Bing Crosby was an American singer and actor who was active from 1923 until his death in 1977. He was a leader in record sales, radio ratings, and motion picture grosses and one of the first global cultural icons. Crosby recorded over 1,600 songs, made over 70 feature films, and was the number-one box office attraction for five consecutive years. He was a pioneer in the use of early audio tape recording, helped finance the development of videotape, owned television stations, bred racehorses, and co-owned the Pittsburgh Pirates baseball team.