There are 42 posts filed in The People’s Album (this is page 4 of 6).
What, you thought I was done doing these? No, of course not. The People’s Albums are still going strong and especially now that I’m comin’ back at ya with an album that is, well, probably one of the more irrelevant albums I’ve talked about. But regardless, let’s whip out the congas and dig into an album that has very little use now other than being a very colorful drink coaster.
Album: Supernatural
Artist: Santana
Release Date: June 15, 1999
Copies Sold In The U.S.: 13 Million
It’s been a while since I’ve done one of these, so I figure I might as well get one out before the oncoming holiday fuels further procrastination.
Album: Ten
Artist: Pearl Jam
Release Date: August 27, 1991
Copies Sold In The U.S.: 13 Million
Earlier today, I got around to listening that new U2 album, but right now I’ll be talking about an old Prince album instead. However, there is one thing I’ve been able to take away from the unexpected release of U2’s Songs of Innocence in contrast to Prince’s newer music. And it’s that no one gives a shit about Prince’s newer music. I don’t know if it’s because the guy has diluted himself too much, since he sure has released a lot of albums over the years, four of which have come out since 2004’s Musicology (the last Prince album I remember anyone giving a shit about). But apparently he has two albums coming out in 2014, which I also kind of doubt anyone will give a shit about.
And it’s weird right? Because whenever U2 or Springsteen or Madonna or even a posthumous Michael Jackson album comes out, there’s at least a little bit of hubbub. Though despite being one of the most beloved pop artists of the last 30 years (in terms of both respect and popularity) Prince oddly enough has had more trouble than his contemporaries in escaping the looming shadow of his glory days. And yet, I will probably not be doing the man any favors by talking about the album that looms largest in his legacy. But to quote George Costanza, this is what I do.
Album: Purple Rain
Artist: Prince And The Revolution
Release Date: June 25, 1984
Copies Sold In The U.S.: 13 Million
Weirdly enough, this might be the album I had to wrestle with the most so far. The problem was, I kept asking myself the futile question “Who Is Steve Miller?” and not really being able to find any definite answers. But nonetheless, here’s what I managed to come up with…
Album: Greatest Hits 1974-78
Artist: The Steve Miller Band
Release Date: November 1978
Copies Sold In The U.S.: 13 Million
In the last edition of The People’s Albums, I think I hinted that I hadn’t heard a single song off of Whitney Houston’s self-titled debut, which I figured would make for an interesting listen. Because as I’ve made my way through America’s best-selling albums, I’ve found that pretty much every mega-selling album has at least two or three songs that have endured the ravages of time. Or at least to the extent that someone who listens to as much old music as me would be familiar with a few songs off of one of these albums. Luckily, I was able to find that I actually was familiar with one of the songs on Whitney Houston – the pop-tastic “How Will I Know”. Still, I can’t say I was terribly familiar with any of the other tracks on this album, which might say something about its somewhat faded legacy.
Album: Whitney Houston
Artist: Whitney Houston
Release Date: February 14, 1985
Copies Sold In The U.S.: 13 Million
If I’m being honest, this is not the first time I’d heard this album. Though I can at least say that for the purposes of this post was the first time I listened to this album on purpose. You see, I had a younger sister growing up in the early ‘00s, and though she may have been a few years younger than ‘N Sync’s main teenage demographic, she most certainly had this album, and listened to it a lot. Granted, I mostly just overheard this album’s bouncy and boisterous reverberations echoing from my sister’s room next door, but I’m still man enough to admit that me and No Strings Attached aren’t complete strangers.
Album: No Strings Attached
Artist: ‘N Sync
Release Date: March 21, 2000
Copies Sold In The U.S.: 12.7 Million Continue reading
How do you find an interesting way to write about an album composed entirely of the most well-known hits by the most well-known rock band ever? I don’t know. I really don’t know. But god dammit I’m gonna try.
Album: 1
Artist: The Beatles
Release Date: November 13, 2000
Copies Sold In The U.S.: 12.3 Million Continue reading
