A little patience lasts for, well, not very long.

In 1986, Guns'n'Roses released their Live Like A Suicide EP.

Also in 1986, REM released their Lifes Rich Pageant album, Metallica released their Master of Puppets album and Madonna released True Blue.  Yes, I'm including Madonna in this comparison, wanna make something of it?

Bruce Springsteen released a five-disc collection of his live performances and made an appearance on a Jersey Artists For Mankind charity album. Tom Petty only made one appearance this year, he and the Heartbreakers backed up Bob Dylan for a song on the Band of the Hand soundtrack.  Rush didn't appear anywhere, they had just released an album the previous year.  Yes, I'm including Rush too.

In 1987, G'n'R released Appetite For Destruction and a few EPs which included two songs that didn't appear on their other releases at the time.

Also in 1987, Madonna released the Who's That Girl soundtrack and a collection of remixes, You Can Dance.  REM released Document and the Dead Letter Office collection which I'm pretty sure I have.  Metallica released The $5.98 EP, Rush released Hold Your Fire and Def Leppard released Hysteria.  Yes, I'm counting Def Leppard.  I'm basically looking at musical acts who were the biggest in the world at the time, or at least would get there shortly.

I'm not remotely interested in looking up every single song to count how many came out.  G'n'R is my favorite of the ones on the list, Tom Petty is a not-too-distant second, Rush and Metallica are further down.  The rest have some stuff I like but I'm not a big fan of any of them.  I'm counting them as albums and I'll work out as I go how live albums, greatest hits albums and the rest should be included.  For the other acts, I've never counted them before and I will include EPs as albums, but not for G'n'R because I have already counted them by songs and they only added songs on those first releases.

Still in 1987, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers released Let Me Up (I've Had Enough) and he appeared with other stars on a Hank Williams Jr. song.  Springsteen appeared on a Harry Chapin tribute, a Very Special Christmas charity album and duetted with Little Steven.  He also made his first solo album, Tunnel of Love.

In 1988, G'n'R released Lies and backed up Alice Cooper for a song on a movie soundtrack.

Also in 1988, Metallica released And Justice For All and Tom Petty appeared on a Joni Mitchell album and the first Travelling Wilburies release which I'm counting it as one of his albums because it's awesome.  REM released Green, the Eponymous collection, and started a tradition of releasing Christmas songs to their fans.  Some bands actually make music and let their fans hear it.  There seems to be only one who doesn't.  Springsteen only released a live EP and appeared on a tribute album to Woody Guthrie and Lead Belly.

In 1989, G'n'R released nothing but Tom Petty released Full Moon Fever, Madonna released Like A Prayer and Rush released Presto and the live album A Show Of Hands.  Bruce Springsteen only made two appearances on other people's albums and REM released a collection I won't count and another Christmas song.

In 1990, G'n'R released nothing but Metallica released a cover of Queen's "Stone Cold Crazy" and Madonna released the Dick Tracy soundtrack I'm Breathless and The Immaculate Collection of greatest hits.  Tom Petty released the second Travelling Wilbury album which wasn't awesome but I'll count it anyway along with the Wilburies song given to a charity album.  Rush released the Chronicles greatest hits album, Springsteen appeared on someone's album and REM released a Christmas song.

In 1991, G'n'R released Use Your Illusions I and II.

Also in 1991, Metallica released the Black album and Rush released Roll the Bones.  REM released Out of Time, another collection and another Christmas song.  Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers released Into the Great Wide Open and Petty appeared on songs made by two other people.  Springsteen only appeared on three albums other people made for charity or something.

In 1992, G'n'R released nothing but Bruce Springsteen released his two-album set, Human Touch and Lucky Town while Def Leppard released Adrenalize and a non-album single, covering an Alice Cooper song.  Madonna released Erotica and a non-album song, "This Used To Be My Playground," REM released Automatic For The People and a Christmas song.  Tom Petty appeared on a charity album and released a non-album single, "Peace In L.A."

In 1993, G'n'R released The Spaghetti Incident.

Also in 1993, Rush released Counterparts, Def Leppard released a greatest hits album, Metallica released Live Shit/Binge and Purge.  REM released a collection of b-sides and a Christmas songwhile Springsteen released a live album and appeared on someone else's song.  Tom Petty appeared on a live tribute to Bob Dylan and released his greatest hits, best known for "Mary Jane's Last Dance."

At the very end of 1994, G'n'R released their cover of "Sympathy For The Devil."

Also in 1994, Tom Petty released Wildflowers, Madonna released Bedtime Stories, REM released Monster, another collection and another Christmas song and Bruce Springsteen did the title song for the Philadelphia movie and appeared on a Curtis Mayfield tribute.

In this nine year period, G'n'R had been as productive as the other musical acts, in some cases more productive than others.  They'd released more new albums than Metallica, Def Leppard, Rush or Bruce Springsteen and at least as many non-album songs as any of them except REM.  There were no live albums, no greatest hits albums and now Axl had to replace his bandmembers, but all he had was precious time.

In 1999, G'n'R released one new song, "Oh My God," and the G'n'R Live album which included one cover song we hadn't heard the band play before unless we were at that concert.

In that time, Rush had released one album, Test For Echo, one live album, Different Stages, and a two-disc set of greatest hits. Metallica had released Load, Reload, Garage Inc. and a live album with the San Francisco symphony.  Def Leppard had released Slang, Euphoria and a greatest hits album.  Madonna had released the Evita soundtrack, Ray of Light and a greatest hits album.  Tom Petty had released the She's The One soundtrack and Echo, along with backing up Johnny Cash for his Unchained album which I'll also count as an album because why not?  He backed up Carl Perkins on two songs, adding to a charity album and had another greatest hits album.  REM had released New Adventures in Hi-Fi and Up, contributed to the Man on the Moon soundtrack and released a collection of alternate takes of their previous songs and five Christmas songs.  Bruce Springsteen had released The Ghost of Tom Joad, multiple greatest hits albums or other collections and contributed to four movie soundtracks and six albums other people were making.

They're slowing down because they're rich and getting old.  To be fair, their careers had started at least a few years before Axl's but that doesn't really matter by the time you're pushing 40 years old.  And they may not have had the same enormous success he did with Appetite For Destruction but none of them were far below.  The Black album, Hysteria, Born in the USA and Out of Time were massive successes as well, usually to the same audience Guns'n'Roses had.  Madonna, Rush and Tom Petty were not far below in that category and all of them had released multiple albums which were also successful even as they had to compete with the next generation.

I had never noticed how many greatest hits albums these guys and everyone else was releasing, but they had been putting out hits on a fairly regular basis and adding new songs to those albums for fans to buy them.  Axl wasn't going to do that, he didn't want to, didn't have to and the audience gave him nothing but money.

In 2004, G'n'R released a greatest hits album against their will.  It was very successful.

In that time, Madonna had released Music, American Life and two compilations or greatest hits albums.  Def Leppard had released X and one greatest hits album.  Rush had released Vapor Trails, the Feedback EP of covers, a live album and a greatest hits album.  Metallica had released St. Anger, the Some Kind of Monster EP and appeared on three tribute albums or soundtracks.  Tom Petty had released The Last DJ, another greatest hits album and appeared on five tribute albums, including the Concert For George Harrison.  REM had released Reveal, Around the Sun, a greatest hits album, a remix album of previous songs, three EPs that promoted one of the other releases or a tour for the greatest hits album and five more Christmas songs.  And Bruce Springsteen had released The Rising, a live album, a greatest hits album and appeared in thirteen other musical releases by people who weren't him.

And in 2008, Axl released the first part of his epic trilogy.  Except for Rush, it's probably the most recent release I've heard from any of these people.

In that time, Rush released Snakes & Ladders, three live albums and a greatest hits album.  Metallica released Death Magnetic and been on two tribute albums.  Def Leppard has released Yeah!, Songs From the Sparkle Lounge and a greatest hits album.  Tom Petty released Highway Companion, a collection of Travelling Wilburies appeared on a tribute to Fats Domino and released two albums under the new band title (from his original band) Mudcrutch.  Madonna has released Confessions on a Floor, Hard Candy, two live albums and a non-album track, "Hey You."  REM released Accelerate, two greatest hits albums, a live album, an EP to promote the live album, four Christmas songs and a tribute album for John Lennon.  And Bruce Springsteen has released Devils & Dust, We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions, Magic, appeared in eleven tribute albums or the like and more live EPs.

In 2014, G'n'R released a live album.  In 2018, they re-released Appetite For Destruction with a bunch of bonus tracks.  In 2020, they re-released the greatest hits album, adding "Shadow of Your Love" for some reason but 0 songs from Chinese Democracy.

Since then, Madonna has gotten old and surgically ugly.  She's also released three albums, MDNA, Rebel Heart and Madame X.  She's also released three live albums, a greatest hits album, one non-album song and appeared on one other song by someone else.  Def Leppard still continues doing what they do.  They have released one self-titled album, one greatest hits album, four live albums and two EPs of things which probably interest somebody.  They were never a great rock band, but were ok sometimes.  They hit a high-mark that no one would have expected and everything has been downhill since then.

Metallica has released Hardware To Self-Destruct and backed Lou Reed of all people for the album Lulu which even released a non-album single.  They have released ten live albums, including a reunion with the San Francisco orchestra, and appeared on three tribute albums.  I'm not a huge fan of Metallica but I've always respected them.  They know how to rock and they know how to come through for the fans who put them where they are.

Rush called it quits as Neil Peart was dying.  They were still able to record Clockwork Angel and released five live albums from the 21st century and three greatest hits albums.  They were obviously one of the most artistic rock bands ever.  I've always loved how they were able to change their style over the course of their career, that's what I've always gone for most in music.

Tom Petty released Mojo and Hypnotic Eye before he died as well as another Mudcrutch album.  He appeared on a tribute album to JJ Cale and released five live albums and the non-album song "Somewhere Under Heaven."  Since he died, there have been three greatest hits albums, including one from Mudcrutch.  He was basically what I said about Rush except that he didn't change his style as much.  At his best, he was one of the finest rockers of his time.  He knew where this had come from and was a strong brick in the wall to build out into the future.  He is missed.

REM quit in 2011 after releasing Collapse Into Now.  They had nothing left to do.  They had three final Christmas songs and there have been five greatest hits albums or other collections and five live albums.  I enjoyed them when I was young, that's about all I have to say about them.

Not much of a Bruce Springsteen fan either although I also liked him at his best, but a work-ethic stands out on its own.  Since Chinese Democracy came out, he's released almost as many albums as G'n'R ever has, Working on a Dream, Wrecking Ball, High Hopes, Western Stars, Letter To You, and a movie soundtrack.  Four greatest hits collections, an EP of non-album tracks, fifteen appearances on others' works, an official live album and another seventy three collections of his past shows.  Two of them have come out in 2021!

So I've counted them up.  The total albums are:
Tom Petty:  15, counting the Travelling Wilburies, Mudcrutch and backing Johnny Cash
Bruce Springsteen:  14
Madonna:  13
Metallica:  10
REM:  9
Rush:  8
Def Leppard:  8
G'n'R:  6

Non-album song releases.  This is iffy since I'm not bothering to count b-sides, there's a valid point of bands recording a tribute song, I'm not counting any songs added to best-of collections, just trying to be as simple as possible.  This is already taking long enough:
REM:  24, it's all those Christmas songs to the fans.
Madonna:  3
Tom Petty:  2
G'n'R:  2
Metallica:  1
Def Leppard:  1
Bruce Springsteen:  1
Rush:  0  Their first single was a non-album track but I have limited this to G'n'R's existence since nothing else matters.

Live albums:
Bruce Springsteen:  82+
Metallica:  12
Ruch:  11
REM:  6
Tom Petty:  5
Madonna:  5
Def Leppard:  4
G'n'R:  2

Greatest hits albums or other compilations of pre-released work:
REM:  15
Rush:  8
Tom Petty:  7, counting the collections of Mudcrutch and the Travelling Wilburies.
Bruce Springsteen:  6
Madonna:  5
Def Leppard:  5
G'n'R:  1
Metallica:  0  That's right, Metallica doesn't want to collect their songs so they don't.  They recorded the first live album with an orchestra as a way to get around the record company's request.

Appearing on someone else's work, whether it's contributing to a tribute album, jamming with someone else, whatever:
Bruce Springsteen:  58
Tom Petty:  20
Metallica:  9
REM:  2
Madonna:  1
G'n'R:  1
Def Leppard:  1 - I'm not counting the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert but I am counting them backing Taylor Swift.  Go figure...
Rush:  0

Other stuff:
Bruce Springsteen has contributed to 5 movie soundtracks.
Rush has released 1 EP of music not heard elsewhere, a bunch of covers that was neat when I bought it but probably haven't heard since.
REM:    3 EPs that look like they're basically advertising for a full album of the same stuff.  It's just my speculation but that makes sense.

So notice who comes in at or near the bottom of every single list, the one who has been saying that they're making brilliant new music day in and day out and we'll be permitted to hear it eventually.  Can you be more opposite to what music actually is and how it works?

Obviously the results would be different if I was including Slash, Duff and Izzy, but Guns'n'Roses left them just like it did the rest of us.