Joshua Tree - sales update

[mikeuk]

according to the Radio competition this morning, the record company are saying sales are at 20.7 million.

Mike

 

[doctorwho]

I feel this is a reasonable number. Some have said 25M+, but I always felt that was too high. It was widely reported to have sold 14M the first year, with about 5M in the U.S. then.

JT is now Diamond in the U.S., so that adds 5M.

That brings it to 19M.

Did it only sell another 2M outside the U.S. since 1987? Or, the more likely story, did it really not quite sell 14M in 1987? If it did, perhaps there was a lot of "extra" CD's that have slowly been sold over time.

 

[STING2]

As chart evidence from 1987 around the world and other precise evidence from the UK and Canada have shown, Joshua Tree is way ahead of sales of 20 million. According to the reports from the media at the time, the album sold 14 million copies in its first 10 months of release. The United States accounted for 4 million of that, Canada accounted for over 1 million, and the UK accounted for over 1.2 million of that in 1987. Even if the 14 million figure for the first year is off the mark slightly, we know that first year sales for Joshua Tree were higher than that for ATYCLB based on exact sales data from the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. In addition, chart performance in multiple European countries shows that the album sold better in those countries than ATYCLB.

So if one were to compromise with a 12 million figure for the first year, you then have 6 million more in sales in the USA up to 1995. Sales outside the USA from 1988 to 1995 based on what is known about the rate of exact sales in the UK would add another 4 million, if one considers the UK a model for countries outside the USA. So by 1995, the album was at 22 million. Certainly in the 9 years since then, sales for the album have not been nearly as high, but its most likely that the Joshua Tree is at 25 million plus at a minimum by now.

Consider that by 1995, combined exact sales in the USA, United Kingdom and Canada were 14 million alone! Sales in the United Kingdom of ATYCLB represented about 25% of the European total of more than 4 million. Its likely that the United Kingdom total of 2 million in 1995 was about 25% of the European total at that point as well.

So based on these facts, its easy to see that the album is above 25 million. Unless the record company comes out with precise info stating sales on an anual basis per country over the past 17 years, then the listing of 20.7 million as the sales is just another random figure brought up by someone there. I've seen the old figure from 1987 used several times this year as well as being the total sales to date which is of course wrong.

 

[mikeuk]

As chart evidence from 1987 around the world and other precise evidence from the UK and Canada have shown, Joshua Tree is way ahead of sales of 20 million. According to the reports from the media at the time, the album sold 14 million copies in its first 10 months of release. The United States accounted for 4 million of that, Canada accounted for over 1 million, and the UK accounted for over 1.2 million of that in 1987. Even if the 14 million figure for the first year is off the mark slightly, we know that first year sales for Joshua Tree were higher than that for ATYCLB based on exact sales data from the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. In addition, chart performance in multiple European countries shows that the album sold better in those countries than ATYCLB.

So if one were to compromise with a 12 million figure for the first year, you then have 6 million more in sales in the USA up to 1995. Sales outside the USA from 1988 to 1995 based on what is known about the rate of exact sales in the UK would add another 4 million, if one considers the UK a model for countries outside the USA. So by 1995, the album was at 22 million. Certainly in the 9 years since then, sales for the album have not been nearly as high, but its most likely that the Joshua Tree is at 25 million plus at a minimum by now.

Consider that by 1995, combined exact sales in the USA, United Kingdom and Canada were 14 million alone! Sales in the United Kingdom of ATYCLB represented about 25% of the European total of more than 4 million. Its likely that the United Kingdom total of 2 million in 1995 was about 25% of the European total at that point as well.

So based on these facts, its easy to see that the album is above 25 million. Unless the record company comes out with precise info stating sales on an anual basis per country over the past 17 years, then the listing of 20.7 million as the sales is just another random figure brought up by someone there. I've seen the old figure from 1987 used several times this year as well as being the total sales to date which is of course wrong.

this is the same source who puts sales of ATYCLB at (to the nearest million) -14 million. would appear to be pretty up to date !

Mike

 

[womanfish]

this is the same source who puts sales of ATYCLB at (to the nearest million) -14 million. would appear to be pretty up to date !

Mike

But just think about this reasonably. JT is certified at 10 million in the U.S. for sales, and has been at that certification since the early to mid nineties. JT was a bigger hit worldwide than ATYCLB, and still stands as their best known album and biggest sustained seller after the Best of 80 to 90. If ATYCLB has only been out 4 years has only sold 4.1 million in the U.S. and it has a total of 14 million worldwide it would seem that the Joshua Tree would be well ahead of that probably around 25 million.

The 20.7 million number would mean that more people outside the U.S. bought ATYCLB in the past 4 years than bought the JOSHUA TREE in the past 17 years! There's just no way.