July 4, 201510 yr Actually forgot all about Gareth Gates, never realised he sold so much during that era, although did have a soft spot for "Anyone Of Us" at the time, and his debut album was pretty decent, dunno why he released "What My Heart Wants To Say" as a single, "Sentimental" would have been a better choice. His 2nd album was pretty awful, the lead single "Sunshine" was totally dire.
July 5, 201510 yr I don't get the constant whining about Ed Sheeran... he writes well crafted songs, the production is usually nice and he has a great voice. He's no Michael Jackson but very good anyway. Edited July 5, 201510 yr by SKOB
July 5, 201510 yr Author 07 (13) MADONNA (3,991,000) 1985 BIGGEST ACT (ALSO 1986) 4.8328 http://img2.timeinc.net/instyle/celebrities/transformation/1985_madonna-400.jpg The second highest female on this list her best year was 1985 when she became the first act to score eight top 10 hits in a year and started “Madonnamania” in the US. Her debut film release “Desperately Seeking Susan” pointed briefly to a successful movie career and of course her wedding plus playboy pictures helped to keep the headlines generating throughout a year when she couldn’t be escaped. She repeated the feat of biggest act in 1986, one of only three acts to be the biggest act more than once but the only one to do so in successive years. ALSO BIG IN: 1987, 1989, 1990, 1998, 2000 52iW3lcpK5M
July 5, 201510 yr Author 06 (23) WILL YOUNG (3,170,000) 2002 BEST SELLING ACT 5.0879 http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01298/Pop_idol_1298641c.jpg Winner of “Pop Idol” meant that Young had a better platform than most to launch his debut single and “Evergreen/ Anything Is Possible” didn’t disappoint by selling 1.1 million in its first week alone, a record that no track since has come close to. Two more covers topped the charts in 2002 for Young as indeed did his debut album “From Now On” but his relationship with Cowell was always rocky and didn’t extend beyond his debut. ODFt3v6aWYs
July 5, 201510 yr Will Young was also big in 2003/04 but I guess that success was too divided in between two years.
July 6, 201510 yr Author 05 (05) ROBSON & JEROME (4,942,000) 1995 BIGGEST ACT 5.1363 http://cdn.images.express.co.uk/img/dynamic/9/285x214/65291_1.jpg Of all the groups and acts he’s ever had anything to do with nothing has generated as many sales for Simon Cowell in one year as this duo did in 1995. Only 1 album and two singles account for this tally of nearly 5 million with both singles topping the charts for a combined tally of 11 weeks and one of those singles, “White Cliffs Of Dover/ Unchained Melody”, became the second biggest single of the decade. The album debuted at No 1 and spent the final 7 weeks of the year at the top slot becoming the fastest album (at the time) to sell 2 million copies. ALSO BIG IN : 1996 sNcg44FW-jA
July 6, 201510 yr Author 04 (08) ADAM & THE ANTS (4,389,000) 1981 BIGGEST ACT 5.3624 The transition from failed punk singer to the first heart throb of the 80s, Adam Ant’s eye for the theatrical was the first real star of the “New Romantic” era, their use of Burundi drums was their distinctive calling card and in 1981 they sold an eye watering 2.9 million singles thanks in part to the No 1 singles “Stand And Deliver” and “Prince Charming” and a string of re-issues of their previous hits. At their height the group called it a day and Ant launched a solo career with initial success in 1982 but certainly nothing on this level. h-EaWRqikAg
July 6, 201510 yr I thought Robson and Gerome would have been Top 4 at least. I guess 1995 was big for singles and albums so they didn't dominate to as great a degree as the others in the top 5. Edited July 6, 201510 yr by AntoineTTe
July 6, 201510 yr So the top 3 consist of 1 male soloist, 1 female soloist, and 1 group, and these artists are the biggest selling acts of 1984, 1997, and 2011 in some order.
July 7, 201510 yr Author 03 (11) FRANKIE GOES TO HOLLYWOOD (4,323,000) 1984 BIGGEST ACT 5.3694 http://www.bellazon.com/main/uploads/monthly_06_2012/post-37737-0-50742400-1338742394.jpg Taken from the underground Liverpool scene and transformed by Trevor Horn who came to hear the band via a John Peel session on Radio 1. When “Relax” got banned by the BBC it sent the track straight to the top and the band courted further controversy on “Two Tribes” and “The Power Of Love” both of which topped the charts as the band equalled the record for getting their first three tracks to No 1 set by Gerry & The Pacemakers back in 1963. With a million copies of their debut album “Welcome To The Pleasuredome” shipped to store it effortlessly debuted at the top but with 1985 arriving the band went into seemingly immediate decline disbanding in 1987. ZbS33tON0yQ
July 7, 201510 yr Author Here's the full recap 3-200, top 2 to follow at 7pm tonight! 03 (11) FRANKIE GOES TO HOLLYWOOD (4,323,000) 1984 5.3694 04 (08) ADAM & THE ANTS (4,389,000) 1981 5.3624 05 (05) ROBSON & JEROME (4,942,000) 1995 5.1363 06 (23) WILL YOUNG (3,170,000) 2002 5.0879 07 (13) MADONNA (3,991,000) 1985 4.8328 08 (02) ED SHEERAN (5,749,000) 2014 4.6485 09 (06) THE SPICE GIRLS (4,735,000) 1996 4.6308 10 (07) MICHAEL JACKSON (4,482,000) 1983 4.6015 11 (43) GARETH GATES (2,747,000) 2002 4.5177 12 (15) KYLIE MINOGUE (3,685,000) 1988 4.4959 13 (27) CULTURE CLUB (3,148,000) 1983 4.0032 14 (10) OASIS (4,331,000) 1995 3.9291 15 (03) RIHANNA (5,507,000) 2011 3.8748 16 (24) WHAM! (3,164,000) 1984 3.7878 17 (31) SHAKIN STEVENS (3,060,000) 1981 3.6664 18 (46) SHAGGY (2,730,000) 2001 3.5729 19 (58) BRYAN ADAMS (2,476,000) 1991 3.4641 20 (12) SAM SMITH (4,222,000) 2014 3.3474 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 51 (19) SHANIA TWAIN (3,371,000) 1999 2.5405 52 (107) STEVIE WONDER (2,036,000) 1984 2.5254 53 (71) BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN (2,310,000) 1985 2.4923 54 (112) THE JAM (1,951,000) 1982 2.4820 55 (65) WHITNEY HOUSTON (2,396,000) 1987 2.4693 56 (69) MEAT LOAF (2,358,000) 1993 2.4508 57 (100) NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK (2,088,000) 1990 2.4479 58 (109) DEXY’S MIDNIGHT RUNNERS (1,979,000) 1982 2.4459 59 (77) B*WITCHED (2,280,000) 1998 2.4429 60 (114) EAST 17 (1,933,000) 1994 2.4411 61 (83) VENGABOYS (2,225,000) 1999 2.4165 62 (120) SPANDAU BALLET (1,907,000) 1983 2.3955 63 (122) EURYTHMICS (1,891,000) 1983 2.3797 64 (156) ATOMIC KITTEN (1,680,000) 2001 2.3779 65 (38) QUEEN (2,823,000) 1984 2.3741 66 (90) ENRIQUE IGLESIAS (2,190,000) 2002 2.3734 67 (144) TONY CHRISTIE (1,760,000) 2005 2.3677 68 (108) BROS (2,003,000) 1988 2.3554 69 (76) S CLUB 7 (2,283,000) 2001 2.3346 70 (29) GLEE CAST (3,129,000) 2010 2.3302 71 (110) KIDS FROM FAME (1,975,000) 1982 2.3258 72 (63) PHIL COLLINS (2,408,000) 1985 2.2979 73 (81) LIONEL RICHIE (2,238,000) 1984 2.2866 74 (34) ONE DIRECTION (2,992,000) 2013 2.2451 75 (133) ULTRAVOX (1,828,000) 1981 2.2372 76 (44) LUCIANO PAVAROTTI (2,741,000) 1990 2.2180 77 (60) U2 (2,446,000) 1987 2.2175 78 (119) FIVE STAR (1,911,000) 1986 2.2134 79 (175) THE OUTHERE BROTHERS (1,616,000) 1995 2.2087 80 (32) KATY PERRY (3,050,000) 2010 2.2032 81 (143) DURAN DURAN (1,761,000) 1983 2.2001 82 (55) GLORIA ESTEFAN (2,543,000) 1989 2.1850 83 (73) ALL SAINTS (2,291,000) 1998 2.1827 84 (113) A-HA (1,939,000) 1986 2.1784 85 (117) TEARS FOR FEARS (1,929,000) 1985 2.1693 86 (40) KINGS OF LEON (2,806,000) 2009 2.1388 87 (167) BILLY JOEL (1,653,000) 1983 2.1122 88 (116) CHER (1,929,000) 1998 2.1107 89 (99) DIRE STRAITS (2,095,000) 1985 2.1079 90 (35) JAMES BLUNT (2,937,000) 2005 2.0960 91 (164) UB40 (1,660,000) 1983 2.0939 92 (151) ABC (1,722,000) 1982 2.0712 93 (56) GEORGE MICHAEL (2,524,000) 1996 2.061 94 (84) SIMPLY RED (2,225,000) 1992 2.0226 95 (157) NIK KERSHAW (1,674,000) 1984 2.0204 96 (37) JESSIE J (2,909,000) 2011 2.0092 97 (50) BEYONCE (2,688,000) 2009 2.0038 98 (135) USHER (1,800,000) 2004 2.0007 99 (104) BUSTED (2,069,000) 2003 1.9849 100 (101) BON JOVI (2,085,000) 1994 1.9631 101 (188) MEN AT WORK (1,571,000) 1983 1.9560 102 (131) CLIFF RICHARD (1,840,000) 1988 1.9449 103 (66) MICHAEL BUBLE (2,393,000) 2010 1.9388 104 (28) PHARRELL (3,133,000) 2014 1.935 105 (163) THE THOMPSON TWINS (1,666,000) 1984 1.9311 107 (47) DIDO (2,698,000) 2003 1.9042 108 (159) PETER ANDRE (1,670,000) 1996 1.9025 109 (149) AQUA (1,735,000) 1997 1.8976 110 (177) SOUL II SOUL (1,613,000) 1989 1.8965 111 (181) BARBRA STREISAND (1,592,000) 1980 1.8895 112 (132) PUFF DADDY (1,840,000) 1997 1.8766 113 (57) LEONA LEWIS (2,511,000) 2007 1.8763 114 (165) ROBERT MILES (1,657,000) 1996 1.8709 115 (199) STARSOUND (1,508,000) 1981 1.8642 116 (192) THE DARKNESS (1,544,000) 2003 1.8539 117 (198) HAIRCUT 100 (1,527,000) 1982 1.8530 118 (115) PINK (1,930,000) 2002 1.8343 119 (180) T’PAU (1,598,000) 1987 1.8318 120 (89) BLUE (2,200,000) 2002 1.8224 121 (124) SAVAGE GARDEN (1,880,000) 1998 1.8128 122 (41) JESS GLYNNE (2,780,000) 2014 1.7866 123 (96) BLUR (2,130,000) 1995 1.7826 124 (200) HOWARD JONES (1,507,000) 1984 1.7782 125 (182) NELLY (1,580,000) 2002 1.7629 126 (49) DUFFY (2,692,000) 2008 1.7547 127 (93) GEORGE EZRA (2,067,000) 2014 1.7326 128 (183) BOBBY BROWN (1,580,000) 1989 1.7195 129 (52) DAVID GUETTA (2,654,000) 2012 1.6981 130 (153) ELVIS PRESLEY (1,710,000) 2002 1.6930 131 (48) AMY WINEHOUSE (2,693,000) 2007 1.6901 132 (86) ALICIA KEYS (2,219,000) 2010 1.6757 133 (118) JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE (1,915,000) 2003 1.6719 134 (98) MIKA (2,098,000) 2007 1.6413 135 (91) THE VERVE (2,190,000) 1997 1.6286 136 (106) LILY ALLEN (2,039,000) 2009 1.6241 137 (53) COLDPLAY (2,120,000) 2011 1.6240 138 (125) ETERNAL (1,877,000) 1997 1.6165 139 (105) OLLY MURS (2,053,000) 2012 1.6102 140 (190) FIVE (1,563,000) 1998 1.6096 141 (193) SASH! (1,538,000) 1997 1.6076 142 (64) THE CORRS (2,400,000) 1998 1.6042 143 (152) CHRISTINA AGUILERA (1,711,000) 2003 1.6037 144 (161) BACKSTREET BOYS (1,669,000) 1997 1.5581 145 (94) TINIE TEMPAH (2,157,000) 2010 1.5367 146 (75) ELLIE GOULDING (2,283,000) 2013 1.5325 147 (62) NICKI MINAJ (2,426,000) 2012 1.5308 148 (171) PULP (1,630,000) 1995 1.5095 149 (194) ERASURE (1,533,000) 1989 1.5006 150 (154) DESTINY’S CHILD (1,707,000) 2001 1.4984 151 (54) FLO RIDA (2,563,000) 2012 1.4773 152 (136) PALOMA FAITH (1,659,000) 2014 1.4630 153 (191) ANASTACIA (1,560,000) 2004 1.4464 154 (140) GORILLAZ (1,770,000) 2005 1.4461 155 (121) JLS (1,903,000) 2010 1.4445 156 (128) PLAN B (1,858,000) 2010 1.4205 157 (126) CHERYL COLE (1,876,000) 2010 1.4095 158 (67) ALANIS MORISSETTE (2,390,000) 1996 1.3946 159 (102) CLEAN BANDIT (2,071,000) 2014 1.3853 160 (146) SUSAN BOYLE (1,743,000) 2009 1.3799 161 (137) FLORENCE + THE MACHINE (1,791,000) 2010 1.3556 162 (72) AVICII (2,294,000) 2013 1.3355 163 (138) MAROON 5 (1,780,000) 2004 1.3340 164 (97) SNOW PATROL (2,100,000) 2006 1.3329 165 (103) CHRIS BROWN (2,071,000) 2011 1.3313 166 (134) CALVIN HARRIS (1,817,000) 2014 1.2794 167 (147) JOHN LEGEND (1,707,000) 2014 1.2751 168 (127) DAFT PUNK (1,870,000) 2013 1.2668 169 (130) GIRLS ALOUD (1,848,000) 2008 1.2648 170 (179) THE LIGHTHOUSE FAMILY (1,600,000) 1998 1.2240 171 (150) GABRIELLE (1,726,000) 2001 1.2225 172 (111) PITBULL (1,957,000) 2011 1.2116 173 (162) STEREOPHONICS (1,668,000) 2001 1.2033 174 (145) SCISSOR SISTERS (1,760,000) 2006 1.1896 175 (172) TEXAS (1,630,000) 1997 1.1652 176 (158) BASTILLE (1,673,000) 2013 1.1640 177 (139) TRAVIS (1,779,000) 1999 1.1455 178 (142) KEANE (1,763,000) 2004 1.1228 179 (168) NICKELBACK (1,640,000) 2008 1.1228 180 (129) GREEN DAY (1,850,000) 2005 1.1191 181. (169) IGGY AZALEA (1,567,000) 2014 1.0814 182 (184) RAZORLIGHT (1,580,000) 2006 1.0802 183 (70) THE BEATLES (2,333,000) 2000 1.0782 184 (123) SIA (1,888,000) 2012 1.0763 185 (160) RITA ORA (1,669,000) 2012 1.0534 186 (189) PLACIDO DOMINGO (1,569,000) 1990 1.0521 187 (195) THE WANTED (1,532,000) 2011 1.0500 188 (155) LABRINTH (1,688,000) 2012 1.0473 189 (166) THE KILLERS (1,653,000) 2008 1.0444 190 (141) MACKLEMORE & RYAN LEWIS (1,767,000) 2013 1.0331 191 (186) FUN (1,576,000) 2012 1.0313 192 (197) THE PRODIGY (1,530,000) 1997 1.0289 193. (178) TAYLOR SWIFT (1,607,000) 2013 1.0143 194. (174) LMFAO (1,617,000) 2011 1.008 195. (148) WILL.I.AM (1,738,000) 2013 0.9998 196 (187) GOTYE (1,572,000) 2012 0.9933 197 (196) KAISER CHIEFS (1,532,000) 2005 0.9814 198. (173) MOBY (1,627,000) 2000 0.9560 199. (170) T.I (1,632,000) 2013 0.9080 200. (176) ROBIN THICKE (1,616,000) 2013 0.8936
July 7, 201510 yr Author 02 (04) ELTON JOHN (5,240,000) 1997 BIGGEST ACT 5.7332 http://www.eltonjohn.com/wp-content/themes/html5blank-master/img/about/bioYrs11.jpg 4.7 million of those sales naturally come from “Candle In The Wind 97/ Something About The Way You Look Tonight” which rewrote all the record books upon release. The latter track has (allegedly) got a promo which Elton hates more than any of his other video’s and led to his reluctance to appear in many videos post 1997, but of course that video had little effect in either helping or preventing sales. ALSO BIG IN: 1990 A8gO0Z818j4
July 7, 201510 yr Author 01 (01) ADELE (7,999,000) 2011 BIGGEST ACT 6.3646 http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01997/Adele_1997111c.jpg So here she is then, and No 1 on our rundown by some stretch! Yes Adele in 2011 was UNSTOPPABLE, second album “21” topped the charts for 18 weeks through the year selling 1.8 million before it even fell from the top and 3.7 million by the year end plus debut album “19” was given a second life and contributed another 1.2 million to the pot, even rising to No 2 for 5 weeks blocked by, you guessed it, “21”. On the singles front whilst “Rolling In The Deep” narrowly missed out on becoming her first No 1, an emotional performance of “Someone Like You” at the BRITS saw the track effortlessly power to the top and sell 1.2 million to become the biggest single of the year. Quite simply no act has ever “owned” any year in the last 35 quite like Adele did 2011. ALSO BIG IN: 2012 yQIQ-1vpWfs
July 7, 201510 yr Author That's it folks- Thanks for all your comments and input- it always makes it worthwhile doing these! Until next time....... :D
July 7, 201510 yr I forgot about 19's sales when I was guessing how high her sales were for 2011. I'm such an amateur :D
July 7, 201510 yr I forgot about 19's sales when I was guessing how high her sales were for 2011. I'm such an amateur :D
July 7, 201510 yr I forgot about 19's sales when I was guessing how high her sales were for 2011. I'm such an amateur :D
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