# Music Trivia Question **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [September 20, 2012, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-trivia-question/635290 "2012-09-20T17:28:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MadTheSwine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MadTheSwine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadTheSwine)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2012, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-trivia-question/635290/1 "2012-09-20T17:28:56Z")
No fair looking it up… According to Wiki, eight musical acts have reportedly sold over 300 million units,can you name them? Spoil you answers ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2012, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-trivia-question/635290/2 "2012-09-20T18:45:12Z")
I’d say 5 of the answers are pretty obvious… which leaves roo mfor a few educated guesses. My answers below: [spoiler]I’m absolutely sure of: 1. The Beatles 2. Elvis 3. Elton John 4. Michael Jackson (especially if Jackson 5 era sales count) 5. Led Zeppelin After that… my educated guesses are: 1. Rolling Stones 2. Madonna 3. Bee Gees People I thought strongly about before rejecting them? Abba Mariah Carey Whitney Houston Pink Floyd U2 [/spoiler] ---
**Author:** ![MadTheSwine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MadTheSwine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadTheSwine)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2012, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-trivia-question/635290/3 "2012-09-20T18:59:35Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > I’d say 5 of the answers are pretty obvious… which leaves roo mfor a few educated guesses. > My answers below: > > [spoiler]I’m absolutely sure of: > > 1. The Beatles > 2. Elvis > 3. Elton John > 4. Michael Jackson (especially if Jackson 5 era sales count) > 5. Led Zeppelin > > After that… my educated guesses are: > > 1. Rolling Stones > 2. Madonna > 3. Bee Gees > People I thought strongly about before rejecting them? > > Abba > Mariah Carey > Whitney Houston > Pink Floyd > U2 > > [/spoiler] Not bad, your first 5 are correct.1 of your educated guesses is correct,and one of your rejects.Just missing one. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2012, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-trivia-question/635290/4 "2012-09-20T19:24:05Z")
> [@MadTheSwine](#): > > Not bad, your first 5 are correct.1 of your educated guesses is correct,and one of your rejects.Just missing one. I finally broke down and looked at the Wikipedia list. I must admit, I’m VERY surprised about the one act that was nowhere on any of my lists. I knew this band was popular, but not that they were HUGE. They were pretty big in the USA, but must have been a LOT bigger in Europe and elsewhere. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2012, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-trivia-question/635290/5 "2012-09-20T19:38:43Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > I finally broke down and looked at the Wikipedia list. I must admit, I’m VERY surprised about the one act that was nowhere on any of my lists. I knew this band was popular, but not that they were HUGE. > > They were pretty big in the USA, but must have been a LOT bigger in Europe and elsewhere. Said act… Queen …was, indeed, absolutely enormous in Europe, and parts of Asia, and for longer than they were big in the U.S. (Was always a big fan of them, myself, and recently saw an excellent documentary on their career.) ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-trivia-question/635290/6 "2012-09-27T18:31:38Z")
They were HUGE in Brazil in the early 80’s, being one of the few “big” acts that bothered to tour there, from what I witnessed/heard. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-trivia-question/635290/7 "2012-09-27T18:37:05Z")
My guesses: Beatles Elvis ABBA Michael Jackson AC/DC Whitney Houston Mariah Carey Madonna ---
**Author:** ![MadTheSwine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MadTheSwine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadTheSwine)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-trivia-question/635290/8 "2012-09-27T23:29:49Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > My guesses: > > Beatles > Elvis > ABBA > Michael Jackson > AC/DC > Whitney Houston > Mariah Carey > Madonna Your 1st four are right and the last one. ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Dead\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Cat)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2012, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-trivia-question/635290/9 "2012-09-28T13:34:01Z")
I’m usually hopeless at music trivia, but I’ll give this one a go without looking at others’ answers. I’ll even expose myself to further ridicule by trying to put them in some sort of order. As **astorian** said, a few of them are obvious choices - further down the list, it’s a crapshoot. I’m probably too Brit-centric to come close. Alternatively, I may have over-compensated for this! 1. Elvis 2. The Beatles 3. Michael Jackson 4. The Rolling Stones 5. Madonna 6. Celine Dion 7. Queen 8. Dolly Parton ---
**Author:** ![MadTheSwine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MadTheSwine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadTheSwine)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2012, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-trivia-question/635290/10 "2012-09-28T19:11:01Z")
> [@Dead\_Cat](#): > > I’m usually hopeless at music trivia, but I’ll give this one a go without looking at others’ answers. I’ll even expose myself to further ridicule by trying to put them in some sort of order. As **astorian** said, a few of them are obvious choices - further down the list, it’s a crapshoot. I’m probably too Brit-centric to come close. Alternatively, I may have over-compensated for this! > > 1. Elvis > 2. The Beatles > 3. Michael Jackson > 4. The Rolling Stones > 5. Madonna > 6. Celine Dion > 7. Queen > 8. Dolly Parton 1 2 3 5 and 7 are correct. ---
**Author:** ![mkecane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9e8a1a/32.png) [@mkecane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mkecane)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2012, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-trivia-question/635290/11 "2012-09-28T19:31:05Z")
The Beatles Michael Jackson Madonna The Rolling Stones Metallica Britney Spears Bruce Springsteen Elvis Presley I’m sure of the first 3 I listed, and have a feeling that Garth Brooks could be in there for one of these. ---
**Author:** ![mkecane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9e8a1a/32.png) [@mkecane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mkecane)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2012, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-trivia-question/635290/12 "2012-09-28T19:34:13Z")
I’m ok with 7 of my guesses, but now realize that Britney Spears had little to no business in this list. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2012, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-trivia-question/635290/13 "2012-09-29T05:14:14Z")
Having listened to Casey Kasem’s show, I think Pat Boone and Rick Nelson belong on the list. Aside from Elvis, they were the top charters in the pre–British Invasion era, IIRC. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-trivia-question/635290/14 "2012-10-10T15:19:15Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Having listened to Casey Kasem’s show, I think Pat Boone and Rick Nelson belong on the list. Aside from Elvis, they were the top charters in the pre–British Invasion era, IIRC. Well, it strikes me that, in order to sell 300 million records (in whatever format- vinyl, tape, CD, mp3), you have to have LONGEVITY. The Beatles sure had that- they produced a lot of output, and their records have sold steadily for 50 years. Teenyboppers bought Beatle records in 1964, and their kids bought Beatle recordings 30 years later. Countless folks have bought\*\*\* Sgt. Pepper \*\*\*in 2 or 3 different formats. Pat Boone was HUGE in the Fifties, you’re right. But the reason he doesn’t rank near the top in all-time sales is that hardly anybody has bought his records SINCE then. Teens who loved “Love Letters in the Sand” in 1958 haven’t bought it on tape or CD since then, and their kids never got into Pat Boone. To rank at the top, you can’t have a FEW big years. Your have to stay popular for decades.