Can 1st week sales of new Coldplay album (X&Y) match those of HTDAAB?

[STING2]

Oasis wasn't the biggest recording artist in the world in 95/96. Biggest rock band, yes, but not overall.

Morning Glory has worldwide sales of 18 million, which is incredible, but there were other artists whose records sold more during this same period.

Alanis Morrisette's Jagged Little Pill came out the same year, and it has worldwide sales of 29 million, far outpacing Oasis.

And as much as I hate her, Celine Dion had not one, but TWO albums during 95/96:

Fallen Into You - 29 million
Let's Talk About Love - 30 million

Yes, sick, isn't it? Why bother? But that's beside the point.

Shania Twain and The Fugees also had the same worldwide album sales as Oasis around this time too.

Even Hootie & The Blowfish's debut from 1995 comes in at 17 million.

So Oasis was the biggest rock band for those two years, but not the biggest overall artist, or even the biggest rock act. Alanis beats them there.

Just getting the specifics out of the way for argument's sake.

Lets not forget though that album sales are only half of the equation for determining the biggest artist out there. The other half is concert drawing power. That area drags a lot of the artist above down as their concert drawing power is very weak compared to their album sales.

"Morning Glory" sold almost 16 million copies in its first two years of release, but the bands concert drawing power was comparitively very weak. The band played primarily single concert dates in most cities and only in Arena's. There were few if any multiple arena dates in the same city and almost no stadium shows outside of the United Kingdom.

 

[phanan]

Lets not forget though that album sales are only half of the equation for determining the biggest artist out there. The other half is concert drawing power. That area drags a lot of the artist above down as their concert drawing power is very weak compared to their album sales.

"Morning Glory" sold almost 16 million copies in its first two years of release, but the bands concert drawing power was comparitively very weak. The band played primarily single concert dates in most cities and only in Arena's. There were few if any multiple arena dates in the same city and almost no stadium shows outside of the United Kingdom.

Right, I wasn't factoring in concert drawing power, but if you include that, obviously an act like INXS was much more popular.

 

[04072511]

It would be great if Morning Glory had sold 20M but I'd be amazed if it has :

I know it's sold 4.2M in UK but this figure is included in the 6xPlat IFPI Europe certificate. So, rather like Coldplay's first 2 albums, this means that Morning Glory has only sold another 1.8M in rest of Europe. However it might have sold close to 7M in Europe & UK now so it's fair to say it's now sold about 6.5M in Europe & UK.

I doubt that it has only sold slightly over 2 million in Europe outside UK. This 6xPlatinum hasnt been updated in years.

 

[04072511]

I would also like to state that as far as the biggest bands of the mid-ninties is concerned(at least in the US), The Cranberries deserve a mention.

Here are there RIAA Certifications:
Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can't We? - 5x Platinum
No Need To Argue - 7x Platinum
To The Faithful Departed - 2x Platinum
Bury The Hatchet - Gold
Linger (Single) - Gold

However like Oasis they didn't have anywhere near the same popularity when it came to selling out concerts as U2 had. However they did outsell U2 by quite a lot during this time in the US.

Great Band by the way. I wish they would make a comeback.

 

[fitz]

When is the release date of the new Coldplay-Album?

 

[ybird3k]

i think its the 6th of june

 

[edge3]

I doubt that it has only sold slightly over 2 million in Europe outside UK. This 6xPlatinum hasnt been updated in years.

Well, it seems that everyone here agrees that Morning Glory has sold about 18M. This is also confirmed by those 2 'official' lists in the 'Where U2 stands among the best selling albums of all-time' thread. So I guess my estimate of 14.770M was a bit too low.

BTW - Coldplay's new single is already #1 on the Airplay chart in the UK which should help them sell 300K of X&Y in 1st week. This also means it's about time they started getting COBL playing on the radio.

 

[STING2]

I would also like to state that as far as the biggest bands of the mid-ninties is concerned(at least in the US), The Cranberries deserve a mention.

Here are there RIAA Certifications:
Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can't We? - 5x Platinum
No Need To Argue - 7x Platinum
To The Faithful Departed - 2x Platinum
Bury The Hatchet - Gold
Linger (Single) - Gold

However like Oasis they didn't have anywhere near the same popularity when it came to selling out concerts as U2 had. However they did outsell U2 by quite a lot during this time in the US.

Great Band by the way. I wish they would make a comeback.

No Need To Argue was a big one, 7 million in just the USA and 5 million in Europe. Thats 12 million plus potentially another 3 to 5 million in the rest of the world. That puts the album at 15 million to 17 million.

 

[edge3]

Well, it seems that everyone here agrees that Morning Glory has sold about 18M. This is also confirmed by those 2 'official' lists in the 'Where U2 stands among the best selling albums of all-time' thread. So I guess my estimate of 14.770M was a bit too low.

Now, I've been a big fan of Oasis over the years & I've read a heck of a lot of music magazines about them & not one has ever said that Morning Glory has sold 20M - not even Noel Gallagher himself!! In 1998 Q magazine said Morning Glory had sold 12M & this is the figure I've heard most often quoted.

I've just got this months Mojo magazine which has a big report on Oasis & Morning Glory & 3 times it is stated that Morning Glory has sold 15M copies - twice by the reporter, Danny Eccelstone & once by the producer, Owen Morris. So, again, I would guess that the 18M figure is more of a shipment figure. Actual sales of Morning Glory are probably at about 15-16M to date.

BTW - Interesting to hear what Noel has to say about Morning Glory. In the report this is what he says about it :

"You can even hear Morning Glory in the recent U2 stuff. I was reading some book about songwriting, and Bono said when he'd heard it it was like we'd upped the ante... like we'd laid down the greatest fucking hand of cards ever and said, 'Get on That!' It made them be better."

I reckon he's got a point.

 

[MumblingBono]

What year was Mellon Colly and The Infinite Sadness? I would argue THAT record ruled the roost isomewhere around 1995/96.

Coldplay has bigger chunks in their stool than Oasis.

 

[edge3]

'Mellon Colly...' did do well in 95/96. It is certified 9xPlat in US but that's a double album - so it's only really sold about 4.5-5M. It's Platinum in UK (300K) but has no IFPI Europe Plat certification. But it might still have sold about 8-10M Worldwide (single album sales).

PS - See the 'Where U2 stands among the best selling albums of all-time worldwide' thread for furthur info.

 

[BizzaD]

speed of sound is awesome

 

[ybird3k]

speed of sound is nothing special at all

 

[mosquito]

Speed of sound is the best song of the century so far.

 

[ybird3k]

Speed of sound is the best song of the century so far.

funniest thing ive heard all year

 

[fedeu2]

He he, I would say one of the funniest thing I've heard in my whole life!
You know, every time I hear Original of the species I wonder how Chris Martin feels about it. I mean, this is the one song he would have wanted to write! Yet, he will never be able to come up with such a masterpiece!

Keep trying Chris (Rocky can beat the "bad russian" only in the movie!!!!)

funniest thing ive heard all year

 

[roy keane]

Speed of sound sucks,squere one is ok,nothing special bout xy.It will sell more then bomb if Martin names his next child Miracle drug.Apple is not enough.

 

[04072511]

I really dont understand what everyones problem is. We should be glad that there are bands like Coldplay out there competing with U2 (bands that write their own song, play there own music) rather than those rubbish boybands we have had to put up with over the last decade or so. Stop having a go at Coldplay or Oasis? Its ridiculous. Have a go at the ridiculous gangster rap which tragically floods the airwaves all over the US these days!!!!!

 

[mosquito]

The time will put each one in his place.

 

[ybird3k]

Its not that i dont like coldplay, its just they are NOT a rock band, i havent heard a single rock song from them!, all boring depressing music. cant see how they can be 1 of the biggest bands in the world and they are certainly nowhere near as good as U2!

 

[mosquito]

The biggest current band in the world today in terms of album sales and tours success is U2 without any doubt, but that doesn`t mean that their music at this moment were the best in the world. I think today the reference in the world of the good music is coldplay. It`s just an opinion.

 

[roy keane]

Some good music overall overrated band.In10 years they'll be where Verve is now.Same goes for Keane.When you listen to their songs everything is ok,you have a good time but something's missing.I must say that I am relatively new U2 fan and that I prefer harder music.I recently bought and listened all of their albums including live recordings.From that point I listen to U2 every single day.And though most of their albums are perfect what really made me become addicted to them are live recordings.Sunday bloody sunday revolution speech on rattle and hum,Red rocks,Zoo Tv.Watch them and listen to them and tell me when Martin is gonna have that energy and power on his shows.Also tell me when they're gonna make proper rock song like sunday,bullet,el.co,gloria...Martin will never be Bono,Coldplay will never be U2.

 

[edge3]

Well, I believe Speed Of Sound sold 36,500 copies last week in the UK to debut at # 2. I think it deserved to be # 1 : I mean they were unlucky to be beaten by a Frog & Sometimes was # 1 with sales of 30,500.

Also, I'm a bit surprised as I thought it would at least sell about the same as Vertigo (50K) although IMO Vertigo is a much better song. So Round 1 to U2.

 

[ybird3k]

also vertigo spent 10 weeks at #1 in the download chart!! (would have been 14 weeks if it wernt for band aid 20)
imagine how many weeks it would have been #1 in the singles chart for if downloads had been counted back then.
would have had sales of 80k-90k a week.

 

[edge3]

also vertigo spent 10 weeks at #1 in the download chart!! (would have been 14 weeks if it wernt for band aid 20)
imagine how many weeks it would have been #1 in the singles chart for if downloads had been counted back then.
would have had sales of 80k-90k a week.

Yeah, that's also true...but I do think that X&Y will sell over 300K in UK next week therefore easily beating the 200K that Bomb sold...we shall see...

 

[roy keane]

In UK XY will be bigger seller than bomb.In States and rest of the world-no way.

 

[jon_lemire]

Back to the predictions, my guess is that Coldplay has a bigger first week in the US than many expect. It won't top HTDAAB, but I could see it putting up something like 500,000 - 600,000 copies. There is a LOT of buzz around Coldplay right now.

However, I also wouldn't be surprised if the album -- like HTDAAB -- doesn't come close to duplicating its first week numbers during the rest of its stay on the charts. Blockbuster albums are becoming more like movies -- a huge first week thanks to the promotional campaign, and then often a pretty steep drop, barring, of course, a deep album that either has several hit singles or really speaks to its time (like Green Day's latest or ATYCLB).

 

[ybird3k]

accoriding to the BBC X&Y has sold 150000 in its first day of release in the UK, & is expected to sell up to half a million copies this week.
more than double HTDAAB

 

[biff]

I have never seen a more heavily promoted album. I take three daily newspapers (four on weekends) and each of them has had large ads every day for the past couple of weeks. One paper today had two ads in different sections. Talk about overkill. The record company was clearly really desperate for this to be a hit. I guess they got their wish.
Of these four papers, one (The New York Times) completely trashed the album and the band. They HATED it. One other gave it a lukewarm review. The other two have yet to weigh in.

 

[beLIEve]

Hits Daily Double comments on X&Y tonight

Just posted at Hits Daily Double regardin U.S. sales of X&Y:

COLDPLAY IS HUGER: Latest sales reports have the highly-anticipated album exceeding all guesses, now exploding past a projection of 600k and heading toward an almost impossible to achieve 700k. With huge sales at Starbucks and iTunes adding to the tally, many expect the 700k number to be within reach. Later on, we will update and add sales info for Black Eyed Peas and White Stripes. Stay tuned. (6/7p)