| Author | Message | ||
| dnburgess
Advanced Member Username: dnburgess Post Number: 385 Registered: 1-2003 |
I just bought an interesting series of books - each book covered a decade and listed the 100 best selling albums (in the UK and USA) released in that decade. Some interesting observations: The threshhold for inclusion has been rising: 60s - 500,000 70s - 2,000,000 80s - 4,100,000 90s - 6,000,000 All the more impressive given the sales figures are from release to 2004 - i.e. the older decades have had longer to make the sales. Biggest selling album: 60s - Beatles - White Album (who woulda guessed?) - 19M 70s - Pink Floyd - The Wall (ditto) - 23M 80s - Michael Jackson - Thriller (obviously) - 29.3M 90s - Shania Twain - Come on Over - 22M Now I like a well-crafted pop song as much as the next person - but Come On Over?!! Act with most albums on the top 100: 60s - Beatles (13) 70s - Led Zep (6) 80s - Madonna (4) 90s - Garth Brooks (7) I must confess ignorance about Mr Brooks contribution to music - but I have had some unavoidable exposure to the number 2 and 3 artists from the 90s - Ms Carey and Ms Dion. Sure they have great production values - but popularity wasn't always synonymous with insipid. David B. | ||
| lbpesq
Advanced Member Username: lbpesq Post Number: 366 Registered: 7-2004 |
Garth Brooks - little chubby guy with great big cowboy hat playing country music and likes to hang out with baseball teams during spring training. The real progression over the latter part of the 20th century: MUSIC > MUSIC business > MUSIC BUSINESS > music BUSINESS > BUSINESS Call me a cynic Bill, tgo | ||
| lbpesq
Advanced Member Username: lbpesq Post Number: 367 Registered: 7-2004 |
David: By the way, where does Carol King's "Tapestry" fit in? I thought it held the record for biggest seller for many years. Bill, tgo | ||
| dnburgess
Advanced Member Username: dnburgess Post Number: 386 Registered: 1-2003 |
Bill Tapestry was the 13th biggest selling album of the 70s - with sales to 2004 of around 10 million. And yes, it had 300 weeks on the charts, 15 at #1. This would have put it at about number 33 in the 90s - on equal footing with: The Spice Girls - Spice Notorious B.I.G. - Life After Death Creed - Human Clay David B. | ||
| lbpesq
Advanced Member Username: lbpesq Post Number: 368 Registered: 7-2004 |
"Tapestry" on equal footing with the the Spice Girls? The world is going to hell in a handbasket! Like I said, call me a cynic. The 60's, (which actully went from about '63 - '73), ruled. (O.K. an old cynic, or maybe just an old fart). Bill, tgo | ||
| jlpicard
Intermediate Member Username: jlpicard Post Number: 158 Registered: 7-2002 |
Well, I'm a major cynic and an old fart too, but that doesn't change that fact that people used to admire great music and musicians instead of great lip synching and image. You can listen to any music you want, It's a free country, but we are raising a generation of music illiterates who think that Ashley Simpson and Modest Mouse is great music! When it comes to this topic, I really don't care who I offend. In fact, if it stimulates discussion about music so much the better. Someone might actually learn something. OK... back off the soapbox Michael | ||
| 1stbass
Member Username: 1stbass Post Number: 97 Registered: 11-2002 |
The music business has always spoon feed people what ever they were trying to sell. But it is crazy the amount of crap that is out there and making money. (the spice girls) give me a break. Doug (Message edited by 1stbass on March 14, 2005) | ||
| son_of_magni
Intermediate Member Username: son_of_magni Post Number: 169 Registered: 1-2004 |
David, can you tell us where Miles Davis, Kind of Blue ranks? | ||
| dannobasso
Advanced Member Username: dannobasso Post Number: 228 Registered: 3-2004 |
I hope these people buy my cd! But none of us were shot, are dead, and we perform all of our material live. What chance is there? p.s. try to get xm radio, I'm currently listening to National Health! Danno www.doomtree.com | ||
| hydrargyrum
Member Username: hydrargyrum Post Number: 86 Registered: 3-2004 |
I am suprised the Pink Floyd's the Wall made the list, but not Dark Side of the Moon. I thought it still held the record for most weeks in the top 40. Maybe not. | ||
| davehouck
Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 1486 Registered: 5-2002 |
According to the RIAA as of 8/25/03, Dark Side of the Moon was number 21 in all time album sales. And I just found another source which states that as of 6/25/04, Dark Side was number 20. (Message edited by davehouck on March 15, 2005) | ||
| davehouck
Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 1487 Registered: 5-2002 |
And here is an interesting site. It's not dated, and I don't know it's sources; but it states that Dark Side worldwide is number 7, and in the UK it's number 41. | ||
| hydrargyrum
Member Username: hydrargyrum Post Number: 87 Registered: 3-2004 |
Dark side is in my opinion perhaps the most finely crafted of rock albums. It also seems like Pink Floyd kind of blundered into it. Luck and timing I suppose. I am not surprised to hear it is still high in the sales. | ||
| lbpesq
Advanced Member Username: lbpesq Post Number: 371 Registered: 7-2004 |
Has anyone else tried listening to Dark Side of the Moon while watching The Wizard of Oz with the sound off? If I remember correctly, you start DSOTM in sync with the MGM Lion's third roar at the beginning of the movie. The album and the movie actually sync up quite interestingly! Bill, tgo | ||
| dnburgess
Advanced Member Username: dnburgess Post Number: 387 Registered: 1-2003 |
Karl - Kind of Blue was released in 1959, so wasn't covered in the books that I bought. According to the RIAA site it wasn't certified Gold (500,000) until 1993, which is hard to believe - its probably just when the record company paid to have it certified, which is not an automatic process. It went Platinum (1,000,000) in 1997, double platinum in 1999, triple in 2002. Miles only other big selling albums were Bitch's Brew (Gold '76; Platinum 2003) and Sketches of Spain (Gold '93) David B. | ||
| dnburgess
Advanced Member Username: dnburgess Post Number: 388 Registered: 1-2003 |
The Wall is the best selling album released in the 70s. DSOTM is #8. Animals clocked in at #53 and Wish You Were Here (which is my persnal favourite Floyd album and IMHO a more accomplished achievement than DSOTM) was #33. All in all a pretty productive decade. David B. | ||
| dnburgess
Advanced Member Username: dnburgess Post Number: 389 Registered: 1-2003 |
Using Tapestry's sales of 10M as the benchmark, its interesting to slice across the decades. Only 5 albums released in the 60s have sold 10M or more. 3 x Beatles and 2 x Led Zep. Say no more. 70s: 13 - Carole King; Billy Joel; Van Halen;3 x Led Zep; Meat Loaf; 2 x Pink Floyd; Eagles; Saturday NF; Boston; Fleetwood Mac. 80s: 19 - Van Halen; 2 x Whitney; Lionel Ritchie; Madonna; George Michael; U2; 2 x Michael Jackson; Bon Jovi; Dirty Dancing; Def Lepard; Dire Straits; 2 x Bruce; Prince; Phil Collins; G'n'R; AC/DC. A pretty diverse bunch - but cracks definitely showing - although many could make a reasonable claim to global superstar status - some even classic albums. 90s: 37 - Spice Girls; Notorius BIG; Creed; 2 x Dixie Chicks; Green Day; Lion King; No Doubt; MC Hammer; Nirvanna; 2 x Mariah; Eric Clapton; Jewel; Kid Rock; TLC; 2 x Celine; Titanic; Boyz II Men; Matchbox 20; Pearl Jam; Kenny G; Forrest Gump; 2 x Shania; 'talica; 2 x Backstreet Boys; Britney; 3 x Garth; Santana; Hootie; Alanis; Whitney. It seemed to get a lot easier to sell a lot of albums - there aren't too many that will still be being played in 10 years time. David B. | ||
| hydrargyrum
Member Username: hydrargyrum Post Number: 88 Registered: 3-2004 |
Hey David, Wish you were here is my second favorite (followed by Echoes, which really has some questionable stuff on it). Have a Cigar and Welcome to the Machine just seem out of place on that album to me. Everything fits just right on DSOTM. Without question the production is smoother on Wish You Were Here though. An interesting side note, many people have made reference to the Wizard of Oz-DSOTM phenomenon, which I feel is an interesting set of coincidences, but nothing more. However, the final scene of Space Oddessy 2001, Jupiter and Beyond the Infinite, syncs perfectly with the song echoes. There is a high "ping" sound at the beginning of the song that should be timed to strike at the same time that the subtitle for the final scene of the movie. The combination of the two media is incredible, and they appear to be perfectly in sync. I do not think this is mere chance though, like the case of the DSOTM scenario. I recall reading in "A Saucer Full of Secrets,"the Pink Floyd biography, that Kubrick actually approached them to do the soundtrack, but they declined because they were trying to down play a science fiction band image they had acquired. Perhaps they later regretted it? | ||
| richbass939
Intermediate Member Username: richbass939 Post Number: 182 Registered: 11-2004 |
The Spice Girls? Really?? Oh, yeah. Aren't they the ones with the song that went: We can't sing and we can't dance. But we look really good in spandex pants. Garth Brooks. This is just what I believe to be a bit of an explanation not necessarily a defense. I am not much of a country music fan. There is some of it that I enjoy and appreciate musically. I think I'm remembering the Garth Brooks story correctly. Garth grew up listening to rock. He went to rock concerts. He knew that there was a lot more to seeing someone live than watching them onstage playing their songs. When he started to gain popularity and momentum in his career he started to put on stage shows that drew on what the rock acts had been doing for a long time. He wanted to entertain a new country audience that had gone to rock concerts in the past and liked a little more excitement in a show. Yes, it is more marketing that music but it is a big part of the phenomenal success that he has enjoyed. Rich | ||
| grateful
Junior Username: grateful Post Number: 21 Registered: 12-2004 |
Basically, as dear old Jer' said, the music business has nothing to do with music! LOL Mark, ago |
