Who are most successful artists?

Bozono · 03-04-2005, 11:29 PM

I was under the impression that Garth Brooks has sold the most albums total for a solo artist.
I've looked all over for these stats. As well, have R.E.M. sold over a 100 million records. I thought they have?

Satchmo8101 · 03-04-2005, 11:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bozono

I was under the impression that Garth Brooks has sold the most albums total for a solo artist.
I've looked all over for these stats. As well, have R.E.M. sold over a 100 million records. I thought they have?

R.E.M. have a great deal of selling ahead of them, before they even hit 25-30 million combined sales. As of Nov. 2003, their top selling recording hasn't even sold 9 million, to make the top 100 records sold.

As of Nov. 2003, the 4 top selling recordings combined only sold 99 million.

Eagles - Greatest Hits Vol. 1
Michael Jackson - Thriller
Pink Floyd - The Wall
Zeppelin - IV/Zoso/Symbols/Ruins or whatever you want to call it.

The rest of the top 100 list

http://www.classicbands.com/bestsellers.html

whiteskittlz · 03-05-2005, 12:43 AM

How the hell does Garth Brooks sell so much?..........just how big is the American heartland?

phantasmagore · 03-05-2005, 01:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Satchmo8101

The rest of the top 100 list

http://www.classicbands.com/bestsellers.html

Good lord that's depressing. How can so many people have such horrible taste? Unbelievable.

Team-Rancho · 03-05-2005, 10:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Satchmo8101

R.E.M. have a great deal of selling ahead of them, before they even hit 25-30 million combined sales. As of Nov. 2003, their top selling recording hasn't even sold 9 million, to make the top 100 records sold.

As of Nov. 2003, the 4 top selling recordings combined only sold 99 million.

Eagles - Greatest Hits Vol. 1
Michael Jackson - Thriller
Pink Floyd - The Wall
Zeppelin - IV/Zoso/Symbols/Ruins or whatever you want to call it.

The rest of the top 100 list

http://www.classicbands.com/bestsellers.html

I have no idea who compiled that list but it's either old or just incomplete.

Def Leppard have gotten the diamond-record for BOTH Pyromania AND Hysteria, yet they're only listed at 9 million. And where is Bon Jovi's Keep the Faith? And Crossroads? Both are way over 10 million, KTF probably even over 20 million considering it's sales in Europe.

And Thriller is at about 45 million worldwide. It's BY FAR the most sold album ever.

Leisure-B · 03-05-2005, 12:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by phantasmagore

Good lord that's depressing. How can so many people have such horrible taste? Unbelievable.

So right....

smorgdonkey · 03-06-2005, 12:50 PM

More on topic is this list that at least has them ranked 'by artist/band' instead of an individual album...unfortunately only U.S. sales figures too...

http://www.riaa.com/gp/bestsellers/topartists.asp

That said...Celine Dion has sold over 175 million records from 1987 to August of 2004
http://www.esctoday.com/news/read/3133
...so you can see that the list is a mere shadow of reality...

Black Dog · 03-06-2005, 02:46 PM

10 PLEASE HAMMER DON'T HURT 'EM HAMMER

I own this album on vinyl, 8 track, CD, and tape.

drsquid · 03-09-2005, 05:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by whiteskittlz

How the hell does Garth Brooks sell so much?..........just how big is the American heartland?

...I'm pretty sure it extends at least as far as Switzerland...

--drsquid

Squidquote of the moment follows:

Hail to the sun god! He sure is a fun god! Ra! Ra! Ra!

JennyH · 03-09-2005, 08:17 AM

I think the most successful artist shouldn't be measured in album sales, but how consistent their career has been and their ability to not sell out. For example, Michael Jackson is one of the biggest international pop stars of all time but his personal life is falling apart, I definitely don't consider that successful.

So the artist I believe is the most successful overall is Barbra Streisand. She's been making popular music for 40 years and walked away from the industry with her dignity and respect intact... that's more than I can say for artists these days.