Rock acts must have staying power to reach a mind-boggling 15th album. They’ve shared brilliant songs and innovative stage performances, and that in turn earned these stars a legion of loyal fans.

Accolades follow after so many records, so many tours and so many years. Almost all of these bands have been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. But there’s another side to longevity.

As you’ll see in the following ranked look back at Rock’s Top 25 15th Albums, they’ve also had plenty of adversity. By the time a 15th album arrives, bandmates and collaborators have perhaps inevitably been lost. Some have split, others have died.

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Regardless of the circumstances, their absence tends to be deeply felt in the music. Some of these figures played a big role, often very early on, as once-unknown bands rose to wider notice.

At the same time, rock acts who made it this far obviously became susceptible to a certain restlessness. The same old formula can feel understandably rote over the course of a long career. The list illustrates how willing many bands were to risk intriguing experimentation.

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There are a few others, however, who remain steadfast. They still sound like nothing if not themselves. Through it all, the results are quite varied. These aren’t always the most heralded of studio projects.

Still, there’s no denying the collective contributions to music made by every name that follows. Each slot on the list of Rock’s Top 25 15th Albums is filled with rock royalty.

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