There might be a reason for at least some of that though Roger, to do with static-sticks.

I'd guess that The Beatles were among the first entered, and so mainly: "for info" visits count towards those CDs popularity, whereas other artists may just have had more recent activity as people get around to them (Alphabetical perhaps?) and show more in more recent "popular" lists (Info + entry etc.)

Remembering also that The Beatles very carefully control their releases themselves, whereas other artists may more freely licence issues on other labels, and so more "product" is available.

If, by the end of the year Frank Zappa is top of that tree then that will pretty much confirm this.

(But certainly Estefan is a really popular artist)

I finally finished cataloging my CD Albums a few days back (give or take a few mis-filed oddities) and I've noticed that last night the number of items in The CD Albums world passed the 50000 mark.

I think that when I started cataloging my CDs last September there were around 35000 in there, and I recall that the 40000 mark was passed at The New Year. Possibly by the end of this year 60000 will be entered in here, then 100000, then 250000 etc. etc. etc.

Anyway, a quick analysis of the current state of the 50000 CDs (about 3% of which were added by me I hasten to add ) shows an interesting snapshot of the world in which, due to impressive effort by various 45Worlds members, we find the following ....

1:- The most popular artist, by a long way, is Connie Francis (I'm in total amazement about the efforts confranfan put in to achieve this).

2:- Joe Jackson is more popular than anyone else apart from the previously mentioned Miss Francis (the primary mover in this seems to be Plaatjesman).

3:- Deep Purple are (marginally) more popular than The Beatles.

4:- T-Rex are (marginally) more popular than Elvis Presley, and much more popular if titles credited to "Marc Bolan & T-Rex" are included.

5:- Gilbert Bécaud is easily the most popular Non-English language artist.

6:- Gloria Estefan is more popular than Paul McCartney.

7:- The Damned are more popular than The Beach Boys.

8:- Jethro Tull are more popular than David Bowie.

9:- John Lee Hooker is much more popular than ABBA

AND ...

10: Santa's Buggerboyz are just as popular as Marvin Gaye, Michael Jackson and Nat "King" Cole.

I have to say, I really enjoy being in this curious parallel universe.

Regards - Roger

I added all of the Santa's Buggerboyz CDs and there's a reason there are so many - in 1999 they set out to release an album every week for the whole year. They did it, so 52 CDs in that year alone! I haven't added them all - the later ones I have but minus the artwork (at the moment) so I couldn't add those. They are no longer a going concern, which is a shame - they were for a while the enfants terrible of the Hull music scene and there's been nobody before or since that sounded anything like them. For evidence check out the brilliant Green Day Are Shit.

Incidentally, John Peel famously asked them on air to please stop sending the CDs to him as there were too many to listen to. Legend has it they roundly ignored his request.