It’s the line everyone uses to explain just how much better music was back in the day than it is today: “The Beatles had 6 singles in the top 100 at one time”. But don’t get me wrong, it’s a worthy feat, so worthy in fact that no band has ever equalled it. Enter Mumford & Sons.
With an album as anticipated as Babel, it’s no real surprise to see it smashing through the charts, but no one saw that it would threaten The Beatles’ long-held record, established back in September of 1964. Since the release, the album has earned the stripe of best-selling album of the year, shifting 600,000 units in its opening week, and in terms of rock, the only other band who comes close is AC/DC, who shifted 784,000 copies of Black Ice in its opening week back in 2008.
Ultimate Classic Rock do raise a valid point: the industry and technology have changed a lot, which somewhat skews the comparison. The Beatles didn’t have iTunes or Spotify to boost single sales, which ultimately is what makes them chart, not to mention the fact that The Beatles had all top 5 tracks in the top 100 for a while there too.
But hey, credit where credit is due. Here’s to Gen Y music!
