Yesterday’s Musicians That Are Still Today’s World Record Holders

Just as great fashion endures, so does great music. Its ability to transport

us back to great memories and to continue to create new ones makes some

songs, albums and bands have a special place in our hearts. It’s no wonder

there are so many club nights around London dedicated to past eras.

This week on the Clerkenwell Vintage Fashion Fair blog we’re taking a look

at the music that made waves and made a world record. It’s music that, like

our favourite vintage dress, has withstood the test of time and is enjoyed by

generations down the line…

Last year, the UK’s most downloaded songs of all time list was

revealed. While the top spots mostly went to current artists who

released their music in the digital era, a couple of classics from the

1980s managed to prove their longevity. Journey’s ‘Don’t Stop

Believin’’ (1981) placed at number 32 and The Pogues’ Fairytale of

New York placed at number 70 (1988).

A Christmas hit is a common theme to long-lasting success. Bing

Crosby’s ‘White Christmas’ has sold an estimated 50,000,000 copies

making it the best-selling single of all time. However, it was released

in 1942, before official music charts began in the 1950s making it only

an estimate. Elton John’s ‘Candle in the Wind’ tribute to Princess

Diana sold 33 million copies in 1997, making it the best-selling single

since chart records began.

Legendary blues artist B.B. King still holds the world record for the

oldest winner of a MOBO Award in 1998 when he picked up the

Lifetime Achievement Award at the age of 73.

Proving he’s a music heavyweight even after his death, jazz musician

Miles Davis holds the record for the most expensive record to enter

into the charts. Even at $250 (around £154), the ‘Miles Davis at

Montreux’ CD set made the US top 20 jazz chart in 2002.

King of Pop Michael Jackson holds the title of Best Selling Album for

‘Thriller’. Though it was originally released in 1984, he didn’t reach his

record-breaking 65,000,000 unit sales until 2012. The album also won

Michael Jackson eight Grammys in 1984, the most Grammys ever won

in one night.

The longest career as a recording artist, spanning an incredible 77

years, belongs to Kasper Delmar “Stranger” Malone. Best known for his

first recording with Clayton McMichin & his Melody Men in 1926 of ‘Let

Me Call You Sweetheart’, the clarinet player recorded his last piece

with American singer Elise Witt in 2003, two years before he died.