Steps, I was totally obsessed with them at the time and have all their albums, "Buzz" was their best album, also love "Steptacular" as well and their "Gold Greatest Hits" was one of the best Greatest Hits albums of all time, even liked the new songs on it "Baby Don't Dance" which was gonna be a single, until they split up.

 

Best songs from them "One For Sorrow", "Last Thing On My Mind", "Love's Got A Hold On My Heart", "After The Love Has Gone", "Summer Of Love", "It's The Way You Make Me Feel" and "Tragedy", even liked their cover of "Chain Reaction", even though it doesn't compare to the original, but still fun.

 

Their album tracks were also decent as well.

 

"This Heart Will Love Again" and "Back To You" (Step One)

"Never Say Never Again", "I Surrender" & "Since You Took Your Love Away" (Steptacular)

"Never Get Over You", "Happy Go Lucky", "Buzzz", & Paradise Lost" (Buzz)

"Baby Don't Dance" & "Only In My Dreams" (Gold - Greatest Hits)

"Human Touch", "Mars And Venus (We Fall In Love Again)" & "Just Like The First Time" (The Last Dance)

23 (09) LADY GAGA (4,340,000) 2009 3.2341

 

 

Who can forget just how big Lady Gaga was when she exploded into the charts in 2009 with No 1 singles “Poker Face”, “Just Dance” and “Bad Romance”, no-one could match her selling power in the year as she drummed up singles sales of almost 3 million. The album “The Fame” also moved 1.3 million thanks in part to a re-launch in the form of “The Fame Monster” which kept the hits coming well into 2010.

 

ALSO BIG IN: 2010,2011

 

22 (36) JASON DONOVAN (2,919,000) 1989 BIGGEST ACT 3.2957

 

 

Taking over from Bros in the heart throb stakes, Jason Donovan was the teen scream of 1989 as he followed his on screen “Neighbours” wife into the charts. “Ten Good Reasons” was the biggest album of the year and was home to three No 1 singles by the singer through the year in addition to another two singles which peaked at No 2 and a pretty much clean sweep at the Smash Hits awards. With a new decade came a change in fortunes and a drug habit which almost cost him his life.

 

21 (39) THE POLICE (2,821,000) 1980 BIGGEST ACT 3.3104

 

http://www.eggcityradio.com/sharity/police80.jpg

 

Charting all three of their albums to date in the Y/E top 20 for 1980 The Police really could do little wrong in the charts of the year. “Zenyatta Mondatta” was the year’s second best seller on the albums list (it was also recorded in four weeks whilst on their UK tour and was finished at 4am on the day they left to start a worldwide tour), whilst “Don’t Stand So Close To Me” debuted at No 1 (one of only two singles to do so that year) and became the best seller of the year.

 

ALSO BIG IN: 1983

 

Recap time No's 21-50

 

21 (39) THE POLICE (2,821,000) 1980 3.3104

22 (36) JASON DONOVAN (2,919,000) 1989 3.2957

23 (09) LADY GAGA (4,340,000) 2009 3.2341

24 (20) THE FUGEES (3,290,000) 1996 3.2142

25 (59) WET WET WET (2,456,000) 1994 3.2106

26 (51) ABBA (2,669,000) 1980 3.1754

27 (21) STEPS (3,287,000) 1999 3.0208

28 (42) BRITNEY SPEARS (2,773,000) 1999 2.9861

29 (79) JIVE BUNNY AND THE MASTERMIXERS (2,240,000) 1989 2.9744

30 (68) JOHN LENNON (2,389,000) 1981 2.9306

 

31 (25) CELINE DION (3,160,000) 1998 2.8814

32 (22) BOYZONE (3,186,000) 1998 2.8641

33 (82) DAVID BOWIE (2,234,000) 1983 2.7837

34 (94) BAND AID (2,143,000) 1984 2.7831

35 (88) PAUL YOUNG (2,212,000) 1983 2.7776

36 (26) EMINEM (3,157,000) 2000 2.7671

37 (78) BLONDIE (2,257,000) 1980 2.7639

38 (61) MARIAH CAREY (2,436,000) 1994 2.7565

39 (16) ROBBIE WILLIAMS (3,639,000) 1998 2.7505

40 (75) MADNESS (2,283,000) 1982 2.7490

 

41 (85) RICK ASTLEY (2,220,000) 1987 2.7474

42 (33) TAKE THAT (3,015,000) 1993 2.7456

43 (45) CRAIG DAVID (2,736,000) 2000 2.7451

44 (30) WESTLIFE (3,084,000) 2000 2.7348

45 (87) HUMAN LEAGUE (2,215,000) 1981 2.7047

46 (14) BRUNO MARS (3,833,000) 2011 2.6941

47 (80) HEAR’SAY (2,240,000) 2001 2.6876

48 (17) EMELI SANDE (3,626,000) 2012 2.6840

49 (18) BLACK EYED PEAS (3,495,000) 2003 2.6682

50 (92) PET SHOP BOYS (2,180,000) 1987 2.6390

 

So what do we have in the top 20?

 

7 Groups

9 Male soloists

4 Female Soloists

 

and by decade:

 

80s- 8

90s- 5

00s- 3

10s- 4

That performance of Paparazzi is iconic

Assuming I have not missed any out, I believe we are still awaiting the biggest-selling acts of the following years:

 

1981, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1991, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2014

Lady Gaga, she started off so well with the Fame and Fame Monster, but kinda went downhill with the Born This Way era, which was ruined by bad single choices and then Artpop was even worse. But still with classics such as Just Dance, Bad Romance, Telephone, The Edge Of Glory, Marry The Night & Pokerface, she will always be remembered for her relative short time at the top.

 

Jason Donovan, such fond memories and had his first album on LP, he did have some great songs Nothing Can Divide Us, Too Many Broken Hearts, When You Come Back To Me and of course his amazing Kylie duet classic Especially For You

20 (12) SAM SMITH (4,222,000) 2014 3.3474

 

http://www.billboard.com/files/styles/promo_650/public/media/sam-smith-grammys-2014-red-carpet-600.jpg

 

Another “Sound Of” poll winner (they do tend to do rather well) Smith found chart fame via Disclosure (“Latch”) and Naughty Boy (“La La La”) yet his 2014 could be illustrated by the number two. He scored two No 1 hits and also the second biggest album of the year on both sides of the Atlantic, yet on these sales he won’t also mind being the second biggest selling act of the year....

 

19 (58) BRYAN ADAMS (2,476,000) 1991 3.4641

 

http://www.bryanadams.com/files/Image/images/preview/070-4.jpg

 

Adams only released three singles in 1991, one made No 35 spending three weeks on the chart and another peaked at No 12 with a six week run and prior to 1991 Adams never made the top 10 on the singles chart. Of course when your other hit is “Everything I Do (I Do It For You)” then it all becomes clear as to why Adams makes the top 20 on this list, that song spent 16 consecutive weeks at No 1 in the summer of that year creating a still unchallenged record.

 

Assuming I have not missed any out, I believe we are still awaiting the biggest-selling acts of the following years:

 

1981, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1991, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2014

A couple have already appeared

 

1991 has already gone- Queen

2000- has already gone- Eminem :D

Eurgh, Sam Smith is so whiny.

18 (46) SHAGGY (2,730,000) 2001 BIGGEST ACT 3.5729

 

http://cdn.urbanislandz.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/shaggy.jpg

 

Another unpredicted comeback Shaggy was practically forgotten about by 2001 until “It Wasn’t Me” reminded us that he could produce a surprise No 1 single, it topped the charts on both sides of the Atlantic along with follow up “Angel” making him one of the hottest properties in pop in the year. Then we all got bored and after 2002 we didn’t really hear anything from him.

 

17 (31) SHAKIN STEVENS (3,060,000) 1981 3.6664

 

http://i.ytimg.com/vi/G77CB3UWReU/hqdefault.jpg

 

With just four singles in 1981 Shaky managed to sell a cool 2.2 million singles showing just how embedded he was in the public consciousness. Already 33 by the time he hit the big time Shaky made a career in the 80s out of rock N roll covers that admittedly wore thin as the decade wore on but there is no doubt that single sales of this level proves he did dive into an untapped audience at the time.

 

ALSO BIG IN: 1982

 

18 (46) SHAGGY (2,730,000) 2001 BIGGEST ACT 3.5729

 

http://cdn.urbanislandz.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/shaggy.jpg

 

Another unpredicted comeback Shaggy was practically forgotten about by 2001 until “It Wasn’t Me” reminded us that he could produce a surprise No 1 single, it topped the charts on both sides of the Atlantic along with follow up “Angel” making him one of the hottest properties in pop in the year. Then we all got bored and after 2002 we didn’t really hear anything from him.

 

 

Funny though.. he has now his biggest global hit since Angel (I Need Your Love)

Shaggy is completely awful.

16 (24) WHAM! (3,164,000) 1984 3.7878

 

http://images.45cat.com/wham-freedom-1984.jpg

 

In 1984 there was only one group that could match the selling power of Ridgeley and Michael (they’ll follow soon). Released from a restrictive record deal the boys abandoned social commentary for outright pop and this was the result, two Number one singles and a million selling album all within 7 months, oh did I mention “Last Christmas/ Everything She Wants”? that disappointed by only making No 2 but compensated by becoming the bands biggest selling single and has now sold over 1.5 million copies alone.

 

ALSO BIG IN: 1983,

 

15 (03) RIHANNA (5,507,000) 2011 (BIGGEST ACT IN 2010) 3.8748

 

http://fabulousbuzz.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/rihanna_prphotos.jpg

 

With a work rate that provides its own reward, Rihanna had produced 26 credited hits between 2005 and 2010 all of which had seen her rise quickly through the ranks in terms of the biggest selling acts but it was 2011 where she got her best year! As 2011 opened Rihanna had three tracks in the top 10 including the No 1 with “What’s My Name” and ended the year with another No 1 song “We Found Love” plus the accumulation of 3.7 million singles along the way. She was equally impressive on the album front where both “Loud” and “Talk That Talk” finished in the Y/E top 10- yeap she could pretty much do no wrong. She was also the biggest selling act in 2010 and even though she sold even more the following year there was a bigger force to stop her.

 

ALSO BIG IN: 2007, 2008, 2012, 2013

 

She's spent something like 920 weeks in the top 75 in the past 10 years.

 

She must also be climbing the all time 'total singles sold' top 10 also because of the vast amount of tricke sellers she has.

Edited June 30, 20159 yr by AntoineTTe