Where U2 stands among the best selling albums of all-time worldwide

[fitz]

It's "only a band list"

What about Genesis, Bon Jovi, Metallica or Police?

 

[edge3]

 

[edge3]

Beatles has sold 600 millions?? How?

I think you miss in that list Michael Jackson.

It's "only a band list"

What about Genesis, Bon Jovi, Metallica or Police?

To confirm - It IS "only a band list" otherwise I would have included Elvis, Elton John, Madonna, Michael Jackson etc.

My estimation of 600M for The Beatles is maybe a bit too high - 500M is probably a better estimate. They've sold 170M in US alone.

Genesis, Bon Jovi & Metallica just missed the cut. I'd put them at about 100-110M.

I'm not so sure about The Police. UK magazine UNCUT recently put their total at 40M but I think that's too small. They've sold 22M in US - so maybe 80M?

 

[ybird3k]

.

 

[04072511]

There is absolutely no way Abba have sold 350 Million.

Id put U2 at 146 Million now:
Boy - 3 Million
October - 3 Milllion
WAR - 8 M
UABRS - 8 M
UF - 8 M
WAIA - 3 M
JT - 27 M
RAH - 14 M
AB - 17 M
Zooropa - 7 M
Pop - 6 M
1980-1990 - 16 M
ATYCLB - 12 M
1990-2000 - 5 M
HTDAAB - 9 M

I predict that the beatles have sold no more than 400 Million. 500 M seems a bit high.

 

[Teski]

It's "only a band list"

What about Genesis, Bon Jovi, Metallica or Police?

Metaillica and The Police I could see, but Genesis and Bon Jovi? On Genesis, maybe if you include Phil Collins' solo albums.

 

[STING2]

The lists are merely to provide to readers what other albums have sold astronomical amounts as compared to U2's biggest albums, nothing more.

Let's face it, there will never be a definitive, absolute 100% correct list, because we will never know. We will never have exact numbers. Sure, we can theorize all we want about what we THINK sold WHAT, but in the end, I will never know, you will never know, and the rest of the world will never know. There are simply too many areas in the world where the proper tracking of sales was never done.

It is meant to act as a guide. I've provided two lists with different scenarios, and MOST of the albums are the same, so one gets a pretty good idea which ones are known to be the best selling of all time. Sure, there will be some albums that should be included, but as was stated, there is less information available on some albums, such as The Police's Synchronicity, and that is why they aren't listed.

Actually there will be a definitive correct list one day when an organization is developed similar to the IFPI or RIAA that will do audits of record labels albums sales worldwide. The RIAA and IFPI do not track sales to consumers, they track albums shipped from the record company to retailers. This is what these worldwide figures are usually based on. All of these records of shipments still exist and if there ever is a RIAW, then an audit could be done and we could then see certifications for global sales.

The list are riddle with problems. One list claims Joshua Tree has only sold 18 million copies. A bit absurd when we know the album has sold that much in just 4 countries.

Also, what about the albums that are on the list with massively inflated sales figures like the BACKSTREET BOYS with MILLENNIUM. Yes that album sold 13 million copies in the USA, but only 2 million in Europe. There is no way the remaining countries in outside of North America and Europe could have sold another 15 million copies.

The Police Synchronicity has plenty of information on it. Newsweek reported the album had sold 11 million copies by 1984, two different Sting Bio's books reported the same as well as two different MTV documentaries. Then RIAA updated the USA sales figure for Synchronicity from its 1984 figure of 4 million to its 2001 figure of 8 million. Remember this is an album that initially in its first 2 years sold 2/3 of its 11 million outside the United States.


There are a lot of albums out there that have sold 15 million or more over the past 50 years although it would take a lot of work to track them all down, and from the information any of us is likely to be able to obtain, the list would never be complete or 100% accurate.

An accurate list for albums released after 1994 is possible since IFPI has certified all albums released after 1994 in Europe. The IFPI(Europe) and RIAA(United States) cover 70% of the world market. This makes estimating the remaining sales of any album easy with a high degree of accuracy.

 

[phanan]

Actually there will be a definitive correct list one day when an organization is developed similar to the IFPI or RIAA that will do audits of record labels albums sales worldwide. The RIAA and IFPI do not track sales to consumers, they track albums shipped from the record company to retailers. This is what these worldwide figures are usually based on. All of these records of shipments still exist and if there ever is a RIAW, then an audit could be done and we could then see certifications for global sales.

I'll believe it when I see it.

 

[tilen]

i don't believe joshua tree sold more than 20 million copies( as stated in the beginning of the article by thread starter)
The figures vary pretty much and i think it is impossible to give an estimate, especially older albums---though America has a very good system for counting these numbers, in Europe and rest of the world isn't so.

 

[edge3]

I've been doing a bit more research on the top 10 best selling bands of all time - according to album sales. You may already know that there are some really great forums on this subject at http://www.ukmix.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=22680&start=0. Here's another interesting list of the All Time Best Selling Bands in USA (according to album sales) from the chart analysis forum at this site. As you can see it has been thoroughly researched by someone called Basil from Devon, England - so thank-you Basil :

Basil
Superstar


Joined: 12 Sep 2004
Posts: 182
Location: Devon England
Posted: Wed Mar 02, 2005 7:22 pm
Further Soundscan information including artists totals, analysis of the top selling albums, plus the best selling albums annually and per decade can be found at

http://www.ukmix.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=22680&start=0

The list on the riaa website is well out of date, so I've updated it.

The riaa list includes all the extra units from muli-disc sales and EP's, so I've removed all of these to give Actual numbers of albums shipped.

The estimated totals for All albums sold per artist was achieved by examining the performance of every charted album plus many non-charting albums by all these artists. Several thousand albums in total. By combining chart information, year of release, riaa figures with dates and patterns of certification, plus soundscan figures indicating annual rates of sale since 1991, it was eventually possible to reach estimated totals for each artist.

I hope I've produced the most accurate figures possible for all time USA sales. Lots of figures you see posted around the net are inflated, or the result of wishful thinking (fans will often wish sales of their favourites up and up), or use record company hyperbole which tends to round figures up and always includes extra multi-disc sales.

Minimum sale for the list is 50 million. This is the equivalent of 100 Gold Records, so for the **11 bands making the list it is a huge achievement.

Key
Rank
Artist
(Raw) riaa totals march 2005 in millions
Actual riaa shipments - extra units from multi-disc sets and EP's removed - in millions
Estimated total of all albums sold in USA using riaa/soundscan/billboard charts - rounded to nearest million

All Time Best Selling Bands in USA
March 2005

1. The Beatles - 167.5m - 130.85m - 162,000,000
2. Led Zeppelin - 108.5m - 87.6m - 95,000,000
3. The Eagles - 89m - 83.3m - 85,000,000
4. The Rolling Stones - 64.5m - 55.25m - 78,500,000
5. Pink Floyd - 73.5m - 57.13m - 70,000,000
6. Aerosmith - 65.5m - 62.63m - 69,000,000
7. AC/DC - 64m - 62.2m - 66,000,000
8 = Van Halen - 56.5m - 55m - 56,000,000
8 = U2 - 52m - 49m - 56,000,000
8 = Fleetwood Mac - 48.5m - 48.5m - 56,000,000
9. Metallica - 57m - 52m - 54,000,000

**List originally comprised of the 27 best selling artists (U2 came in at #21) so I edited it into the best selling bands. These are the 11 bands that made the list - in the correct order

Also, here's my newly revised list of the Top 10 biggest selling bands of all time - according to their most frequently quoted/estimated overall album sales :

1. The Beatles 450M
2. Abba 250M
3. Led Zep 200M
4. Pink Floyd 180M
5. The Stones 150M
6. The Eagles 145M
7. = U2 140M
7. = AC/DC 140M
8. Queen 135M
9. Bee Gees 120M
10. Fleetwood Mac 110M

 

[fedeu2]

Sales for 1980-1990 seem a bit inflated. I remember I´ve read a while ago the first best of had sold some 13 million worlwide.
Other than that, the list seems acurrate, even the numbers for Pop and the second best of are a bit low in my eyes.

With respect to other post that stated Queen has sold 135 million albums worldwide, how come? If I´m not mistaken, they only sold 30 million in the US. Are they so incredible popular in the rest of the world to fill the 100 million gap? I don´t think so.

There is absolutely no way Abba have sold 350 Million.

Id put U2 at 146 Million now:
Boy - 3 Million
October - 3 Milllion
WAR - 8 M
UABRS - 8 M
UF - 8 M
WAIA - 3 M
JT - 27 M
RAH - 14 M
AB - 17 M
Zooropa - 7 M
Pop - 6 M
1980-1990 - 16 M
ATYCLB - 12 M
1990-2000 - 5 M
HTDAAB - 9 M

I predict that the beatles have sold no more than 400 Million. 500 M seems a bit high.

 

[fedeu2]

So, when all is said and done, I´ve not doubts U2 will make the top 5 in the US.
Both AC/DC and Van Halen are dead bands by now and I don´t see Aerosmith pulling a new comeback like in the Get a grip days.
There will be a stiff competition with the Stones though, should they keep on releasing (irrelevant) albums that are able to sell about 1 million copies in the US.
Even Pink Floyd is not that out of reach, "only" 20 millions copies ahead. If U2 are to release at least two additional studio albums I see it possible for them to sell 20 million copies considering there´s still the third best of and possibly a live compilation which if released after the band break up will surely sell like hot cakes.
Not to mention that when U2 are over they will get legend status like the bands currently above them.

As for worldwide numbers, same concept, all bands currently ahead of U2 do no longer exist or are inactive (ok, no control?) save for the RS.
I´m sure U2 will surpass both Eagles and RS to make it to the Top 5 as well.

[1. The Beatles - 167.5m - 130.85m - 162,000,000
2. Led Zeppelin - 108.5m - 87.6m - 95,000,000
3. The Eagles - 89m - 83.3m - 85,000,000
4. The Rolling Stones - 64.5m - 55.25m - 78,500,000
5. Pink Floyd - 73.5m - 57.13m - 70,000,000
6. Aerosmith - 65.5m - 62.63m - 69,000,000
7. AC/DC - 64m - 62.2m - 66,000,000
8 = Van Halen - 56.5m - 55m - 56,000,000
8 = U2 - 52m - 49m - 56,000,000
8 = Fleetwood Mac - 48.5m - 48.5m - 56,000,000
9. Metallica - 57m - 52m - 54,000,000


1. The Beatles 450M
2. Abba 250M
3. Led Zep 200M
4. Pink Floyd 180M
5. The Stones 150M
6. The Eagles 145M
7. = U2 140M
7. = AC/DC 140M
8. Queen 135M
9. Bee Gees 120M
10. Fleetwood Mac 110M

[/B][/QUOTE]

 

[BigMacPhisto]

AB - 17M

This figure is shocking to say the least........so it sold less outside the US than it did in the US? That goes against all of their other album totals, especially where most of their albums have sold double Rest Of World compared to the US......

 

[BigMacPhisto]

1. The Beatles 450M

[/B][/QUOTE]

Counting up all of their album sales simply from RIAA and the fact that a lot of their singles are only certified gold (when Gold stood for 1,000,000 units), they have 206 million in sales in the US alone....counting known sales of records that weren't release on Capitol (and thus weren't certified), the total was above 225 million in the United States.......and considering that the worldwide estimates for every Beatles release is seemingly triple of what the US sales were, I'd say 700 million would be a low end estimate of their worldwide sales.....

 

[edge3]

Counting up all of their album sales simply from RIAA and the fact that a lot of their singles are only certified gold (when Gold stood for 1,000,000 units), they have 206 million in sales in the US alone....counting known sales of records that weren't release on Capitol (and thus weren't certified), the total was above 225 million in the United States.......and considering that the worldwide estimates for every Beatles release is seemingly triple of what the US sales were, I'd say 700 million would be a low end estimate of their worldwide sales..... [/B][/QUOTE]

That 450M figure for the Beatles is only for album sales. They've sold about 162M albums in US. So 162M x 3 = 486M. OK, they might have sold 500M albums worldwide but not much more.

If you include single sales then I'm sure the Beatles have sold over 1 Billion.

 

[BigMacPhisto]

Ah, just albums, I see.