Lead singer of Asia, John Wetton, has passed away.
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lazarus
Blue Crack Supplier
Michael Jackson's Thriller says hello.
Other 1982 albums that sold more than Asia:
John Cougar - American Fool
Lionel Richie - S/T
Alabama - Mountain Song
Prince - 1999
So, not even close.
Those two singles were great, though.
Hewson
Blue Crack Supplier
Sad news.
If I were a musician, I'd steer clear of Carl Palmer these days. Keith Emerson, Greg Lake and now Wetton all within less than a year.
Not sure this couldn't have just been posted in RMT though.
If I were a musician, I'd steer clear of Carl Palmer these days. Keith Emerson, Greg Lake and now Wetton all within less than a year.
Not sure this couldn't have just been posted in RMT though.
bono_212
Blue Crack Distributor
This is a message board. There should be more threads, IMO.
Anyways, this is sad, but as an aside, what a WEIRD situation with that band and the name. They're the ones that have 0 members of the original band in the line-up now, right?
Anyways, this is sad, but as an aside, what a WEIRD situation with that band and the name. They're the ones that have 0 members of the original band in the line-up now, right?
LemonMelon
More 5G Than Man
My favorite King Crimson vocalist in that constantly shifting lineup
RIP
RIP
Hewson
Blue Crack Supplier
No, Palmer and Downes are touring in Asia (the band, not the continent)this year with Journey, Wetton was hoping to join the tour after completing chemo in April. Had just heard about that last week on the radio. So half original lineup currently in band.
ETA: Apparently there is an iteration of the band with singer John Payne (who had replaced Wetton for a number of years) that has been touring as "Asia featuring John Payne", which has no original members, that must be what you are referring to.
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bono_212
Blue Crack Distributor
Probably so. I read an article a few years ago about it, basically the band had somehow lost the rights to the name, or something. Looks like maybe it's been fixed now.
Hewson
Blue Crack Supplier
I just read on the always reliable wikipedia (shame on me for not taking this opportunity to post the wiki page), that Payne had been in Asia with Downes and others from 91-06, then Downes reunited with the original lineup, leaving Payne and the other 2 dudes out, they added a keyboardist and went with a new name briefly, but Payne had obtained a "significant" portion of the rights to the name Asia, so the original members agreed to him continuing as "Asia featuring John Payne", pretty f'ed up situation.
I know a few other bands have had similar situations, Ratt has had 2 different lineups touring simultaneously in the past for instance.
bono_212
Blue Crack Distributor
Yeah, that sounds right.
Anyways sorry for the random diversion, just the first thing I think of anytime I see the band's name anymore.
Anyways sorry for the random diversion, just the first thing I think of anytime I see the band's name anymore.
Hewson
Blue Crack Supplier
Maybe you should have posted in the Random Diversion Thread.
bono_212
Blue Crack Distributor
Oregoropa
Rock n' Roll Doggie Band-aid
Reminds me of that scene in "40 Year Old Virgin" when Seth Rogen rips him for having a framed Asia poster.
First thing that popped in my head. Good tunes RIP.
First thing that popped in my head. Good tunes RIP.
Just so you know, the biggest selling album of any given year, is the album that sells the most copies within that given year.
Michael Jackson Thriller was not released until November 30, 1982. Its unlikely that Thriller sold 3 million copies before midnight December 31, 1982 in the United States. The album was not certified platinum until 1983. Thriller was a popular album, but it achieved that popularity during the course of 1983. It did not sell 750,000 copies in each of its first four weeks out the box. So this claim is wrong.
American Fool is a closer candidate, but comes up short. Here is why. Multi-platinum certifications started from the RIAA in 1984. When American Fool was first certified in October of 1984, it had sold enough for a double platinum award, 2 million copies. Asia by contrast was certified for a triple platinum award, 3 million copies in October 1984. So the claim that American Fool was a bigger seller in 1982 is also wrong.
1999 was certified double platinum on October 22, 1984, the same day Asia was certified triple platinum. So this claim is also wrong.
Lionel Richie - by October 1984, this album had outsold Asia, but most evidence indicates that it sold the majority of its copies in 1983 and not the the last 3 months of 1982 when it first became available. So this claim is also wrong.
Mountain Music - had equal sales as Asia by October 1984, but only peaked at #14 in 1982 while Asia was #1 for 9 weeks. This shows Mountain Music was a slow, gradual seller and achieved much of its sales after 1982 was over. So this claim is also wrong.
Finally, what did all the media back at the end of 1982 and start of 1983 report as the biggest selling album of 1982?
To answer that question, lets take a look at Billboard Magazines year end top selling albums list for 1982:
Go to Billboard's year end 1982 to issue dated December 25, 1982, easily found at google books.
Then go to the middle section of the magazine, The Talent In Action section, page TIA 16, and sure enough, there is a picture of the entire band ASIA with the caption top album of the year.
The top 10 selling albums during the year 1982 were the following as listed in the Billboard 1982 year end issue:
01. Asia - Asia
02. Beauty And The Beat - Go-Go's
03. 4 - Foreigner
04. American Fool - John Couger
05. Freeze Frame - J.Geils Band
06. Escape - Journey
07. Get Lucky - Loverboy
08. Bella Donna - Stevie Nicks
09. Chariots Of Fire - Vangelis
10. Ghost In The Machine - The Police
https://books.google.com/books?id=Y...ce=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false
So Asia's debut album Asia, was indeed the top selling album of 1982 and was awarded and celebrated by Billboard Magazine and the rest of the music world and media as such at the time. The evidence clearly shows it, both in sales and weekly chart position during 1982.
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LemonMelon
More 5G Than Man
*Calendar year 1982.
bono_212
Blue Crack Distributor
fight! Fight! Fight!
Oregoropa
Rock n' Roll Doggie Band-aid
Epic Battles in Interference History
February 1, 2017
The Great Asia Asia Album Sales Encounter
February 1, 2017
The Great Asia Asia Album Sales Encounter
lazarus
Blue Crack Supplier
An important distinction. Or you could say "in 1982" instead of "of 1982".
Unless you're trying to inflate the status of a 2 or 3 hit wonder on a U2 forum for some godforsaken reason.
Same thing. Just as the best selling album of 2016 is the album that sold the most units during that year, so it is for the best selling album of 1982. Some album outselling it with sales five, ten, or a hundred years later is not going to change that.
Billboards top selling album for 2016 in the United States is Adele's 25 because it sold the most albums during 2016.
Billboards top selling album for 1982 in the United States is Asia's Asia because it sold the most albums during 1982.
Here is the link with the best selling albums of 1982 and the picture of the Band Asia and the caption being top selling album:
https://books.google.com/books?id=Y...ce=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false
John Wetton has just passed away. He was in the Band Asia. This part of the forum is for non-U2 artist. His band Asia had the biggest selling album of 1982 in the United States. A massive accomplishment that most artist never achieve, having the best selling album of a given year. This is a fact. You disputed it. I corrected you.
lazarus
Blue Crack Supplier
cool story bono
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