Yes, this is very odd. I feel for Leona's fans. Joe, on the other hand, is about to record album No.4 but, of course, he has moved away from Syco and is signed to a better label.

Problem with Leona is that she's too nice. She needs to be more assertive towards getting her own way. Move record labels and make music with the same message as Kelly Clarkson.

It is annoying waiting, but I would rather Leona took her time and created a solid album rather than rush an album out each year. I want quality over quantity.

And it has only been two and a bit years since her last album, which really isn't that long.

This years gonna be #6 isn't it? and Her albums dont sell that well and she is showing no sign of giving up music and is still making them?

I think 12 is a bit of a high number as not many artists have reached 12 including artists who have been going for 30/40 years, for example Paul Simon released his 12th studio album last year.
I think to have a long career perhaps 8-10 but it's quality not quantity.
Rihanna for example is a great singles artist but not for the collective albums, as mentioned above she is churning out albums like she's been given a due date of when it's all going to end or something.

Madonna is about to release #12 - 30 years in the biz
Kylie is releasing an Abbey Road orchestral GH and a new album - dunno if the GH counts as a studio album - but she has been in the studio - if so, that album 12 and 13 this year....after 25 years

She's recorded 9 studio albums. Her previous management refused to count her first two (Magia and Peligro) as studio albums, as they're not Sony albums, but her new management Roc Nation counts them.

So officially, she's recording her 10th album.

The guy I saw recently in concert has released his 31st album! Although he has had a 40 year career (albeit with a break from recording and performing due to battling depression).

Think Will Young will reach album 12, he's a real talent.

Olly i dont think Will. Jessie J won't. Adele will continue being massive but album 12 from her could be decade's off she takes huge gaps inbetweenthem.

True.
But they made the right choice.
She would have flopped last year. They're gonna have to put her in the right route this year so she doesn't flop, i.e some attention ITV documentary, X Factor performances,a ballad.

Clearly Syco paniced when 'Collide' underperformed.

You can't really say 4 though Gill P, I think only his first can be classed as a studio album, #2 was a covers album and #3 was just a Christmas covers album.
Will his next album have any input from himself apart from him recording it? I'd like to hear some good new original songs from him in the future.

No, a Greatest Hits is not a studio album, just a compilation of previous released songs from several studio albums.

However, I would count I'm Breathless as a studio album not a soundtrack album and should count toward Madonna's album count.

Well she HAS re-recorded every song with an orchestra- I think when the singer goes into the studio it is a studio album. Kylie overtakes Madonna

But if you include I'm Breathless and Something to Remember (which contained new recordings too) Madonna is up to 14!

Gaga. She most certainly will, everyone has to remember that she trained and studied to be what she is. She's very very intelligent, and as long as the music is good and she NEVER ever does what she did in the BTW album period (ie putting out one single (Judas) and then cannibalising it with single 3). She has the potential to hit Madonna's overall sales in about 10 years.

Rihanna will, but her album sales will get lower IMO, if she keeps doing this album a year thing. I'm a fan, but it's getting irritated, i.e WFL could've been a global summer party hit (which would've helped her album sell more, and become her first chart topping one).

Not sure about Jessie. She doesn't seem to have the star quality aspect IMO. She can sing, and write songs, but I don't know what's special about her ability itself.

Not sure about Katy Perry. She might, but I wouldn't bet on it.

I think leona and Alexandra have every chance, but leona never will if she stays with syco, or if she lets them be the artist instead, compare it to Labrinth, the man is never disturbed and they bend to him (which all labels should do IMO).

Bearing this in mind, you don't need 12 albums. Whitney didn't have 7, and she had mega sales and influence in her career. Whereas Mariah and Madonna have had lots of albums.

We're in an artistic albums age, it's not like the 50s/60s where 98% of albums weren't artistic and only sold 1m nationwide (US sales) at best. The Supremes are an example of this.

..They all thought Lisa Stansfield would sell and outlast Madonna..she didn't, they all thought Gwen Steffani would outlast and outsell Madonna..she didn't..they all thought Ti..I mean Britney would outsell and outlast Madonna..she didn't..they all thought Amy would too..we all know the rest of that story...

What makes people think Gaga or Rihanna will? especially considering how ruthless this industry is today, one tiny thing she does is going to be leaped on & attacked by the media like a pack of rabid Hyenas.

To be honest I think even Beyonce's time is almost up, she is another baby away from becoming irrelevant.

Madonna unlike Gaga was an authentic rags to riches story, she genuinely went to America with nothing and her image/style was all raw...it wasn't created for her by Sony (who also paid for Gaga's extensive cosmetic surgery) gaga is essentially a product created & marketed like a new Playstation.

With Madonna the look, the image and style..it was all her and from the heart and fans reacted to this and still do.

I was talking of a common or garden Greatest Hits. Not rerecordings of old songs. 'Greatest Hits' collections, aren't albums per se are they. Just old material compiled.

Therefore Kate Bush's Director's Cut counts towards her albums count, but The Whole Story does not.

I would certainly count I'm Breathless but not STR which is 70-80% old material.

Still can't understand why a brand new album of 11 songs (12 if you count Vogue) isn't added towards her album count.

I don't the count Kylie re-recording so with the new one later this year Kylie is on 12....and Breathless is known as a soundtrack and most if not ALL GH have 1 or 2 new tracks and aren't counted so Summat t'remember is NOT canon. So come the end of the year/world (it is 2012!) both Queens have the same amount of studio albums

It's not really a soundtrack album as it was a brand new collection of songs especially recorded. It's also has a lot of songs not included in the film.

I think it's possibly not included because it's not really a Madonna pop album and looks uneven between Like A Prayer and Erotica. But it is a bonafide album.

With no hit singles Beyonce sold nearly 3m copies of 4. How is that not relevant, she wasn't even trying with this album at all. And Katy Perry sold just over 4m with Teenage dream and 5 big singles. They'll be around. gaga can do it alone, rihanna can't. That's the difference, even Katy could. She co-writes.

i agree, only 3 songs were used in the film, this collection of songs was `inspired` by the film. this was not a soundtrack, since the proper soundtrack was released separately.

I'd forgotten that. Also the very fact album is called 'I'm Breathless' separates it from being a soundtrack album.

It's a very underrated and cute album. Madonna should have released it under the name 'Breathless Mahoney' - perhaps even recorded a couple follow up albums under that name on the side.

She had a nose job, not a full body barbie-ing.I'd hazard a guess it either came from Daddy or from her money she got from the record company just like everyone else gets money.

Who cares about rags to riches? Madonna certainly hasn't been at the rags end for quite a while. Nor has she been at any kind of musical peak.

It all comes down to who can make the public buy the music. Gaga's managed it so far in a relatively short career - and the difference between her and all the others before her who were going to be the next big thing is that she's doing it - she's had a phenomenal album, record breaking tour, she's already breaking records with her next tour which is only her 2nd headline tour ever. She's matching up to the figures of people like Madonna already by selling out stadiums worldwide in a matter of minutes.

Britney/Gwen etc didn't have that. They had an appeal to a very young teen female market - Gaga appeals to all ages and tours extensively. She's well educated in her field.

It's basically like comparing dentists. Just because one's been around for ages and had loads of clients, it doesn't mean they're better than the one who's been around a couple of years, has the best equipment and has been educated to the best level available.

except `vogue` struck out like a sore thumb, but not in a bad way. a lot of artists sometimes have lucrative sideline albums with big band, jazz, swing influences and she proved quite successful with this musical detour. what is impressive though, is the album is made up with original material. as opposed to other artists dipping their toes into big band with a covers album.