Publications extremely common in EE?

[swannsway]

Of course last minute applications are sending me on a tail-spin of insecurity and confusion. 

I don't have an engineering background, but my research has primarily been in info theory/machine learning. I don't have any publications, just one paper in review and another in the works. However, it seems like A LOT of schools seem to emphasize "an established publication record", and professors I've contacted have also asked me for "a few representative papers" or "no more than 3 papers" as if I've got plenty under my belt. 

So, what the heck? For people who are EE pure bloods - is it a norm to have many conference papers, and have I just been resting on my laurels this whole time?