Top-Selling Singles by Decade, 14,500s BCE - 2010s CE
December 5, 2019 10:18 PM   Subscribe

Archie Henderson is a musical historian. In this twitter thread, working with Adrian Gray, he lists top-selling singles of selected decades starting with the 2010s and going back from there. Way back.
posted by Navelgazer (26 comments total) 49 users marked this as a favorite
 
Can’t believe she turned back time.
posted by migurski at 10:40 PM on December 5, 2019 [11 favorites]


I guess there's points for how long it takes before you go 'wait... what??'

I'm a massive Chunky Finchman fan btw.
posted by leibniz at 10:41 PM on December 5, 2019 [9 favorites]


If, like me, you were disappointed that this was fake, remember you can console yourself with Richard Thompson.
posted by PresidentOfDinosaurs at 10:45 PM on December 5, 2019 [8 favorites]


dang though if i had any musical talent whatsoever i'd be writing mambos 6 through n right now
posted by Reclusive Novelist Thomas Pynchon at 11:39 PM on December 5, 2019 [8 favorites]


This is extremely good.
posted by aubilenon at 12:00 AM on December 6, 2019


dang though if i had any musical talent whatsoever i'd be writing mambos 6 through n right now

I'm a little hazy on 6,7, and 9-infinity, but Mambo #8 definitely exists, albeit as one of the original Pérez Prado mambos Lou Bega was sampling.
posted by Copronymus at 12:02 AM on December 6, 2019 [3 favorites]


omg I need the whole thing of Zadok the Prince!
posted by antinomia at 1:15 AM on December 6, 2019 [8 favorites]


This gave me so much joy. Thanks!
posted by biddeford at 1:24 AM on December 6, 2019


The Beach Boys did a much better cover of Rock Scraping Rock.
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 3:25 AM on December 6, 2019 [1 favorite]


H. Sapiens was truly a pre-renaissance renaissance man. We should all be like him.
posted by Dumsnill at 3:27 AM on December 6, 2019


They missed a real opportunity by not using Joseph Ducreux's self portrait as one of the album covers.
posted by AlonzoMosleyFBI at 3:47 AM on December 6, 2019 [3 favorites]


Listen to the infinite rythyms of "Mambo No. π" and the impossible tones of "Mambo No. i".
posted by Rock Steady at 4:47 AM on December 6, 2019 [9 favorites]


I lost it at "Unconscious Tower Maiden".
posted by Mogur at 4:51 AM on December 6, 2019 [7 favorites]


I'm going to a performance of Handel's Messiah tonight, but if I'm lucky they'll slip a little Zadok the Priest in there too.
posted by sugar and confetti at 5:50 AM on December 6, 2019 [2 favorites]


My next door neighbor's father who was a cab driver in NYC, once had Perez Prado as a fare!
posted by DJZouke at 6:35 AM on December 6, 2019 [3 favorites]


Best of the web.
posted by blurker at 8:14 AM on December 6, 2019


i am crying laughing at my desk thank you for posting this. it took me a minute to realize that there are actual song clips, which pushed it from "ha ha ha ha" territory to "AHAHAHAHHAHAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHHAAHAHAHAHAH" land for me
posted by capnsue at 9:11 AM on December 6, 2019 [2 favorites]


Oh lord, Dirty Ankles
posted by Joey Michaels at 9:44 AM on December 6, 2019 [4 favorites]


No love for Nero, that most musical of Romans? His last public performance was "Oedipus in Exile," but he also did satirical ditties about his enemies which became popular hits. Missed opportunity.
posted by BWA at 10:42 AM on December 6, 2019


It's neat to be reminded that, having regained his hearing after Cher touched his ears, Beethoven didn't just exclusively plug in and turn everything to 11 all the time, that he could still enjoy a gentle intimate session too.
posted by riverlife at 10:48 AM on December 6, 2019 [2 favorites]


The Bee Gees tune killed me.
posted by vverse23 at 11:03 AM on December 6, 2019 [4 favorites]


Yeah, it was the Bee Gees one that had me squinting and going "you know, I'm pretty sure this isn't a real Bee Gees song, but....what if it was??"
posted by yasaman at 12:28 PM on December 6, 2019 [4 favorites]


Can’t believe she turned back time.

I guess she found a way.
posted by good in a vacuum at 4:22 PM on December 6, 2019 [3 favorites]


The Ten Feet High Club is maybe my favorite as a song I would like it if it was real, it's like TMBG+Franz Ferdinand.
posted by fleacircus at 10:23 AM on December 14, 2019


1790s - Beethoven, Post-deafness Acoustic Sessions

Amateur. LvB didn't go completely deaf till 1814.
posted by Gyan at 10:38 AM on December 14, 2019


Yeah sure but he stopped being able to hear posts in 1778.
posted by GCU Sweet and Full of Grace at 11:25 AM on December 14, 2019 [1 favorite]


« Older aiDungeon.2   |   Privacy Analysis of Tiktok's App and Website Newer »


This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments