u2opia
The Fly
Sting and Doctor Who - your input here would be interesting. I have a week off work and too much time on my hands, but this has been bugging me for some time. Even you guys have not agreed on a previous post.
I know we have talked about over the last few months the puzzle that is RIAA certifications. The Joshua tree highlights this very issue
At the end of 87, JT was certified 4x platinum which to many does not seem unreasonable. It was then certified 5x platinum in June of 88 which makes senses with another million in sales in the first half of 88 (helped by the Grammy's etc...). The mystery are the 95 certifications where it was certified 6x platinum in 95 and then diamond only 5 months later. Obviously JT did not sell 4m in 5 months in 1995, but I think the band or the record label reacted after that 6x platinum certification. I think they said this is crap in blunt terms and that JT has sold more and had it recertified where the count come to 10x platinum or diamond. I do not think this is an unreasonable scenario.
The mystery is the spread of the 10m sales over time in the USA. If we believe that JT sold 5m copies to June, 1988, then could it have sold another 5 million copies in 7 years. Doing the math that equates to roughly 360 weeks which means the album would need to have sold 13-14,000 copies for each of these 360 weeks. This would mean that JT would have had to have been in the top 5 in the catalog charts for 7 years which I do not think is possible. Sure, it might have gone back in for a few months during the Rattle & Hum publicity and the ZOO TV tours - but not during the barren years of 89, 90 or most of 91 and 94 and 95. It might have averaged say 5000 or 6000 copies.
I think the issue is the original certification and that in 87 the certifications were not upto date. Remember, JT did in 87 performed better in the USA than in many other countries (it certainly did not spend 9 weeks at number 1 in Australia or England - though it did go platinum in 48 hours after release in the UK). With 2 number one singles, 9 weeks at number 1 and 35 odd weeks in the top 10 it is likely to have sold more than 4m in 87.
I think drawing a crude comparison to Creed's latest album (I think it had 9 weeks at number 1, but also the benefit of christmas sales which JT would not have the same level of sales), I suspect that JT sold b/w 6m-7m in the USA in 1987. Add another 1m in the first 6 months of 88 which is reasonable, and you are up to 7m-8m. I think the higher figure is more accurate - another 2 million in JT sales b/w 88 and 95 equates to roughly 5,500 per week which is getting more like it. Therefore 7m in 87 and another 1m to June 1988
What I think is also interesting as a sidelight that JT, Rattle and Hum and AB performed better in the US compared to the UK, Australia and other markets. From Boy to Unforgettable it was the other way around and since Zoorapo, U2's biggest market is Europe with the US now counting for roughly 35% of sales. Maybe with ATYCLB still being high in the US charts, U2 have rebuilt their US market with plenty of touring and TV appearances -great to see.
I have rambled alot so sorry - be interested in your thoughts.
PS Balancing up JT's greater sales in the ROW since 88 compared to the USA, I think the album has sold at least 20 million , probably 21 or 22m now
I know we have talked about over the last few months the puzzle that is RIAA certifications. The Joshua tree highlights this very issue
At the end of 87, JT was certified 4x platinum which to many does not seem unreasonable. It was then certified 5x platinum in June of 88 which makes senses with another million in sales in the first half of 88 (helped by the Grammy's etc...). The mystery are the 95 certifications where it was certified 6x platinum in 95 and then diamond only 5 months later. Obviously JT did not sell 4m in 5 months in 1995, but I think the band or the record label reacted after that 6x platinum certification. I think they said this is crap in blunt terms and that JT has sold more and had it recertified where the count come to 10x platinum or diamond. I do not think this is an unreasonable scenario.
The mystery is the spread of the 10m sales over time in the USA. If we believe that JT sold 5m copies to June, 1988, then could it have sold another 5 million copies in 7 years. Doing the math that equates to roughly 360 weeks which means the album would need to have sold 13-14,000 copies for each of these 360 weeks. This would mean that JT would have had to have been in the top 5 in the catalog charts for 7 years which I do not think is possible. Sure, it might have gone back in for a few months during the Rattle & Hum publicity and the ZOO TV tours - but not during the barren years of 89, 90 or most of 91 and 94 and 95. It might have averaged say 5000 or 6000 copies.
I think the issue is the original certification and that in 87 the certifications were not upto date. Remember, JT did in 87 performed better in the USA than in many other countries (it certainly did not spend 9 weeks at number 1 in Australia or England - though it did go platinum in 48 hours after release in the UK). With 2 number one singles, 9 weeks at number 1 and 35 odd weeks in the top 10 it is likely to have sold more than 4m in 87.
I think drawing a crude comparison to Creed's latest album (I think it had 9 weeks at number 1, but also the benefit of christmas sales which JT would not have the same level of sales), I suspect that JT sold b/w 6m-7m in the USA in 1987. Add another 1m in the first 6 months of 88 which is reasonable, and you are up to 7m-8m. I think the higher figure is more accurate - another 2 million in JT sales b/w 88 and 95 equates to roughly 5,500 per week which is getting more like it. Therefore 7m in 87 and another 1m to June 1988
What I think is also interesting as a sidelight that JT, Rattle and Hum and AB performed better in the US compared to the UK, Australia and other markets. From Boy to Unforgettable it was the other way around and since Zoorapo, U2's biggest market is Europe with the US now counting for roughly 35% of sales. Maybe with ATYCLB still being high in the US charts, U2 have rebuilt their US market with plenty of touring and TV appearances -great to see.
I have rambled alot so sorry - be interested in your thoughts.
PS Balancing up JT's greater sales in the ROW since 88 compared to the USA, I think the album has sold at least 20 million , probably 21 or 22m now