We all have our opinions on who were the most successful artists over the last 60 years.
https://www.acclaimedmusic.net/forums/v ... hp?t=12684
And we always acknowledge Elvis' huge success over the last 70 years.
https://www.acclaimedmusic.net/forums/v ... hp?t=14119
Some of us are aware of earlier success stories over the last 80 years.
https://www.acclaimedmusic.net/forums/v ... hp?t=14745
But let's be honest. Who really knew the most successful recording artists of the last 100 years?
https://www.acclaimedmusic.net/forums/v ... hp?t=15251
History is fascinating when we take the time to research it.
And we have all wondered at some time or another, who were the most successful recording artists of all time?
The Most Successful Recording Artists Of All Time: 1890 to 2023
https://sites.google.com/view/alexanderdimadis/music
Podcast discussion of the book:
https://vimeo.com/1020846322
ONLINE ORDERS AVAILABLE HERE
https://www.jotform.com/form/243108752684057
The Most Successful Recording Artists Of All Time
Re: The Most Successful Recording Artists Of All Time
Excerpts & Copyright
This thread will present excerpts from my book The Most Successful Recording Artists Of All Time: 1890 to 2023
https://sites.google.com/view/alexanderdimadis/music
The most successful artists of each year will be listed, along with the Top 3 of each decade and the Top 30 of all time.
All content presented in this thread remains copyright © 2024 by Alexander Dimadis
This thread will present excerpts from my book The Most Successful Recording Artists Of All Time: 1890 to 2023
https://sites.google.com/view/alexanderdimadis/music
The most successful artists of each year will be listed, along with the Top 3 of each decade and the Top 30 of all time.
All content presented in this thread remains copyright © 2024 by Alexander Dimadis
Re: The Most Successful Recording Artists Of All Time
Foreword
The Most Successful Recording Artists Of All Time: 1890 to 2023
Musical artists have found popular success over time, through their live shows, through radio broadcasts, on the TV and at the Movies. Many of them never considered their recordings to be the most accurate representation of their art.
But recordings from the late 19th century until the early 21st, remain an important historical record of what music used to be, what it has become today, and how it evolved for well over 100 years.
The public was intrigued by the novelty of recordings at first, and soon welcomed the technology into their homes. Before long, they fell in love with their favourite artists.
Critics have held different opinions of various recording artists to that of the public. The public would occasionally listen to what the critics had to say, but the public knew what they liked. Over time, as it turns out, the public did consistently gravitate to the better (if not always the best) artists available to them, and those artists that the public preferred, became fabulously successful.
It is difficult to measure the most successful artists of all time. Audited numbers for sales of singles and albums were attempted by the record industry in the second half of the 20th century. Accurate sales numbers of the primitive wax cylinders and the widely sold 78 rpm records, however, are largely lost to time, and the sales of physical product in the 21st century, only account for a minor component of all recorded music consumption today.
Attempts to measure all the available statistics of these industry sales numbers, need to guess the numbers that have been lost and to use creative formulas to compare the sales of wax cylinders and records with modern streaming numbers, on some kind of level playing field.
But a level playing field comparing the success of all recording artists has always existed. The humble Music Chart.
Almost as soon as recorded music appeared, the industry began in 1890 to measure the sales and success of individual recordings using Music Charts, as a service to distributors to guide them on their stock purchases. But it wasn't long before the public took an interest in these charts and started to follow their favourite artists as their recordings waxed and waned in the charts, and sometimes reached that special place of Number One.
The earliest charts first appeared in the U.S.A. and were produced by several publications. They were all collated into the book "Pop Memories 1890 - 1954" by Joel Whitburn in 1986. Charts published by Billboard Magazine first appeared in 1913 and became the industry leading source of information by the late 20th century and will likely remain so into the future.
Recording Artists can be measured with a simple formula which gives the same weight to a Number One Single and a Number One Album for any week, during any year. The first Number 1 song in 1890 is given the same weight as this week's Number 1 album.
All other entries on the Singles and Album Charts are given descending weight depending upon their place on the chart regardless of the year they charted.
All artists and all musical eras for over 130 years are therefore compared on a level playing field. International music however is under-represented. Artists from the U.K. and Canada often appear in the U.S. charts, but every country has produced major artists who had enormous success in their home country but not in the U.S., especially if they didn't sing in English.
This is unfortunate but the U.S. music industry has permeated and influenced almost every culture on Earth, and a list of the most successful recording artists in the U.S., remains an interesting historical record for most of the western world if not necessarily the whole globe.
The Most Successful Recording Artists Of All Time: 1890 to 2023
Musical artists have found popular success over time, through their live shows, through radio broadcasts, on the TV and at the Movies. Many of them never considered their recordings to be the most accurate representation of their art.
But recordings from the late 19th century until the early 21st, remain an important historical record of what music used to be, what it has become today, and how it evolved for well over 100 years.
The public was intrigued by the novelty of recordings at first, and soon welcomed the technology into their homes. Before long, they fell in love with their favourite artists.
Critics have held different opinions of various recording artists to that of the public. The public would occasionally listen to what the critics had to say, but the public knew what they liked. Over time, as it turns out, the public did consistently gravitate to the better (if not always the best) artists available to them, and those artists that the public preferred, became fabulously successful.
It is difficult to measure the most successful artists of all time. Audited numbers for sales of singles and albums were attempted by the record industry in the second half of the 20th century. Accurate sales numbers of the primitive wax cylinders and the widely sold 78 rpm records, however, are largely lost to time, and the sales of physical product in the 21st century, only account for a minor component of all recorded music consumption today.
Attempts to measure all the available statistics of these industry sales numbers, need to guess the numbers that have been lost and to use creative formulas to compare the sales of wax cylinders and records with modern streaming numbers, on some kind of level playing field.
But a level playing field comparing the success of all recording artists has always existed. The humble Music Chart.
Almost as soon as recorded music appeared, the industry began in 1890 to measure the sales and success of individual recordings using Music Charts, as a service to distributors to guide them on their stock purchases. But it wasn't long before the public took an interest in these charts and started to follow their favourite artists as their recordings waxed and waned in the charts, and sometimes reached that special place of Number One.
The earliest charts first appeared in the U.S.A. and were produced by several publications. They were all collated into the book "Pop Memories 1890 - 1954" by Joel Whitburn in 1986. Charts published by Billboard Magazine first appeared in 1913 and became the industry leading source of information by the late 20th century and will likely remain so into the future.
Recording Artists can be measured with a simple formula which gives the same weight to a Number One Single and a Number One Album for any week, during any year. The first Number 1 song in 1890 is given the same weight as this week's Number 1 album.
All other entries on the Singles and Album Charts are given descending weight depending upon their place on the chart regardless of the year they charted.
All artists and all musical eras for over 130 years are therefore compared on a level playing field. International music however is under-represented. Artists from the U.K. and Canada often appear in the U.S. charts, but every country has produced major artists who had enormous success in their home country but not in the U.S., especially if they didn't sing in English.
This is unfortunate but the U.S. music industry has permeated and influenced almost every culture on Earth, and a list of the most successful recording artists in the U.S., remains an interesting historical record for most of the western world if not necessarily the whole globe.
Re: The Most Successful Recording Artists Of All Time
The 1890's
This thread will present excerpts from my book The Most Successful Recording Artists Of All Time: 1890 to 2023
https://sites.google.com/view/alexanderdimadis/music
The most successful artists of each year will be listed, along with the Top 3 of each decade and the Top 30 of all time.
All content presented in this thread remains copyright © 2024 by Alexander Dimadis
This thread will present excerpts from my book The Most Successful Recording Artists Of All Time: 1890 to 2023
https://sites.google.com/view/alexanderdimadis/music
The most successful artists of each year will be listed, along with the Top 3 of each decade and the Top 30 of all time.
All content presented in this thread remains copyright © 2024 by Alexander Dimadis
Re: The Most Successful Recording Artists Of All Time
1890 U.S. Marine Band
U.S. Marine Band was known as "the President's band" since 1801. John Philip Sousa was the band's director since 1880, and the composer of almost all the band's Marches.
Recordings of U.S. Marine Band Marches on new wax cylinder technology, were among the first to be marketed to the public. Wax Cylinders were invented in the late 1870's. They were first marketed to the public by the late 1880's.
By 1890, U.S. Marine Band was the most successful recording artist, in the first year that sales numbers were collated and distributed in America.
It is fair to assume the band's Marches were promoted, across the still young country of America, with national pride. This alone would have encouraged the public to give the novel technology more than passing interest.
"Semper Fidelis" was the first wax cylinder to be listed at Number 1, in the first "music chart" in history.
U.S. Marine Band was known as "the President's band" since 1801. John Philip Sousa was the band's director since 1880, and the composer of almost all the band's Marches.
Recordings of U.S. Marine Band Marches on new wax cylinder technology, were among the first to be marketed to the public. Wax Cylinders were invented in the late 1870's. They were first marketed to the public by the late 1880's.
By 1890, U.S. Marine Band was the most successful recording artist, in the first year that sales numbers were collated and distributed in America.
It is fair to assume the band's Marches were promoted, across the still young country of America, with national pride. This alone would have encouraged the public to give the novel technology more than passing interest.
"Semper Fidelis" was the first wax cylinder to be listed at Number 1, in the first "music chart" in history.
…
Re: The Most Successful Recording Artists Of All Time
1891 George Washington Johnson
The public was happy to purchase cylinders of Marches by the U.S. Marine Band, but recordings remained a novelty.
Sound quality was primitive, and most people would have found it easier, and cheaper, to attend a local live musical performance, of which there were many, rather than invest in the new technology.
George Washington Johnson was a seasoned entertainer who was one of the first to make recordings as early as 1877.
He was born into slavery but used his natural talents of loud raggy whistling and infectious laughter to become a sought-after entertainer.
Phonograph companies sensed an opportunity and recorded Johnson's unique talents for their coin-operated machines. In 1891, Johnson became the most successful artist of the year, and the first widely known recording artist of all time.
An African American was the first solo recording artist to dominate the charts, but many decades would pass before this would happen again.
"The Laughing Song" is a novelty, which many people would not have had an opportunity to hear, but for the new technology that brought these recordings to their local communities.
Top 2 Artists - 1890 to 1891
1 U.S. Marine Band
2 George Washington Johnson
The public was happy to purchase cylinders of Marches by the U.S. Marine Band, but recordings remained a novelty.
Sound quality was primitive, and most people would have found it easier, and cheaper, to attend a local live musical performance, of which there were many, rather than invest in the new technology.
George Washington Johnson was a seasoned entertainer who was one of the first to make recordings as early as 1877.
He was born into slavery but used his natural talents of loud raggy whistling and infectious laughter to become a sought-after entertainer.
Phonograph companies sensed an opportunity and recorded Johnson's unique talents for their coin-operated machines. In 1891, Johnson became the most successful artist of the year, and the first widely known recording artist of all time.
An African American was the first solo recording artist to dominate the charts, but many decades would pass before this would happen again.
"The Laughing Song" is a novelty, which many people would not have had an opportunity to hear, but for the new technology that brought these recordings to their local communities.
…
Top 2 Artists - 1890 to 1891
1 U.S. Marine Band
2 George Washington Johnson
Re: The Most Successful Recording Artists Of All Time
1892 Len Spencer
Len Spencer was the first nationally known recording artist and a significant pioneer in the early era of recorded music.
In 1891, he already had a Number 1 hit with "Little 'Liza Loves You".
With three more Number 1 hits in 1892, Len Spencer had the best year of his short career to date. He was the most successful artist of 1892, and he equalled the level of success achieved by the U.S. Marine Band in 1890.
And by the end of 1892, Len Spencer became the most successful of all recording artists over the period 1890 to 1892.
Spencer specialized in vaudeville sketches and comic songs, but he also sang sentimental ballads that were popular at the time.
…
Top 3 Artists - 1890 to 1892
1 Len Spencer
2 George J. Gaskin
3 U.S. Marine Band
George J. Gaskin
George J. Gaskin had also started his career in 1891 with the Number 1 hit "Drill, Ye Terriers, Drill", and by 1892 he was the second most successful artist of this period.
He had two Number 1 hits in his own name and scored a third Number 1 as part of Manhansett Quartette, the first Barbershop Quartet to ever appear on the charts.
"The Picture Turned Toward The Wall", his hit with Manhansett Quartette, was the biggest hit of his career to date.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manhanset ... %20Wall%22
Number One recordings:
1891 - Drill, Ye Terriers, Drill - George J. Gaskin (5 weeks)
1892 - The Picture Turned Toward The Wall - Manhansett Quartette (6 weeks)
1892 - Slide, Kelly, Slide - George J. Gaskin (3 weeks)
1892 - Sally In Our Alley - Manhansett Quartette (3 weeks)
Len Spencer was the first nationally known recording artist and a significant pioneer in the early era of recorded music.
In 1891, he already had a Number 1 hit with "Little 'Liza Loves You".
With three more Number 1 hits in 1892, Len Spencer had the best year of his short career to date. He was the most successful artist of 1892, and he equalled the level of success achieved by the U.S. Marine Band in 1890.
And by the end of 1892, Len Spencer became the most successful of all recording artists over the period 1890 to 1892.
Spencer specialized in vaudeville sketches and comic songs, but he also sang sentimental ballads that were popular at the time.
…
Top 3 Artists - 1890 to 1892
1 Len Spencer
2 George J. Gaskin
3 U.S. Marine Band
George J. Gaskin
George J. Gaskin had also started his career in 1891 with the Number 1 hit "Drill, Ye Terriers, Drill", and by 1892 he was the second most successful artist of this period.
He had two Number 1 hits in his own name and scored a third Number 1 as part of Manhansett Quartette, the first Barbershop Quartet to ever appear on the charts.
"The Picture Turned Toward The Wall", his hit with Manhansett Quartette, was the biggest hit of his career to date.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manhanset ... %20Wall%22
Number One recordings:
1891 - Drill, Ye Terriers, Drill - George J. Gaskin (5 weeks)
1892 - The Picture Turned Toward The Wall - Manhansett Quartette (6 weeks)
1892 - Slide, Kelly, Slide - George J. Gaskin (3 weeks)
1892 - Sally In Our Alley - Manhansett Quartette (3 weeks)
Re: The Most Successful Recording Artists Of All Time
1893 George J. Gaskin
George J. Gaskin was the most successful artist in 1893 and more successful than any artist had been in a single year, since the start of the recording industry.
In 1893, he also became the most successful artist of the first four years of the recording industry.
Of his three Number 1's during the year, "After The Ball" was the most successful.
…
Top 3 Artists - 1890 to 1893
1 George J. Gaskin
2 Len Spencer
3 U.S. Marine Band
Len Spencer
Len Spencer had another Number 1 hit in 1893 with "Mamie, Come And Kiss Your Honey Boy".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXhL3CLQVg0
It was another comic song that the public were now eagerly expecting from the 2nd most successful artist of the time.
Number One recordings:
1893 - Mamie, Come And Kiss Your Honey Boy - Len Spencer (3 weeks)
George J. Gaskin was the most successful artist in 1893 and more successful than any artist had been in a single year, since the start of the recording industry.
In 1893, he also became the most successful artist of the first four years of the recording industry.
Of his three Number 1's during the year, "After The Ball" was the most successful.
It was the most successful song released in 1893, and the biggest hit of George J. Gaskin's career to date.
…
Top 3 Artists - 1890 to 1893
1 George J. Gaskin
2 Len Spencer
3 U.S. Marine Band
Len Spencer
Len Spencer had another Number 1 hit in 1893 with "Mamie, Come And Kiss Your Honey Boy".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXhL3CLQVg0
It was another comic song that the public were now eagerly expecting from the 2nd most successful artist of the time.
Number One recordings:
1893 - Mamie, Come And Kiss Your Honey Boy - Len Spencer (3 weeks)
Re: The Most Successful Recording Artists Of All Time
1894 Dan Quinn
Dan Quinn was the most successful recording artist of 1894, but his charting career started in 1892.
He worked as an ironworker and moonlighted as a singer at local functions near New York, when in his early 30's, he was discovered by the nascent recording industry. He scored his first Number 1 hit the same year.
By 1894, with a total of six Number 1 hits under his belt, Dan Quinn became the 2nd most successful artist of the early recording era.
The most successful year of his career to date was actually 1893, when he had two huge Number 1 hits.
"Daisy Bell" from 1893 was the biggest hit of Dan Quinn's career to date.
Top 3 Artists - 1890 to 1894
1 George J. Gaskin
2 Dan Quinn
3 Len Spencer
George J. Gaskin
George J. Gaskin had another two Number 1 hits in 1894. "Sweet Marie" was his biggest hit of the year.
https://i78s.org/preview/d241385ef850c1 ... 578ca535f0
Number One recordings:
1894 - Sweet Marie - George J. Gaskin (5 weeks)
1894 - We Were Sweethearts, Nell And I - George J. Gaskin (3 weeks)
Dan Quinn was the most successful recording artist of 1894, but his charting career started in 1892.
He worked as an ironworker and moonlighted as a singer at local functions near New York, when in his early 30's, he was discovered by the nascent recording industry. He scored his first Number 1 hit the same year.
By 1894, with a total of six Number 1 hits under his belt, Dan Quinn became the 2nd most successful artist of the early recording era.
The most successful year of his career to date was actually 1893, when he had two huge Number 1 hits.
"Daisy Bell" from 1893 was the biggest hit of Dan Quinn's career to date.
…
Top 3 Artists - 1890 to 1894
1 George J. Gaskin
2 Dan Quinn
3 Len Spencer
George J. Gaskin
George J. Gaskin had another two Number 1 hits in 1894. "Sweet Marie" was his biggest hit of the year.
https://i78s.org/preview/d241385ef850c1 ... 578ca535f0
Number One recordings:
1894 - Sweet Marie - George J. Gaskin (5 weeks)
1894 - We Were Sweethearts, Nell And I - George J. Gaskin (3 weeks)
Re: The Most Successful Recording Artists Of All Time
1895 Dan Quinn
Dan Quinn had the most successful year of his career to date in 1895 with another three Number 1 hits. He also became the first artist in history to dominate the charts over two separate years.
"The Band Played On" was the most successful song of 1895 and the biggest hit of Dan Quinn's career to date.
1895 - The Band Played On - Dan Quinn (10 weeks)
1895 - The Sidewalks Of New York - Dan Quinn (9 weeks)
1895 - The Little Lost Child - Dan Quinn (5 weeks)
Top 3 Artists - 1890 to 1895
1 George J. Gaskin
2 Dan Quinn
3 U.S. Marine Band (& John Philip Sousa)
U.S. Marine Band (& John Philip Sousa)
U.S. Marine Band remained popular in the last decade of the 19th century.
The band's Number 1 hit from 1894, went on to become a staple in U.S. presidential ceremonies. "The Liberty Bell" March was played at five of seven presidential inaugurations between 1993 and 2017. It was originally composed by John Philip Sousa for an unfinished operetta before he was inspired to publish the March, separately, after his son had marched in a parade in honour of the Liberty Bell.
John Philip Sousa's career expanded in 1895 when he formed Sousa's Band.
He immediately had a Number 1 hit with "El Capitan March". It was the biggest hit of his career to date, with either of his bands.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5m4iJNyq0M
…
Dan Quinn had the most successful year of his career to date in 1895 with another three Number 1 hits. He also became the first artist in history to dominate the charts over two separate years.
"The Band Played On" was the most successful song of 1895 and the biggest hit of Dan Quinn's career to date.
Number One recordings:
1895 - The Band Played On - Dan Quinn (10 weeks)
1895 - The Sidewalks Of New York - Dan Quinn (9 weeks)
1895 - The Little Lost Child - Dan Quinn (5 weeks)
Top 3 Artists - 1890 to 1895
1 George J. Gaskin
2 Dan Quinn
3 U.S. Marine Band (& John Philip Sousa)
U.S. Marine Band (& John Philip Sousa)
U.S. Marine Band remained popular in the last decade of the 19th century.
The band's Number 1 hit from 1894, went on to become a staple in U.S. presidential ceremonies. "The Liberty Bell" March was played at five of seven presidential inaugurations between 1993 and 2017. It was originally composed by John Philip Sousa for an unfinished operetta before he was inspired to publish the March, separately, after his son had marched in a parade in honour of the Liberty Bell.
John Philip Sousa's career expanded in 1895 when he formed Sousa's Band.
He immediately had a Number 1 hit with "El Capitan March". It was the biggest hit of his career to date, with either of his bands.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5m4iJNyq0M
…
Re: The Most Successful Recording Artists Of All Time
1896 George J. Gaskin
George J. Gaskin was the most successful artist in 1896. It was the second year he had topped the charts, thereby equalling that achievement set by Dan Quinn between 1894 and 1895. He also remained the most successful artist overall since 1890.
"He scored four Number 1 hits during the year, of which ""The Sunshine Of Paradise Alley"" was the most successful. "
https://www.lyricsvault.net/php/artist. ... z8ZRG7HIiV
Number One recordings:
1896 - The Sunshine Of Paradise Alley - George J. Gaskin (6 weeks)
1896 - She May Have Seen Better Days - George J. Gaskin (5 weeks)
1896 - On The Benches In The Park - George J. Gaskin (4 weeks)
1896 - Down In Poverty Row - George J. Gaskin (4 weeks)
Top 3 Artists - 1890 to 1896
1 George J. Gaskin
2 Dan Quinn
3 Len Spencer
Dan Quinn
"Dan Quinn scored another two Number 1 hits in 1896. ""A Hot Time In The Old Town"" was the most successful of the two."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGoMd8QbJFk
Number One recordings:
1896 - A Hot Time In The Old Town - Dan Quinn (7 weeks)
1896 - In The Baggage Coach Ahead - Dan Quinn (5 weeks)
Len Spencer
In 1896, Len Spencer returned as the 3rd most successful artist overall.
He had two very successful Number 1 hits during 1895, and with another Number 1 in 1896, Len Spencer replaced the U.S. Marine band in the Top 3.
"""Dat New Bully"" spent five weeks at Number 1 in 1895."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Len_Spenc ... 2%20(1895)
It was equally his biggest hit since 1894, along with his other Number 1 hit in 1895.
…
George J. Gaskin was the most successful artist in 1896. It was the second year he had topped the charts, thereby equalling that achievement set by Dan Quinn between 1894 and 1895. He also remained the most successful artist overall since 1890.
"He scored four Number 1 hits during the year, of which ""The Sunshine Of Paradise Alley"" was the most successful. "
https://www.lyricsvault.net/php/artist. ... z8ZRG7HIiV
Number One recordings:
1896 - The Sunshine Of Paradise Alley - George J. Gaskin (6 weeks)
1896 - She May Have Seen Better Days - George J. Gaskin (5 weeks)
1896 - On The Benches In The Park - George J. Gaskin (4 weeks)
1896 - Down In Poverty Row - George J. Gaskin (4 weeks)
Top 3 Artists - 1890 to 1896
1 George J. Gaskin
2 Dan Quinn
3 Len Spencer
Dan Quinn
"Dan Quinn scored another two Number 1 hits in 1896. ""A Hot Time In The Old Town"" was the most successful of the two."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGoMd8QbJFk
Number One recordings:
1896 - A Hot Time In The Old Town - Dan Quinn (7 weeks)
1896 - In The Baggage Coach Ahead - Dan Quinn (5 weeks)
Len Spencer
In 1896, Len Spencer returned as the 3rd most successful artist overall.
He had two very successful Number 1 hits during 1895, and with another Number 1 in 1896, Len Spencer replaced the U.S. Marine band in the Top 3.
"""Dat New Bully"" spent five weeks at Number 1 in 1895."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Len_Spenc ... 2%20(1895)
It was equally his biggest hit since 1894, along with his other Number 1 hit in 1895.
…
Re: The Most Successful Recording Artists Of All Time
1897 George J. Gaskin
George J. Gaskin was more successful in 1897 than any artist had been in a single year since chart information began in 1890.
He also set a new achievement of having dominated the charts over three separate years. He was easily the most successful of all artists of the early recording era.
He only had two Number 1 hits during the year, but they became the 1st and 2nd biggest hits of his career to date.
"Sweet Rosie O'Grady" spent less weeks at Number 1 but had the best chart run of the two.
https://www.lyricsvault.net/php/artist.php?s=52090
…
There was no change to the Top 3 Artists during 1897
Dan Quinn
Dan Quinn continued his success into 1897 with two more Number 1 hits, of which "My Mother Was A Lady" did best during the year.
https://secondhandsongs.com/performance/41988/originals
Number One recordings:
1897 - My Mother Was A Lady - Dan Quinn (5 weeks)
1897 - There's A Little Star Shining For You - Dan Quinn (4 weeks)
Len Spencer
Len Spencer had the best year of his career to date in 1897.
He had another three Number 1 hits during the year and "My Gal Is A Highborn Lady" became the 2nd biggest hit of his career to date.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=peUZGaBvcmg
Number One recordings:
1897 - My Gal Is A Highborn Lady - Len Spencer (4 weeks)
1897 - Oh, Mr. Johnson, Turn Me Loose - Len Spencer (4 weeks)
1897 - A Hot Time In The Old Town - Len Spencer (3 weeks)
George J. Gaskin was more successful in 1897 than any artist had been in a single year since chart information began in 1890.
He also set a new achievement of having dominated the charts over three separate years. He was easily the most successful of all artists of the early recording era.
He only had two Number 1 hits during the year, but they became the 1st and 2nd biggest hits of his career to date.
"Sweet Rosie O'Grady" spent less weeks at Number 1 but had the best chart run of the two.
https://www.lyricsvault.net/php/artist.php?s=52090
…
There was no change to the Top 3 Artists during 1897
Dan Quinn
Dan Quinn continued his success into 1897 with two more Number 1 hits, of which "My Mother Was A Lady" did best during the year.
https://secondhandsongs.com/performance/41988/originals
Number One recordings:
1897 - My Mother Was A Lady - Dan Quinn (5 weeks)
1897 - There's A Little Star Shining For You - Dan Quinn (4 weeks)
Len Spencer
Len Spencer had the best year of his career to date in 1897.
He had another three Number 1 hits during the year and "My Gal Is A Highborn Lady" became the 2nd biggest hit of his career to date.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=peUZGaBvcmg
Number One recordings:
1897 - My Gal Is A Highborn Lady - Len Spencer (4 weeks)
1897 - Oh, Mr. Johnson, Turn Me Loose - Len Spencer (4 weeks)
1897 - A Hot Time In The Old Town - Len Spencer (3 weeks)
Re: The Most Successful Recording Artists Of All Time
1898 George J. Gaskin
George J. Gaskin's success continued in 1898, when he was again more successful during the year than any artist had been in history, including himself the year before.
It was the 4th year that George J. Gaskin had dominated the charts. An achievement that no other artist came close to matching.
He had another three huge Number 1 hits in 1898.
"My Old New Hampshire Home" became the 2nd biggest hit of his career to date and the most successful song released in 1898.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGm--goKLXI&t=339s
…
There was no change to the Top 3 Artists during 1898
Dan Quinn
Dan Quinn had another two Number 1 hits in 1898. "At A Georgia Camp Meeting" was the most successful of the two.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikonyl6PAmI
Number One recordings:
1898 - At A Georgia Camp Meeting - Dan Quinn (4 weeks)
1898 - She Was Happy Till She Met You - Dan Quinn (4 weeks)
Len Spencer
Len Spencer was still topping the charts in 1898 with "I Don't Like No Cheap Man".
https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/ ... _cheap_man
Number One recordings:
1898 - I Don't Like No Cheap Man - Len Spencer (3 weeks)
George J. Gaskin's success continued in 1898, when he was again more successful during the year than any artist had been in history, including himself the year before.
It was the 4th year that George J. Gaskin had dominated the charts. An achievement that no other artist came close to matching.
He had another three huge Number 1 hits in 1898.
"My Old New Hampshire Home" became the 2nd biggest hit of his career to date and the most successful song released in 1898.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGm--goKLXI&t=339s
…
There was no change to the Top 3 Artists during 1898
Dan Quinn
Dan Quinn had another two Number 1 hits in 1898. "At A Georgia Camp Meeting" was the most successful of the two.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikonyl6PAmI
Number One recordings:
1898 - At A Georgia Camp Meeting - Dan Quinn (4 weeks)
1898 - She Was Happy Till She Met You - Dan Quinn (4 weeks)
Len Spencer
Len Spencer was still topping the charts in 1898 with "I Don't Like No Cheap Man".
https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/ ... _cheap_man
Number One recordings:
1898 - I Don't Like No Cheap Man - Len Spencer (3 weeks)
-
Mr. Irrelevant
- Superunknown
- Posts: 6
- Joined: Mon Aug 17, 2015 3:22 pm
Re: The Most Successful Recording Artists Of All Time
Legendary work. Will use this resource to check out old stuff - like the 1890s! Am curious as to how these list compare to the acclaimed music best ever albums.
Re: The Most Successful Recording Artists Of All Time
1899 Arthur Collins
Arthur Collins emerged from nowhere, when he auditioned for the Edison Record company in 1898 and then became the most successful artist of 1899.
With 5 Number 1 hits during the year, he was more successful in a single year, than any artist had been since music charts began in 1890.
"I'd Leave My Happy Home For You" was the biggest hit of those five Number 1's.
1899 - I'd Leave My Happy Home For You - Arthur Collins (7 weeks)
1899 - I Guess I'll Have To Telegraph My Baby - Arthur Collins (4 weeks)
1899 - Hello, Ma Baby - Arthur Collins (4 weeks)
1899 - Kiss Me, Honey, Do - Arthur Collins (4 weeks)
1899 - When You Ain't Got No More Money, Well, You Needn't Come Around - Arthur Collins (2 weeks)
There was no change to the Top 3 Artists during 1899
George J. Gaskin
George J. Gaskin had another Number 1 hit in 1899 with "My Wild Irish Rose".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aK68GQuNP14
Number One recordings:
1899 - My Wild Irish Rose - George J. Gaskin (3 weeks)
Dan Quinn
Dan Quinn had the 2nd biggest hit of his career in 1899 with "Curse Of The Dreamer".
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_W._Qu ... %2C%201899
Number One recordings:
1899 - Curse Of The Dreamer - Dan Quinn (7 weeks)
Len Spencer
Len Spencer also released "Hello! Ma Baby" in 1899 and it also was a Number 1 hit.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnpiwqMQc4E
He must have been pleased that it was a bigger hit than Arthur Collins' version. It was an enormous hit for Len Spencer. The biggest of his career to date.
Number One recordings:
1899 - Hello! Ma Baby - Len Spencer (6 weeks)
Arthur Collins emerged from nowhere, when he auditioned for the Edison Record company in 1898 and then became the most successful artist of 1899.
With 5 Number 1 hits during the year, he was more successful in a single year, than any artist had been since music charts began in 1890.
"I'd Leave My Happy Home For You" was the biggest hit of those five Number 1's.
Number One recordings:
1899 - I'd Leave My Happy Home For You - Arthur Collins (7 weeks)
1899 - I Guess I'll Have To Telegraph My Baby - Arthur Collins (4 weeks)
1899 - Hello, Ma Baby - Arthur Collins (4 weeks)
1899 - Kiss Me, Honey, Do - Arthur Collins (4 weeks)
1899 - When You Ain't Got No More Money, Well, You Needn't Come Around - Arthur Collins (2 weeks)
There was no change to the Top 3 Artists during 1899
George J. Gaskin
George J. Gaskin had another Number 1 hit in 1899 with "My Wild Irish Rose".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aK68GQuNP14
Number One recordings:
1899 - My Wild Irish Rose - George J. Gaskin (3 weeks)
Dan Quinn
Dan Quinn had the 2nd biggest hit of his career in 1899 with "Curse Of The Dreamer".
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_W._Qu ... %2C%201899
Number One recordings:
1899 - Curse Of The Dreamer - Dan Quinn (7 weeks)
Len Spencer
Len Spencer also released "Hello! Ma Baby" in 1899 and it also was a Number 1 hit.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnpiwqMQc4E
He must have been pleased that it was a bigger hit than Arthur Collins' version. It was an enormous hit for Len Spencer. The biggest of his career to date.
Number One recordings:
1899 - Hello! Ma Baby - Len Spencer (6 weeks)
Re: The Most Successful Recording Artists Of All Time
Glad you like it. I hope the presentation style I chose for the historical chart data in this thread and in my book, does a good job in bringing to life the relative success of artists as they emerged over time, and the comparisons the public might have made of current and recent artists as they experienced new recorded music and emerging musical genres.Mr. Irrelevant wrote: ↑Wed Jan 15, 2025 10:20 pm Legendary work. Will use this resource to check out old stuff - like the 1890s! Am curious as to how these list compare to the acclaimed music best ever albums.
Re: The Most Successful Recording Artists Of All Time
Top 3 Artists of the 1890's
1 George J. Gaskin
2 Dan Quinn
3 Len Spencer
George J. Gaskin
George J. Gaskin was the most successful artist of the first decade of recorded music history.
With 30 hits charting during the decade, 19 of which went to Number 1, he spent a total of 114 weeks at the top of the charts.
The "Silver-voiced Irish tenor" specialised in sentimental Irish ballads and the popular songs of Tin Pan alley.
He was the first successful recording artist, as we understand them today, simply as singers of popular music, with no added novelty to their recordings.
However, unlike artists of the future, singers in the early era of recording, also needed a strong set of lungs.
…
Dan Quinn
Dan Quinn had 19 hits during the decade, 16 of which went to Number 1 for a total of 91 weeks. He was the 2nd most successful artist of the decade.
He was 'discovered' in 1892 by the early recording industry seeking a young talent whose voice suited the technology of the day.
Some voices recorded better than others on the primitive technology.
Thomas Edison himself assisted in Dan Quinn's recordings by tweaking technology that was adequate for a talking ‘Dictaphone’ machine, to better capture a singing voice. Thereby creating a superior singing machine. Thomas Edison foreshadowed the role of the music producer in modern times.
Thomas Edison described Quinn as "the man with the perfect voice."
…
Len Spencer
Len Spencer had 27 hits during the decade, of which 13 went to Number 1 for a total of 56 weeks.
He was the 3rd most successful artist of the decade. No longer the most successful artist of the new industry as he was back in 1892, but he remained enormously popular at the end of the decade, scoring his biggest hit to date during 1899, and there was more success to come.
His comedic talent was however second to none, and while George J. Gaskin and Dan Quinn dominated the charts with melodic songs, Len Spencer dominated the industry in its early history with his uniquely comic routines.
His songs were known for their clever turns of phrase and ironic delivery. Surrounded by various sound effects, Len Spencer created colourful dialogues while impersonating animals or the dialects of itinerant Southerners, Irish, Jewish or African Americans.
Often, he performed in black or brownface and some of his humour is insensitive to modern ears.
…
1 George J. Gaskin
2 Dan Quinn
3 Len Spencer
George J. Gaskin
George J. Gaskin was the most successful artist of the first decade of recorded music history.
With 30 hits charting during the decade, 19 of which went to Number 1, he spent a total of 114 weeks at the top of the charts.
The "Silver-voiced Irish tenor" specialised in sentimental Irish ballads and the popular songs of Tin Pan alley.
He was the first successful recording artist, as we understand them today, simply as singers of popular music, with no added novelty to their recordings.
However, unlike artists of the future, singers in the early era of recording, also needed a strong set of lungs.
…
Dan Quinn
Dan Quinn had 19 hits during the decade, 16 of which went to Number 1 for a total of 91 weeks. He was the 2nd most successful artist of the decade.
He was 'discovered' in 1892 by the early recording industry seeking a young talent whose voice suited the technology of the day.
Some voices recorded better than others on the primitive technology.
Thomas Edison himself assisted in Dan Quinn's recordings by tweaking technology that was adequate for a talking ‘Dictaphone’ machine, to better capture a singing voice. Thereby creating a superior singing machine. Thomas Edison foreshadowed the role of the music producer in modern times.
Thomas Edison described Quinn as "the man with the perfect voice."
…
Len Spencer
Len Spencer had 27 hits during the decade, of which 13 went to Number 1 for a total of 56 weeks.
He was the 3rd most successful artist of the decade. No longer the most successful artist of the new industry as he was back in 1892, but he remained enormously popular at the end of the decade, scoring his biggest hit to date during 1899, and there was more success to come.
His comedic talent was however second to none, and while George J. Gaskin and Dan Quinn dominated the charts with melodic songs, Len Spencer dominated the industry in its early history with his uniquely comic routines.
His songs were known for their clever turns of phrase and ironic delivery. Surrounded by various sound effects, Len Spencer created colourful dialogues while impersonating animals or the dialects of itinerant Southerners, Irish, Jewish or African Americans.
Often, he performed in black or brownface and some of his humour is insensitive to modern ears.
…