Today more than ever we talk about how much you sold, how much you generated, how much you earned, how much you lost or how much was seen. But there are times when the data, as much as they say, falls short of true greatness, like the one represented by the protagonist of today’s column: Phil Collins.
Yesterday Phil Collins turned 72 years old, and in 50 of them he has given us the pleasure of his music. From the drums, with his voice, producing or behind the piano, the British artist is undoubtedly one of the most successful musicians in history, and the numbers indicate it.
Along with Michael Jackson (Jackson 5) and Paul McCartney (The Beatles), Phil Collins (Genesis) is the only pop artist in history to have sold more than 100 million copies as a solo artist and as part of a group.
But when current indicators are reviewed to see the impact of a musician, Collins also stands out on digital platforms. Videos for two of his most popular hits “Another Day in Paradise” have more than 464 million views on YouTube, while “In the Air Tonight” has another 258 million views.
It’s a minuscule sample of the relevance of an artist who has won seven Grammy Awards, was ranked 22nd among “The Greatest Artists of All Time, according to Billboard Hot 100” and is part of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. since 2010.
But all those numbers can disappear when one listens to masterpieces like “You’ll be in my heart”, from the soundtrack of Disney’s animated film, Tarzan, which incidentally won an Academy Award. Or a similar feeling can produce “Another Day in Paradise”, another masterpiece that tells us that greatness does not have numbers as synonyms.
Phil Collins has been an artist who, both as a solo artist and as a member of Genesis, was always intimately involved in the final product that bore his name. He even went so far as to record a completely solo album (Both Sides– 1993), without the backing of supporting musicians, because the content had become very personal.
He is one of those few singers who with his dedication has not only created hits, but with his music he manages to take us to that place of greatness that few artists have had at hand.