Korean Job Discussion Forums

[ghostrider]

1. Creed has sold more records in the US than Jimi Hendrix.

2. Led Zeppelin, REM, and Depeche Mode have never had a number one single, Rihanna has 10.

3. Ke$ha's �Tik-Tok� sold more copies than ANY Beatles single.

4. Flo Rida's �Low� has sold 8 million copies � the same as The Beatles' �Hey Jude�.

5. The Black Eyed Peas' �I Gotta Feeling� is more popular than any Elvis or Simon & Garfunkel song.

6. Celine Dion's �Falling Into You� sold more copies than any Queen, Nirvana, or Bruce Springsteen record.

7. Same with Shania Twain's �Come On Over�

8. Katy Perry holds the same record as Michael Jackson for most number one singles from an album.

9. Barbra Streisand has sold more records (140 million) than Pearl Jam, Johnny Cash, and Tom Petty combined.

10. People actually bought Billy Ray Cyrus' album �Some Gave All�� 20 million people. More than any Bob Marley album

11. The cast of �Glee� has had more songs chart than the Beatles.

12. This guy (Justin Bieber) exists.
http://www.buzzfeed.com/daves4/12-extremely-disappointing-facts-about-popular-mus

[JustinC]

This list was obviously compiled by a bitter, elitist rock/alt music fan, particularly one fond of music from the 1970s and earlier, who has no concept or perspective of the population growth in the last 50 years. It's pop music simply because of its mass appeal. Plus now you don't even have to get your fat a** down to the store to get a track.

[mnjetter]

[Dave Chance]

Yeah Elvis was just a poser kkk

[warmachinenkorea]

[out of context]

The numbers for singles are entirely due to the shift to digital downloads instead of 45s. If iTunes had been around in the Beatles' or Elvis's day, they'd have more than enough sales to match the BEP, Kesha, or Flo Rida, none of whom sells any albums.

Not only did Katy Perry tie Michael Jackson's record, she may have a better claim to it than he did. The five songs she took to number one were, for better or worse, all massive hits. Nobody remembers "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" or "Dirty Diana."

OTOH, no excuse for the Celine Dion and Shania Twain numbers. They got those when albums were expensive as they ever were in history.

[pugwall]

As Kurt Vonnegut said, the Beatles were the only people to make the whole world smile. Numbers are irrelevant

[Gorf]

[pugwall]

Kurt Vonnegut actually said: "I say in speeches that a plausible mission of artists is to make people appreciate being alive at least a little bit. I am then asked if I know of any artists who pulled that off. I reply, 'The Beatles did" . If that joy did not spread down to the Bible belt, then unlucky for them.

[Unposter]

Pugwall,

That is a great Vonnegut quote! Thanks for sharing.

[Mr. BlackCat]

I think many people here have already brought up the problem with these 'facts'. I will add though, that every generation thinks it has a monopoly on good music but the Boomers have really tried to lay claim to pop culture in general. Yeah yeah, rock died in the 70s and people just copy your idols these days.

So Kesha selling more albums than the Beatles is supposed to show that kids these days have no taste in music, unlike their trailblazing forefathers? They conveniently forget that the Beatles weren't even topping the charts in their time, either. The #1 of 1969? Nope, not John, Paul, George and Ringo. Rolling Stones? Joplin? Hendrix? How about The Archies. Sugar Sugar.

The fact is many of these music legends that are quoted here weren't necessarily thought of highly in their times, either. It's because they became so popular that a generation ties their youth to them, thereby making them legendary over time. Many believed Michael Jackson was just some little kid from a boy band when he went solo. Even after Off the Wall, many people initially thought Thriller was just a gimmick album. Many 'rockers' dismissed Depeche Mode (and other acts that used synths) as posers. And of course everyone over 30 laughed at the four young men with bad haircuts from England. I sincerely love Vonnegut, but really the Beatles only created good music for 3 years and didn't even tour in that time. Boomers like to pretend that everyone liked the same music they did, but reality just doesn't support that. Kesha may be a joke now, but so was Cyndi Lauper in the early 80s, and many women (and men) thought of her as a role model. Now she's revered for releasing one of the most feminist albums of all time.

My parents thought many of the bands I loved growing up were crap, and I certainly think most music these days is crap too. But maybe that's because the music I had was the soundtrack to so many life milestones, and it became so important to me that I still use that music to celebrate, to cry, to wallow, to chill, to energize, etc. We all reinforce our likes and dismiss our dislikes. And we like to think that we have dibs on what good taste is, and that we found it first. Besides, since when has the most popular thing ever been the best thing? The #1 sitcom in the US is 2 1/2 men while Community flirts with cancellation. The Honeymooners weren't exactly the height of civilization, either.

[Mr. BlackCat]

[Dave Chance]

Groups like Depeche Mode evolved and developed because of intensive ongoing critical dialogues about music and artists that have come before.

Same for the other arts.

I think generally most people appreciate that von Gogh was later recognized through people reappraising his work and telling others about them, so that we are able to view them today in a fairly accessible manner.

Ditto for bands like the Velvet Underground, who became elevated above cult status about 20 years after their debut (similar situation for Joy Division, John Lee Hooker, etc).

[out of context]

I was very much around for the 80s, and I remember all about how big MJ was back then. So big, in fact, that his fame propelled otherwise unmemorable songs (like the ones I mentioned) to the top of the chart. The record for most #1s off one album wasn't held by "Thriller" -- it was held by "Bad," a.k.a. the disappointing follow-up. And I defy anyone but the biggest chart nerds to name all of them without looking them up.

I certainly wouldn't argue Katy Perry has done anything in the same corner of the galaxy as "Thriller." She's not a trailblazer, she's not very talented at all. But I feel fairly certain that the people who actually listen to today's pop music, especially the ones growing up with it, will absolutely remember songs like "California Gurls" and "Firework" in 20 years.

[mnjetter]