We recently scoured scholarly journals, collegiate records, and data collected from self-reported social media profiles to perform a meta-analysis from various angles…
This list of the best-selling albums of all time has more to it than you'd might think. Record labels and artists often post much higher claimed sales than can be certified by companies like Nielsen SoundScan and the RIAA. If those claimed sales aren't even remotely similar to those collected by the certification-awarding companies, they weren't included. There's also situations where double-length albums count as […]
Many young musicians dream of being rock stars for fame and adoration, even though it's a gruelling lifestyle of non-stop touring. These starving-artist types are motivated by this reality: You can make an unbelievable amount of money as one of the top 10 richest rock stars in the world. As you read this list, you will learn: Gaining the marketing momentum and exposure is a […]
The new data is out! You may not see huge shifts in the list of the top 10 richest country singers in the world due to some established giants, but we've dropped some artists out and added new ones. This is more interesting than the usual static list where everyone just earns more money due to investments and new businesses. And that's one of the […]
How many young guitarists have you known that dream of hitting it big and getting fame, adoration, and riches? Perhaps you're one of them. The songwriting despite the writer's block, the grueling years on tour, the album and merchandise sales... that all sounds great if you really want it. But you're in for a big surprise if you think that's all it takes to amass […]
Nothing is more fun than updating this list every six months when new data comes out. Though it's usually the same players moving up or down one or two places based on recent investments, we include all of the data we can get from publicly available sources. It may not be perfectly accurate, but it's pretty darned close. What you'll notice as you read along […]
With the past year wrapped up, it's always fun to see if the list of the top 10 most wealthy musicians has changed or completely shifted. The data for this year is in, so it's time for an update. Just remember, these values and fluctuations are estimations based on a host of variables and publicly available documents, but they've got to be pretty close! This […]
All right, champ, it’s the big day. It’s all been building to this. You’ve had the montage, you’ve looked into the eye of your challengers and said, Not today. Doves keep bursting into flight when you walk into rooms. (Actually, that part you could live without. It’s a little annoying.) But, it’s time. Time to hang tough and prove you’re the fastest, strongest, smartest person […]
Families. You can’t live with them, can’t leave without them. (Other cliches are available.) Whether the one you are born into, or the one you choose for yourself, there is no one in your life quite like your family. They know your deepest secrets and accept you in spite of your most significant flaws. Or, sometimes, they make you consider moving to a different country […]
There are all kinds of rappers these days, giving identity to a genre by by breathing into it new sounds and styles. Sometimes wrongly dismissed, demeaned, or defined in one aspect by non-believers, the heads know that rap is a broad church. In this article, we’ll take a look at the congregation as they spew lightning-speed rhymes and jaw-dropping flows. It's the ultimate showdown of […]
Country music, even for those that have never paid close attention to the scene, has such strong imagery associated with it. Trucks, stetsons, cold beer, cowboy boots, stiff denim. We’re here today to take another look and perhaps see something different. Get ready to saddle up and ride through the rich and diverse world of country tunes spun by some of the most talented black […]
You want to start an argument with passionate musicians? Ask them who belongs on the "top 10 singers of all time" list. Given enough time you'd come up with at least 50 names because so much of it comes down to taste and preference. Fortunately, because so many of us have voiced our opinions we can tell which vocalists have the most mass appeal, which […]
Many of the lists produced on this site are opinion-based and encourage an endless amount of fun discussion among their readers who love to preach the gospel of their favorite artists. This list, however, is different. Outlining the bestselling artists of all time is fact-based. There's no negotiating or convincing involved because we've tracked the numbers (for the most part). Still, while the list won't […]
The way we consume music is constantly changing. From being a purely live experience to the various recorded formats that we’ve taken advantage of over the years, from vinyl to tape to CD to mp3, musical tech has come a long way. Since its founding in 2006, Swedish streaming service Spotify has not only come to dominate the streaming market, far outstripping competitors such as […]
So many lists rank artists based on subjective information such as fame or likeability. But when it comes to Spotify's top artists, the data is clear-cut. Compare this list to the 10 Bestselling Artists of All Time and you’ll discover how people's taste in music has changed tremendously over time. Interestingly, there are three artists that feature on both lists. Since the number of streams can be […]
The conversations around ranking the best bands of all time are opinion-based, but we've boiled it down so that it's at least based on the opinions of hundreds of millions of people. We can crowdsource that info based on things like sales, tours, and awards won. While there might be a consensus this way, we all know the average person couldn't explain to you the […]
We know. Every song means something. Even the most overproduced glossy pop song has SOME meaning, although sometimes it may not be immediately obvious what that is, and what it is may be very shallow. So how did we approach the compilation of this list? These songs deal with the real, raw stuff. They hit the listener on a deeper, more profound level, touching on […]
Compiling a list of the best flute players in the world was straightforward. As with many of our Top 10s, however, the hard part lies in the order of those names. While the flutist had to be among the most skilled, we also took into consideration their levels of creativity, their techniques, and their contributions to keeping this instrument live in the public mind, much […]
When it comes to naming our top 10 piano players in the world, I think you'll agree with who is included, both modern and classical. We'd go so far as to say this is the objective part. It's the order of their ranking that you'll want to argue about. Obviously the skill level matters, but you might judge a certain strength as more important than […]
Musicians have talked about this forever until these "talks" have turned into full-blown arguments. And that's "Who makes the list of the best bassists of all time?" It's a fun discussion because everyone qualifies musicians in different ways. For instance, some people care about technical skill and music theory abilities. Others care about which bands the bassists were in and who had the most mass […]
While we're certain you will agree with our picks for the top 10 violinists in the world, we're not sure you'll agree with their order. Heck, even WE aren't sure of their order but there comes a time when we need to hit 'publish', you know? As always, we encourage your feedback, so let us know in the Comments section whether we should have our […]
LedgerNote is the leading-edge online music magazine. With our focus on education for industry professionals while at work and enjoyment at home, we never cease adding and updating our tutorials, tips & tricks, and entertainment blog. Use our passion for your benefit in the studio, at gigs, and during practice and rehearsal. Progress never stops at Ledger Note. Gear Gigs Grind Glory. Learn more about the LedgerNote Team here. See you at the top!
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