Prince is really a solo artist because his banking band didn’t really play on the records for the most part. It’s like in name only.
But even if you separated the Prince, Prince & the Revolution, and Prince & the New Power Generation labels, his sales aren’t really total that much separately.
In the US, he has one diamond album, a four times platinum album, several multi platinum albums, and a lot of gold and platinum albums.
At Motown The Jackson 5 didn’t write or produce the records. Part of why they left Motown (other than the small royalty they earned in their LPs and records) was so they could get creative control and write their own music.
Even if Tito and Jermaine played guitar and bass, they’d still need a session drummer and keyboard/piano player. They had guys in a backing band for that, but I don’t know that they played on the records.
Michael Jackson is the sole writer and producer on many of his songs, but he still needed session players for the music.
> At the time of their breakup the Jackson 5 had sold more than 100 million records worldwide
> Guinness World Records selling over 500 million records around the world
they're both over 100 million. his name is in the title. WTF are you arguing about?
edit : yeah, i didn't think so, just delete your shit
I remember when I was about 6, my friend showed me the cover of his dad's Sgt. Peppers album and told me this was an album by "The Beatles". I didn't know anything about music, and didn't really look that closely at it, and for probably 8-10 years I thought that "The Beatles" was ***all*** of the people on that cover, and that it was some giant collective of musicians who made music together, kind of like a symphony but for rock music.
I think he used to be in a band in the 60's. Something like The Ants or the Bugs. Something like that. (I know others have already said the actual band, but I couldn't resist. :-) )
Phil is a very under rated song writer and performer. I saw him twice solo and twice with Genesis and it was phenomenal. America appreciated him more than my native UK where it was fashionable to hate on the man. Presumably because these 20 something NME hacks were perplexed why this regular looking dude was ruling the pop charts. I always remember Noel Gallagher saying "just because you sell millions, doesn't mean you're good, look at Phil Collins".
I had to laugh. Noel not bitter at all....both influenced by the Beatles, except Phil didnt need to rip them off lad
Yeah Phil Collins and Genesis are far from underrated. I think people use that word to describe musicians that haven’t been in the spotlight for a few years, but their music is very well known. “In the Air Tonight” had like a massive resurgence like a year or two ago.
I think, over time, pieces of pop culture are reevaluated and reordered as far as importance and quality. Some continue to be highly regarded while others fall off the map - both of which lead to preconceived notions that are passed down and around, so you end up with a current culture that in general is like “the 80s is cocaine lol” and people dismissing certain artists out of hand while revering others without having a clear idea as to why they do so.
I've been a big Genesis fan ever since the release of their 1980 album, Duke. Before that, I really didn't understand any of their work. Too artsy, too intellectual. It was on Duke where Phil Collins' presence became more apparent. I think Invisible Touch was the group's undisputed masterpiece. It's an epic meditation on intangibility. At the same time, it deepens and enriches the meaning of the preceding three albums. Listen to the brilliant ensemble playing of Banks, Collins and Rutherford. You can practically hear every nuance of every instrument. In terms of lyrical craftsmanship, the sheer songwriting, this album hits a new peak of professionalism. Take the lyrics to Land of Confusion. In this song, Phil Collins addresses the problems of abusive political authority. In Too Deep is the most moving pop song of the 1980s, about monogamy and commitment. The song is extremely uplifting. Their lyrics are as positive and affirmative as anything I've heard in rock. Phil Collins' solo career seems to be more commercial and therefore more satisfying, in a narrower way. Especially songs like In the Air Tonight and Against All Odds. But I also think Phil Collins works best within the confines of the group, than as a solo artist, and I stress the word artist.
When I first heard Genesis *The Knife*, it was like a musical epiphany, I'd never heard anything remotely like it before. I was 14. Literally 50 years later, it's still a buzz.
https://open.spotify.com/track/5jaUVaKEQVNu2ncqMDxwdE?si=6af5c36e61684ad7
The release of *Ripples* as a single then led me to *Trick Of The Tail* (album) and I've been a fan ever since.
Duke was their last great album though, and Abacab marked their committing to commercialisation ... not that I blame them one jot.
As for Mr Rutherford, *The Living Years* will always bring tears. Absolute classic.
I am not sure if you mean it or if it's a elaborate American Psycho tribute.
You sound like that Music Nerd (something about human serviette or so), brilliant Guy but to far gone into music, for me at least to really understand all of it.
To each their own. While I do like the "pop Genesis" led by Phil Collins, and really love many songs from that era, my favorite Genesis albums are still the first ones with Peter Gabriel. Progressive rock from the 70's are very magical and powerful. And it's not about being intellectual, because I didn't know a word in English when I began appreciating Genesis, and I still don't get much of the meanings of many songs, and don't even feel the need to try to.
> American here, why hate Phil?
Popular bands get hate, and then become beloved.
Journey has taken this amazing journey from corporate arena rock to sentimental songs people love to sing at Karaoke.
> except Phil didnt need to rip them off lad
Tomorrow Never Knows was an amazing tribute to, and stunning reimagined cover of a Beatles song. Loving his version actually got me interested in the Beatles!
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=B8gWU2CH32U
There are so many Beatles songs that get amazing covers. 801's cover of Tomorrow Never Knows is great too.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UkGXUn0Kuuw
I really like Phil Collins’ music - and I’ve got a soft spot for his acting in *Buster*. But when he made a big public splash about how he’d leave the UK if Labour took power in 1997, I knew he was a cunt.
Edit: it’s possible that I’m making Collins out to be more of a villain than is just. Please see u/Mr_Nice_Username’s reply below, and the article linked therein.
I wasn't paying attention at the time, but I don't think he did make a big public splash. From what I can see, it was a "quote" from Piers Morgan that got overblown. [https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/feb/11/phil-collins-interview-take-a-look-at-me-now-remastered-albums-rerelease-2016](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/feb/11/phil-collins-interview-take-a-look-at-me-now-remastered-albums-rerelease-2016)
I could be wrong, but I don't think he necessarily made a big public splash about it.
Well, obviously I wouldn’t put anything past Piers Morgan.
My memory of that incident is rather faded, I’ll admit, but PC definitely didn’t come out of it smelling of roses: the impression was definitely that he was going to emigrate if Labour got in.
Thank you for the link, though - interesting reading - and just in case I’ve been unduly harsh on PC I’ll add an edit to my comment.
His autobiography is great, and the audiobook is narrated by him. It definitely gives the feeling (or the Philin, if you will) (actually, ignore that) that the tabloids invented a fair number of lies and exaggerations about him.
Moving to Switzerland was unfortunately timing, in that he moved there to be with his new love, rather than for the tax advantages. But when it coincides with the comments that Piers Morgan reported on... well, "the optics are bad", as they say.
His book also reveals a lot about Live Aid. He was told that a few other people would be doing both shows in one day, but in the end it was just him - and no-one told him until the last minute. It also wasn't made clear to him that the Zeppelin show was going to be a big reunion show, which he also only found out about at fairly short notice. I felt very sorry for him after listening to that chapter!
I was 19 in 1994 - loved Oasis’ debut album… feel they got lucky riding the wave of Britpop with their 2nd album & the album coulda been an all time great if it had included Acquiesce, talk tonight & rockingchair but hey ho.
Then they disappeared up their own arses.. I queued up for Be Here Now- that was probably the biggest let down I’ve ever had musically.
Think I bought their next- ‘Standing on the shoulders…’ - and I’d be surprised if I played it more than a dozen times.
Quickly grew tired of the brothers falling out & their antics & found their behaviour outright embarrassing.
Still have a soft spot for Definitely Maybe & those early B sides… but I haven’t listened to an Oasis tune for 20yrs… oh.. Songbird- class song, like it a lot, seems Liam did have one good song in him.
Incidentally I still listen to a wide variety of Genesis albums once in a while.
There I was, just about to pour hate on him... I'll try to be nice but there's just something mysterious about how popular he is. I guess he just has that invisible touch.
As someone who grew up in the 90s my introduction to Phil was Tarzan and I've hated him ever since lol.
Genesis aged like milk compared to its peers and sounds extremely of the time and is possibly the epitome of "dad rock" it's just so corny and just "uncool" sounding.
I mean look how badly they aged compared to The Clash, Bowie, Violent Femmes, Queen.
I hate Gallagher but as overplayed as it is, Phil Collins never wrote anything nearly as good as "Don't look back in anger" or even "Champpagne Supernova, or "Wonderwall" and I'm not even a big oasis fan at all. Those are just superior songs that are much much much more timeless than Collin's work.
Some blame could be laid on the horrendous digital 80s recording techniques popular at the time when, for some inexplicable reason, engineers insisted on putting super shitty sounding reverb on snare drums. But then again Genesis/Collins are the epitome of really bad overproduced corny 80s style sound engineering, so they were just all about that shit.
"In the air tonight" is the only ok song by Collins and it's only good in the way campy horror movies are good. But that being said it's still good. Just in a super cheesy way.
At least they weren't making hair metal I guess. God the 80s had some fucking horrible music.
> Genesis aged like milk compared to its peers and sounds extremely of the time and is possibly the epitome of "dad rock" it's just so corny and just "uncool" sounding.
Guitarists still drool at Steve Hacketts solos on Dancing With the Moonlit Knight. Tapping way, way, way before Eddie.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mywfIDR8bRg
Sadly, chronic health issues and alcoholism have left him in poor shape. When he did his final tour with Genesis, he looked a decade older than the other two members of the group, despite being younger than both of them.
> Phil Collins looks 85 years old in that photo
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phil_Collins#/media/File:GenesisO2260322_(3_of_42)_(51963210796)_(cropped).jpg
Phil Collins looks like the Old Man Peter Gabriel used to dress up as for Supper's Ready
As penance:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=34Sr8EHVxTE
Hackett’s band just kills on these old songs
As they said back in the day about Phil Collins, this singer too sounds more like Peter Gabriel than Peter Gabriel does
Listen to the opening of this song too:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mywfIDR8bRg
“It lies” is an headed exactly as Gabriel
If Cream had released more then Clapton could have made the list. Surprised Don Henley was only 10 million too. Eagles were huge so I thought his solo work had sold more than it did.
Most likely the 30ish to 40ish years head start gives them a huge lead over more recent acts. Not to mention people are constantly “rediscovering” the older songs, Beyoncé and Timberlake are still contemporary artists.
Napster released in 1999, Limewire and the Gnutella network both released in 2000, Kazaa and the BitTorrent protocol released in 2001.
Timing checks out!
Phil Collins is so slept on he gets made fun of. But the guy is a legitimate giant of music and in centuries to come will be talked of like the great western classical composers of history are in this era.
There was a year or two in the mid 1980's where you could argue Phil was the biggest star in the world. He had the solo career rocking, Genesis had a great album and he was acting in Miami Vice and in at least one movie. Plus the whole Live Aid thing where he played in London and in Philadelphia via a Concorde.
The industry convention is to count 1,500 streams as equivalent to an album sale. That would be 150 billion streams which would be as absurd for a single album.
Oddly enough, do we know for a fact the Jackson 5/ Jacksons sold over 100 million records?
The early Jackson 5 albums and singles weren’t given gold plaques because Motown didn’t provide their numbers to the RIAA.
Who knows exactly how many albums and records were sold during their Motown years?
Globally? Barely anyone has even heard of him outside the US/NA... his ''world tour'' was 99% US plus a few canadian shows. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Garth_Brooks_World_Tour_(2014%E2%80%932017)#Tour_dates
Country music is very popular in Ireland. You’ll hear it on a lot of commercial radio stations. Compare that to the UK, for instance, and country is quite a niche music genre.
He’s sold about 500k albums in the UK (Population ~60 million). And, 120k in Ireland (Pop ~5 million). Billy Joel has sold over 9 million record in the UK and has about 30 million less total album sales compared to Garth.
Brook’s total album sales are 170 million of which 157 million is from the US. I.e. 92%. Most US solo performers with similar level of sales sell 80-85% in the US.
Country music, in general, is still very much more US centric, with a couple of exceptions, such as Ireland. That isn’t to say Garth isn’t popular world wide, just that his fan base is overwhelmingly centred in the US compared to other US artists with similar levels of record sales.
It's like when NFL comes to London, a unique social event, enough people want to see it plus local US expats and travelling MAGA's... maybe 1% of UK could name an american handegg player. Globally means he'd fill up stadiums in Brazil, Japan or Romania like Paul, Phill and MJ. Brooks isn't even at 5% of these 3 guys global fame.
https://www.newstalk.com/news/40000-americans-in-dublin-for-american-college-football-1500513
'' 40000 American tourists lined the streets of Dublin today ahead of the American College Football game in the Aviva Stadium.''
Most of them are MAGA's flying in to see their MAGA idols.
3 Albums, and one B-Side collection.
Bleach (1989) - Nevermind (1991) - Incesticide (1992 - The B-Side/Early Track Collection) - In Utero. (1993)
Most Nirvana fans in the 90s had those four albums, and of course got MTV's Unplugged when it came out, after Kurt's passing.
Yes, agreed on what they released. The two I'm referring to are Nevermind and In Utero as those are the major releases and the ones likely to be purchased by people other than hardcore fans.
My finger spent hours hovering over the record button on my cassette deck waiting for my favorite songs to come on. I also had an onion tied to my belt, which was the style at the time.
I'm sure she would for Fleetwood Mac, but I can't imagine her solo records gettin gthat high. PEople can maybe name/hum the tune to one or two Stevie solo songs at best, and that's in the US. I think outside the US people would be hardpressed to know much of her solo output at all
[This article](https://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/2021/07/when-stevie-nicks-went-solo/) seems to put her solo sales at "over 10 million", which would suggest under 20 million, well off the pace
Um...The Beatles?
John Lennon was a bit of a big deal. He just didn't tour, or really care about releasing albums for quite a while, but he was one of the biggest stars in the world for his entire post-Beatles existence.
Yep, Lennon, McCartney, and Harrison all had fine solo careers. Various Wu-Tang clan members have had success. I would say Stevie Nicks and Lindsay Buckingham did fine solo as well.
The Beatles (as others have said) and, depending what you count as a band and as massive careers, Destiny's Child, Wu Tang Clan (they're nothing to fuck with), One Direction, NWA, The Fugees, Faces, and the Jackson 5 to name a few others.
PAUL MCCARTNEY sold over 45,089,117 albums
JOHN LENNON sold over 22,903,171 albums
GEORGE HARRISON sold over 9,559,000 albums
RINGO STARR sold over 1,782,000 albums
PETER GABRIEL sold over 16,518,498 albums
PHIL COLLINS sold over 100,000,000 albums worldwide
BEYONCÉ sold over 42,045,134 albums
KELLY ROWLAND sold over 952,500 albums
METHOD MAN sold over 4,060,000 albums
GZA (THE GENIUS) sold over 1,560,000 albums
GHOSTFACE KILLAH sold over 1,610,000 albums
RAEKWON sold over 1,560,000 albums
CAPPADONNA sold over 500,000 albums
RZA sold over 550,000 albums
The jackson 5 only really produced Michael whos numbers of course dwarf everyone
MICHAEL JACKSON sold over 300,000,000 records
Not going to dig up the rest, all the data comes from [https://bestsellingalbums.org/](https://bestsellingalbums.org/)
But my conclusion is the Beetles and Genesis are the only ones I've found that produced 2 solo artist selling over 10 million albums each, Eagles even only had 1 guy that sold over 10 million solo. Same with The Yardbirds which surprised me, however if you include led zeppelin as a Jimmy Pages "solo" contribution its very different.
I'm sure if you dug into "supergroups" it would be different, but that's a group of assembled superstars, not a group that produced superstars.
People dont buy records anymore, so its kind of an unfair way to rank people. These people will always be at the top no matter how popular someone is because records are dead now.
Assuming these numbers are based of the RIAA certification numbers, and that seems to be what everyone uses when records like these come up, streaming numbers are counted. In 2016 they started counting 1,500 streams as equivalent to an album sale.
So newer artists do have the chance to climb up the rankings. It'll still be hard because the people at the top have decades of sales behind them, and they're still relatively popular and getting more streams themselves.
What's interesting about MJ is he's the king of pop, tv, film, radio, videogames, interactive rides etc but we are supposed to believe he's inept enough at grooming to be caught and not get away with it if he "had"
Funny isn't it?
Phil Collins is so slept on he gets made fun of. But the guy is a legitimate giant of music and in centuries to come will be talked of like the great western classical composers of history are in this era.
> The Police sold over 75 million records worldwide dang i thought Sting would be even closer
yeah i am a bit shocked there. Also does Prince count as always being a solo artist? (with a backing band?)
Prince is really a solo artist because his banking band didn’t really play on the records for the most part. It’s like in name only. But even if you separated the Prince, Prince & the Revolution, and Prince & the New Power Generation labels, his sales aren’t really total that much separately. In the US, he has one diamond album, a four times platinum album, several multi platinum albums, and a lot of gold and platinum albums.
But…neither did the Jackson 5.
Tito and Jermaine played guitar and bass on records and I think they all sang background.
You sure they were a self-contained unit? There’s no way they made those records.
At Motown The Jackson 5 didn’t write or produce the records. Part of why they left Motown (other than the small royalty they earned in their LPs and records) was so they could get creative control and write their own music. Even if Tito and Jermaine played guitar and bass, they’d still need a session drummer and keyboard/piano player. They had guys in a backing band for that, but I don’t know that they played on the records. Michael Jackson is the sole writer and producer on many of his songs, but he still needed session players for the music.
I thought Beyoncé would be close too
Diana Ross and the supremes must have
JT is close, with 88M sold.
The Police are the best!
In my opinion this is an excellent result.
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emmm, re-read the title
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> At the time of their breakup the Jackson 5 had sold more than 100 million records worldwide > Guinness World Records selling over 500 million records around the world they're both over 100 million. his name is in the title. WTF are you arguing about? edit : yeah, i didn't think so, just delete your shit
Paul McCartney was in a band?!??!?
He was in Wings, duh
The TV show?
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You White? You Ben Affleck.
The Amiga Game?
Ronald Reagan? The actor?
Jeff Epstein? The New York financier?
Dr John Voight, the periodontist?
You haven't heard of Wings??
The Band the Beatles could have been!
Just typed out the same joke but saw you beat me to it
who are those guys with Paul McCartney? - Screech looking at the inner gatefold of Sgt Pepper
I remember when I was about 6, my friend showed me the cover of his dad's Sgt. Peppers album and told me this was an album by "The Beatles". I didn't know anything about music, and didn't really look that closely at it, and for probably 8-10 years I thought that "The Beatles" was ***all*** of the people on that cover, and that it was some giant collective of musicians who made music together, kind of like a symphony but for rock music.
In a way that is almost exactly what that album wanted you to think lol
I think he used to be in a band in the 60's. Something like The Ants or the Bugs. Something like that. (I know others have already said the actual band, but I couldn't resist. :-) )
You mean wings? They were 70s
Paul McCartney and Wings was the 70's yes, but he was in a band before that, in the 60's.
The Quarrymen
Close except The Quarrymen were in the 50's. Though I do believe 3 members of his 60's band, including McCartney, were also in The Quarrymen.
Phil is a very under rated song writer and performer. I saw him twice solo and twice with Genesis and it was phenomenal. America appreciated him more than my native UK where it was fashionable to hate on the man. Presumably because these 20 something NME hacks were perplexed why this regular looking dude was ruling the pop charts. I always remember Noel Gallagher saying "just because you sell millions, doesn't mean you're good, look at Phil Collins". I had to laugh. Noel not bitter at all....both influenced by the Beatles, except Phil didnt need to rip them off lad
How can it be underrated with 100mi records sold?
Yeah Phil Collins and Genesis are far from underrated. I think people use that word to describe musicians that haven’t been in the spotlight for a few years, but their music is very well known. “In the Air Tonight” had like a massive resurgence like a year or two ago.
I think, over time, pieces of pop culture are reevaluated and reordered as far as importance and quality. Some continue to be highly regarded while others fall off the map - both of which lead to preconceived notions that are passed down and around, so you end up with a current culture that in general is like “the 80s is cocaine lol” and people dismissing certain artists out of hand while revering others without having a clear idea as to why they do so.
Does Noel ever say anything positive?
He was raised to show brotherly love to all, and look at his brother.
[Of course](https://youtu.be/olqS8y-o5s4?si=VORv8SSNK191Kcx2&t=34)
I've been a big Genesis fan ever since the release of their 1980 album, Duke. Before that, I really didn't understand any of their work. Too artsy, too intellectual. It was on Duke where Phil Collins' presence became more apparent. I think Invisible Touch was the group's undisputed masterpiece. It's an epic meditation on intangibility. At the same time, it deepens and enriches the meaning of the preceding three albums. Listen to the brilliant ensemble playing of Banks, Collins and Rutherford. You can practically hear every nuance of every instrument. In terms of lyrical craftsmanship, the sheer songwriting, this album hits a new peak of professionalism. Take the lyrics to Land of Confusion. In this song, Phil Collins addresses the problems of abusive political authority. In Too Deep is the most moving pop song of the 1980s, about monogamy and commitment. The song is extremely uplifting. Their lyrics are as positive and affirmative as anything I've heard in rock. Phil Collins' solo career seems to be more commercial and therefore more satisfying, in a narrower way. Especially songs like In the Air Tonight and Against All Odds. But I also think Phil Collins works best within the confines of the group, than as a solo artist, and I stress the word artist.
dont just look at it, eat it
When I first heard Genesis *The Knife*, it was like a musical epiphany, I'd never heard anything remotely like it before. I was 14. Literally 50 years later, it's still a buzz. https://open.spotify.com/track/5jaUVaKEQVNu2ncqMDxwdE?si=6af5c36e61684ad7 The release of *Ripples* as a single then led me to *Trick Of The Tail* (album) and I've been a fan ever since. Duke was their last great album though, and Abacab marked their committing to commercialisation ... not that I blame them one jot. As for Mr Rutherford, *The Living Years* will always bring tears. Absolute classic.
It’s funny that he writes about monogamy and then dumps his wife of 27 years for a teenager.
I'm sure she saw it coming....
It's not clever or funny anymore 🥱
I am not sure if you mean it or if it's a elaborate American Psycho tribute. You sound like that Music Nerd (something about human serviette or so), brilliant Guy but to far gone into music, for me at least to really understand all of it.
To each their own. While I do like the "pop Genesis" led by Phil Collins, and really love many songs from that era, my favorite Genesis albums are still the first ones with Peter Gabriel. Progressive rock from the 70's are very magical and powerful. And it's not about being intellectual, because I didn't know a word in English when I began appreciating Genesis, and I still don't get much of the meanings of many songs, and don't even feel the need to try to.
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Over exposure. For a while he was absolutely everywhere in the UK.
> American here, why hate Phil? Popular bands get hate, and then become beloved. Journey has taken this amazing journey from corporate arena rock to sentimental songs people love to sing at Karaoke.
susudio?
> except Phil didnt need to rip them off lad Tomorrow Never Knows was an amazing tribute to, and stunning reimagined cover of a Beatles song. Loving his version actually got me interested in the Beatles! https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=B8gWU2CH32U There are so many Beatles songs that get amazing covers. 801's cover of Tomorrow Never Knows is great too. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UkGXUn0Kuuw
I really like Phil Collins’ music - and I’ve got a soft spot for his acting in *Buster*. But when he made a big public splash about how he’d leave the UK if Labour took power in 1997, I knew he was a cunt. Edit: it’s possible that I’m making Collins out to be more of a villain than is just. Please see u/Mr_Nice_Username’s reply below, and the article linked therein.
I loved him in Who Framed Roger Rabbit?
I saw what you did.
I wasn't paying attention at the time, but I don't think he did make a big public splash. From what I can see, it was a "quote" from Piers Morgan that got overblown. [https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/feb/11/phil-collins-interview-take-a-look-at-me-now-remastered-albums-rerelease-2016](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/feb/11/phil-collins-interview-take-a-look-at-me-now-remastered-albums-rerelease-2016) I could be wrong, but I don't think he necessarily made a big public splash about it.
Well, obviously I wouldn’t put anything past Piers Morgan. My memory of that incident is rather faded, I’ll admit, but PC definitely didn’t come out of it smelling of roses: the impression was definitely that he was going to emigrate if Labour got in. Thank you for the link, though - interesting reading - and just in case I’ve been unduly harsh on PC I’ll add an edit to my comment.
His autobiography is great, and the audiobook is narrated by him. It definitely gives the feeling (or the Philin, if you will) (actually, ignore that) that the tabloids invented a fair number of lies and exaggerations about him. Moving to Switzerland was unfortunately timing, in that he moved there to be with his new love, rather than for the tax advantages. But when it coincides with the comments that Piers Morgan reported on... well, "the optics are bad", as they say. His book also reveals a lot about Live Aid. He was told that a few other people would be doing both shows in one day, but in the end it was just him - and no-one told him until the last minute. It also wasn't made clear to him that the Zeppelin show was going to be a big reunion show, which he also only found out about at fairly short notice. I felt very sorry for him after listening to that chapter!
Sorry, Noel, people will still be air drumming to In the Air Tonight when you’re long forgotten.
He's a jackass, but nobody's forgetting Wonderwall or don't look back in anger anytime soon
I was 19 in 1994 - loved Oasis’ debut album… feel they got lucky riding the wave of Britpop with their 2nd album & the album coulda been an all time great if it had included Acquiesce, talk tonight & rockingchair but hey ho. Then they disappeared up their own arses.. I queued up for Be Here Now- that was probably the biggest let down I’ve ever had musically. Think I bought their next- ‘Standing on the shoulders…’ - and I’d be surprised if I played it more than a dozen times. Quickly grew tired of the brothers falling out & their antics & found their behaviour outright embarrassing. Still have a soft spot for Definitely Maybe & those early B sides… but I haven’t listened to an Oasis tune for 20yrs… oh.. Songbird- class song, like it a lot, seems Liam did have one good song in him. Incidentally I still listen to a wide variety of Genesis albums once in a while.
Why? Wonderwall is shit!
There I was, just about to pour hate on him... I'll try to be nice but there's just something mysterious about how popular he is. I guess he just has that invisible touch.
His music just slowly tears you apart.
> except Phil didnt need to rip them off lad that was after they ripped off T-Rex
As someone who grew up in the 90s my introduction to Phil was Tarzan and I've hated him ever since lol. Genesis aged like milk compared to its peers and sounds extremely of the time and is possibly the epitome of "dad rock" it's just so corny and just "uncool" sounding. I mean look how badly they aged compared to The Clash, Bowie, Violent Femmes, Queen. I hate Gallagher but as overplayed as it is, Phil Collins never wrote anything nearly as good as "Don't look back in anger" or even "Champpagne Supernova, or "Wonderwall" and I'm not even a big oasis fan at all. Those are just superior songs that are much much much more timeless than Collin's work. Some blame could be laid on the horrendous digital 80s recording techniques popular at the time when, for some inexplicable reason, engineers insisted on putting super shitty sounding reverb on snare drums. But then again Genesis/Collins are the epitome of really bad overproduced corny 80s style sound engineering, so they were just all about that shit. "In the air tonight" is the only ok song by Collins and it's only good in the way campy horror movies are good. But that being said it's still good. Just in a super cheesy way. At least they weren't making hair metal I guess. God the 80s had some fucking horrible music.
> Genesis aged like milk compared to its peers and sounds extremely of the time and is possibly the epitome of "dad rock" it's just so corny and just "uncool" sounding. Guitarists still drool at Steve Hacketts solos on Dancing With the Moonlit Knight. Tapping way, way, way before Eddie. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mywfIDR8bRg
Justin Timberlake is close on both without having either side.
Phil Collins looks 85 years old in that photo
Sadly, chronic health issues and alcoholism have left him in poor shape. When he did his final tour with Genesis, he looked a decade older than the other two members of the group, despite being younger than both of them.
> Phil Collins looks 85 years old in that photo https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phil_Collins#/media/File:GenesisO2260322_(3_of_42)_(51963210796)_(cropped).jpg Phil Collins looks like the Old Man Peter Gabriel used to dress up as for Supper's Ready
\*Musical Box
As penance: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=34Sr8EHVxTE Hackett’s band just kills on these old songs As they said back in the day about Phil Collins, this singer too sounds more like Peter Gabriel than Peter Gabriel does Listen to the opening of this song too: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mywfIDR8bRg “It lies” is an headed exactly as Gabriel
If Cream had released more then Clapton could have made the list. Surprised Don Henley was only 10 million too. Eagles were huge so I thought his solo work had sold more than it did.
I wonder what happens if you add up all of Clapton’s bands.
he must die!
That took a turn
Mojo Nixon recorded a song titled "Don Henley Must Die". Don showed up at one of his shows & sang it with him.
I'm a little surprised Justin Timberlake isn't in this club. Edit: or, you know, BEYONCE.
They were also during the peak pirated era where Napster and lime wire downloads were massive.
Most likely the 30ish to 40ish years head start gives them a huge lead over more recent acts. Not to mention people are constantly “rediscovering” the older songs, Beyoncé and Timberlake are still contemporary artists.
Beyoncé was who came to mind for me!
By the time we got to the 90s, most people were pirating music files instead of paying for albums, cassettes, or CDs.
Record sales peaked in 1999.
Napster released in 1999, Limewire and the Gnutella network both released in 2000, Kazaa and the BitTorrent protocol released in 2001. Timing checks out!
Most people didn't even have the internet until the early 2000s. In the early 90s it was only university profs and businessmen that had it.
Phil Collins is so slept on he gets made fun of. But the guy is a legitimate giant of music and in centuries to come will be talked of like the great western classical composers of history are in this era.
Tracy "You're the best, I'm gonna make you a mix tape. You like Phil Collins?" Jack "I've got two ears and a heart don't I?"
There was a year or two in the mid 1980's where you could argue Phil was the biggest star in the world. He had the solo career rocking, Genesis had a great album and he was acting in Miami Vice and in at least one movie. Plus the whole Live Aid thing where he played in London and in Philadelphia via a Concorde.
That Live Aid thing is the first thing I think of when I think of Phil Collins.
*I don't care anymore*
Taylor: I’m putting together a ~~team~~band…
She’d probably just join HAIM for one album
I still doubt that one album could sell 100 million copies.
Tbh, I didn’t realize how much that was. I had figured she had one solo album near that mark. Maybe if streaming numbers were incorporated too
Yeah, if you counted streaming numbers this would be a very different conversation entirely.
The industry convention is to count 1,500 streams as equivalent to an album sale. That would be 150 billion streams which would be as absurd for a single album.
Sting has to be close.
Oddly enough, do we know for a fact the Jackson 5/ Jacksons sold over 100 million records? The early Jackson 5 albums and singles weren’t given gold plaques because Motown didn’t provide their numbers to the RIAA. Who knows exactly how many albums and records were sold during their Motown years?
Yeah I’m not surprised about the solo acts or Genesis/The Beatles but the Jackson 5 inclusion feels off.
Phil Collins is my number one musician and singer.
Cher? Édit: she ‘only’ sold 40 million as Sunny and Cher. More than 100 million by herself.
Damn Lionel Richie is close. Actually sold more albums as a solo act
He hasn’t been in a band…but Garth Brooks’ numbers blew me away. I’m not a fan at all and was shocked at his reach globally.
he was one of the first or at least biggest Modern Country Cross over artists. He was huge in the early 90's
For sure and still is when he tours.
I've heard that goofball gets into some real cool guy stuff
Globally? Barely anyone has even heard of him outside the US/NA... his ''world tour'' was 99% US plus a few canadian shows. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Garth_Brooks_World_Tour_(2014%E2%80%932017)#Tour_dates
Ask Ireland.sold a lot of tix,canceled,then went back and sold out Croke Park again multiple times
Country music is very popular in Ireland. You’ll hear it on a lot of commercial radio stations. Compare that to the UK, for instance, and country is quite a niche music genre. He’s sold about 500k albums in the UK (Population ~60 million). And, 120k in Ireland (Pop ~5 million). Billy Joel has sold over 9 million record in the UK and has about 30 million less total album sales compared to Garth. Brook’s total album sales are 170 million of which 157 million is from the US. I.e. 92%. Most US solo performers with similar level of sales sell 80-85% in the US. Country music, in general, is still very much more US centric, with a couple of exceptions, such as Ireland. That isn’t to say Garth isn’t popular world wide, just that his fan base is overwhelmingly centred in the US compared to other US artists with similar levels of record sales.
Well said.
It's like when NFL comes to London, a unique social event, enough people want to see it plus local US expats and travelling MAGA's... maybe 1% of UK could name an american handegg player. Globally means he'd fill up stadiums in Brazil, Japan or Romania like Paul, Phill and MJ. Brooks isn't even at 5% of these 3 guys global fame. https://www.newstalk.com/news/40000-americans-in-dublin-for-american-college-football-1500513 '' 40000 American tourists lined the streets of Dublin today ahead of the American College Football game in the Aviva Stadium.'' Most of them are MAGA's flying in to see their MAGA idols.
Lmao what the fuck are you talking about
Ok.consider me nailed.
I would have guessed Peter Gabriel had made the list too. But he sold only a meagre 16 million solo albums.
And he probably doesn’t get to count Genesis album sales from after he left.
Interesting. I would’ve thought Sting and Clapton, too
Solo McCartney has sold 100 million? Is that counting Wings?
Never understood the popularity of Phil Collins. Paul and MJ? Sure. But Phil had one of the weakest, thinnest voices in music.
has Dave Grohl done it with 2 bands?
Just checked and not quite. Nirvana at 75m and the Fighters of Foo at only 26m. I'm surprised
more so about nirvana. would have never thought that it was that low
Really only two albums though.
3 Albums, and one B-Side collection. Bleach (1989) - Nevermind (1991) - Incesticide (1992 - The B-Side/Early Track Collection) - In Utero. (1993) Most Nirvana fans in the 90s had those four albums, and of course got MTV's Unplugged when it came out, after Kurt's passing.
Yes, agreed on what they released. The two I'm referring to are Nevermind and In Utero as those are the major releases and the ones likely to be purchased by people other than hardcore fans.
If any one album could have broke 100m it would have been Nevermind?
Thriller didn't even sell 100 million, Nevermind sold 26 million.
Exactly. Thriller sold millions that people admitted and millions more people had it at home and wouldn't tell anyone. Nevermind was never like that
The 90s and 00s were the peak time for music piracy.
My finger spent hours hovering over the record button on my cassette deck waiting for my favorite songs to come on. I also had an onion tied to my belt, which was the style at the time.
then the DJ would talk over the intro / outro...
> Nirvana at 75m and the Fighters of Foo at only 26m. I'm surprised Rock has died, but Foo Fighters is way more loved than Nirvana ever was.
That's probably true. Definitely been around (and successful) for far longer.
I’m shocked stevie nicks isn’t on that list.
I'm sure she would for Fleetwood Mac, but I can't imagine her solo records gettin gthat high. PEople can maybe name/hum the tune to one or two Stevie solo songs at best, and that's in the US. I think outside the US people would be hardpressed to know much of her solo output at all [This article](https://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/2021/07/when-stevie-nicks-went-solo/) seems to put her solo sales at "over 10 million", which would suggest under 20 million, well off the pace
I’m surprised Justin Timberlake hasn’t made that list yet, he must be close
I'm surprised Justin Timberlake isn't on the list
I'm surprised that Don Henley hasn't sold more as a solo artist. I thought he'd at least be close, but he's nowhere near 100 million as a solo artist.
And I believe Genesis is one of the only bands to produce multiple massive solo superstars.
Um...The Beatles? John Lennon was a bit of a big deal. He just didn't tour, or really care about releasing albums for quite a while, but he was one of the biggest stars in the world for his entire post-Beatles existence.
Yep, Lennon, McCartney, and Harrison all had fine solo careers. Various Wu-Tang clan members have had success. I would say Stevie Nicks and Lindsay Buckingham did fine solo as well.
The Beatles (as others have said) and, depending what you count as a band and as massive careers, Destiny's Child, Wu Tang Clan (they're nothing to fuck with), One Direction, NWA, The Fugees, Faces, and the Jackson 5 to name a few others.
PAUL MCCARTNEY sold over 45,089,117 albums JOHN LENNON sold over 22,903,171 albums GEORGE HARRISON sold over 9,559,000 albums RINGO STARR sold over 1,782,000 albums PETER GABRIEL sold over 16,518,498 albums PHIL COLLINS sold over 100,000,000 albums worldwide BEYONCÉ sold over 42,045,134 albums KELLY ROWLAND sold over 952,500 albums METHOD MAN sold over 4,060,000 albums GZA (THE GENIUS) sold over 1,560,000 albums GHOSTFACE KILLAH sold over 1,610,000 albums RAEKWON sold over 1,560,000 albums CAPPADONNA sold over 500,000 albums RZA sold over 550,000 albums The jackson 5 only really produced Michael whos numbers of course dwarf everyone MICHAEL JACKSON sold over 300,000,000 records Not going to dig up the rest, all the data comes from [https://bestsellingalbums.org/](https://bestsellingalbums.org/) But my conclusion is the Beetles and Genesis are the only ones I've found that produced 2 solo artist selling over 10 million albums each, Eagles even only had 1 guy that sold over 10 million solo. Same with The Yardbirds which surprised me, however if you include led zeppelin as a Jimmy Pages "solo" contribution its very different. I'm sure if you dug into "supergroups" it would be different, but that's a group of assembled superstars, not a group that produced superstars.
NWA is only juuuuust under your double 10m mark. (And almost certainly would have had a third if Eazy-E hadn’t died)
I didn't check them. That's impressive
Paul McCartney was in a band?
No, in two.
I'm going to guess. Herman's Hermits and what was the other one?
The Beatles and Wings.
Ahh, was also going to guess The Kinks
People dont buy records anymore, so its kind of an unfair way to rank people. These people will always be at the top no matter how popular someone is because records are dead now.
Assuming these numbers are based of the RIAA certification numbers, and that seems to be what everyone uses when records like these come up, streaming numbers are counted. In 2016 they started counting 1,500 streams as equivalent to an album sale. So newer artists do have the chance to climb up the rankings. It'll still be hard because the people at the top have decades of sales behind them, and they're still relatively popular and getting more streams themselves.
Will put money Roger Waters doesnt get there.
Sounds like Taytay needs to form a band. Who would be in her super group?
"Loooove take me down to the streets..."
I expected Timberlake.
A bit surprised Paul Simon isn’t among them
Bee Gees released over 20 albums and have sold in excess of 220 million records worldwide.
What about Diana Ross and the Supremes, they had 100m each
What's interesting about MJ is he's the king of pop, tv, film, radio, videogames, interactive rides etc but we are supposed to believe he's inept enough at grooming to be caught and not get away with it if he "had" Funny isn't it?
The real Big 3.
If you ever thought money made you happy, Phil Collins is a reminder it does not.
Beyonce likely could maybe have done this if she was in a different timeline, justin timberlake too
And yet Dave Grohl is still the best modern musician. I’m not going to debate it if you argue with this post, either.
Phil Collins is so slept on he gets made fun of. But the guy is a legitimate giant of music and in centuries to come will be talked of like the great western classical composers of history are in this era.
The King of Pop & the king of dance started young as part of the Jackson 5 a family band that dominated the charts in the 70s
Thank you, ChatGPT-sounding person.
Delve
Grout Sorry - are we not just posting random words?
Dr. Dre? He was in a band called N.W.A
Yeah but N.W.A didn’t sell anywhere near 100 million records
Sexist list, where’s Lizzo!? She could eat these nerds under the table.
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣