U2 Chart/Sales Statistics

[BigMacPhisto]

Yeah, I have a feeling that they are counting double disc sets as two units in Germany...........same reason why The Wall has sold more units than Dark Side of the Moon in the U.S....

 

[fitz]

o.k. I try to translate the official statement from ifpi to this content (translated with help from "babelfish"):

A platinum record may be lent: for 200.000 sold Longplay albums and visonal albums (CD, MC, LP, MD, DVD audio, SACD, DVD video, video home system video among other things).
Those sales figures presupposed in each case must with a publication of identical contents up obtained on the home market its. During the addition of different clay/tone data carrier types, picture clay/tone data carrier types and if necessary different versions agreement with the normal products must be present contentwise as far as possible.
This is given with products with same name and/or title, same interpreter and contentwise agreement of at least 50% of the TRACKS (different versions of a TRACK do not impair this identity. By this also live-versionen and videos fall. Also play time differences of individual titles are not as contentwise agreement lacking to rate). Additionable are also publications of different variants, e.g. Special edition, if above-mentioned conditions are fulfilled.

 

[STING2]

o.k. I try to translate the official statement from ifpi to this content (translated with help from "babelfish"):

A platinum record may be lent: for 200.000 sold Longplay albums and visonal albums (CD, MC, LP, MD, DVD audio, SACD, DVD video, video home system video among other things).
Those sales figures presupposed in each case must with a publication of identical contents up obtained on the home market its. During the addition of different clay/tone data carrier types, picture clay/tone data carrier types and if necessary different versions agreement with the normal products must be present contentwise as far as possible.
This is given with products with same name and/or title, same interpreter and contentwise agreement of at least 50% of the TRACKS (different versions of a TRACK do not impair this identity. By this also live-versionen and videos fall. Also play time differences of individual titles are not as contentwise agreement lacking to rate). Additionable are also publications of different variants, e.g. Special edition, if above-mentioned conditions are fulfilled.

So what does this say about "double albums"? Are both disc counted as one album or two albums for the purposes of certification?

 

[fitz]

Yes, that's the question. That is only the official statement. But i think, it's different if a double album has a "familiar" album like the U2's Best of have (so they count as one, 50% of the tracks are the same, as one for the charts and the certifications) or if we have a "normal" double album like Pink Floyds's The Wall. This album maybe get's certification for each cd inside. But I'm not sure. Sorry

 

[Tallarico]

Excuse me guys!
I need an information,please:it's true that in 2001 during Elevation tour in top 10 in Ireland there were 4 or 5 u2's albums?And if it is so,whichs????(sorry for my bad english......)
Thanx!!!!!

 

[VALE69]

Hello Tallarico, I think you me....

have a look to @u2.com into "u2history" section: it wasn't 4 or 5 albums, but almost!
See you on u2place, bye!

September 6, 2001: Entire U2 catalog on Irish album charts

Less than a week after U2's second hugely successful homecoming concert at Slane Castle, the band's entire 12-album catalog appears within the top 60 spots of the irish album sales chart: 1. All That You Can't Leave Behind 5. The Joshua Tree 10. The Best Of 1980-1990 11. Achtung Baby 17. Rattle and Hum 33. The Unforgettable Fire 35. Zooropa 37. Pop 40. Wa 43. Under A Blood Red Sky 45. Boy 60. October

 

[STING2]

Bump

 

[edge3]

Marty

P.S. I just got some recent (week ending 11-1-04) SoundScan figures:

All That You Can't... = 4,132,538

Best Of and ATYCLB are right on the money though. A Bit surprising though to see that ATYCLB album sales have risen so little over the past year.

A year ago it was at 4,117,000 in the USA, now its only 15,000 copies higher in sales. That makes it seem like the album is only selling 300 copies a week in the USA. I would think it would be selling at least a 1,000 copies a week, but who knows for sure.

I suppose it depends on the exact dates that Soundcsn gives it's figures : the 500 Greatest Albums edition of Rolling Stone magazine from Dec 11th 2003 has ATYCLB's Soundscan figure at 4,112,000. This figure was probably given in Nov 2003 which means it sold 20K from start (?) of Nov 2003 untill start of Jan 2004 (4,132,538). This works out at about 2500 copies per week.

By Nov 2004 I believe it's total, Soundscan, sales in US were 4.2M which means it sold about 68K from Jan 2004 (4,132,538) untill Nov 2004. This works out at just over 1400 copies per week, which seems about right as U2 weren't touring & the album was a year older.

So, this all seems to prove that ATYCLB has been selling at least 1000 copies per week since Nov 2003.

 

[Popmartijn]

And I just checked the RIAA site and it seems there are 2 updates. First, there is the Beautiful Day single, which has gone gold in the digital category, which -IIRC- equals more than 100,000 paid downloads. The RIAA has also updated its bestselling artists list. U2 is at #21 with 50.5 million records sold in the USA. This is based on certifications, so with The Joshua Tree still being at 10 million copies, etc.

C ya!

 

[VALE69]

That's incredible!
Mediatraffic has updated his all time chart, after a lot of weeks.
Now HTDAAB is n. 17 with 7.802.000 copies sold in the world.

 

[jimmmm]

brilliant work absolutely brilliant, doctorwho, and STING

 

[Zoovation]

Is taht new?

Global Album Charts (mediatraffic):

58 U2 - The Best Of 1990-2000
Island - 3.063.000 copies (cumulative sales since 2002)

 

[ChargedVT]

That figure for Best Of 1990-2000 CANT be right. Its way too low. I think they might have somehow messed it up due to the fact there were TWO different versions of the album, after all the USA and UK and a few others had them as two different albums in the charts. Consider this, its sold the following in these countries....
USA - 1.1m
UK - 550k
Australia - 200k +
Italy - 350k +
New Zealand - 50k
Japan - 105k

Thats nearly 2.4m not including big markets like France, Germany, Spain, Holland. I estimate a real figure of 4.7 million.

 

[Zoovation]

I think that sales were only counted when the album was in the Top 40 of the Global Charts.

 

[STING2]

That figure for Best Of 1990-2000 CANT be right. Its way too low. I think they might have somehow messed it up due to the fact there were TWO different versions of the album, after all the USA and UK and a few others had them as two different albums in the charts. Consider this, its sold the following in these countries....
USA - 1.1m
UK - 550k
Australia - 200k +
Italy - 350k +
New Zealand - 50k
Japan - 105k

Thats nearly 2.4m not including big markets like France, Germany, Spain, Holland. I estimate a real figure of 4.7 million.

The sales figure was from mediatraffic which does not track an albums sales once it drops out of the global top 40.

 

[fedeu2]

So, how many copies has the Best of 1990-2000 really sold?
I would guess worldwide sales are at 6 million, more or less.

The sales figure was from mediatraffic which does not track an albums sales once it drops out of the global top 40.

 

[doctorwho]

So, how many copies has the Best of 1990-2000 really sold?
I would guess worldwide sales are at 6 million, more or less.

Although I couldn't name sources at this moment, from places I read on line, I think you are in the right ballpark. Estimates seem to have it around 5.5M worldwide. This is nothing like the 80's "Best Of" which has about double those sales, but then "Pop" and "Zooropa" were not nearly as popular as UF, "War", "Boy", JT and R&H. The big selling points helping the 90's "Best Of" were the AB and ATYCLB tracks. As most people already had AB and ATYCLB, there was less reason to buy the album.

 

[edge3]

There was another worldwide chart from that period (2002-2003, although the actual end of year chart was dated for 2003) which had total worldwide sales of BO 90-00 at 4,064,000 (it was the 19th best selling album of the year on their chart). So I would say it's sold about 4.5-5M to date.

According to Music Week it shipped 5.2M outside the UK in 2002. So it's shipped a minimum of 5.8M worldwide 'cos it's also, now, 2xPlatinum in UK (with sales of just over 500,000).

 

[STING2]

There was another worldwide chart from that period (2002-2003, although the actual end of year chart was dated for 2003) which had total worldwide sales of BO 90-00 at 4,064,000 (it was the 19th best selling album of the year on their chart). So I would say it's sold about 4.5-5M to date.

According to Music Week it shipped 5.2M outside the UK in 2002. So it's shipped a minimum of 5.8M worldwide 'cos it's also, now, 2xPlatinum in UK (with sales of just over 500,000).

........and when stating total global sales figures, the shipment figure is the one typically used, so about 6 million is correct.

 

[Zoovation]

ATYCLB was the 13th best selling album in Denmark in 2000.

ATYCLB was the 16th best selling album in Denmark in 2001.

Best Of 1990-2000 was the 22nd best selling album in 2002.

Best Of 1990-2000 was the 63rd best selling album in 2003.

 

[edge3]

Correction :

Only the Best Of 1990-2000 / b sides should now have sold just over 500,000 copies in the UK as it sold about 350,000 in 2002 + 120,000 in 2003 & 492,000 total by Oct 2004 (according to Music Week). But the single disc edition also sold about 150,000 in 2002 alone & this is the one which has been doing well on the charts recently. So, together, both editions of the Best Of 1990-2000 should now have sold around 700,000 in the UK.

 

[Axver]

Although I couldn't name sources at this moment, from places I read on line, I think you are in the right ballpark. Estimates seem to have it around 5.5M worldwide. This is nothing like the 80's "Best Of" which has about double those sales, but then "Pop" and "Zooropa" were not nearly as popular as UF, "War", "Boy", JT and R&H. The big selling points helping the 90's "Best Of" were the AB and ATYCLB tracks. As most people already had AB and ATYCLB, there was less reason to buy the album.

I also think part of the problem was releasing the Best Of 1990-2000 only two years after that era was over! I really don't think that was a wise decision.

 

[BigMacPhisto]

I also think part of the problem was releasing the Best Of 1990-2000 only two years after that era was over! I really don't think that was a wise decision.

These songs are only going to get less popular as time goes on........so, the sooner the better.

 

[Axver]

These songs are only going to get less popular as time goes on........so, the sooner the better.

I disagree. If it were released, say, five years later, a lot of people would be just starting to dig into U2's catalogue (i.e. how many discovered the eighties catalogue via the Best Of 1980-1990), but releasing it in 2002 when that music is still fresh in the public's eye was a mistake in my opinion.

 

[edge3]

From the UKMIX website i just got some new Soundscan era (only) sales figures for Joshua tree, War & Rattle & Hum :

- Joshua Tree had scanned 2,986,000 up untill August 2005. The last update i saw was 2,801,705 for week ending 11th Jan 2004 so it sold about 185,000 during this time...or 2,200-2,400 copies per week.

- War had scanned 1,311,000 up untill November 2003

- Rattle & Hum had scanned 1,114,000 up untill May 2005

 

[STING2]

From the UKMIX website i just got some new Soundscan era (only) sales figures for Joshua tree, War & Rattle & Hum :

- Joshua Tree had scanned 2,986,000 up untill August 2005. The last update i saw was 2,801,705 for week ending 11th Jan 2004 so it sold about 185,000 during this time...or 2,200-2,400 copies per week.

- War had scanned 1,311,000 up untill November 2003

- Rattle & Hum had scanned 1,114,000 up untill May 2005

Remember though, when Soundscan first started in 1991, it only tracked 40% of retail sales. It took several years for it to get up to the 90% to 95% level.

 

[Zoovation]

Switzerland:

Best Of 1990-2000 was certified with 2xPlatin (80.000 units)

 

[Zoovation]

Austria:

U2 How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb Platin UNIVERSAL 10-01-2005
U2 Best of 1990-2000 Platin UNIVERSAL 13-11-2002
U2 All you Can Leave Behind PLATIN UNIVERSAL 23-10-2000
U2 Best Of 1980-1990 2xPLATIN POL 14-01-1999
U2 Best Of 1980-1990 PLATIN POL 17-11-1998
U2 Pop PLATIN POL 20-03-1997
U2 Zooropa GOLD BMG 27-07-1993
U2 The Joshua Tree 2xPLATIN BMG 17-06-1993
U2 Achtung Baby PLATIN BMG 27-11-1991
U2 Achtung Baby GOLD BMG 19-11-1991
U2 Joshua Tree 3xGOLD BMG 11-12-1990

Platin 30.000 units
Gold 15.000 units

 

[Zoovation]

Korea:

ATYCLB 15.425

The Best Of 1990-2000 7.798

HTDAAB 7.555

 

[STING2]

Korea:

ATYCLB 15.425

The Best Of 1990-2000 7.798

HTDAAB 7.555

Sells that low in Korea suggest that mainly foreigners living there have purchased the albums including US troops. The number of Koreans actually buying the albums is a fraction of the above figures. Surprising for a country of over 50 million people.