The Great Three-Album Runs: A Recognition of Consecutive Genius
Great albums are rare, but great album streaks are even rarer. When an artist or band manages to produce not just one but a series of landmark albums in close succession, they achieve something transcendent—a kind of musical alchemy that leaves an indelible mark on their legacy and the culture at large. Not everyone could do it – I’d expected to put The Beach Boys on this list, but three-in-a-row never fell in place for them.
This list explores some occurrences of the magic of three (or more) consecutive standout albums, updated from my original musings almost two decades ago. Along the way, we'll dive into some new additions and revisit classic runs with fresh context. Let’s celebrate those moments of uninterrupted brilliance. [Rules of the game: Christmas albums, compilations from earlier albums and live albums don’t count – so only new, studio, non-holiday music counts.]
Bruce Springsteen
1. Born to Run (1975) – Other people might argue that the two earlier albums would be the start of the run, but I never really got into either of the first two. Actually, of the three I’m listing, I always thought that this one was the weakest, “Thunder Road” and “Born to Run” notwithstanding.
2.. Darkness on the Edge of Town (1978) – Dark, edgy, not mainstream, I could always see why this album wasn’t as commercially successful as Born to Run, but I always thought it was the stronger album
3. The River (1980) – Great album, what kept it from being a stupendous album was that it should have had only had 1/2 the songs and been a single album, not a double album. I saw Springsteen live for the first time right as this album came out.
The Beatles
1. Help (1965) – the Beatles had a great run of 4 albums, beginning with this one.
2. Rubber Soul (1965) – first album of the psychedelic era? Maybe.
3. Yesterday… and Today (1966) – Definitely the weakest in the run of 4 albums, but there are a lot of gems in it as well.
4. Revolver (1966) – Hugely influential, this one presaged Sgt. Pepper and, in my opinion, is the better album. Sgt. Pepper has not aged well – it’s a difficult album to listen to these days – the songs are just flat out dated, which isn’t true of Revolver.
Jimi Hendrix
Good thing I set the requirement at only 3 albums, because Hendrix only did three studio albums (not withstanding about 1,000 post-mortem releases and bootlegs).
1. Are You Experienced? (1967) – the one that introduced Hendrix to the world.
2. Axis: Bold as Love (1967) – Following later in the same calendar year, this cemented Hendrix’s position as #1 guitar god. This would also have been about the time he made his way to England and wowed Clapton, Jeff Beck and Pete Townshend.
3. Electric Ladyland (1968) – Another double album with about one album’s worth of influential material. You can definitely see in this set that Hendrix was veering off in a jazzy Bitch’s Brew sort of direction.
Miles Davis
Speaking of Miles Davis. Davis had many many albums that are considered seminal works in jazz, but it was hard to find 3 in a row. Birth of the Cool, arguably Miles’ most influential work, predated the albums on my list by a number of years, as much as I would have like to include in on the list.
1. Porgy and Bess (1958) – Concept album, really nice
2. Kind of Blue (1959) – After Birth of the Cool, probably the next most influential album, although a lot of commentators would put it first. Others might argue for Bitch’s Brew, but I just never liked that album.
3. Sketches of Spain (1960) – Another concept album and one of my favorite jazz albums.
Frank Sinatra
Sinatra had an amazing run starting when he moved to Capitol Records in the mid-50s. His voice was at its peak at this time and Nelson Riddle showed the voice and the music off to full advantage. Check out the dates on the albums – he was releasing amazing album after amazing album every few months during this especially productive period in his life.
1. Songs for Young Lovers (January 1954)
2. Swing Easy (August 1954)
3. In the Wee Small Hours (April 1955) Usually credited as Sinatra’s best albums, although Only the Lonely (1958) is neck and neck.
4. Songs for Swingin’ Lovers (March 1956) .
5. Close to You (January 1957)
6. A Swingin’ Affair (May 1957)
7. Where are You? (September 1957)
8. Come Fly With Me (January 1958)
Whew – what a run.
Joni Mitchell: From the Canyon to Hejira
Joni Mitchell’s musical run from Ladies of the Canyon (1970) to Hejira (1976) represents an amazing evolution of artistry.
1. Ladies of the Canyon (1970): With timeless songs like “Big Yellow Taxi,” “The Circle Game,” and “Woodstock,” this album captured the idealism and contradictions of the counterculture. Its mix of folk storytelling and subtle jazz influences laid the groundwork for her more adventurous explorations.
2. Blue (1971): Often cited as one of the greatest albums of all time, Blue is an intimate, almost painfully honest masterpiece. Songs like “River” and “A Case of You” showcase Mitchell’s unparalleled ability to distill complex emotions into simple, haunting melodies. Her continued exploration of alternate guitar tunings led to interesting and sometimes haunting chord combinations.
3. For the Roses (1972): A bridge between the emotional rawness of Blue and the more elaborate arrangements of Court and Spark, this album delves into themes of fame, solitude, and the search for meaning. Tracks like “You Turn Me On, I’m a Radio” and “Banquet” highlight Mitchell’s growing sophistication as a songwriter.
4. Court and Spark (1974): This album saw Joni embrace lush, jazz-inflected arrangements without losing her lyrical depth. Tracks like “Free Man in Paris” and “Help Me” remain staples of her catalog.
5. The Hissing of Summer Lawns (1975): An underrated gem, this album marked a bold step into experimental territory, blending jazz, world music, and incisive social commentary. Songs like “In France They Kiss on Main Street” and “The Jungle Line” show Mitchell’s fearless creativity.
6. Hejira (1976): A more abstract and atmospheric work, Hejira finds Mitchell fully immersed in her jazz explorations. Songs like “Amelia” and “Refuge of the Roads” cement her reputation as a fearless innovator. This album marked the beginning of her collaboration with influential jazz bassist Jaco Pastorius
The Rolling Stones: The Quintessential Bar Band
The Stones' late ‘60s and early ‘70s run is the stuff of legend, but their 60-year survival deserves equal recognition. The Beatles may have burned brighter, but the Stones endured, evolving into the epitome of the world’s greatest bar band: loose, a little sloppy, but deeply in the pocket musically and unmatched as live performers. Starting with Beggars’ Banquet the next four albums showed Keith Richards at the top of his songwriting game and the band as strong (studio music-wise but certainly not physically) as they have ever been.
1. Beggars Banquet (1968): Featuring “Sympathy for the Devil” and “Street Fighting Man,” this album marked a return to the blues and country roots that defined their early sound, revitalized by Keith Richards’ Gram Parsons-inspired songwriting.
2. Let It Bleed (1969): A masterpiece of gritty, cathartic rock, with classics like “Gimme Shelter” and “You Can’t Always Get What You Want.” This album set the stage for their imperial phase.
3. Sticky Fingers (1971): An album that balanced raunchy swagger (“Brown Sugar”) with raw vulnerability (“Wild Horses”). The addition of Mick Taylor brought technical virtuosity to Keith’s gritty riffs.
4. Exile on Main St. (1972): Recorded in the chaos of a French villa, *Exile* is sprawling, messy, and brilliant—a double album of loose grooves and raw emotion. Love it or hate it, it’s the Stones at their most unfiltered. The band was broke, at war within, and recording in a damp basement so unsuited for recording that the actual recording equipment was set up in a moving truck out in the yard of the villa. And Keith was near the peak of his heroin addiction issues. While this all shows in the finished recording, there’s a flash of brilliance maybe in spite of or maybe because of the troubles. You decide.
The eternal Beatles/Stones debate endures, but I’ll say this: Paul McCartney’s genius is undeniable, and I’d rate the Beatles’ music higher overall. But if you want pure, unpretentious rock ‘n’ roll fun, the Stones are unbeatable as a bar band churning it out night after night.
David Bowie: A Tale of Two Triplets
David Bowie’s career is marked by relentless musical and personal reinvention, but two distinct three-album runs stand out as defining moments.
1. Hunky Dory (1971) → The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (1972) → Aladdin Sane (1973): These albums saw Bowie transform from glam-rock provocateur to global superstar.
- Hunky Dory introduced Bowie’s lyrical genius with songs like “Life on Mars?” The New York Times claimed in its review that Bowie had become “the most intellectually brilliant man yet to choose the long-playing album as his medium of expression.” I’d stop short of that opinion, but it’s a good album, worthy of inclusion on this list.
- Ziggy Stardust created a fully realized rock opera that remains a cultural touchstone.
- Aladdin Sane pushed glam into darker, more experimental territory.
2. The Berlin Trilogy — Low (1977) → “Heroes” (1977) → Lodger (1979): Collaborating with Brian Eno, Bowie blended electronic minimalism with rock innovation.
- Low and “Heroes” feature haunting instrumentals and bold songwriting.
- Lodger is often overlooked but brims with avant-garde brilliance. Its reception has improved retrospectively, particularly after the 2017 remix, which cleaned up the original mixes.
Fleetwood Mac: Pop Perfection
Fleetwood Mac’s transition from Peter Green’s blues band to the polished pop juggernaut of the late ‘70s gave us one of the greatest album streaks of all time.
1. Fleetwood Mac (1975): With Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks joining the band, their eponymous album introduced a radio-friendly sound. Songs like “Rhiannon” and “Landslide” became instant classics.
2. Rumours (1977): A flawless pop album born of personal turmoil, *Rumours* is packed with hits (“Dreams,” “Go Your Own Way”) and remains one of the best-selling albums ever.
3. Tusk (1979): Buckingham’s avant-garde leanings pushed the band into more experimental territory. Though initially drawing mixed and divisive review from critics, Tusk has been reappraised as a bold and fascinating work.
Prince: The Purple Reign
Few artists can rival Prince’s output in both quantity and quality. His run in the early ’80s was a masterclass in blending funk, rock, and pop. Pancakes, anyone?
1. 1999 (1982): A synth-heavy double album with party anthems like the title track and “Little Red Corvette.” Songs from album are staples on 80s, R&B, Funk, and Pop playlists.
2. Purple Rain (1984): The quintessential ‘80s album, blending raw emotion (“When Doves Cry”) with electrifying showmanship.
3. Around the World in a Day (1985): A psychedelic detour filled with hidden gems, showing Prince’s willingness to experiment.
4. Sign o’ the Times (1987): Though one album outside this streak, it’s a worthy capstone to Prince’s era of untouchable creativity.
Closing Thoughts
These three-album (or more) streaks showcase what happens when artists hit their creative stride, reshaping genres and leaving an enduring legacy. From the poetic introspection of Joni Mitchell to the raw swagger of the Rolling Stones and the chameleonic genius of David Bowie, these runs remind us why we fall in love with music in the first place. And while every adaptation of the Beatles/Stones debate will continue endlessly, the real winners are the listeners who get to revel in the brilliance of both.
Have I missed any artists who deserve a spot on this list? Shoot me an e-mail if you think so—the joy of lists like these is that they’re never quite complete.