Top 10 Musical Artists of the Last 50 Years

Music, like any art, is a field in which judgment, taste and opinion are very subjective.  There is often a disconnect between what music is popular, and what certain people think is good. There have always been songs that one half of the population loves while the other half finds abhorrent.

One of the most basic ways to gauge the success of any given musician is to examine his or her record sales.  Certainly some might argue, that this might just mean that a given artist is adept at making catchy yet vapid music.  Be that as it may, there are often reasons that certain artists remain so commercially successful for so long, and many would argue that only those who can truly bring talent and marketability together for long periods of time can truly be called “successful.” This an interesting thing to keep in mind when discussing the ten best selling musical artists of all time.

The Beatles
The Beatles are the ultimate musical success.  No band before or since has ever reached that level of popularity, commercial success, fan adoration all while evolving slowly from poppy boy-band to one of the more introspective and experimental musical acts in history. It is estimated that The Beatles have sold over a billion records and are still finding new fans among the younger generation for whom their music remains relevant.

Elvis Presley
Close behind the Beatles is rock and roll legend Elvis Presley.  His brand of bluesy crooning and his infamous gyrating hips helped him sell over a billion records, to tie with The Beatles  Whatever your feelings about Elvis or his music, it is undeniable that his sound, looks and style changed the face of rock music forever.

Michael Jackson
Another artist who’s success both commercially and artistically is relatively inarguable, is Michael Jackson. Michael Jackson’s career spanned several decades and was responsible for some of the most significant popular music in world history.  Known as an amazing dancer and entertainer as well as a singer, his videos and concerts were unparalleled events. His fans are around the world and despite the numerous personal problems that plagued his life to the end, he remained a profoundly influential artist.

ABBA
Next on the list are Swedish pop band ABBA whose music is still so relevant  today that it was recently made part of hit musical Mamma Mia!

Queen
Who could forget the American rock band Queen?  Bohemian Rhapsody, We Will Rock You and We Are The Champions are some instantly recognizable hits from this band who’s popularity endures even years after the death of lead singer Freddy Mercury.

Madonna and Elton John
Madonna and Elton John have both sold an estimated 250 million albums throughout their lengthy careers.  Not only that, but their timeless classics will live on and on for generations to come.

The Bee Gees
The 7th best-selling artists of all time are disco legends The Bee Gees who are famous for songs like Night Fever and Stayin’ Alive, featured in the hit movie Saturday Night Fever.

Many More….
AC/DC, Pink Floyd, the Rolling Stones, Julio Iglesias, Nana Mouskouri and Celine Dion also hold honors for selling 200 million albums apiece.

Regardless of your feelings about the music or quality of any of these musical artists, it is undeniable that there is something special about being able to create music that moves so many people to want to buy their albums, hear them play shows while on tour and just generally make them a part of their lives.

About the Author
Traveler and blogger on many topics ranging from top travel destinations, top ringtones, to top social media superstars. Follow him on Twitter @VernMarker.

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I’m So Over Michael Jackson

I’m so over the death of Michael Jackson .  It’s as if the past 20 years never existed.  He was big (from my personal memories) back in the late 80′s and early 90′s but, aside from the Jackson 5, he was known as a freak up until the day he died.  Now everyone is coming out of the woodwork pretending to have been a die hard MJ fan for life. Why did it take him dieing to get all this kind of attention for him? People are so darn weird.

What about the child molestation charges? Where were all today’s supporters then? Though I don’t really believe he ever really molested a child, his ways with them were just outright WEIRD!  We all have issues from childhood, some more than others, but we grow, and become an adult and make adult decisions. He was just weird. Aside from the child factor… he has been accused of sleeping in some chamber that filled with pure oxygen at one point, and all the surgery to become what ended up looking like a white woman.

Now, when he was big, he was Huge… but that was over long ago. Some things resonated, but you could say that about many other pop stars like Madonna and even Cindy Lauper. Michael Jackson was, in my opinion, by no means anywhere comparable with Elvis.