Top 40 Pop Artists of All Time

[aaflyer98]

Hey everyone! Check this out. It's an opinion Piece about the most essential artists to get to know.mbased on sales success and the tests of time On the artists music. Look who's at #3!

http://top40.about.com/od/top10lists/tp/top40popartistsalltime.htm

 

[arthowson]

…not sure that Robbie Williams would beat out the "3 - B's"

 

[Jeff]

It's interesting that what we've known from first note is being acknowledged 451/2 years later. I literally get warm fuzzies hearing Karen get just desserts.

 

[Portlander]

Go Carpenters!

 

[byline]

Great to see the Carpenters placed so high, and praised so highly, on this list! Interesting choice for No. 1, though. I remember Take That; another one of those "Where are they now?" one-hit wonders. After seeing his name atop this list, I watched a couple of Robbie Williams videos and appreciate that he's contributed a good deal more, musically, since leaving the group. However, I don't think his body of work merits that kind of recognition. Just me, though. I don't see Depeche Mode on the list. I'd put them at No. 1 well before Williams.

 

[Actorman]

I remember Take That; another one of those "Where are they now?" one-hit wonders.

Admittedly, Take That can be considered a one-hit wonder in the US ("Back For Good," #7 in 1995) but they are far from that in the rest of the world. They have had over two dozen hit singles (including 11 #1s) and 7 #1 albums in the UK alone, the most recent one being in 2011. They were the 5th highest-earning musical act in the world in 2012 according to Forbes magazine. They've won 8 BRIT awards (out of 15 nominations) including 4 for "Best Single." They set a record for the fastest-selling tour in the history of the UK in 2009 (The Circus Live Tour) which they then broke in 2011 (The Progress Live Tour). In total, they have sold over 35 million records worldwide with hits in over 30 different countries. They are currently finishing a new album which is set for release in 2015.

Robbie Williams, as a solo artist, has had 11 #1 albums (every studio album except for one which peaked at #2) and 32 Top 20 singles (7 #1s) in the UK. He has six of the Top 100 biggest selling albums of all time in the UK and has sold over 57 million records worldwide. He also holds the records for winning the most BRIT Awards in history with a total of 17 (12 for solo work, 5 with Take That) and the most ECHO Awards (German equivalent of the Grammys) with 12.

I'm actually a big fan of both (as you can probably tell). It's really a shame that they (and Kylie Minogue as well) have never been able to achieve the same success in America that they have in the rest of the world.

 

[arthowson]

To think that the Karen had the number 1 album in American and placed so high overall in the world, speaks volumes for both her and Richard's work.

 

[GaryAlan]

A bit sideways of this thread, but still under the rubric/auspices of top pop artist !

The 1st Annual American Music Awards was televised on ABC February 19, 1974.
Recall:
Carpenters won for Favorite Pop Group/Duo.
Paul Williams accepted the award for them, as they were touring in Europe.

Not only were they in Europe whilst this show, about the public's favorite American Music, was being televised,
they also were absent of a new album for 1974, and offered " I Won't Last A Day Without You".
July 1974 was the Boston Pops TV Show, which I have not seen in its entirety, but didn't Richard "make his orchestral debut" then?
1974 also gave us the Cover of the Rolling Stone Carpenters' issue.
Any connection between these circumstances and the cloud that was soon to hover over their career in the Unites States?
They were presenters at the February 18,1975 American Music Awards Show, Karen noticeably thinner. (She looked terrific on the Como Special).
And, Karen is quoted as saying how bad of shape Richard was during the Horizon sessions
--which presumably was unfinished in February.

In other words, 1974 seems to be the watershed year when a confluence of factors cast a dark spell over the duo.