( CNN ) -- They 've sold millions of albums and DVDs and show no signs of slowing . Much more than an overnight sensation like `` Tickle Me Elmo , '' `` The Wiggles , '' have stayed a children 's favorite for 16 years . Sybil Lane , right , and her family met the Wiggles after Sam Moran stepped into his role yellow Wiggle . The Wiggles , an Australian band , impart lessons through their songs and performances that some mothers happily admit have helped shape their little ones ' views on life . Sybil Lane says that her 6-year-old son Brendan `` has a very positive outlook on life , and I think the Wiggles helped him develop that . '' Lane explains that the band members are positive role models who do n't wear makeup or dress up . `` They are themselves , '' she says , `` and children can relate to them . '' Three of the four founding members of the Wiggles met one another at the Macquarie University Institute for Early Childhood Studies in Sydney . They take their influence on their listeners seriously . One of their campaigns is to teach children the benefits of healthy eating . That lesson has rubbed off on 4-year-old Jeffrey Thompson , who , according to his mom Krista , drinks only water after hearing the Wiggles song `` Gulp Gulp Drink Some Water . '' `` He drinks milk at bedtime , but other than that , it 's only water . '' Jeffrey is so enamored of the Wiggles that he has adopted an Australian accent which his mom says is `` cute as all heck in a 4-year-old . '' Carolina Wiegers says that her 4-year-old son Andrew has picked up some Australian pronunciations , too . She also credits the Wiggles with helping him learn routines and retain lessons . Andrew exercises his memory learning Wiggles dance routines and memorizing songs . She appreciates the content that her son is absorbing , and likens the Wiggles to `` the teacher that wants to do all the cool stuff and has the money to do it . '' She says that their DVDs and live shows have an instructive atmosphere and `` are n't really random at all . '' Live shows are an important part of Wiggles culture ; Brendan Lane has been to 41 shows . Wiggles parents are `` kind of a community . We catch up with each other at shows , and talk almost daily on Wiggles message boards , '' says Sharon Spray . Suzy Cato 's daughter , Catie , has Angelman syndrome , with symptoms such as impaired speech and development skills . Cato says that because of her daughter 's disabilities , Catie `` does n't really show a lot of preference for things . But when she sees the Wiggles she gets very excited . We 're going to go see more Wiggles shows . Its one thing my daughter loves so much , I just want to keep doing it for her . '' Catie , who is 16 , has met the Wiggles several times because of the band 's practice of holding personal meet-and-greets with disabled or sick children . Jennifer Zink , whose 3-year-old son Max is autistic and also a huge Wiggles fan , has met the Wiggles three times . Zink explains that once The Wiggles meet a child they arrange future meet-and-greets so that they can keep up with children . Because of this personal contact , many children have developed a strong connection to Greg Page , the original yellow Wiggle . On November 29 , 2006 , Page announced that he was retiring because of health complications and would be passing his yellow `` skivvy , '' or shirt , off to former Wiggles background dancer Sam Moran . For Andrew Weigers , the news of Page 's departure came as a bit of a shock . His mom Carolina says Sam was so upset about Greg 's departure that she almost felt bad for telling him about it . It 's understandable that children developed such an attachment to Page ; he was the voice of the Wiggles for so long . Jenifer Zink describes the first time she and her son Max saw Page perform live . `` My son and I both were absolutely mesmerized by his voice , his charisma , his style , and the way he interacted with the crowd . From that moment , I knew that he was something special ! '' By many accounts , though , Page 's replacement Sam Moran seems to be holding up well as the Wiggles new lead man . `` Greg left him some hard shoes to fill , '' Sybil Lane says , but he seems very natural in that job . '' And quite a job it is . Some would say that Wiggles mania has reached fever pitch . Christine Kielbasa compared watching children react to seeing the Wiggles live to watching the crowd at a Beatles show . `` I must admit I was a little excited myself , '' she confesses . Linda Nuzzo saw her first Wiggles show in 2001 , in the basement of a small Australian church in New York . `` You could almost touch them , '' she says . `` And then to see them perform at Madison Square Garden , it was amazing . '' And after all of their success ? `` They are still down-to- earth , nice people , '' Nuzzo says . E-mail to a friend .
Australian children 's band ` ` The Wiggles '' are an international sensation . They earned $ 100 million in 2007 , beat AC / DC to be Australia 's top - earning band . CNN.com readers respond with their opinion of Wiggles encounters . I - Report : Tell us about important stories happening near you .