Cliff Richard

Pop singer Sir Cliff Richard, OBE, enjoyed one of the most storied musical careers in his native England and throughout much of the world, with an estimated 250 million records sold worldwide and over 100 Top 20 singles in the U.K. including more than a dozen No. 1 songs in five consecutive decades, a feat matched only by Elvis Presley. In the U.S., he enjoyed eight Top 40 singles, including the million-selling "We Don't Talk Anymore" (1979). In his native England, he was credited for releasing the country's first rock song, "Move It" (1958), backed by the celebrated instrumental group The Shadows. In the 1960s, Richard segued successfully to mainstream pop while also enjoying a side career in movie musicals. Though his star was dimmed by the British Invasion, he rebounded in the 1970s by returning to his rock roots, which generated hits on both sides of the Atlantic like 1976's "Devil Woman." Though his tenure on the American pop charts ended in the early '80s, Richard remained astonishingly popular for the next three decades, scoring a slew of chart-topping singles and Top 10 albums as he approached his sixth and seventh decades. Despite a lack of support from British radio, Cliff Richard surpassed many of his rock peers by remaining not only relevant, but also wildly successful for over a half-century.