Who is the most popular of them all (Music artist)

[seangee]

Prompted by a post on @TwoTankAmin's thread which I won't hijack
I have always regarded great music as that which stands up to repeated listening over time (decades not months).
Recently I was chatting to a friend about who was the most popular artist of all time. He is French and listens to jazz by choice and I invariably choose rock, so we had no cultural biases but independently came up with the same artist.
These were our criteria.

1. You are allowed one memory card containing all the published work of a single artist (individual or group)
2. You are to walk into any bar or cafe in the world (any country, any age group, any culture, any gender)
3. You can play one track, randomly selected off your card.
4. Which artist gives you the best chance that someone will start singing along?

Who would you choose?
Remember this has nothing to do with commercial success or your personal preferences.
I'm not looking for my answer -just curious about yours

 

[MaloK]

The Beatles

 

[TwoTankAmin]

I am not sure there is any way to know the answer. Consider how much of the world's population is in China and India. Estimated Total world pop. in 2025 is about 8.228 billions. Of that number 2.879 are in those 2 countries that is about %35 of the total. I have no clue what music they know.

So I would guess Beatles or Stones.

 

[seangee]

There are no right or wrong answers
Both are good answers.

 

[GaryE]

My guess would be Bob Marley. If we are looking at going out into the whole wide world and seeking a recognized artist - I read an article analyzing the bootleg market in Africa and Asia, which doesn't count toward sales in the artist makes a living from it sense. Apparently, Marley is the king of being ripped off and sold in local markets.

When I taught internationally, almost none of my students were ever into classic rock bands, but I could fill a dance floor by putting the Wailers on.

I never heard the Beatles or the Stones in Africa, or in Turkey, but I heard Bob Marley, several times in several places. So if we go with the singalong test, I'd pick him.

 

[gwand]

A poll in the 80s listed Bob Marley and Mohammad Ali as the most recognizable and popular characters in the world. If only Mohammad could sing!

 

[seangee]

A poll in the 80s listed Bob Marley and Mohammad Ali as the most recognizable and popular characters in the world. If only Mohammad could sing!

You decide

Although that was Cassius Clay

 

[Magnum Man]

I would say the Stones... although Cheap Trick sounded like they did well at Budokan

 

[MaloK]

Liquid Blue holds the official word record of the most traveled band and performed in 126 countries.

But I never knew they existed until 5 minutes ago... And have no idea what they're playing.

 

[connorlindeman]

Chatgpt says the beetles.

 

[Back in the fold]

Beatles hands down worldwide but in the states , and only among folk of a certain age , my favorite , The Grateful Dead .

 

[Rusty_Shackleford]

This is an outrage!!
No votes for William Shatner?

 

[Oldspartan]

Hard choice -- The Beatles is first to mind but that may well be because I Western World as Gary pointed out. The Beach Boys were internationally recognized. However, today I think the answer is (unfortunately in my view) --

Taylor Swift

 

[gwand]

Beatles hands down worldwide but in the states , and only among folk of a certain age , my favorite , The Grateful Dead .

I didn’t know you were a dead head! Did you ever go to an all night concert when Gerry was alive and get psychedelic?

 

[Back in the fold]

I didn’t know you were a dead head! Did you ever go to an all night concert when Gerry was alive and get psychedelic?

Never saw them in concert . The great tragedy of my life but I have all their albums and have near worn some out with constant play .