re: In the Music business, longevity is a sign of greatness...

Elton John

John Lennon?

Paul McCartney?

quote:

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Paul McCartney w/ The Beatles, 1966

With Wings, 1975

1986

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yup could even add the 90s and 2000s

Paul Has Beeen Around

Crosby, Stills, and Nash

Rolling Stones:
let it bleed (1960s)
Exile on Main Street (1970s)
Tattoo you (1980s)
Steel wheels (1990s)

I’d argue the beggars banquet to exile run is the greatest series of rock albums of all time (1968-72) but then they followed that up by persisting for 45 more years

Heart 1976

1985

1993

quote:

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longevity

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Here are some Spotify stats I found online

These are unique listeners who listened to at least one song by an artist the past month.

I listed the biggies then some others I found of interest.

Spotify Monthly Listeners:

(10,000,000+)

Michael Jackson (27,906,324)
Queen (19,650,378)
Red Hot Chili Peppers (17,156,758)
The Beatles (14,179,538)
Guns N' Roses (13,102,457)
AC/DC (13,079,584)
The Rolling Stones (11,777,401)
Fleetwood Mac (11,397,154)
Elton John (10,981,963)
Bon Jovi (10,779,687)
Nirvana (10,738,364)
Toto (10,573,450)
Aerosmith (10,531,880)
Led Zeppelin (10,497,144)
Paul McCartney/Wings (10,399,163)
Metallica (10,304,801)
Aretha Franklin (10,233,085)
Bob Marley & the Wailers (10,194,441)
Whitney Houston (10,184,575)
David Bowie (10,143,318)

(9,000,000+)

The Police (9,996,132)
U2 (9,850,783)
Marvin Gaye (9,602,848)
Madonna (9,573,638)
Eagles (9,425,521)
Journey (9,391,091)
Creedence Clearwater Revival (9,330,569)
Stevie Wonder (9,106,426)
Phil Collins (9,081,128)

a-ha (8,184,176)-- one shots here, but apparently very big overseas

Elvis Presley (7,681,875)
ABBA (7,382,295) -- surprised they're not higher. they are HUGE in Europe
Bee Gees (7,076,573)
R.E.M. (7,057,523)
Bruce Springsteen (6,876,810)
Johnny Cash (6,435,630)
Van Morrison (6,431,888)
The Clash (6,338,046)

(5,000,000+)

The Doors (5,730,741)
Jimi Hendrix (5,618,867)
Bob Dylan (5,480,525)
Beach Boys (5,416,598)
Frank Sinatra (5,262,252)

(4,000,000+)

The Who (4,934,824)
The Temptations (4,603,096)
James Brown (4,303,092)

(3,000,000+)

The Animals (3,997,020)
John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band (3,995,731)
Sam Cooke (3,853,548)
The Kinks (3,847,372)
Louis Armstrong (3,712,534)
Pixies (3,112,526)
The Supremes (3,099,895) -- a shocker; figgered they'd be much higher
Ray Charles (3,098,224)

(2,000,000+)

The Four Seasons (2,947,205)
Chuck Berry (2,868,353)
Roy Orbison (2,855,695)
Iggy Pop (2,814,637)
Lou Reed (2,679,076)
Ella Fitzgerald (2,392,463)
Jackie Wilson (2,318,872)
Joy Division (2,282,245)
The Monkees (2,212,522)
Ramones (2,142,315)
John Coltrane/Quartet (2,108,775)
Dave Brubeck/Quartet (2,093,289)
Miles Davis/Quartet & Quintet (2,061,805)
The Band (2,054,093)
Nancy Sinatra (2,039,047)

Velvet Underground (1,819,370)-- I wonder what their most played songs are...
Dean Martin (1,656,583)
Bill Evans/Bill Evans Trio (1,652,093) -- SELU grad!
Elvis Costello/Elvis Costello & the Attractions (1,614,690)
The Byrds (1,538,962)
The Archies (1,425,701)
Harry Nilsson (1,399,326)
Yo La Tengo (1,268,903)
Patti Smith (1,268,088)
Buddy Holly/The Crickets (1,251,220)
Nico (1,143,664) -- ?? Did she have some hit singles in Europe I'm not aware of?
Nick Drake (1,062,566)
Emmylou Harris (1,036,142)

The Yardbirds (837,841)
Dr. John (819,152)
Sex Pistols (803,908)

Badfinger (787,172)
Frank Zappa/Mothers of Invention (755,348)
The Meters (739,933)

The Stooges (673,957)
Glenn Miller (650,510)
Hank Williams (625,580)
The Raspberries (611,206)
Ry Cooder (590,286)
Dead Kennedys (555,541)
Benny Goodman (530,844)
Love (525,778)
Small Faces (388,755)
Big Star (355,373)
Robert Johnson (309,409)
Buck Owens (309,792)
Richard Thompson (278,819)
Tim Buckley (254,874)
Wanda Jackson (251,886)
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band (225,534)
Gram Parsons (173,917)
Jackson C. Frank (170,886) -- ??? Surely the most obscure artist on the list
The Shangri-Las (167,287)
MC5 (162,529)
New York Dolls (157,827)
Lead Belly (154,860)
Flamin' Groovies (154,843
Fairport Convention (153,010)
Flying Burrito Brothers (148,621)
Paul Revere & the Raiders (138,207)
13th Floor Elevators (122,430)
Gene Clark (114,893)





















The Shaggs (13,547)

damn dude

. . . didn't you preface it, "Without Goggling," ?

Bob Seger - 1969

1978

1987