how many bands sold more albums than u2

[METFIELD]

total worldwide sales

 

[Vox02]

- The Beatles

- Rolling Stones

- Led Zeppelin

- Queen (but, with many more albums than U2, Greatest Hits, live's..)

- Pink Floyd

- ABBA?

And solo artist:

- Elvis Presley

- Michael Jackson

- Madonna

- Elton John

----------------------------

However, U2 has sold more than 120/130 million albums with only 14 releases.

Vox

 

[STING2]

AC/DC has also sold over 120 million albums. "Back In Black" has sold over 40 million albums worldwide.

Queen has sold 28.5 million albums in the USA

ABBA has sold 10.5 million albums in the USA
(7.5 million of ABBA's sales in the USA come from Greatest Hits albums)

I have my doubts that Queen or ABBA has sold more albums than U2 worldwide. Very often, many artist combine both single and album sales which give an inflated total.

 

[Dr_Macphisto]

Can't forget Garth Brooks!

Beatles have #1 in worldwide sales, and Garth comes in at #2

 

[Popmartijn]

Has Garth sold anything outside the USA?

 

[bsp77]

Has Garth sold anything outside the USA?

Probably not, us Americans are the only ones stupid enough to buy them.

Just kidding, Garth fans, he is kinda catchy. I actually bought his greatest hits years back, but felt really guilty afterward.

"I got friends in low places..."

 

[tkramer]

As a solo artist and with Genesis Phil Collins has sold 200 million+...
To this day that stat amazes me...

 

[STING2]

Can't forget Garth Brooks!

Beatles have #1 in worldwide sales, and Garth comes in at #2

That is in USA sales NOT worldwide sales.

 

[STING2]

As a solo artist and with Genesis Phil Collins has sold 200 million+...
To this day that stat amazes me...

The only way that my be possible is if one were including "records" or singles and not just albums. Phil Collins and Genesis have a combined 54 million in album sales in the USA. Despite strong popularity worldwide, I seriously doubt Phil Collins/Genesis have sold 150 million albums outside the USA.

 

[womanfish]

Yes, many people confuse "Record" sales with "album" sales. Record sales include any single, album, EP, etc... that an artist ever released, and albums are just albums. So this is one way that older artists especially can come up with these rediculous numbers.

Also album data like this is also horribly skewed by the way that the RIAA counts double sales for double disc albums. Groups like AC/DC, Pink Floyd, Led Zeplin, Garth Brooks, etc.... all benefit from this strange policy.

 

[Vox02]

Has Garth sold anything outside the USA?

 

[tkramer]

Actually the little bald guy (phil) was/is and forever will be more popular elsewhere than in the USA. He did a string of stadium/arena dates before a so-so arena tour here in the states this fall.

As for the album sales:

www.wordiq.com:
"...Collins' record sales decreased greatly since the release of Both Sides in 1993; subsequent releases never reached the levels of his 1980's albums. Collins' total worldwide album sales, including Genesis albums, are approximately two hundred million."

Also, I "gulp!" own his biography. (PLEASE DON'T LAUGH!!!) It says it in there too.

Including singles some claim, but I doubt it, that its over 300 million. But you have to remember he did LOADS of work in the late 60's, 70's and 80's. I mean, in the 80s along he did four solo albums, three genesis albums, four solo tours, three genesis tours, and one tour with eric clapton!!!

 

[STING2]

Actually the little bald guy (phil) was/is and forever will be more popular elsewhere than in the USA. He did a string of stadium/arena dates before a so-so arena tour here in the states this fall.

As for the album sales:

www.wordiq.com:
"...Collins' record sales decreased greatly since the release of Both Sides in 1993; subsequent releases never reached the levels of his 1980's albums. Collins' total worldwide album sales, including Genesis albums, are approximately two hundred million."

Also, I "gulp!" own his biography. (PLEASE DON'T LAUGH!!!) It says it in there too.

Including singles some claim, but I doubt it, that its over 300 million. But you have to remember he did LOADS of work in the late 60's, 70's and 80's. I mean, in the 80s along he did four solo albums, three genesis albums, four solo tours, three genesis tours, and one tour with eric clapton!!!

Phil Collins/Genesis have sold 54 million albums in the USA. Do your sources have a break down of where Collins/Genesis sold 150 million albums outside the USA?

Very often in the industry, there are overestimates of of sales and other figures. I'd be interested in some hard data from places like the IFPI, BPI or other international firms similar to the RIAA to back such figures up.

I could see Phil Collins/Genesis selling 150 million albums worldwide, but not 200 million or over 200 million.

 

[tkramer]

I don't know what to tell you sting2, but I'm sorry if the book on him is lying. (I don't want to pull a No Control and argue with circular logic) I just did a google on it and every "bit" I could find said 200. Some (3 places) actually said it's now 220 and the 200 # is old. (One said 250, but I seriously doubt it, as it's the only one and they didn't look too credible.) I don't know or have worldwide sales from 1969 to now. I wasn't born until 1977. Other than Phil's accountants, I'm sure few do. You also have to remember that the numbers most certainly include Brand-X, which was a side band Phil put together and played in, (because two bands isn't enough I guess) and the Phil Collins Big Band. So, all told, that's 34 albums. Really, 200 divided by 34 isn't that insane- he just did a lot of work. Some of which (after 1993) really stinks!

I did find this worldwide #'s on the IFPI site, but it's solo number's only, and it's an article from 4 years ago. No Brand X, Genesis, the Phil Collins Big Band, (which tour a few years ago and released an album) or Testify, which means it's missing 26 other solo/other band projects:

"With album sales in excess of 80 million worldwide for his solo work alone, Phil Collins is one of the most successful British solo artists of all time. His recording career began as the drummer, and later lead singer, for rock group Genesis. The band produced a collection of Top Ten hits."

Once again, I don't know if they are lying, but those are the #'s given...

 

[biff]

For some reason, it makes me deeply sad to learn that Phil Collins has sold 200 million records. Humanity is doomed, no doubt about it.

 

[tkramer]

For some reason, it makes me deeply sad to learn that Phil Collins has sold 200 million records. Humanity is doomed, no doubt about it.

You know, I was a huge fan when I was eight to sixteen yrs old, but these days I tend to agree with you. His music (other than the 70's and first solo album) have NOT aged well...

 

[biff]

The only time I saw Phil Collins was when he was the drummer with Genesis, fronted by Peter Gabriel, 2 or 3 times in the early 70s. (Yes, I am old.) There was nothing then that would have suggested he would have ended up gaining such filthy lucre; in fact, I would have laughed in your face and slapped you, had you suggested it. There is no justice in this world.

 

[STING2]

I don't know what to tell you sting2, but I'm sorry if the book on him is lying. (I don't want to pull a No Control and argue with circular logic) I just did a google on it and every "bit" I could find said 200. Some (3 places) actually said it's now 220 and the 200 # is old. (One said 250, but I seriously doubt it, as it's the only one and they didn't look too credible.) I don't know or have worldwide sales from 1969 to now. I wasn't born until 1977. Other than Phil's accountants, I'm sure few do. You also have to remember that the numbers most certainly include Brand-X, which was a side band Phil put together and played in, (because two bands isn't enough I guess) and the Phil Collins Big Band. So, all told, that's 34 albums. Really, 200 divided by 34 isn't that insane- he just did a lot of work. Some of which (after 1993) really stinks!

I did find this worldwide #'s on the IFPI site, but it's solo number's only, and it's an article from 4 years ago. No Brand X, Genesis, the Phil Collins Big Band, (which tour a few years ago and released an album) or Testify, which means it's missing 26 other solo/other band projects:

"With album sales in excess of 80 million worldwide for his solo work alone, Phil Collins is one of the most successful British solo artists of all time. His recording career began as the drummer, and later lead singer, for rock group Genesis. The band produced a collection of Top Ten hits."

Once again, I don't know if they are lying, but those are the #'s given...

I'm not claiming anyone is lying, but often people extrapolate and bend things when reporting. Typically, the biggest sellers worldwide sell about 1/3 of their albums in the USA and 2/3s outside the USA. With 54 million albums sold by Collins/Genesis in the USA, that would be about 162 million albums sold worldwide based on that formula.

 

[Popmartijn]

You know, I was a huge fan when I was eight to sixteen yrs old, but these days I tend to agree with you. His music (other than the 70's and first solo album) have NOT aged well...

Almost the same here, but I don't really know his '70s stuff with Genesis and I don't have his first album. ...But Seriously is quite good, IMO, but the album before that, No Jacket Required, seriously blows. I consider it the worst album in my collection.

C ya!

Marty