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Comment by nemothekid | Hacker News Reader

I think ti mantain longevity for decades requires being a generational artist. It's not also about performing well, but having an certain kind of taste that can hook newer generations (while also competeting with those generations rising stars).

I can't really think of any artists who really enjoy multi-generational, mainstream, success. Maybe Beyonce?

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I'd argue Taylor Swift has done it too, and to a less mainstream degree Trent Reznor who has kept his career rolling along forever.

A core audience who will buy what ever you sell is key, and also not being afraid to change your style from album to album

You forgot the intergenerational ur-artist: "Weird Al" Yankovic.

I think Taylor Swift is on track, but I'm not sure she's old enough yet. She's arguably in her early 30s, while Beyonce is 42. I'm sure Taylor Swift will still have multiple hit records in her 40s, but currently I think it's rare.

You might be right from with Trent Reznor - Pretty Hate Machine dropped when he was was 24 and With Teeth went Gold when he was 40. This is roughly the same as Beyonce current longevity (Cowboy Carter, Beyonces latest album, which she released at age 42, has also only gone Gold)

I suppose it depends what you mean by "success". Metallica, G'n'R, AC/DC etc can still sell out arenas, even if their latest album sales aren't great (comparative to earlier success).

This assumption might be wrong, but it's my understanding that Metallica, GnR, and other hard rock/metal bands, while successful, are aging with their audience, which is mean by being generational. Beyonce has penetrated both 19 year olds and 45 year olds demographics with great success. I'm not sure I can say the same about Metallica.

One of the interesting things about music since the advent of streaming is that it's far less segregated by time of release. Anecdotally, I know 18yo kids into metal who are as likely to listen to Metallica or AC/DC as they are a current-generation metal artist. I don't think there's anywhere near as much of a currency bias as there was ~30 years ago.

More anecdotes: the crowds at metal shows I've been to are quite diverse age-wise - from ~15 to ~65. The demographics don't seem to change that much with the band playing, except that that's less older people for the really heavy bands (Cattle Decapitation comes to mind).

Dolly Parton is a massive outlier this way in terms of mainstream longevity.

Also would name Fleetwood Mac.

Stevie Wonder, maybe Herbie Hancock

Bee Gees

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