The worst artist in the world is.........
DrWu
4,021 Posts
Charley Pride. In a survey of 5 local thrift stores, I found more Charley Pride records than any other single artist. Following the logic that thrift store dollar bins are the very last filter in a long line of record exchanges denoting value and likability, one can only come to the conclusion that Charley Pride is the worst artist in the world. other notable contenders.Englebert Humperdink101 strings (particuarly when they got into doing "Spanish" music)Barbra StreisandThe people have spoken. Charley Pride you are the worst artist in the world, congratulations. 
Comments
This is probably dependant on location, but I see WAY more Babs than Charly in my neck of the woods. And although I think they're great, late 70's Sylvers and Ashford and Simpson could be added to that list based on the sheer number of times I've seen their stuff in the bins.
SG
I think you've got your black country singers confused. Charley often did joke about his ethnic heritage early in his career, but that was O.B. McClinton (yet another African-American C&W vocalist) who recorded "Black Speck" (a song ABOUT Charley Pride). I've never heard of it being on any album, but the DJ copy of the single (on Mercury, ca. 1976) had a special flipside where McClinton explained the song, his career as a black man in a white category, and why he chose to use the word "nigger" prominently in the chorus. Good luck tracking it down.
By the way, I was watching the movie Nashville last night, this 1975 movie that lampooned country music the same way This Is Spinal Tap roasted heavy metal (only Nashville wasn't a pseudo-documentary). Anyway, this flick has a character named "Tommy Brown" who was obviously supposed to be a dig at Charley. Not because he's black and singing country, but when we see him singing, he's doing the same kind of bland middle-of-the-road material that Charley seemed to crank out (Charley Pride wasn't exactly known for hard-driving honky-tonk music). If anybody's seen this movie and wants to talk about it, let's start another thread - I am currently obsessed with it!
(But not to the point where I'm gonna hijack another man's thread!)
And where I'm at, I see WAY more lesbian folk than either (although Streisand is up there). I never see much Charley in the thrifts per se, but he's all over the used stores.
I THINK The Soul Of Spain was the most popular 101 Strings album ever released (we're talking Top 10 in Billboard), which may be why you see that album and its' sequels the most.
Engelbert Humperdink
Dan Fogelberg
Jackson Browne
Barbra Streisand
99% of Christmas albums
Roger Williams
Mitch Miller
Glen Miller
Andy Williams
Lawrence Welk
I see your 99% and raise you a .9%
Hottt Garbage
that made me laugh.
Funniest thing i've seen in awhile---one of the Salvation Armys' in my city had nothing but Firestone records. No joke, there were probably a few Streisand, 101 Strings, and misc. shit, but it was like 90% Firestone records. Was a waste of gasoline getting there.
Taco Monroe has a copy?
No.
Linda Rhonstadt
Steve Martin "A Wild and Crazy Guy" (a local record store donated about 50 copies of this to one thrift store about two years ago and I think they still have them all in the bins)
one of the thrift stores in my hometown had all...4 or 5 of the first albums, EASILY 20 copies of each, and i am not joking. they were all in a row too, which i found kinda funny.
peace, stein. . .
I couldn't agree more.
and no dissing Herb, you 'erb!
Why you wanna do Charley Pride like that? It's worth remembering that the reason thrift stores/charity shops always carry records by cats like him, Engelbert Humperdinck, Streisand and (in the UK, especially) Max Bygraves, Mantovani and Andy Williams is because, at some point down the line, they sold a lot of records, which has to count for something.
And irrespective of charity shop ubiquity, I'd like to say "Fuck Michael Bolton". Yes, yes, y'all.
I don't think I've ever seen any of his records in my part of the world.
It's too late is my jam.