The Greatest Pop Group of all time..?

[Snaggletooth Tiger]

"Where be Pop?": Bad Boy Bubby

[Baron Greenback]

Queen for sure.

[Mr66]

Rog - Limahl could also get a gig via his band Kajagoogoo .... "I'm too shy- shy, hush-hush ..."

Anyway, the biggest selling "pop" artists (reputedly) according to Wikipedia:
(edited out what I think are not pop)

> 500m records sold
1 The Beatles
2 Michael Jackson
200m - 499m records sold
3 ABBA
4 Celine Dion
5 Cher
6 Cliff Richard
7 Elton John
8 Madonna
9 Rod Stewart
10 The Rolling Stones

In the 100m-199m sold list we get the likes of Backstreet Boys, Bee-Gees, Billy Joel, Bon Jovi, The Carpenters, Chicago, Dire Straits, Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, Genesis, George Michael, Prince, Queen, U2, Village People

WHAT?!
No ELVIS!!!!!??
Can't be a very relibale list.

[Hondo]

Elvis is 3rd all-time behind Beatles & Bing Crosby

I edited him out trying to come up with "pop" top 10 - but if he is also "pop" then he is ahead of wacko jacko

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_best-selling_music_artists

[Mr66]

'Pop' is an abbreviation of 'popular', which by definition, makes everyone on this list 'pop' acts. Sell 100+ million records and I think you can call yourself popular.
It is a bit difficult to break down all these acts into their various muscial genres and what I find interesting is how many performers who I loathe(Dion) can sell so many records. .
It doesn't seem right that someday a couple of these acts will overtake Elvis & the Fab Four.

[CK]

Rog - Limahl could also get a gig via his band Kajagoogoo .... "I'm too shy- shy, hush-hush ..."

Anyway, the biggest selling "pop" artists (reputedly) according to Wikipedia:
(edited out what I think are not pop)

> 500m records sold
1 The Beatles
2 Michael Jackson
200m - 499m records sold
3 ABBA
4 Celine Dion
5 Cher
6 Cliff Richard
7 Elton John
8 Madonna
9 Rod Stewart
10 The Rolling Stones

In the 100m-199m sold list we get the likes of Backstreet Boys, Bee-Gees, Billy Joel, Bon Jovi, The Carpenters, Chicago, Dire Straits, Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, Genesis, George Michael, Prince, Queen, U2, Village People

WHAT?!
No ELVIS!!!!!??
Can't be a very relibale list.

There's one thing I'd query on this list also. Michael Jackson sold around 40 million copies of "Thriller" and IIRC, around 25 million copies of "Bad". I thought "Dangerous" was around 10 million, and "Off The Wall" about 15 million. That makes around 90 million records.

Seems that either he has all of the greatest selling singles of all time with another 410 million records, or this list is a fair way out (no offence, Hondo71)

[Pidge]

U2 definately. Maybe The Bee Gees. But i am too young to remember them much. What about the Beach Boys?

[Mr66]

There's one thing I'd query on this list also. Michael Jackson sold around 40 million copies of "Thriller" and IIRC, around 25 million copies of "Bad". I thought "Dangerous" was around 10 million, and "Off The Wall" about 15 million. That makes around 90 million records.

Seems that either he has all of the greatest selling singles of all time with another 410 million records, or this list is a fair way out (no offence, Hondo71)

The figures you are going by are probably the US ones.
Europe doesn't keep count of how many records are bought so they are just (calculated) guesses.

[am Bays]

Bros...

[leftlegger]

Dave Graney
'king of Pop!'

[Dissident]

'Pop' is an abbreviation of 'popular', which by definition, makes everyone on this list 'pop' acts. Sell 100+ million records and I think you can call yourself popular.

Not really!
Pop is a genre - obviously from the word popular but it isn't as simple as that.

I mean damn, "R&B" these days is NOT Rhythm and Blues - couldn't be any more different

[Rik E Boy]

Beatles is rock. ABBA is the best Pop Group of all time, but I only actually like two of their songs. SOS and Knowing Me, Knowing you. The rest is an almighty meh. Not one of my preffered genres.

regards,

REB

[Hondo]

REB & Diss have hit upon the query I had at first ... what actually IS pop music. Here's Wikipedia's definition which tends to support Mr66's definition:

Pop music is music charted by the number or sales, plays, etc., that the work receives. It is not a particular genre or style of music, but simply that which is the most popular for the tracked period of time. Most commercial music of any genre is composed with deliberate intent to appeal to the majority of its contemporaries, but, unless extremely popular in its own genre, it must appeal to a wider audience to appear on the pop charts.

In opposition to music that may require education or formation to fully appreciate, a defining characteristic of pop music is that anyone is able to enjoy it. Artistic concepts such as musical form and aesthetics are not a concern in the writing of pop songs, the primary objectives being audience enjoyment and commercial success.

Although pop music is produced with a desire to sell records and do well in the charts, it does not necessitate wide acclaim or commercial success: there are bad or failed pop songs. Initially the term was an abbreviation of, and synonymous with, popular music, but evolved around the 1950s to describe a specific musical category.

My first reaction when I hear the word "pop" is ABBA, Kylie, Spice Girls, etc ... maybe we need another sub-classification

[Rik E Boy]

Anyone can send shit to Wikpedia hondo. That definition of Pop music is about as dated as my record collection.

regards,

REB

[mick]

U2 definately. Maybe The Bee Gees. But i am too young to remember them much. What about the Beach Boys?

U2? the only band member whose name I know is that annoying sanctimonius git "Boner" , but in the 60s everyone from 6 -96 knew who the four Bealtles were. The Beach Boys were great, I was never a fan of the Bee Gees