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Before 1965, calculating the precise total of an artist's album an single sales was almost impossible. Generally, the pre-1965 music scene simply rounded numbers and offered their best guess. Nowadays, counting sales is a science. After all, selling product is the number one reason why music exists commercially.

As to say who is the top selling artist of all time is also a crap shoot. There are several artists throughout the recording industry's history that sold millions of records. The first "country" artist to sell one million singles was Vernon Dalhart with his 1920's smash hit "The Prisoner's Song."

Thereafter, Jimmie Rodgers sold millions of records along with the Carter Family in the 1930's. In other genres besides country, or hillbilly music as it was referred to from the 1920's until the 1940's, orchestra albums sold very well in the early days of commercial recording.

In modern times, Garth Brooks has out sold many other artists like Elvis. Shania Twain has sold several million albums. The Beatles have probably out sold most any artist in music history. With the advent of digital music downloads and other technologies, artists are selling more and more each year, destined to break sales records for years to come.

And let's not forget about indie artists. The indie music industry is flourishing right now. Many little known indie artists are out selling mainstream artists simply because technology has made it possible.

Jimmy Buffett, an artist who did not have a number one radio record until his duet with Alan Jackson, "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere," has sold literally millions of albums with little or no mainstream radio airplay. His secret was marketing to a loyal core fanbase, the "parrotheads."

Overall, I believe The Beatles have probably sold more albums in the history of recorded music than any other artist. For now, anyway.

Learn more about this author, Timothy Edward Jones.
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