Don't start believing... that this was a good game

One thing that can be said to an aspiring rock band is that making it won’t be easy. Not only do you have to be an awesome performer, write a slew of hit songs, get those songs heard and sign a record deal, but you have to actually stand out among the hundreds out there pawing for that top of the mountain – then once you get there you have to find a way to stay there! With that said… what better way to stand out in music than to set a new world record! That’s right, whether it’s something downright amazingly difficult like having the best selling album ever (which belongs to Thriller, by the way) or something a bit on the strange side like shortest band by height (honors held by KISS cover band Minirockerz aka Minikiss), setting a new world record is definitely going to get you into that history book – or at least that Guinness Book of World Records. Read on and check out some of music’s more interesting accomplishments.

 

 

 

 

Highest Annual Earnings Ever for a Girl Band

For those of you who we’re around any woman between the ages of 13- 25 (or if you yourself were a woman of that age) during the ‘90s, you will have undoubtedly come across the holders of this record. Think for a moment… who would you say was the biggest girl group of the ‘90s? If you said anything other than The Spice Girls, maybe it’s time for some of those memory pills because bar none, no other girl group was as dauntingly successful as Geri Halliwel, Melanie Chishom, Victoria Beckham, Emma Burton and Melanie Brown during that decade. They even had a that one movie! Although I never did succumb to “Spicemania” myself, enough did (such as both of my sisters… fanatically I should add), garnering the group the title of highest paid girl group ever with reported annual earnings of $49 million in 1998, ranking 20th that year in Forbe’s list of the 40 richest entertainers. Hard to imagine just how huge they were now that we are over a decade separated from their record breaking paycheck but it’s even harder to imagine any other group surpassing these ladies anytime in the foreseeable future –talk about girl power!

 

First Unsigned Band to Reach the UK Top 40 Singles Chart


Koopa-first unsigned band with top 40 hit

It’s difficult enough to get a hit song on the top 100 if you’re a signed band but getting into the top forty without any proper deal to speak of is downright a miracle! Well, that’s exactly what the Colchester, Essex, England band Koopa did with the release of their song “Blag, Steal and Borrow,” peaking at number 31 on January 14, 2007 on the UK top 40. Although the group honestly did have a good little song on their hands, it must be said that part of their record creating chart position was due heavily to change 2007 saw in rule regarding eligibility for singles, allowing downloads for the first time to count towards chart position. Seeing as how the Koopas sold their song exclusively as a download, they might just have had the right single at the right time for an unsigned band. Although they went on to sign a deal with Pied Piper Records, they have yet to attain the same amount of success as they did during their earlier unsigned years.

 

First Licensed Video Game to Include a Rock Band

Back in the ‘80s, video games were not only a new cutting edge form of entertainment, it was creating the foundation of what would become a gigantic billion dollar industry, so it comes as no surprise that sooner or later, a rock band endorsed video game of their likeness was bound to appear. Although many out there have fond memories of games such as Michael Jackson’s Moonwalker or the Aerosmith arcade shooter Revolution X, it was Journey Escape that holds the title of the first ever officially licensed video game to feature a rock band. Released in 1982 by Data Age, the Journey endorsed game featured plenty of clever fan friendly band references throughout this Atari 2600 space shooter/racer, such as naming the vehicle used in the game after an album. As far as the plot goes, this is what the official manual had to say: You're on the road with Journey, one of the world's hottest rock groups. A spectacular performance has just ended. Now it's up to you to guide each Journey Band Member past hordes of Love-Crazed Groupies, Sneaky Photographers, and Shifty-Eyed Promoters to the safety of the Journey Escape Vehicle in time to make the next concert. Your mighty manager and loyal roadies are there to help, but the escape is up to you! Enough said.

 

Youngest Band to be Banned from the Radio

It’s just like those young’ins, isn’t it? Smoking their cigarettes, crashing their cars, and getting banned from the radio. But with a band name like Who’s Ya Daddy? and a single like “I Like Fat Chicks,” it was kind of sort of inevitable, don’t you think? These Australian tykes hold the honor of being the youngest band banned from the radio, with an average age of 12 years and 26 days, when ZZZ FM decided to officially blacklist the single from its Lismore, New South Wales audience on December 23, 2004. Although the eldest member was still nine years away from being able to legally drink, he and his band mates were apparently old enough to be deemed too hot for the Australian airwaves. 

 

Oldest Band

I know what you’re thinking, and no, the honor does not belong to the Rolling Stones, although they might be a close second. The honor of the being the world’s oldest active band falls to the appropriately named Peace Hotel Old Jazz Band of China. With an average age of 80, the six guys that make up the band are all famous veteran musicians that are still at it after 20 continuous years of daily performances in Shanghai, China.

 

 

And now, some random accomplishments and feats on the Billboard US charts…


Multiple record holder Elvis Presley

Most Entries on the US Hot 100 Singles Chart – Top 5

Glee Cast (203)

Elvis Presley (108)

Lil Wayne (101)

James Brown (91)

Ray Charles (74)

 

Most Top 40 hits – Top 5

Elvis Presley (80)

Elton John (57)

Lil Wayne (55)

The Beatles (50) tie

Glee Cast (50) tie

 

Most Top 10 Singles –Top 5

Madonna (38)


Minirockerz - made for lovin' you

Elvis Presley (36)

The Beatles (34)

Stevie Wonder (28) tie

Michael Jackson (28) tie

 

Most Number One Hits – Top 5

The Beatles (20)

Mariah Carey (18)

Elvis Presley (17)

Michael Jackson (13)

Madonna/The Supremes tied @ (12)

 


Multiple record holders The Beatles

Most Consecutive Weeks at Number One – Top 5

79 – Elvis Presley

79 – Mariah Carey

59 – The Beatles

50 – Boyz II Men

47 – Usher

 

Songwriters with Most Number One Hits – Top 5

Paul McCartney (32)

John Lennon (26)

Mariah Carey (17)

Barry Gibb (16)

Brian Holland/Sean Garrett tied @ (15)

 

 

Simultaneously Occupying the Top 5 Chart Positions

The Beatles – April 4, 1964

 From February 22, 1964 until April 25, 1964 the Beatles held the top two positions, with various singles. In some of the weeks, the band held the top three or top four slots, the only act in chart history to do so. On April 4, 1964, The Beatles occupied the entire top five.

1. "Can't Buy Me Love"

2. "Twist and Shout"

3. "She Loves You"

4. "I Want to Hold Your Hand"

5. "Please Please Me"