The Super Monkeys

[Halla]

I think you can say 'Super Monkeys are MAX' , because MAX's original line-up is the same as the last (and the most well-known) line-up of Super Monkeys ( when they were 'Namie Amuro with Super Monkeys' ). the original Super Monkey line-up had Nana & Mina & Namie + 2 girls , who were swapped a couple of times until current MAX-members Reina & Lina took their place.

I think when MAX was formed at first they still performed with Namie as 'Namie Amuro with MAX' until they hit it big.

MAX has had a one member change. Mina retired to have a baby & settle down in '02 and a new-comer Aki joined MAX.

I have some sales figures. they're from the late 90's when the overall CD sales were really strong:

MAX's debut album "MAXIMUM" sold atleast 1.5 million copies , and their singles off their 1st & 2nd albums sold anywhere from around 200.000 to 500.000 copies. their 2nd album "MAXIMUM II" supposedly sold 1 million copies the day it was released.