YEAH - I lapped them up (this song, anyway) as a teenager. The only problem is I can't find the RIAA figures for them. Also note these "certified" figures are only generated by the RIAA if the band's record label requests it!
I was thinking the same thing. I imagine they were excluded because most people don't know them, but not every answer needs to be easy. They're certainly famous enough to be a fair answer.
The band members came from Australia and all round UK (Scotland, England, Wales) as well as others from USA. Quite a mixed bunch. Maybe that's what helped them style-wise.
Born in Scotland (among other places) but grew up, formed the band, started touring and recording in Australia. Part of the Oz pub rock genre of the 70s and 80s that also includes Midnight Oil, INXS, Cold Chisel, the Angels, Divinyls, Choirboys and many others
I know it is in notes but it would be nice to mention in headline that this is only about 1 country of 196. Nobody in the rest of the world has heard about some of these bands. Like Garth Brooks in G, not Genesis or Guns'n roses. Kenny who? Tupac Shakur? Its like asking best selling artists of Armenia or Swaziland without mentioning it in the headline. Otherwise this is nice quiz, thanks about making it.
Tupac is famous everywhere. I just saw some graffiti in Tbilisi honoring the man. And I had many students in Riyadh who idolized him.
Garth Brooks has a (smaller) following around the world. Which surprised me, too, to be honest. But it's there. You may be right about Kenny Loggins. When I read "Kenny who?" my first thought was Kenny G, who actually does sell quite a few records overseas, but then I looked up and saw who it was.
If this list was made international I strongly doubt the statistics would change much, if at all. Outside of the US and Japan music isn't sold as much. In the past this had to do with economics and now it's mostly about easy piracy. Also, the American market has always been so much bigger until recently. And they tend to become popular internationally while many others are only popular in one region. If someone was huge in China or Japan they might manage to outsell one of these artists. X is a more popular letter in China, as well.
The Dave Clark Five had a hit with "Any Way You Want It" and hit #14 on the US charts in 1964 (pretty tough since the Beatles controlled the top 10 in that year. The song, written by Dave Clark was covered by tom Petty and the Ramones. Eddie Vedar also covered it when he wasn't playing with Pearl Jam. In contrast, the Journey song of the same name peaked at #23 and some of us have never heard it. Why don't you use a James Taylor song for J, or another artist that's not hard rock -- they are more than well represented. Also, "I will Always Love You" was a big hit for Dolly Parton a generation before Whitney Houston sang it, although Dolly appreciates the residuals. And although I play sax and love a good saxophonist, Kenny G. sucks. So many good bands and other acts begin with K, why him?
This quiz is based on sales, that's why. If Kenny G is the highest-selling artist whose name starts with "K," then he's going to be on the quiz regardless of anyone's personal feelings. Similarly, they can't just arbitrarily take out Journey and replace them with someone who didn't sell as much. And what does the fact that Dave Clark wrote a song with the same name have to do with anything? His name doesn't start with "J," so you know he's not the answer. And Whitney Houston is definitely the artist for "W," and her cover of "I Will Always Love You" is one of the top ten selling singles of all time, so I think it's fair to list it as a song for her.
The title really should just be “Best selling artists in America by letter”. I know it mentions it’s just u.s. sales in the description but once again America is just one of 197 countries and American sales are not the only ones that matter. It’s annoying for the rest of the world when America think they are the only one that count / think they represent the rest of the world.
Garth Brooks has a (smaller) following around the world. Which surprised me, too, to be honest. But it's there. You may be right about Kenny Loggins. When I read "Kenny who?" my first thought was Kenny G, who actually does sell quite a few records overseas, but then I looked up and saw who it was.
If this list was made international I strongly doubt the statistics would change much, if at all. Outside of the US and Japan music isn't sold as much. In the past this had to do with economics and now it's mostly about easy piracy. Also, the American market has always been so much bigger until recently. And they tend to become popular internationally while many others are only popular in one region. If someone was huge in China or Japan they might manage to outsell one of these artists. X is a more popular letter in China, as well.