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Saturday, June 5, 2021

Olivia Newton-John, The #36 Artist of the Rock Era, Part Three

 

(Continued from Part Two)


 
Olivia starred with Gene Kelly in the movie Xanadu.  Although the film was disappointing, the soundtrack was another of The Top Soundtracks of the Rock Era*.  No less than five Top 20 singles were released from the soundtrack album.  Olivia led things off with the multi-format smash "Magic", #1 on both the Popular (#1 for 4 weeks) and Adult Contemporary charts (#1 for 5 weeks).






"Magic" was nominated for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the Grammy Awards.  Newton-John teamed with old friend Cliff Richard for the duet "Suddenly", a #4 smash on the Adult chart that stalled at #20, one of The Top Underrated Songs of the Rock Era*.






 
 
Olivia was nominated for Favorite Female Artist for the sixth time at the American Music Awards.  The title song (with ELO) reached #2 on the Adult chart and #8 overall.




"Suspended In Time" was never released as a single but is another great song on the album.







  

In 1981, Olivia released the album Physical, which continued her highly successful image change.  The title song tied the Rock Era record for weeks at #1 with 10 (along with Debby Boone's "You Light Up My Life" in 1977) and sold over two million copies.


Olivia received a star on the Hollywood 

Walk of Fame that same year.




 

Although she is a good songwriter, this

is one of the only songs she included on

her albums until later in her career.

Olivia said she wrote the lyrics to

"The Promise (The Dolphin Song)" in 

Hawai'i after feeling inspired by the beauty

of the creatures she saw frolicking in the

 surf.



  

Newton-John remained hot with "Make

A Move On Me", #6 on the Adult

Contemporary chart and #5 overall.


Olivia was nominated for Best Female

Pop Vocal Performance for "Physical"

at the Grammy Awards.  Newton-John

won her 10th American Music Award for

Favorite Female Artist, the fourth time in

her career that she was so honored for 

that prestigious award.  


She won Billboard Music Awards for Top Pop

Singles Artist, Top Female Pop Singles

Artist and Top Pop Single ("Physical").

The video album earned a Grammy and 

was featured on the ABC special,

Let's Get Physical.  




 


 

Newton-John enjoyed a successful

international tour.  The tour was 

filmed and released on the HBO special,

Olivia in Concert.  She released the 

compilation album Olivia's Greatest Hits,

Vol. 2, another Double Platinum

success.  Olivia recorded the new song

"Heart Attack" for the project, a #3 smash.




 

She was nominated for Best Female

Pop Vocal Performance at the Grammy

Awards for "Heart Attack".  Newton-John

and Travolta were back in 1983 with the

movie Two of a Kind, which flopped at

the box office but did score the #5 hit

"Twist Of Fate". 


Newton-John received a Grammy nomination

for Best Long Form Music Video for

Olivia in Concert.

Newton-John and Pat Farrar (her

lifelong friend now married to John)

founded Koala Blue, a store of boutiques.

Koala Blue originally was successful but

closed its doors in 1992.


In 1984, Newton-John married her long-time boyfriend, actor Matt Lattanzi, whom she met on the set of Xanadu.  They divorced in 1995.

The album Soul Kiss in 1985 did go Gold but the title single stalled at #20.  Pregnant with her child Chloe, Olivia was limited in her ability to promote the album.  In 1988, Newton-John released the album The Rumour and starred in her HBO special Olivia Down Under.  


An old friend returned to helm the studio; John Farrar produced the 1989 album Warm and Tender.  

Newton-John starred in the Christmas television movies A Mom for Christmas in 1990.  In 1991, Olivia was named the National Spokesperson for the Colette Chuda Environmental Fund after the death of Colette Chuda, daughter of one of Olivia's friends.


Olivia released the compilation album Back to Basics:  The Essential Collection 1971-1992 and planned to tour for the first time in ten years.  But her father died and that same week Olivia was diagnosed with breast cancer so she had to cancel the tour.


Thankfully, Olivia recovered and her work promoting breast cancer research and other health issues has been not only amazing but groundbreaking.  Her diagnosis led to a change in her life, her way of thinking, and the music she recorded.  


 

In 1994, Newton-John released the album Gaia:  One Woman's Journey, in which she talks about her ordeal.  ONJ wrote all the music and lyrics herself for the first time.  One of the top songs on the album is "No Matter What You Do".





 

Environmentally conscious, Olivia wrote "Don't Cut Me Down" about the need to preserve our rainforests.  Olivia starred in the television movie A Christmas Romance, which also included her daughter Chloe in 1994.    During this time, Newton-John also appeared in the sitcoms Murphy BrownNed and Stacey, and Bette.


Olivia became a spokesperson for the Liv-Kit, a breast self-examination product and becsame part owner of the Gaia Retreat and Spa in New South Wales.

In 1998, Olivia released the album Back with a Heart.  "Love Is A Gift" was featured in the daytime soap opera As the World Turns and captured the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Original Song.  Newton-John promoted the album with her first tour in 16 years.

Olivia received the Humanitarian Award from the Red Cross and the Woman of the 21st Century Award from the Women's Guild of Cedar-Sinai Hospital for her breast cancer and environmental charity work .


 

Olivia joined John Farnham and Anthony Warlow for the Main Event Tour, and the album Highlights from The Main Event went to #1, sold over four million copies and was nominated for Best Adult Contemporary Album.  Newton-John and Farnham performed "Dare To Dream" at the Opening Ceremony of the 2000 Summer Olympics.


Olivia released the album One Woman's Live Journey in 2000, her first live album in 19 years.  Most of her studio albums were limited for release in Australia.


Olivia received the Ermenegildo Zegna International Environmental Award for "increasing public awareness of environmental problems" and the Green Globe Arts and Nature Award for her contribution to the preservation of rainforests.

In 2006, Newton-John received the Humanitarian Award from Decatur Memorial Hospital in Illinois for her breast cancer awareness work and the Kimmel Center Valor Award in 2007 for raising funds for cancer research.

Newton-John married John Easterling, founder and president of the Amazon Herb Company, in 2008.  



Also that year, Olivia raised money to help build the Olivia Newton-John Cancer and Wellness Centre in Melbourne, Australia.  She led a three-week 228 km walk along the Great Wall of China, joined by several celebrities and cancer survivors.  


Newton-John began filming the comedy A Few Best Men and released the CD A Celebration in Song in 2011.  Olivia performed on several continents from 2012-2017 and had a three-year residency performing in Las Vegas, Nevada.  In 2012, ONJ and John Travolta joined up to record the charity album This Christmas, with part of the proceeds going to her Cancer & Wellness Centre.  Guest artists included Barbra Streisand, James Taylor, Tony Bennett, Kenny G and Cliff Richard.


That same year, Olivia was named a National Living Treasure of Australia.  In 2017, Olivia announced that her breast cancer had returned and had metastasised to her lower back.  She also revealed that this was her third battle with cancer, it having returned in 2013 in addition to her 1992 diagnosis.


In 2019, Olivia auctioned hundreds of items to raise $2.4 million for her Centre, including her iconic outfit worn in Grease which itself brought $405,700.


In 2020, Newton-John was named Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire for services to charity, cancer research, and entertainment.


On August 8, 2022, Olivia died at the age of 73 at her home in the Santa Ynez Valley of California after her long battle with cancer.  It struck fans especially hard as it seemed she had beaten it, having survived 30 years since it first struck her.


Tributes poured in, including from her great friend John Travolta, Barbra Streisand, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and many others.  Melbourne and Sydney lit up many of their landmarks in honor of Olivia.  


The State of Victoria offered a state funeral, which Olivia's niece Tottie Goldsmith accepted.  Olivia's memorial was on February 26, 2023 in Melbourne and included eulogies from her husband and daughter, a testimonial to her strength of character and optimism by television personality Richard Wilkins, montages of her career, family life and wellness center, and pre-recorded video tributes from Barry Gibb, Elton John, Mariah Carey and Nicole Kidman.



Olivia won four Grammy Awards from 12 nominations, 10 American Music Awards out of 13 nominations, nine Billboard Music Awards and four People's Choice Awards and was nominated for two Golden Globe Awards and one Academy Award.

Olivia  scored 13 Gold singles and 2 Platinum singles.  She racked up 39 career hits with 15 of those going Top 10 and 5 #1 smashes.  20 of 35 hits have reached the Top 10 on the Adult chart with a phenomenal 10 going to #1.  Only five artists in music history have had more #1 songs among adults in the music format that began in 1970.


Olivia has sold over 100 million albums, making her one of the top-selling artists in history.  Fifteen of Newton-John's albums have reached Gold status with seven of those going Platinum.

Friday, June 4, 2021

Olivia Newton-John, The #36 Artist of the Rock Era, Part Two

 

(Continued from Part One)

 Newton-John achieved a record seventh straight #1 with the title song from her album Don't Stop Believin'.



Olivia capped off an amazing year by hosting a U.S. television special, A Special Olivia Newton-John.






 
Farrar wrote this with Don Black, lyricist of several James Bond theme songs such as "Thunderball" and "Diamonds Are Forever", and Hank Marvin, who penned the classic "To Sir With Love" for Lulu.  The single "Sam" from Don't Stop Believin' gave Newton-John 9 #1 songs on the Adult chart in less than six years.

However in 1977, Making a Good Thing Better was the only album which fell short of Gold status since her debut LP, and no singles made the Top 10 on any major format.  
Her Greatest Hits package fared much better, selling over two million copies.

In 1978, Newton-John sued MCA for $10 million and claimed that the label's failure
to adequately promote her product freed
her from her contract.  The court ruled that she could not sign with another label until her contract was up. 

Although she had been one of the top stars on the Adult chart for nearly the entire decade, Olivia needed and wanted a change in direction.  After meeting producer Allan Carr at a dinner party at Helen Reddy's home, that pivot and revitalization fell into her lap when she was invited to play the lead role of Sandy opposite John Travolta in the upcoming movie Grease, adapted from the Broadway musical.  Travolta was coming off his red-hot performance in Saturday Night Fever and scoring that role was a major opportunity.  
Olivia took advantage of the moment and utilized that prime role and began to portray an image not unlike the character she played in that classic movie.  The movie's script recast the Sandy character to an Australian who had just moved to the states.  


After filming the movie and recording songs from the soundtrack, Newton-John starred in her second television special with guests ABBA and Andy Gibb.

 

Both the film and soundtrack became an instant success and both rank among the tops of all-time in their respective mediums.  Grease raked in at the box office, while the soundtrack featuring three Top 5 songs dominated the Album chart with a total of 12 weeks at #1.  "You're The One That I Want", the first of two duets with Travolta, not only reached #1 but was one of the biggest songs of 1978, selling over two million singles.  It spent nine weeks at #1 in the U.K., the #5-selling single ever in Great Britain.


 Newton-John and Travolta teamed up again for "Summer Nights", a #5 hit that sold over one million copies.  In the movie, the pair sings about their summer romance, with each recalling the events completely differently.






 Olivia's solo hit "Hopelessly Devoted To You", written for her by Farrar, shot up to #3 and returned her to the Top 10 on the Adult chart.  The song was also nominated for an Oscar at the Academy Awards for Best Song from a Motion Picture.

When "Hopelessly Devoted" reached the Top 5, she became just the second woman (after Linda Ronstadt the year before) to enjoy two simultaneous Top 5 songs (along with "Summer Nights").  
Olivia was nominated for a People's Choice Award for Favorite Film Actress and she was also nominated for her performance as Best Actress in a Musical at the Golden Globe Awards.   She also won Favorite Album at the American Music Awards and Top Soundtrack at the Billboard Music Awards and was nominated for Album of the Year and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance (for "Hopelessly Devoted To You") at the Grammy Awards. 

About Grease, Newton-John says in a 2019 interview with Billboard:


    I think the songs are timeless.  They're fun and have
      great energy.  The '50s-feel music has always been                  popular, and it's nostalgic for my generation, and 
      then the young kids are rediscovering it every 10
      years or so, it seems. People buying the album was
      a way for them to remember those feelings of 
     watching the movie and feelings of that time period. 
     I feel very grateful to be a part of this movie that's still
     loved so much.


 Newton-John released the album Totally Hot later in the year, her first solo Top 10 LP since 1975.  She released the single "A Little More Love", #3 overall and #4 Adult Contemporary in the United States and #2 in Canada and the #7 song of the year in that country.  







 
She scored another hit with "Deeper Than The Night".  







Olivia was nominated for an American Music Award for Favorite Female Artist.   
The title song reflected Olivia's career change to a more aggressive style.








 "Boats Against The Current" is from Eric Carmen's album of the same name.  It is a standout track on Olivia's album as well.







 "Dancin' Round And Round" also appears on the "Xanadu" Soundtrack.




 
In 1979, Olivia and Andy Gibb premiered the song written by Gibb's brothers in the Bee Gees--"Rest Your Love On Me"--at the Music for UNICEF Concert for the United Nations' International Year of the Child.

Olivia received the honor of Officer of the Order of the British Empire and was appointed a Goodwill Ambassador to the United Nations Environment Programme.




 
Newton-John starred in her third television special, Hollywood Nights.  Gibb invited Olivia to sing on his next single, "I Can't Help It", a #8 hit on the AC chart and #12 overall.

Join us for Part Three of Olivia Newton-John, exclusively on Inside The Rock Era!

Thursday, June 3, 2021

Olivia Newton-John, the #36 Artist of the Rock Era, Part One

Olivia Newton-John, The #36 Artist of the Rock Era

"Olivia was such a beautiful person, a great talent and warm heart."

"You were a classy, talented and dignified woman who will never be forgotten. Known not only for your singing talent but your support of animal rights, breast cancer research and many other humanitarian causes. RIP sweetheart."

"Rest In Peace Olivia! You are one huge reason why my childhood in the 80's was amazing. I will always listen to your songs. They will live on forever."

"She was a shining light always. Fly high, Olivia. We honestly love you. ❤️"

"Beautiful Lady with an Angelic Voice."

"Her Spirit is so big. Wonderful to listen and be still for 4 minutes and take in all the Love and honesty in her voice."

"I've been in love with Olivia since I was 10 years old in 1973 when I saw her sing Let Me Be There on tv. She is a complete beauty both inside and out and has a voice of gold."

"Voice of an angel and now she is one... RIP Olivia Newton-John."

"Exquisite voice, seems she had an incredible heart and impact on those who got to know and love her."

"We all honestly love you. Your beautiful voice will echo in our hearts forever."

"Such a beautiful and talented woman. I'm so glad I got to see her perform early on in her career. I'll always listen to her beautiful voice. She will continue to delight her fans forever."

"One of the most beautiful woman who has ever lived in my honest opinion. And couple that with a sweet sincere girl next door look. There was nothing arrogant or pretentious about this woman ever. She exerted kindness, simplicity and down-to-earth likability. And immense and phenomenal talents."

"An angelic voice and beautiful face in one unforgettable being."



Olivia Newton-John was born on September 26, 1948 in Cambridge, England.  Her maternal grandfater, Max Born, was a Nobel Prize-winning physicist who fled Nazi Germany to Britain.  Olivia's father was an M15 office who took Rudolf Hess into custody during World War II.  

In 1954, Olivia and her family migrated to Australia, and she attended Christ Church Grammar School near Melbourne and University High School.  She began her singing career at the age of 14 when she formed an all-girl group (Sol Four) with three friends, performing in a coffee shop owned by her brother-in-law.  

Soon, Olivia performed on local radio and television shows, including HSV-7's The Happy Show.  She also appeared on The Go!! Show, where she met singer Pat Carroll and John Farrar.  Both would become lifetime friends.

Newton-John landed her first break when she won a talent contest on the TV show Sing, Sing, Sing, performing "Anyone Who Had A Heart" and "Everything's Coming Up Roses".  Olivia was reluctant at first to take advantage of the prize, a trip to Great Britain, but finally did a year later at her mother's insistence.  

Olivia recorded her first single, "Till You Say You'll Be Mine" for Decca Records in 1966.  She missed her boyfriend, however, and booked several trips to Australia that her mother canceled.  Things brightened considerably when Carroll moved to Great Britain as well.  The pair formed a duo known as Pat and Olivia and toured nightclubs in Europe.  When Carroll's visa expired, forcing her to return to Australia, Olivia began aiming at a solo career.  

Producer Don Kirshner recruited Newton-John for the group Toomorrow (correct spelling), which starred in a science fiction musical movie and recorded the accompanying soundtrack on RCA Records.  However, two singles failed to attract an audience and the group split up.

 

In 1971, Olivia signed with MCA Records and released her debut solo album, If Not for You (self-titled in the U.K.).  A Bob Dylan-penned tune, the title track gave Newton-John her first big hit, a #1 on the Easy Listening chart.

Newton-John was immediately popular in her native U.K., voted Best British Female Vocalist by the magazine Record Mirror.  She regularly appeared on Cliff Richard's weekly television show, It's Cliff Richard, and also starred alongside him in the TV movie The Case.

Olivia's second album, Olivia, was never released in the U.S., and singles from the album barely made a dent.  She rebounded in 1973 with the album Let Me Be There (titled as Music Makes My Day in the U.K.).  John Rostill of the Shadows wrote the title song as well as "If You Love Me, Let Me Know" and "Please Mr. Please".  


 

"Let Me Be There" features great bass vocals from Mike Sammes, whose group the Mike Sammes Singers sang backing vocals on several hits including "I Am The Walrus" by the Beatles and Tom Jones' "Delilah".  The title song was a multi-format smash and hit #6 Popular and #3 on the Easy Listening chart.

In 1974, Newton-John represented the U.K. in the annual Eurovision Song Contest, singing "Long Live Love".  She finished fourth in the competition, famously won by ABBA with "Waterloo".  Olivia recorded all six of the songs considered for the Eurovision entry she would ultimately sing and included them on her album Long Live Love, but those songs were replaced in the U.S. and Canada by earlier recordings on the album titled  If You Love Me, Let Me Know.

 

The title song from If You Love Me, Let Me Know was the first single and reached #5 Popular and #2 Easy Listening.

When Newton-John bested Tammy Wynette and Dottie West for Best Female Country Vocal Performance at the Grammy Awards and "If You Love Me (Let Me Know)" was nominated for Best Country Song at the Country Music Association Awards, some members of the CMA left the group, upset that Olivia was better than they were.

 

Jeff Barry ("Sugar, Sugar", "Be My Baby") and Peter Allen teamed up to write this song.  Allen was working on his album Continental American and asked Barry to help him write.  They wrote "I Honestly Love You" and Allen recorded the demo, which found its way to Farrar, who played it for Olivia.  Newton-John released the single, which became one of her biggest career hits--many radio stations and charts had it as the #1 song of 1974.

The smash hit #1 on both the Popular and Easy Listening charts and captured the prestigious Grammy Award for Record of the Year as well as Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female.  Olivia won four American Music Awards, including Favorite Female Artist and Favorite Single Pop/Rock (of course Rock has been the most "Pop"ular format over the last 65 years.  She won a Billboard Music Award for Top Pop Singles Artist (Female).  For the first time in her career, Olivia also scored a #1 album.

Newton-John moved to the U.S. and notched her second consecutive #1 album with Have You Never Been Mellow.  Farrar wrote the title track, a multi-format smash (#1 Popular, #1 Easy Listening, and #3 Country).





 

Rostill and Bruce Welch, both bandmates of Farrar in the Shadows, wrote this one for Newton-John.  Olivia released "Please Mr. Please" as the next single, another across-the-board winner--Top 10 Adult (#1 for three weeks), Top 10 Popular (#3) and Top 10 Country (#5). 


Newton-John won Favorite Female Artist in the Pop/Rock category for the second consecutive year at the American Music Awards and also won a trophy for Favorite Album--Pop/Rock.  She won a Billboard Music Award for Top pop Albums Artist (Female).



 

The album Clearly Love was not as well received by teenagers, although the single "Something Better To Do" (which showcases Olivia's amazingly beautiful and pure voice) gave Newton-John her fourth straight adult #1 and the album did go Gold.





 

Olivia scored another #1 on the Easy Listening chart with "Let It Shine".






 

John Denver, another of Rock's all-time Top 100 Artists*, invited Olivia to sing on his hit "Fly Away", one of the top collaborations in the last 50 years.  It peaked at #13 but also rose to #1 on the Adult chart, one of The Top Underrated Songs of the Rock Era*.

Newton-John won Favorite Female Artist for the third straight year at the American Music Awards, one of a select few in history to achieve that feat, and took home a Billboard Music Award for Top Adult Contemporary Artist.

 

In 1976, she released the album Come on Over, written for her by Barry and Robin Gibb of the Bee Gees.  The group included the title song for their 1975 album Main Course.  Olivia heard the album on her tour bus and the Gibb's were happy to give permission for her to record it as well.  "Come On Over" made it an incredible six straight #1 songs on the Adult chart.

Much more to come from Olivia as The Top 100 Artists of the Rock Era* continues with Part Two!

Wednesday, June 2, 2021

Foreigner, The #37 Artist of the Rock Era, Part Three

 (Continued from Part Two)



  
In 1985, Foreigner released the album Agent Provocateur.  Jennifer Holliday and the New Jersey Mass Choir backed up the group on their landmark song "I Want To Know What Love Is".  The single jumped to #1 and sold over one million copies in the United States and reached the Top 5 in every major country in the world, including #1 in the U.K., Canada and Australia.




 Foreigner received a nomination at the Grammy Awards for Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group.  Foreigner scored another Top 15 hit with "That Was Yesterday", a #4 Mainstream Rock hit.



Foreigner toured to support the album and performed at the first Farm Aid in Champaign, Illinois.  In addition to being a leader for Foreigner, Jones produced albums for other artists, including Billy Joel and Van Halen.

 Foreigner released the album Inside Information in 1987.  The single "Say You Will" landed at #1 on the Mainstream Rock chart and #6 overall.







"I Don't Want To Live Without You" topped the Adult Contemporary chart and peaked at #5 on the Popular chart. 




Foreigner performed at the 40th anniversary concert for Atlantic Records in 1988, with Phil Collins, Roberta Flack, Crosby, Stills & Nash and other Atlantic artists joining them for "I Want To Know What Love Is".

 Gramm began a solo career in 1987 and left the band in  1990.  Jones recruited Johnny Edwards, formerly with Montrose and many other bands, to replace Gramm.  In 1991, Foreigner released the album Unusual Heart.  As is the case with many groups, once their well-known lead singer leaves, the group has peaked.  They did get as high as #4 on the Mainstream Rock chart with "Lowdown And Dirty".  

Jeff Jacobs became the new keyboardist and Elliott left in 1991.  Larry Aberman temporarily filled in before the group hired Mark Schulman.  Several other personnel changes occurred before Gramm rejoined the group in 1992.  Gramm brought bassist Bruce Turgon, who had played with Lou in the group Shadow King.

Foreigner released the compilation album The Very Best...and Beyond, with Gramm co-producing the project that included three new songs.

 Foreigner released the album Mr. Moonlight in 1994 in Japan and 1995 in the United States, but it paled in comparison to previous releases by the group.  Ron Wikso stepped in on percussion when Schulman left.  Schulman returned in 2000.  The group hired ace guitarist Duane Eddy for a memorable part on "Until The End Of Time".

 Although the album didn't sell well, it contains two other good tracks.  This is "White Lie".









 "Under The Gun" is another Top Track*.

Gramm left for good in 2003.  Jones, the only original member remaining, led a group that included Jacobs, Gimbel, bassist Jeff Pilson, drummer Jason Bonham (son of Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham) and lead singer Kelly Hansen.  The 2005 live album Extended Versions included this lineup.
Foreigner, Styx and Def Leppard toured together in 2007.  Jacobs left the band in 2007, replaced initially by Paul Mirkovich and finally by Michael Bluestein in 2008.  Bonham left, with Tichy eventually joining the group.

Foreigner released the album Can't Slow Down in 2009.  Jason Sutter took over for Tichy on drums in 2010, with Schulman returning in 2011.  The band continues to rotate members in and out of the lineup.
In 2013, Jones (left, above) and Gramm (right) were inducted into the Songwriter's Hall of Fame.

Original bassist Ed Gagliardi passed away on May 11, 2014 after a long battle with cancer.  

In their career, Foreigner amassed 22 hits, with nine reaching the Top 10 and one going to #1.  Their forte was the Album Rock audience, and since 1981, when the Mainstream Rock chart was implemented, the group scored 16 hits, nine of which were Top 10 and four #1's.  Some of Foreigner's best work on their first three albums was released prior to 1981, but 10 or 11 songs from those albums would have likely done very well on the MR chart.
Foreigner has sold over 37.5 million albums in the U.S. and over 80 million records worldwide.

They have been nominated for three Grammy Awards and two American Music Awards.