It’s almost unbelievable that over 50 years after the “British Invasion” the “Top Artist of All Time” title came down to The Beatles and The Rolling Stones!
Billboard magazine’s 125th Anniversary turned into a battle of the bands with The Beatles at #1 and The Stones at #2. The way the magazine ranked all the artists was a combination of their U.S. chart success on the Hot 100 singles chart, along with the success of their albums on the Top 200 chart. We’ll look at the top thirty artists, but first let’s compare the two biggest artists.
The Billboardstatistics are actually overwhelming for The Beatles compared with The Stones (or anybody else). The Beatles spent 132 weeks at #1 on the album chart, and that’s about double the next highest artist, Elvis Presley. Taylor Swift is a not-too-distant third.
The Beatles had 20 #1 singles, The Stones had 8. The Beatles had 19 #1 albums, and The Stones had 9. One way The Stones surpassed The Beatles is that they stayed together! That means they charted 37 albums over the years, and that’s the impressive reason they earned the #2 position on the top artists list. The Beatles vs The Stones was always a rivalry between friends, and in the end, they both won in their own ways. By the way, the only artist to make this list in a group and as a solo artist is Paul McCartney.
Here’s the list of the top thirty artists in Billboard’s 125th Anniversary issue:
- The Beatles
- The Rolling Stones
- Elton John
- Mariah Carey
- Madonna
- Barbra Streisand
- Michael Jackson
- Taylor Swift
- Stevie Wonder
- Chicago
- Whitney Houston
- Paul McCartney
- Elvis Presley
- Janet Jackson
- Rod Stewart
- Drake
- Prince
- Rihanna
- Billy Joel
- Garth Brooks
- Herb Alpert
- Eminem
- Usher
- Bruce Springsteen
- Neil Diamond
- The Supremes
- Eagles
- Bee Gees
- The Beach Boys
- Fleetwood Mac
You can see the #3 position and top solo artist went to Elton John.
The top female artist is right behind Elton at #4, Mariah Carey.
There are three surprises in the Top 10.
- The Easy Listening/Broadway recordings of Barbra Streisand placed her high at #6.
- The only recent star is Taylor Swift at #8…which is very impressive for someone who’s been charting for fewer years. It also means she easily out-performed all her contemporaries. (update Nov., 2023: Since the list was published, Swift has added seven #1 albums, and her having 13 #1 albums passed Barbra Streisand’s total (11). Swift would rank significantly higher if the list was updated.)
- Chicago at #10 beat out many acts that might have been expected to outrank them.
Eagles and Fleetwood Mac, contemporaries of Chicago, are at #27 & #30. Of course the Eagles recorded the #1 and #3 best-selling albums of all time, and Fleetwood Mac is not far behind. It accents that these rankings are based on Billboard’s weekly charts, which are not the same as overall sales. For instance, Billy Joel has actually outsold Elton John and Michael Jackson in the U.S., even though he is ranked lower here.
In their explanation of how they did the rankings Billboard said…“Due to changes in chart methodology and title turnover rates, certain periods for each chart recap were weighted differently to ensure as equal a representation as possible among all eras.” The cynical interpretation would be “We just make this stuff up”. The fact is, sales and radio airplay no longer drive Billboard’s charts, and streaming is not an accurate measurement either, so they just do the best they can.
It’s actually impossible to directly compare chart success from one era to another, but we can still have fun with The Beatles vs The Stones. We just can’t let it be, because there’s a certain satisfaction to it.
FAQs
The Beatles were a great band, but the Rolling Stones still are a great band, one which has carried on for 60 years, has created more music, and has arguably written greater numbers of legendary tracks than the Beatles as a band or as solo artists.
Who has more #1 hits the Beatles or Stones? ›
In terms of #1 hits, the Beatles thoroughly outclass the Rolling Stones, with 20 (seriously, think of a well-known Beatles song and it probably hit #1) to the Stones' eight—and the Beatles also have more #1 albums than the Stones, even though the Stones have a much longer discography due to their longevity.
Who sold more records, the Beatles or the Rolling Stones? ›
US Record Performance Summary
Rolling Stones — 1 No1 album & 5 No1 singles. According to CBS, The Beatles have sold 1.6 billion singles and 177 million albums in the US. Their worldwide album sales are 600 million. As of 2023, Music Aficionado claims the Stones have sold 240 million albums.
Are the Beatles the greatest artist of all time? ›
The English rock band the Beatles, comprising John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, are commonly regarded as the foremost and most influential band in popular music history.
Who is considered the greatest band of all time? ›
1. The Beatles. The Beatles, hailed as one of the greatest bands of all time, changed the music industry with their daring sound and captivating shows. Their fame skyrocketed in the 1960s and they still shape many artists today.
Are the Rolling Stones the greatest band ever? ›
The fact that The Rolling Stones are still one of the most popular active rock acts in the world showcases them as one of the most unprecedented and unrivaled rock bands in history.
Who is the #1 selling artist of all time? ›
Best-selling artists worldwide as of 2022
Perhaps unsurprisingly, British rock band The Beatles are top of the list for best-selling artists worldwide, with 183 million units certified sales. Second is Garth Brooks with over 157 million units sales, followed by Elvis Presley with 139 million units.
Did the Beatles and Stones get along? ›
Throughout the 1960s, the Rolling Stones and the Beatles were engaged in a friendly rivalry. Despite being amicable in person, they were in competition for record sales, cultural influence and aesthetic credibility.
Did the Monkees outsold the Beatles? ›
The Monkees did not outsell the Beatles overall — but the Monkees did outsell the Beatles in 1967. The Monkees released four (!) albums in 1967: The Monkees.
Who is considered the greatest artist of all time? ›
Leonardo da Vinci, probably the most important Renaissance artist, is widely recognized as the most famous artist of all time. He's the genius behind the iconic Mona Lisa painting masterpiece, after all.
Chart: Taylor Swift Retains Crown of World's No. 1 Recording Artist | Statista.
Who is the greatest singer of all time? ›
The 200 greatest singers of all time according to Rolling Stone as of January 2023
| Singer | Rank |
|---|
| Aretha Franklin | 1 |
| Whitney Houston | 2 |
| Sam Cooke | 3 |
| Billie Holiday | 4 |
180 more rowsJan 22, 2024
Mick Jagger dismisses The Beatles as "a pop band"
I mean they were sweet and all that, but we were a blues band. "We played blues and we played in clubs and we didn't play ballrooms and we just played in clubs and we played blues… we didn't play that kind of music, pop music.
Were the Beatles technically good musicians? ›
The parts are interesting by the standards of 60s rock, but not nothing that would challenge a jazz or classical player. John, Paul, George and Ringo are pretty good singers and instrumentalists, but you could walk into any music school and quickly find yourself dozens of better ones.
Why were the Beatles more popular than the Rolling Stones? ›
The Beatles achieved more cultural respect and accolades over the course of their career. They broke onto the world stage first. Both bands covered the legendary American music that preceded them, but the Beatles did that first.
Which group is older the Beatles or the Rolling Stones? ›
Beatles formed first. The Beatles were officially formed in Liverpool in 1960, whilst The Rolling Stones were formed in London in 1962.
You can see the #3 position and top solo artist went to Elton John.
The top female artist is right behind Elton at #4, Mariah Carey.
