineup of greatest Laurel Canyon albums
9. Elton John (1970-76)
Few could match Elton John’s productivity and creativity during the 1970s. In six years, he released a staggering ten albums, nearly all of them excellent. Starting with the self-titled Elton John, he unveiled a knack for ballads of extraordinary tenderness. Tumbleweed Connection and Madman Across the Water expanded his scope, blending Americana with art pop.
Then came the *really* hot streak: Honky Château, Don’t Shoot Me, and the double masterpiece Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. Even when he dipped into lighter fare with Caribou or Rock of the Westies, his flair for melody and Bernie Taupin’s lyrics carried him through. By Captain Fantastic and Blue Moves, he was exploring autobiographical themes with rare depth. What’s astonishing is not just the quality but the variety – lavish ballads, rockers, soul-inflected grooves, all stamped with Elton’s theatricality and warmth.
Pick of the streak: Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (1973)
8. Led Zeppelin (1969-76)
In just ten years, Led Zeppelin managed what few bands could: every album feels essential, and none can be dismissed as a misstep. First came the raw blues thunder of Led Zeppelin I and II, then the folk experiments of III.
Then, after the genre-defining majesty of IV came two fascinating albums. Houses of the Holy marked a shift toward eclectic experimentation, blending funk, reggae, and prog rock textures. And 1975's sprawling Physical Graffiti was a heroic synthesis of Zep's entire range heavy riffs, acoustic passages, and ambitious arrangements – cementing their reputation as masters of both power and sophistication in rock’s pantheon.
Presence may be the closest they came to a stumble, but even it contains some of Page’s fiercest guitar work. While more stripped-down and straightforward than its predecessors, Presence crackles with intensity, featuring powerful riffs, driving rhythms, and Robert Plant’s raw, urgent vocals at their peak. Zeppelin’s run isn’t just about consistency; it’s about creating an entire mythology of rock – mystical, heavy, and larger than life – that still resonates.
Pick of the streak: Led Zeppelin IV (1971)
7. Neil Young (1969-79)
Few artists combine such raw vulnerability with such ferocious power. Starting with Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere, Neil Young paired delicate acoustic songs with sprawling electric jams courtesy of Crazy Horse. After the Gold Rush and Harvest gave him major commercial success, but he followed them with On the Beach and Tonight’s the Night, stark, grief-stricken records that baffled at the time but later came to be seen as masterpieces.
Zuma found Young revitalized, Comes a Time returned to folk warmth, and Rust Never Sleeps capped the decade with a mix of fragile ballads and roaring anthems like 'Hey Hey, My My'. What makes this run remarkable is not just consistency, but honesty: Young never played to expectations, following his muse wherever it led. Decades later, these records still feel like the definitive blueprint for the singer-songwriter in rock.
Pick of the streak: After the Gold Rush (1970)
6. The Rolling Stones (1968-72)
If the Beatles redefined rock’s possibilities, the Stones perfected its swagger. Starting with Beggars Banquet, they reinvented themselves after a shaky psychedelic phase, returning to blues roots with fresh grit. Let It Bleed followed with apocalyptic urgency, capped by 'Gimme Shelter' and 'You Can’t Always Get What You Want'. (Then came the infamous Altamont Free Festival). Sticky Fingers added lushness and experimentation – Mick Taylor’s guitar lines, the Muscle Shoals sessions, and the debut of the tongue logo all pointed to a band at its zenith.
Next came Exile on Main St., sprawling and murky but endlessly rewarding, a double album of decadent brilliance. Some stretch the run to Goats Head Soup, but even just these four are arguably the greatest back-to-back records in rock. What makes this streak stand out is its balance of refinement and danger: sophisticated songwriting delivered with raw abandon. It’s the sound of a band utterly in command, and utterly on edge.
Pick of the streak: Exile on Main St. (1972)
5. Pink Floyd (1973-79)
Pink Floyd’s 'Big Four' – 1973's The Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here from 1975, 1977's Animals, and The Wall from 1979 – is a masterclass in thematic cohesion and sonic evolution. It represents the pinnacle of 'concept' art, moving from universal questions of existence and madness to biting social critique and deeply personal trauma.
What sets this streak apart is the perfect synergy between experimental production and emotional resonance. While their peers were often focused on riffs or singles, Floyd crafted immersive, cinematic experiences that utilized early synthesizers and innovative tape loops to create headphone masterpieces.
Floyd managed the impossible: making avant-garde, philosophical music that also sold tens of millions of copies. It wasn't just a streak of good songs; it was a decade-long architectural feat where each album felt like a definitive statement on the human condition.
Pick of the streak: You want us to say Dark Side. But we're going to be contrary and plump for Wish You Were Here (1975), largely thanks to its otherworldly opening track:
4. Prince (1980-87)
Prince’s legendary run is characterized by an almost supernatural level of prolificacy and creative autonomy. Starting with his Eighties curtain raiser Dirty Mind, he stripped down funk to its roots: heavy on synths and sexually frank lyrics. This evolved through the new wave energy of Controversy and the apocalyptic pop of 1999, reaching a cultural zenith with the global phenomenon Purple Rain.
Even after achieving total stardom, he refused to stagnate, pivoting to the psychedelic Around the World in a Day and the sophisticated (and somewhat underrated) Parade. The streak culminated in Sign o' the Times (1987), a sprawling double album that many critics consider the definitive statement of his genius. During these eight years, Prince didn't just follow trends; he dictated the entire sound of the decade.
Pick of the streak: Sign o' the Times (1987)
3. David Bowie (1971-80)
From Hunky Dory to Scary Monsters, David Bowie essentially lived ten musical lives in less than a decade. Hunky Dory showcased his songwriting craft; Ziggy Stardust made him a star, redefining glam rock; Aladdin Sane and Diamond Dogs showed him restless and ambitious. Then came the mid-’70s swerves – Young Americans immersed him in Philly soul, while Station to Station fused funk and European electronics.
His Berlin trilogy – Low, “Heroes”, and Lodger – broke ground with ambient textures and fragmented songwriting, influencing entire genres of post-punk and electronic music. Scary Monsters tied it all together, sleek and modern. Most artists would be lucky to make one album as innovative as these; Bowie did it ten times in a row, never looking back. It’s less a 'run' than a reinvention machine in motion.
Pick of the streak: Low (1977)
- We named Low one of the greatest albums of the 1970s
2. Stevie Wonder (1972-76)
From 1972 to 1976, Stevie Wonder achieved what many consider the Holy Grail of creative streaks. This five-album run – comprising Music of My Mind, Talking Book, Innervisions, Fulfillingness' First Finale, and Songs in the Key of Life – redefined the boundaries of R&B and pop. By seizing total artistic control, Wonder integrated the pioneer use of the TONTO synthesizer system with deeply human soul. He moved seamlessly from the gritty social commentary of 'Living for the City' to the exuberant joy of 'Sir Duke'.
What sets Stevie apart is the sheer density of his success: in a mere four years, he won three Grammy Awards for Album of the Year. No other artist has matched that level of critical dominance and commercial appeal in such a condensed timeframe. It remains the gold standard for a 'perfect' peak.
Pick of the streak: Innervisions (1973)
1. The Beatles (1965-70)
When people talk about 'flawless runs' in rock history, this is the standard by which all others are measured. Starting with Rubber Soul, the Beatles shed their early pop image and turned to albums as unified artistic statements. Revolver pushed even further, a studio experiment that still felt full of life and hooks. Then came Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, the record that defined 1967 and arguably invented the modern concept of the album as art.
The White Album was sprawling but brilliant, a kaleidoscope of styles that somehow held together. Abbey Road found the band revitalized, weaving together songs into a dazzling second-side medley, before Let It Be closed the book. What makes this run so breathtaking is not just the consistent brilliance but the sheer rate of change: in less than five years, they redefined the sound, structure, and cultural role of rock music itself.
Pick of the week: Revolver (1966)
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