NEW YORK, Dec. 12 -- A new poll on Americans' favorite musical artists has found that some things really do improve with age. The Harris poll of 1,007 adults reported Tuesday that Frank Sinatra catapulted from the bottom of the top 10 list to the No. 1 spot between 1994 and 1995. Humphrey Taylor, chairman of Louis Harris and Associates, said the Chairman of the Board's climb up the popularity list 'is probably attributable to the attention that his 80th birthday is receiving in the media.' As part of his birthday tribute, Sinatra has been the focus of a TV special and Capitol Records has released two new CDs: 'Sinatra 80th: Live in Concert' and 'Sinatra 80th: All the Best.' For die-hard fans with a big music budget Sire Records has put out a comprehensive Sinatra box set in a steamer trunk package, retailing for $400-$500. Sinatra's prominent position on this year's poll was not part of a larger trend. In fact, five of the 10 positions were taken up by country music performers. The Statler Brothers, who did not make the top 10 in 1994 and have not released an album lately, grabbed the second spot, probably because of the immense popularity of their Saturday night show on cable's The Nashville Network. Third place went to Reba McEntire, who has both a hit album and an autobiography titled 'Starting Over' in stores, followed by Garth Brooks, who leads the charts with his new album, 'Fresh Horses,' even while 'The Hits' remains a strong seller.
Vince Gill, whose album 'Souvenirs' is No. 3 on Billboard's country chart, was sixth in the Harris poll, and Alan Jackson took the ninth position in his first year on the top 10. Last year's front-runner, pop diva Whitney Houston, slid down to the fifth slot despite recent publicity over her new movie, 'Waiting to Exhale,' and its soundtrack. Barbra Streisand came in seventh. The Beatles, subject of a publicity blitz last month surrounding a television documentary and their first album in 25 years, 'Anthology I, ' landed in eighth place. Michael Jackson, who had moderate success with 'HIStory: Past, Present and Future Book I,' came in 10th. Artists who made the grade last year but dropped off the 1995 list were Alabama, country singer George Strait and opera star Luciano Pavarotti. Sinatra was most popular among men and those aged 65 and over. Women picked the Statler Brothers and McEntire. Those ages 18 to 29 favored the R&B group Boyz II Men.
