Biggest/Best Band in the World by year since 1980

The friendliest place on the web for anyone that follows U2.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
MsMofoGone said:


The Police and Sting were mega everywhere else, BUT South Africa... Never NO WAY !! As for Journey, I'm not trying to be difficult either, but you have your opinion and I have mine!!
And they WERE big in Germany and Japan besides America in 1980 ...and that's the part of the world that I'm talking about here !! But you're still gonna disagree with me anyway , so I'm finished trying to explain further ...

Do you know how Departure did on the German charts in 1980. How many albums it sold? What venues to Journey play in Germany in 1980?

Are you from South Africa? Do you have album sales, chart information, and concert ticket sales information for South Africa?
 
Bono's shades said:
So, STING, are you counting Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band as a band in your comparison when it comes to 1985? I have a very hard time believing Bruce wasn't outselling The Police at that particular point in time, especially with the deadly combination of Born in the USA album sales and ticket sales. I know BITUSA came out in 1984, but the album and tour were going like gangbusters through the winter, spring and summer of 1985.

I consider Bruce to be a solo artist. If you consider Bruce to be a band then yes, they would own 1985.

I also consider Prince to be a solo artist as well.
 
beli said:
STING2, whilst you are here, do you know if the Japanese charts are still how they used to be in the 1980's. ie non Japanese bands would enter the foreign chart but never make it across to the main chart. Do non Japanese bands crack the main chart these days?

They still have the foreign chart and the main chart with Japanese acts. HTDAAB almost topped the main chart last year. It easily topped the foreign chart.
 
STING2 said:


I consider Bruce to be a solo artist. If you consider Bruce to be a band then yes, they would own 1985.

I also consider Prince to be a solo artist as well.

Is it easy enough for you to do another list for the biggest bands and solo artists combined? Eg a list that would probably have The Beatles and Bruce Springsteen on it. I would be interested to read it.
 
STING2 said:


As for the Police in 1985, there is not another band who in that year had a combination of album sales and concert ticket demand as good as what the Police had with their latest album and tour from 1983/1984. The band with the title does not lose it until they break up or another band comes along and outdoes the biggest bands latest album and concert ticket sales. Of course, if one does not consider the Police to be a band anymore at that point, I understand and I pointed that out in my post before.


While I understand this paragraph, I believe the intention of this thread was to determine who was the biggest band in each year. This does not mean that a band who was successful the year before gets to be carried over into the next year, unless they were the most successful THAT year as well. An artist who was the biggest in one year might not have matched the totals of the biggest artist from the year before, but they would still be the biggest artist from the year being referred to.

The Police were THE band in 1983 and 1984, I would most definitely agree. But their reign ended that year as they were inactive in 1985.

Springsteen was the biggest act by far in 1985, but if we are referring to only bands, then yes, he wouldn't count.

The same theory would go for U2. They are considered to be THE biggest rock band in the world since 1987, but they haven't been the biggest rock band each of those years in terms of album sales and concert gross, which as you said yourself would be the proper measuring tool to go by.
 
phanan said:


While I understand this paragraph, I believe the intention of this thread was to determine who was the biggest band in each year. This does not mean that a band who was successful the year before gets to be carried over into the next year, unless they were the most successful THAT year as well. An artist who was the biggest in one year might not have matched the totals of the biggest artist from the year before, but they would still be the biggest artist from the year being referred to.

The Police were THE band in 1983 and 1984, I would most definitely agree. But their reign ended that year as they were inactive in 1985.

Springsteen was the biggest act by far in 1985, but if we are referring to only bands, then yes, he wouldn't count.

The same theory would go for U2. They are considered to be THE biggest rock band in the world since 1987, but they haven't been the biggest rock band each of those years in terms of album sales and concert gross, which as you said yourself would be the proper measuring tool to go by.

If you were to use the narrow definition of who was the most successful out all the artist who either released an album in the given year or toured in the given year, then that would make sense.

The proper measuring tool to go by is album sales and concert ticket sales and band x can't claim they are bigger than someone else just because that band is not currently on tour. I never saw this thread to be defined by the more narrow definition of who was the biggest artist in the given year based only on who specifically released an album or toured in that given year.

Once a band has the title, they only lose it by breaking up or by another band coming along with stronger sales than the biggest bands latest album and tour.
 
beli said:


Is it easy enough for you to do another list for the biggest bands and solo artists combined? Eg a list that would probably have The Beatles and Bruce Springsteen on it. I would be interested to read it.

Thats more difficult. From 1995 onwards would be easier because its easier to get more data. Solo artist double the number of artist that one has to look at as opposed to when its just about the bands.
 
STING2 said:


Thats more difficult. From 1995 onwards would be easier because its easier to get more data. Solo artist double the number of artist that one has to look at as opposed to when its just about the bands.

Thats okay. I wasnt sure if you had a list in numerical order or something. Thanks anyway.
 
Wow, that was a long read. I started fading towards the end there.

early/mid80s was Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band, wasn't it? So I would consider that a band.

Early 80s - Journey - probably only popular in America. I sat front row in front of Neil Schon for the "Escape" tour I believe. I still have my Journey embroidered Members Only jacket, if you can believe it. I haven't been a Journey fan since that time, but can't part with the jacket. And I was a Def Leppard fan back then as well - even saw them open for Billy Squier before DL made it big. Had an 8x10 photo of Joe autographed...

When referring to AC/DC, do not forget one of my favorite songs, "It's A Long Way To The Top If You Want To Rock N' Roll". Althought that was 1976 :wink: Just a great song! (Remember 'School of Rock'?)

I'm not a Santana fan by any means, but he/they had a big hit a few years back, but I'm guessing that you are considering him a solo artist. I think the list should have been solo artist or band. Cuz there were definitely other "artists" that might qualify. I mean wasn't Peter Gabriel big for time with the popularity of his MTV videos? Not that he was worldwide big, but still... And Queen was mentioned - they were big when they put out 'The Game' LP (Another One Bites the Dust). The song crossed over from rock to dance/clubs, I believe. If I remember my days at the record store correctly. And Pink Floyd was big when "The Wall" came out and they did tour. I've just never been a fan of theirs, so never saw it, although I was subjected to numerous listenings back then. And I had previously mentioned Madonna and Prince. Madonna was huge, and whether you like her or not, is an icon and did set trends. There were lots of Madonna wannabes during the 80s, along with the Duran-ies.

I need to stretch now...

:wink:
 
STING2 said:



The proper measuring tool to go by is album sales and concert ticket sales and band x can't claim they are bigger than someone else just because that band is not currently on tour. I never saw this thread to be defined by the more narrow definition of who was the biggest artist in the given year based only on who specifically released an album or toured in that given year.

Once a band has the title, they only lose it by breaking up or by another band coming along with stronger sales than the biggest bands latest album and tour.

Well, I guess that is by your definition. I think quite a few of us view it differently when talking about each specific year.
 
Lila64 said:
Wow, that was a long read. I started fading towards the end there.

I think the list should have been solo artist or band. Cuz there were definitely other "artists" that might qualify. I mean wasn't Peter Gabriel big for time with the popularity of his MTV videos? Not that he was worldwide big, but still...
I need to stretch now...

:wink:

Yes, Peter was mega-huge in 1987, with all his innovative videos. He was a global act, too, which puts him in maybe third place behind a couple other bands for having the largest draw in in 1986 or 1987.

Here's my theory, though: As little as they're remembered now, Genesis were HUGE in 1986 and 1987. Several other people here mentioned that, too. Just check Billboard, the RIAA, or other countrey standings. I could get some calculations together if that would help people believe me.

Anyway...1986 was the year for Genesis and Peter Gabriel, while we all know what band stole the next year!
 
1985-on

U2's been que biggest and best band in the world. They've stayed on top of everybody.
There have been a lot of big acts since then like:

86-89 Bon Jovi
89-91 Guns N Roses
91-94 R.E.M, Metallica,
92-95 Pearl Jam
95-97 Oasis
95-97 Smashing Pumpkins
97-2000 Backstreet Boys, N'Sync, Dave Mathews
2000-2002 Coldplay

and so on
Nirvana was never big. They wer good? maybe
They 've become bigger since Cobain's suicide. Between 92-94 Pearl Jam was bigger, much bigger than Nirvana

U2:Undisputed heavyweight champions of the world for 20 years now
 
1980 - The Rolling Stones
1981 - The Rolling Stones
1982 - The Rolling Stones
1983 - The Police
1984 - Duran Duran
1985 - Genesis
1986 - Sting (and his band)
1987 - U2
1988 - U2
1989 - Guns N Roses
1990 - Guns N Roses/Depeche Mode(?)
1991 - U2/REM(?)
1992 - Pearl Jam
1993 - Nirvana
1994 - Nirvana
1995 - Dave Matthews Band
1996 - Tupac
1997 - Dave Matthews Band/No Doubt
1998 - Radiohead
1999 - Radiohead(?)
2000 - U2
2001 - Eminem
2002 - Linkin Park(?)/Coldplay
2003 - Coldplay/System of a Down(?)/The White Stripes
2004 - System of a Down(?)/Killers
2005 - Green Day/Killers

there's some overlap, i think.

by the way...i assumed this to be the biggest band list...i put down some hip hop artists cuz you have to admit...in some years hip hop was way more influential than rock...i couldn't think of a really big rock band for some of those years.

and how can anyone forget nirvana? whatever your opinions are of them...you can't deny they are one of the biggest bands of the decade.

and my list is not accurate, i'm sure...i might not be chronologically correct.
 
U2 have been constistantly the best selling act for the last 20 years now since Live Aid...there isnt anybody even close even on off albums sales wise such as POP, U2 were still the biggest band in the world and one of the few bands that can sell out stadiums anywear in the world.
 
Back
Top Bottom