Best selling musicians of all time by US album sales



I'm calling bullshit on that list.

The article has been ripped straight from that font of all knowedge.. Wikipedia.

But has left out some rather important info..

"This is the list of the top 100 highest-certified music artists in the United States based on album certifications by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).[1]

RIAA certifications are based on wholesale shipments rather than retail sales. Since 2016, the RIAA album certification has also included on-demand audio/video streams (1,500 streams = 1 album unit) and track sale equivalent (10 track sales = 1 album unit).[2] Additionally, awards are only presented if and when a record company applies for certification. Therefore, the total certified units for a given artist may be incomplete or out of date.

The RIAA began its certifications in 1958, therefore, popular artists from earlier eras are generally not represented on this list."

List of highest-certified music artists in the United States - Wikipedia
 
Boinger said:
I'm calling bullshit on that list.

The article has been ripped straight from that font of all knowedge.. Wikipedia.

But has left out some rather important info..

"This is the list of the top 100 highest-certified music artists in the United States based on album certifications by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).[1]

RIAA certifications are based on wholesale shipments rather than retail sales. Since 2016, the RIAA album certification has also included on-demand audio/video streams (1,500 streams = 1 album unit) and track sale equivalent (10 track sales = 1 album unit).[2] Additionally, awards are only presented if and when a record company applies for certification. Therefore, the total certified units for a given artist may be incomplete or out of date.

The RIAA began its certifications in 1958, therefore, popular artists from earlier eras are generally not represented on this list."

List of highest-certified music artists in the United States - Wikipedia
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Villa could win the Champions League if they could fiddle with figures like that;)
 
GNR's very first album, Appetite for Destruction (1987), soared immediately to number one.

It did nothing of the sort it took more than a year to get to number 1. Pathetic writing.
 
JAZZMANB said:
Suppose they are musicians in a way but Recording artists may be more apt .Elvis sang other peoples compositions for example
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He's still a musician though, there are others on that list who as far as I know were never known to pick up an instrument. Not sure of the validity of the way the list is compiled or the unit sales they go by mind, and Sinatra for instance, he sold less than The Dave Matthews band or the Backstreet Boys?
 
JAZZMANB said:
Suppose they are musicians in a way but Recording artists may be more apt .Elvis sang other peoples compositions for example
Click to expand...

So in order to be a ‘musician’ you have to write your own songs? That’s the only factor?

Playing an instrument, playing many instruments, singing, interpreting, being in a band, playing in an orchestra, playing and singing traditional folk, singing in a choir, opera, symphony orchestra, violinist in a string quartet, pianist in musical theatre, brass band trombonist etc etc etc. All those people... all of them... they are only musicians ‘in a way’? Really?
 
Squat said:
and that artists whose music has been around for 50 years sells more than ones who have been around for 20
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"Has sold" more, not "sells" more. It's been around for longer, so it's had longer in the shops for people to buy it, but it's not necessarily anywhere near the top sellers of the week/year.
 

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