'N Sync, Britney Rule 2000 Sales

Dec. 20 -- If year-end sales figures are any indication, teen-pop showed no signs of relinquishing its vigorous grip on the charts in 2000. At the cash registers, the year’s biggest stars were the Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears, and, leading the pack, ’N Sync.

According to the Recording Industry Association of America, the folks who dole out the gold, platinum and diamond records that hang on the stars’ walls, ’N Sync’s No Strings Attached was the best-selling title released in 2000. The disc racked up sales of more than 10 million copies, making it ’N Sync’s second diamond-certified (signifying shipments of 10 million units) album in a row.

Nipping at the quintet’s heels was Britney Spears, who was certified for 8 million copies of her sophomore release, Oops … I Did It Again. Meanwhile, her debut set, … Baby One More Time continued to enjoy brisk numbers, drumming up another 3 million in 2000. That disc is currently certified platinum 13 times over.

Coming in third, the Backstreet Boys recent chart topper, Black & Blue, with 8 million copies under its belt, was simultaneously certified gold, platinum, and eight-times multiplatinum in December, its first month of release. Meanwhile, BSB titles Millennium and the band’s self-titled debut were each certified for an additional million copies this year, which means that BSB moved 10 million units in 2000 alone.

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What do all those acts have in common — besides a massive Clearasil bill? All three belong to the Jive Records stable of artists. Factor in additional releases by Aaron Carter, R. Kelly, and Mystikal, and Jive accounted for nearly 40 million albums sold in 2000. “40 million records in a single year for an independent label is astounding and is a testament to both their marketing savvy and true understanding of their audience,”said RIAA President and CEO Hilary Rosen.

The Beatles Lead as Greatest Band in Rock History

But the dinosaurs aren’t completely extinct. Thirty years after splitting up, the Beatles reinforced their status as the greatest band in rock history by racking up more than 18 million in sales in 2000, the most of any artist this year. The Liverpool legends’ new hits collection, 1, was responsible for 5 million of those units.