The Worlds biggest Bands

Hey Taxi, can you go off topic on an off topic thread I wonder? No doubt the mods will let me know if you can't! Thought you might be interested:
I caught the 'Musical Box' at the Usher Hall Edinburgh on Saturday evening. They are a Canadian/French outfit who tour all over the world playing Gabriel Genesis. This specific tour replicates in every detail the Selling England By The Pound tour of 73/74. When I say replicates, I really mean it - every note, the set design, down to every costume change that Peter Gabriel made on the original tour. The lead singer even had Peter's dad dancing down to a tee.

Musically they were very good in replicating the original Genesis - etherial and rather stark sound when compared to the two drum combo of Collins/Chester Thompson. What struck me was just how 'out there' Gabriel was with his theatrics, intro stories and costumes. There were several moments of almost pythonesque humour that made me laugh out loud. Certainly, you must change with age as what I thought was 'cool as fck' when I was fifteen (batwing outfit with UV eye make up etc for Watcher ), now does seem a little gauche and pretentious when viewed with more cynical eyes. Also, the sound of a couple of thousand 50-60 year olds performing a word perfect 'suppers ready' will live with me for a while. It was a little bit of melancholy that I realised, I was sitting just a couple of rows from where Mrs S and I had watched the original band perform the Lamb Lies down in 1974. Whoosh, what was that? Your life mate!

have a good one.

Just tried to get tickets for tonight's gig in Dipperland.
Sold Out.

Bugger!
 
I would have to believe that Chicago would have been among the top selling bands of the 70's. They repackaged a lot of shit records but they sold large amounts of vinyl and tapes even into the late 80's until Pete Cetera left.
Agree, they shifted over 100m albums. Their are loads of lists out there which quote various different results but one I found which felt bona fide listed Bands that had sold 100m+ albums in descending order:

1. The Beatles
2. Abba
3. Led Zep
4. Queen
5. Pink Floyd
6. AC DC
7. Bee Gees
8. The Stones
9. Aerosmith
10. The Eagles
11. U2
12. Genesis
13. Dire Straights
14. Status Quo
15. Metallica
16. Backstreet Boys
17. Bon Jovi
18. Chicago
19. Deep Purple
20. Def Leppard
21. Fleetwood Mac
22. Guns n Roses
23. Kiss
24. The Beach Boys
25. The Who
 
Agree, they shifted over 100m albums. Their are loads of lists out there which quote various different results but one I found which felt bona fide listed Bands that had sold 100m+ albums in descending order:

1. The Beatles
2. Abba
3. Led Zep
4. Queen
5. Pink Floyd
6. AC DC
7. Bee Gees
8. The Stones
9. Aerosmith
10. The Eagles
11. U2
12. Genesis
13. Dire Straights
14. Status Quo
15. Metallica
16. Backstreet Boys
17. Bon Jovi
18. Chicago
19. Deep Purple
20. Def Leppard
21. Fleetwood Mac
22. Guns n Roses
23. Kiss
24. The Beach Boys
25. The Who

I don't think that list is totally accurate, not that anyone one has a truly accurate list of worldwide sales, but Status Quo in the list and no Van Halen just doesn't track for me. I don't think Quo have sold over 100m albums: their own fact sheet claims 118m record sales but a lot of those will be singles. Quo really were not big in the world's largest market - the USA - whereas VH are, based on certified sales, the 20th best selling act there in respect of albums.

FWIW, I have seen 20 of the bands on that list in concert; multiple times in most cases.
 
I don't think that list is totally accurate, not that anyone one has a truly accurate list of worldwide sales, but Status Quo in the list and no Van Halen just doesn't track for me. I don't think Quo have sold over 100m albums: their own fact sheet claims 118m record sales but a lot of those will be singles. Quo really were not big in the world's largest market - the USA - whereas VH are, based on certified sales, the 20th best selling act there in respect of albums.

FWIW, I have seen 20 of the bands on that list in concert; multiple times in most cases.

It won’t come as a surprise to you, but my tally stands at 2 (and 3 if you count Brian Wilson as a solo artist)! There’s half a dozen more I’d love to have seen, but never will, and 11 that I would rather stick pins in my eyes than pay to watch!
 
I was thinking about this, and trying to decide myself, so the question is which 6 bands would pull the biggest crowd at a live concert.
Pretend no band members are dead.
Sticking to the original post of band and biggest crowd, I would say in no particular order.....

The Beatles
The Jackson 5 (the Michael Jackson influence and cameo by Janet)
Led Zepplin
Pink Floyd
Queen
Eagles

Yup, that should do it.
 
Depeche Mode

Currently going round the world filling football stadiums.

Just become the 1st band in history to sell out 4 nights at the Hollywood Bowl.

About to come back to Europe for a winter arena tour.
 
Depeche Mode

Currently going round the world filling football stadiums.

Just become the 1st band in history to sell out 4 nights at the Hollywood Bowl.

About to come back to Europe for a winter arena tour.
No matter how many times I hear and read about just how big Depeche Mode are, it always surprises me.
 
I dont know really, I've never really taken much notice of them and lump them in with bands like Human League, I do know they were much bigger at the time in America than here. To be honest it probably says more about a gap in my music knowledge than anything about them as a band. Probably similar to me being surprised when other people dont realise how big Def Leppard were in the states around the same time.
 

Don't have an account? Register now and see fewer ads!

SIGN UP
Back
Top
  AdBlock Detected
Bluemoon relies on advertising to pay our hosting fees. Please support the site by disabling your ad blocking software to help keep the forum sustainable. Thanks.