U2 Album Sales

[BigMacPhisto]

For those that thought my rankings were wrong, here's the sales for every U2 Album. Note that ties were broken by the album that reached the same millions mark earlier.


The Joshua Tree= 10 Million
Achtung Baby=8 Million
Rattle and Hum=5 Million
War= 4 Million
The Unforgettable Fire= 3 Million
Under A Blood Red Sky= 3 Million
All That You Can't Leave Behind= 3 Million
Zooropa= 2 Million
Best of with B-Sides Disc= 2 Million
October= 1 Million (passed the one million mark same time as Boy, but did it in less time)
Boy= 1 Million
Pop= 1 Million

Pop passed the 1 million mark 5 years ago, while Boy and October passed it 7 years ago. Therefore, those two albums have had two years longer to sell albums past the million mark than Pop, so Pop is most likely U2's lowest seller. Either way, the three albums at the bottom would have to compete in the tournament against the big three (JT, AB, and ATYCLB), so it wouldn't matter too much if one of the three lowest sellers was above the others or not.

 

[Basstrap]

I always thought Pop has sold much more than a million

 

[BigMacPhisto]

http://www.riaa.com/Gold-Intro-2.cfm

Go here and search for U2 to see the album and video sales figures for North America.

 

[HelloAngel]

Feel free to post this info under the "Peelin Off Those Dollar Bills" Forum. This is where Interferencer's discuss sales, etc.


http://forum2.interference.com/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=225

 

[BigMacPhisto]

Feel free to post this info under the "Peelin Off Those Dollar Bills" Forum. This is where Interferencer's discuss sales, etc.


http://forum2.interference.com/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=225

Thanks for pointing out that forum for me. It's great to read Dr. Who's weekly sales summaries.

 

[ericb]

Pop sold 1.5 million in the US the last I heard. ATYCLB is getting close to 4 million, at 3, 900, 000 and something. I'm surprised War has sold more than UF. At one time UF had sold more than War, but yet War surpassed it somehow.

 

[Foxxern]

I always thought Pop has sold much more than a million

These are US figures only, as far as I can see.

 

[BigMacPhisto]

Yeah, these are US sales. All of these albums have sold twice as much worldwide. If you go by worldwide sales, then Pop would definitely outsell October and Boy.

 

[womanfish]

You have to remember as well, that these are U.S. CERTIFICATION numbers (or albums that have been shipped to stores). It does not necessarily accurately reflect the sales of albums to actual consumers.

One of the easiest ways to illustrate this is to look at ATYCLB. It is certified 3 times platinum which means the last time that U2's record company paid for that album to be certified, at least 3 million albums had been shipped to stores in the U.S.

Because of weekly tracking in the Peeling off those Dollar Bills forum, we know that ATYCLB has sold about 3.95 million albums to consumers which means that it has actually sold almost a million more albums it is certified for.

We know that the Joshua Tree, while certified for 10 million albums is certainly more around 12 million by this time.

As for Boy/October/POP, I am sure they are all in similar sales territory, although again we need to remember that Boy might not have sold even a million yet, it could be just under a million and still be certified 1 million albums SHIPPED to stores. It is almost a certainty that it has sold over a million, but I wouldn't think that it has sold quite as much as POP. This goes for October as well.

POP sold 1.3 million by 1998. By now I would say approximately 1.5 million have been sold to customers. It is hard to say, but Boy and October are probably just a little under POP in sales. But like you said, it doesn't really matter for your purpose of pitting the albums together in the tournament.

Good idea by the way, i like it. A nice twist on the normal poll thing

 

[BigMacPhisto]

Thanks for enjoying the tournament. It should be a big help in getting the albums into an overall ranking by this forum's visitors. As for the sales figures, you pretty much seem to know your stuff. However, I'd doubt that The Joshua Tree has sold 12 million. Considering that it's last certification was in late 95 and that it has probably averaged 2,500 per week in the last seven years. (It had about 2,000 or so lately with the popularity of ATYCLB and it was probably real big at the start of the seven years as well, but there may have been a big drop off in sales in the middle years due to the band's popularity decreasing) Anyway, 2,500 x 52=130,000 x 7=910,000. So in the end, I'd estimate that The Joshua Tree has either just passed or is close to passing the 11,000,000 mark and not 12,000,000.

 

[doctorwho]

I'd estimate that The Joshua Tree has either just passed or is close to passing the 11,000,000 mark and not 12,000,000.

 

[womanfish]

ACH! Thanks BigMacPhisto, I meant to say 11 million, not 12. I am usually the one arguing with Sting2 that Joshua tree has only sold 11 million and not 12. lol

 

[STING2]

Well it could be 11 million for JT, but I argue 12 million for several reasons. First, in late 1995, a large number of albums were still being sold through record clubs NOT tracked by soundscan. Second, Joshua Tree's normal retail sales per week were higher, perhaps double or more, of what they were in 2001, from the period of 1995 to late 1998 when the Best of was released. The Best of....1980-1990 has definitely eaten into the potential sales of the Joshua Tree like many greatest hits albums do to studio albums from which they took its songs. Third, remember the period from October 1988 to September 1995. Joshua Tree went from 5 million sold to 10 million sold in this period. Of course the band was at its peak popularity and the album certainly sold better during that period than anytime since. But it suggest that only 2 million in sales over another 7 year period(Sept 1995 to July 2002) is not impossible and highly likely. Again, we do not have actual sales figures from 1995 to 1998 or from 1998 to 2000.