Author Topic: Soap box (Read 329 times)

dnburgess · « **on:** March 12, 2005, 03:56:14 AM »

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 · « **Reply #1 on:** March 12, 2005, 07:14:34 PM »

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 · « **Reply #2 on:** March 12, 2005, 07:19:01 PM »

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 · « **Reply #3 on:** March 13, 2005, 02:17:11 AM »

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 · « **Reply #4 on:** March 13, 2005, 09:32:35 AM »

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 · « **Reply #5 on:** March 13, 2005, 05:22:12 PM »

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 · « **Reply #6 on:** March 14, 2005, 05:16:54 AM »

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 · « **Reply #7 on:** March 14, 2005, 06:20:00 AM »

David, can you tell us where Miles Davis, Kind of Blue ranks?

dannobasso · « **Reply #8 on:** March 14, 2005, 08:13:19 PM »

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 · « **Reply #9 on:** March 15, 2005, 08:36:20 AM »

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.

David Houck · « **Reply #10 on:** March 15, 2005, 08:58:35 AM »

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)

David Houck · « **Reply #11 on:** March 15, 2005, 09:18:47 AM »

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 · « **Reply #12 on:** March 15, 2005, 09:48:10 AM »

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 · « **Reply #13 on:** March 15, 2005, 06:00:23 PM »

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 · « **Reply #14 on:** March 16, 2005, 01:54:30 AM »

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.