[Basil]

US Shipments

Key
year of release
title
riaa shipment
soundscan total since 1991 - courtesy of Hanboo and AutomaticBR
weeks on catalogue chart since 1982

Studio Albums
1958 The Fabulous Johnny Cash
1963 Blood Sweat and Tears
1964 I Walk the Line - 500,000
1964 Bitter Tears
1965 Orange Blossom Special
1966 Everybody Loves A Nut
1967 Carryin' On
1969 The Holy Land
1970 Hello I'm Johnny Cash - 500,000
1971 Man In Black
1972 A Thing Called Love
1972 America
1973 Any Old Wind That Blows
1976 One Piece At A Time

Soundtrack
1970 I Walk the Line

Christmas
1963 The Christmas Spirit
2005 Christmas With

Live Albums
1968 At Fulsom Prison - 3,000,000 - 800,000 may 2007 - 20wks
1969 At San Quentin - 3,000,000 - 2wks
1970 The Johnny Cash Show - 500,000

Compilations
1963 Ring Of Fire - Best Of - 500,000
1967 Greatest Hits Vol One - 2,000,000
1971 Greatest Hits Vol Two - 1,000,000
1970 The World Of - 500,000
1979 Portrait - 1,000,000
1994 Super Hits - 1,000,000 - 1,283,000 may 2006 - 25wks
1999 16 Biggest Hits - 2,000,000 - 2,670,000 may 2007 - 128wks - 17wks at Number One
2003 The Essential - 500,000 - 906,000 may 2007 - 22wks

American Recordings
1994 American Recordings
1996 Unchained
2000 Solitary Man
2002 The Man Comes Around - 1,000,000 - 1,521,000 may 2006 - 12wks
2004 My Mother's Hymn Book
2005 Unearthed (Box Set) - 100,000
2006 A Hundred Highways - 407,000

Career Spanning Compilations
2005 The Legend Of Vol One - 2,000,000 - 2,371,000 apr 2007
2006 The Legend Of Vol Two - 63,000
2006 Legend (Box Set) - 125,000 - 185,000

Total Shipment - 19,230,000

Soundscan Total 1991-2006 - 17,812,000

The biggest album seller in the USA in 2006 with 4,862,000 sold.

The irony is that for significant portions of his career his sales were rather poor - particularly compared with the likes of Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings.

None of his studio albums between 1976 and 1994 charted at all. Only one studio album went platinum, and that was released in 2002.

His first label in the 1950's was Sun. These recordings have been endlessly recycled on compilations. Although a few briefly charted, I've excluded them here - certainly none got close to being certified.

In 1958 he began a 28 year association with Columbia and sold well through the 60's and into the early 70's.

After 1976 his albums stopped reaching the billboard Top 200. By 1986 sales of his studio albums were down to 40,000 copies apiece.

Then he signed to Mercury. His 5 albums for this label sold a combined total of only 250,000 and none of them charted.

Finally he signed with Rick Rubin's label and returned to the charts and much critical acclaim.

When major artists die, everyone assumes there will be a massive surge in their sales. In fact, this is not often the case - George Harrison and James Brown, for example.

For Johnny Cash there was a big sales surge that now shows no sign of stopping. Expect more riaa awards in 2007. His soundscan total since 1991 is almost the same as his shipment figure since 1955!!

Surprising that the 1963 Christmas one hasn't gone Gold.

Johnny Cash may have more compilations out than any other major artist - go the allmusic.com and see - hundreds! I've only included the charted or certified ones (as for the studio albums).

[borderwolf]

He's a legend!

[Basil]

Have unearthed some more soundscan figures and added them on.

Does anyone have soundscan figures for his American Recordings albums in the 1990's?

[brian05]

From Music Week,

Johnny Cash’s highest charting album, peaking at number two in 1969, At San Quentin leaps back into the chart this week at number 20 on sales of 10,500 copies of the new and much expanded Legacy edition issued to mark what would have been his 75th birthday tomorrow (February 26).

Since his death in 2003, sales of Cash albums have soared - he had 64 albums among the Top 10,000 albums of 2006, with total sales of 1,188,000 (including 24,000 for At San Quentin) making him the year’s seventh biggest selling artist.

[Dane]

I'm a bit surprised he has so few certifications for his studio albums. The live prison albums are really the big ones. And 16 Biggest Hits just keeps selling.
Following his death, the Oscars for the biopic also helped sales.

[borderwolf]

U.K. shipments

Year of last certification, title, BPI shipments

1976 - I WALK THE LINE - 60.000
1979 - COLLECTION - 100.000
2004 - AMERICAN IV: THE MAN COMES AROUND - 100.000
2006 - RING OF FIRE - THE LEGEND OF JOHNNY CASH - 100.000
2006 - WALKING THE LINE:THE LEGENDARY SUN RECORDINGS - 100.000
2006 - AMERICAN V: A HUNDRED HIGHWAYS - 100.000
2006 - RING OF FIRE / THE LEGEND OF JOHNNY CASH - 300.000

[borderwolf]

Norway certification:

2004 - The Essential - gold (20.000)

[borderwolf]

Ireland certifications:

2006 - The Legend Of Johnny Cash - 5x platinum (was 2x in 2005): 75.000
2006 - American V: A Hundred Highways - 1x platinum: 15.000
2006 - At San Quentin & Folsom Prison - 1x gold: 7.500

[pianoman]

He remains a very popular and respected figure in America... probably the only old and the only country-leaning artist that is identified with and loved by fans of rock and hardcore and all of their various sub-genres. (His haunting "Hurt" cover especially helped his exposure in those areas.) They love his genuine and determined attitude.

Great classic artist who will be selling for years... It's ridiculous how many compilations keep coming out... There was just a hymns release a couple months ago, I think.

[borderwolf]

[Kashmir75]

Johnny Cash was one of the few musicians to outsell the Beatles in the 60'S. One hell of an achievement!

[thebigham]

USA:

157 CASH*JOHNNY LEGEND OF JOHNNY CASH 6,320 5,798 -08.3% 2,370,084 (2xp)

[borderwolf]

Australia

Albums
2006 - Ring Of Fire / The Legend Of Johnny Cash - 1x GOLD (35.000)
2007 - The Essential Johnny Cash - 2x PLATINUM (140.000)
2007 - At San Quentin - 1x PLATINUM (70.000)

Dvd
2006 - Live Montreaux 1994 - 1x PLATINUM (15.000)
2006 - The Man In Black: His Early Years - 1x GOLD (7.500)
2007 - The Man In Black: Johnny Cash Live In Denmark - 1x PLATINUM (15.000)
2007 - The Best Of The Johnny Cash Show - 1X PLATINUM (15.000)

[borderwolf]

Updated U.K. shipments:
since 24/11/2006
Walking The Line: The Legendary Sun Recordings is Gold

[borderwolf]

Updated Aussie certs

[borderwolf]

Sweden certification:

2004 - American IV: The Man Comes Around - 1x gold - 30.000

[Basil]

The First Post-Page One has been updated with many new soundscan figures.

Have also added weeks on catalogue chart since 1982

[borderwolf]

Canada certifications
(CRIA database)

Albums
1979 - At Folsom Prison - 1x platinum (100.000)
1979 - Greatest Hits - 1x platinum (100.000)
1979 - At san Quentin - 1x platinum (100.000)
2003 - American IV: The Man Comes Around - 1x platinum (100.000)

Dvd
2004 - Behind Prison Walls / Live 1977 - 1x gold (5.000)
2006 - Live At Montreux 1994 - 1x platinum (10.000)
2006 - The Man, His Word, His Music - 1x gold (5.000)
(CRIA web-site certified 1x gold this video in september and october 2006 and january 2007!!!)
2007 - Live From Austin Texas - 2x platinum (20.000)

[borderwolf]

U.K. Chart History
(through june, 23 2007)
Thanks to kingofskiffle

[borderwolf]

Australia
May 2007 - At San Quentin certified 1x PLATINUM (70.000)

[borderwolf]

An American Icon is #1 this week in Denmark Dvd Chart

[borderwolf]

AN AMERICAN ICON is still #1 in Denmark Dvd Chart, and LIVE IN DENMARK re-entered at #7

[borderwolf]

Updated Canadian certifications with these infos:

1979 - At Folsom Prison - 1x platinum (100.000)
1979 - Greatest Hits - 1x platinum (100.000)
1979 - At san Quentin - 1x platinum (100.000)

[thebigham]

7/21 Catalog chart:

336 CLNV 61 75 64 CASH*JOHNNY 16 BIGGEST HITS 2,815 +4% 2,695 2,696,645 (2xp)

86 CLNV 143 157 169 CASH*JOHNNY AT FOLSOM PRISON 1,807 -2% 1,846 820,123

99 CLNV 171 181 180 CASH*JOHNNY ESSENTIAL JOHNNY CASH 1,748 +3%1,694 922,129 (1xp)

[borderwolf]