Biggest/Best Band in the World by year since 1980

[Lila64]

No Prince? Madonna? Was Duran Duran on that list? I worked at a record store in the early 80s, and it was Duranmania. Depeche Mode too. Then again, I was in L.A., which may be different than the rest of the U.S. at the time...

 

[BigMacPhisto]

1993-1995 would have to go to Pearl Jam......they were the big live act that everyone wanted to see, and they had two albums that sold over 5,000,000 in the US alone.......

 

[indra]

Guess we're talking biggest, eh?

'Cause some of these picks are absolutely cringeworthy.

 

[Axver]

1993-1995 would have to go to Pearl Jam......they were the big live act that everyone wanted to see, and they had two albums that sold over 5,000,000 in the US alone.......

They didn't have as much success in Europe though, did they? In 1993, they were opening for U2 ...

 

[beli]

Madonna was huge in the1980's, unfortunately. Quite possibly the biggest artist of that decade.

 

[STING2]

Yes, The Rolling Stones were huge back in 1980 ... but, I'm going with Journey for their Captured Tour ... as that was a spectacular year for them as well ...
The Rolling Stones definitely deserve recognition for giving Journey their shot at stardom ...
Journey opened for The Rolling Stones in 1978 ...

Journey also opened for the Rolling Stones in 1981 as well on the Escape Tour. Journey may have been the biggest band in America in 1981-1982, but they were not even close to being the biggest band in the world at that time. The Rolling Stones followed by the Police occupied that position in the early 1980s.

 

[STING2]

1993-1995 would have to go to Pearl Jam......they were the big live act that everyone wanted to see, and they had two albums that sold over 5,000,000 in the US alone.......

The biggest in the USA for sure, but not the world where they album sales were only a fraction of what they were on the USA.

 

[KhanadaRhodes]

i would say mayhaps...

82: michael jackson
83: the police
84: duran duran

 

[beli]

Michael Jackson came after the new romantics. There was a 'USA invasion" at one point. Maybe 1984? Before that all the music, where I live, was Euro or Australian. Not much USA music at all. That Journey, REO Speedwagon, etc kinds stuff was not popular here (and rightly so )

 

[Layton]

1984 - Duran Duran
1985 - Genesis
1986 - Sting (and his band)

Springsteen and the E Streeters deserve these years.

 

[beli]

STING2, you're a statistics guru. Do you have some stats to share, please?

 

[Layton]

a note about 1991

August 1991-Metallica-Black album
August 1991-Pearl Jam-Ten
September 1991-Nirvana-Nevermind
September 1991-Guns and Roses-Use Your Illusion Vol. 1
November 1991-U2-Achtung Baby

that's 5 HUGE albums in a 4 month span, and there might even be another one or two I can't remember.

Mainstream rock used to be damn good.

Chili Peppers put out Blood Sugar Sex Magik in September of '91 also.

 

[namkcuR]

Chili Peppers put out Blood Sugar Sex Magik in September of '91 also.

REM put out Out Of Time in March of '91.

REM - Out Of Time
Metallica - Black Album
Pearl Jam - Ten
Nirvana - Nevermind
Guns'N'Roses - Use Your Illusions 1&2
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Blood Sugar Sex Magik
U2 - Achtung Baby

All in 1991. It's fairly common knowledge that 1991 was the 1969 of this generation. Easily the best year for rock music in the last two to two and a half decades.

 

[Layton]

REM put out Out Of Time in March of '91.

REM - Out Of Time
Metallica - Black Album
Pearl Jam - Ten
Nirvana - Nevermind
Guns'N'Roses - Use Your Illusions 1&2
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Blood Sugar Sex Magik
U2 - Achtung Baby

All in 1991. It's fairly common knowledge that 1991 was the 1969 of this generation. Easily the best year for rock music in the last two to two and a half decades.

No doubt about it. I remember that time well. I was at the University of Washington in Seattle during that time. The Fall of '91 was an amazing time for me. I remember walking to the Wherehouse in the U-District every Tuesday for the new releases. For about 4 months there, it seemed I'd come back to the dorm every week with a brilliant new album or 2 to listen to. Then on the weekends, I'd be at the Off Ramp or somewhere downtown listening to some cool new band playing live. Awww, memories.

 

[MrBrau1]

1991 also had Gish by The Smashing Pumpkins. Really a great year for music.

 

[timothius]

July 1991 also featured Woodface by Crowded House. Which was HUGE in the UK later that year.

 

[beli]

Why does that happen? Why so much good music all at once and then a few years of crap? Is it a divine musical thing? Or the fault of the record companies?

 

[MrBrau1]

Other great 1991 releases:

Screamadelica- Primal Scream
Lesiure- Blur

 

[U2DMfan]

1991 continued

Soundgarden-Badmotorfinger
Massive Attack-Blue Lines
Tom Petty-Into the Great Wide Open
Sting-The Soul Cages
My Bloody Valentine-Loveless
The Pixies-Trompe Le Monde

and there are more beleive it or not, Morrissey, Public Enemy, Hole, Dinosaur Jr, Mudhoney and others.

 

[alexvilagosh]

1994/1995 - I can't pick between Oasis and Smashing Pumpkins. Its probably not possible to, as Oasis were definatly bigger in the UK, and the Pumpkins had it in the US.

 

[PopMartian33107]

What about Phil Collins and Genesis in 1986? Believe it or not, combined with Genesis and his solo career, Phil sold more singles than ANY other artist in the '80s, beating out Michael Jackson, U2, and Madonna...

Yes, I'm a fanboy, I know.

 

[PopFly]

Since 1987, U2 has to be considered the biggest band in the WORLD, since no other group has matched their popularity around the globe --- solo artists have, but not a whole band. Oasis might've been big in the UK, but they never really caught on in North America (or at least the USA) in a big way, and vice versa for the Dave Matthews Band.

If you look at it in terms of consistent popularity and quality, nobody has pushed U2 aside as 'the' band, since nobody seems to be able to release more than 2 quality albums back-to-back anymore.

 

[phanan]

What about Phil Collins and Genesis in 1986? Believe it or not, combined with Genesis and his solo career, Phil sold more singles than ANY other artist in the '80s, beating out Michael Jackson, U2, and Madonna...

Yes, I'm a fanboy, I know.

It's true that when you combine Phil Collins and Genesis that they had more Top 40 singles (at least in the U.S.) than Michael Jackson, but they certainly didn't sell as much.

Phil Collins has seven gold singles from the 80's, and Genesis none.

Michael Jackson has four platinum singles and four gold singles from the 80's.

So right off the top, Michael Jackson's biggest singles have sold more.

As far as 1986 goes, Genesis would certainly qualify, although there were a few others. Whitney Houston blasted onto the scene that year and was an immediate star. Also, and this kills me to admit it because our old friend Jick was such a big fan of them, Bon Jovi was huge that year with the Slippery When Wet album.

 

[phanan]

And 1984 and 1985 was ruled by Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band, with a mention to Prince & The Revolution in 1984 as well.

 

[pepokiss]

82 - Queen
87 - U2
91 - Michael Jackson
93 - U2
94 - Nirvana (because he died... nothing else)
97 - Oasis
98 - Radiohead
99 - Backstreet Boys * (with the Millenium album)
00 - N'Sync * (with No Strings Attached)
02 - Eminem * (The Marshall Matters LP)
03 - Coldplay
04 - 50 cent ( )
05 - U2

* admit it

 

[Halifax]

1980 - U2
1981 - U2
1982 - U2
1983 - U2
1984 - U2
1985 - U2
1986 - U2
1987 - U2
1988 - U2
1989 - U2
1990 - U2
1991 - U2
1992 - U2
1993 - U2
1994 - U2
1995 - U2
1996 - U2
1997 - U2
1998 - U2
1999 - U2
2000 - U2
2001 - U2
2002 - U2
2003 - U2
2004 - U2
2005 - U2

......well...in our own warped little world anyway

 

[starvinmarvin]

Dave Matthews Band? Who the frick is that?

 

[bono_man2002]

Never the biggest band..Bono is what....5 foot something, I'm taller than him!

 

[LMP]

80 - The Stones (Tattoo You)
81 - Queen (The Game)/Journey (Escape
82 - Michael Jackson (Thriller)/Duran Duran (Rio)
83 - The Police (Synchronicity)
84 - Prince (Purple Rain)/Madonna (w/e the hell she released)
85 - Springteen (the boss just rules all)
86 - Phil Collins/Peter Gabriel (No Jacket Required and So r amazing albums)
87 - Aerosmith (their comeback year, w/ Permanent Vacation)
88 - U2 (come on, you all know)
89 - New kids on the block? or was that 90? who cares...

 

[MsMofoGone]

Originally posted by STING2

Journey may have been the biggest band in America in 1981-1982, but they were not even close to being the biggest band in the world at that time.

Journey toured in North America from March 26 through Sept. 1,
then began International tour dates from Sept. 7 in Germany ... moving on to West Germany on Sept. 9 - 20 ... then continued in England on Sept. 22 and finished in Tokyo, Japan on Oct. 8,11,13 and also in Osaka, Japan on Oct. 10 ... This was the "Captured Tour" in 1980 ... and the era that I was referring to ...