The Beatles :: Charts & Sales History

[Basil]

Index

Part One - USA Albums - chart peak/riaa and soundscan figures.
Part Two - UK Albums - chart peak/BPI figures/Top 200 weeks in chart.
Part Three - Chart Feats
Part Four - Canadian Albums
Worldwide Sales Figures by Hanboo
Part Five - UK Album Sales 1984-2004 - annual sales from 1984
The 1976-1982 Releases by Herkenrath
Part Six - UK Albums Sales 1963-2004
Part Seven - Soundtracks
Part Eight - UK Singles - chart peak/sales

[Basil]

Key
year of release
year of latest certification
title
riaa shipment
soundscan figure where available with date - figures courtesy of Hanboo with some updates by John2000, Dane and Blackbird
weeks on catalogue chart 1982-2005

Part One - USA Albums

UK titles (CD only)
1987 1997 Please Please Me - 1,000,000 - 1,039,000 oct 2010 - 1 week
1987 1997 With the Beatles - 500,000 - 776,000 oct 2010
1987 2001 Beatles For Sale - 1,000,000 - 803,000 oct 2010

USA only titles (not on CD)
1965 1997 Early Beatles - 1,000,000 - 19,000 jan 2007
1964 1991 Meet the Beatles - 5,000,000 - 50,000 jan 2007
1964 1997 Second Album - 2,000,000 - 20,000 jan 2007
1964 1997 Something New - 2,000,000 - 11,000 jan 2007
1965 1997 Beatles '65 - 3,000,000 - 24,000 jan 2007
1965 1997 Beatles VI - 1,000,000 - 10,000 jan 2007
1966 1997 Yesterday and Today - 2,000,000 - 26,000 jan 2007
1970 1991 Hey Jude - 3,000,000 - 68,000 jan 2007

Soundtrack Related
1964 2000 A Hard Day's Night - 4,000,000 - 1,491,000 jan 2013 - 2 weeks
1965 1997 Help - 3,000,000 - 1,562,000 jan 2013 - 8 weeks
1967 2000 Magical Mystery Tour - 6,000,000 - 1,898,000 jan 2013 - 20 weeks
1969 1991 Yellow Submarine - 1,000,000 - 569,000 oct 2010
1970 2000 Let It Be - 4,000,000 - 1,518,000 jan 2013 - 3 weeks
1999 1999 Yellow Submarine Songtrack - 500,000 - 868,000 oct 2010
2003 2003 Let It Be - Naked - 1,000,000 - 1,155,000 oct 2010

UK/US titles
1965 1997 Rubber Soul - 6,000,000 - 2,805,000 jan 2013 - 34 weeks
1966 2000 Revolver - 5,000,000 - 2,346,000 jan 2013 - 25 weeks
1967 1997 Sgt Pepper - 11,000,000 - 4,481,000 jan 2013 - 187 weeks
1968 2001 The Beatles - 9,500,000 - 3,847,000 jan 2013 - 98 weeks
1969 2001 Abbey Road - 12,000,000 - 4,901,000 jan 2013 - 195 weeks

Primary Compilations
1973 2001 1962-1966 - 7,500,000 - 2,387,000 dec 2010 - 63 weeks
1973 2010 1967-1970 - 8,500,000 - 2,902,000 jan 2013 - 88 weeks
2000 2010 One - 11,000,000 - 12,150,000 jan 2013 - 179 weeks

CD Era Compilations
1988 1997 Past Masters Vol 1 - 1,000,000 - 826,000 jan 2007 - 1 week
1988 1997 Past Masters Vol 2 - 1,000,000 - 1,164,000 jan 2007 - 2 weeks
1988 2001 Studio Box (15 CD's) - 67,000
1994 1995 At the Beeb - 2,000,000 - 1,518,000 jan 2007
1995 1996 Anthology 1 - 4,000,000 - 3,666,000 jan 2007
1996 1998 Anthology 2 - 2,000,000 - 1,739,000 jan 2007
1996 1997 Anthology 3 - 1,500,000 - 1,363,000 jan 2007
2004 2004 Capitol Box Vol 1 - 250,000 - 230,000 jan 2007
2006 2006 Capitol Box Vol 2 - 125,000 - 78,000 jan 2007
2006 2010 Love - 2,000,000 - 2,327,000 jan 2013
2009 2010 Stereo Box - 188,000 - 219,000 dec 2010
2009 2010 Mono Box - 77,000 - 38,000 nov 2009




Non CD Compilations/Exploitation
1964 1964 Beatles Story - 500,000 - 3,000 jan 2007
1976 1976 Rock n Roll Music - 1,000,000 - 216,000 jan 2007
1980 1997 Rock n Roll Music Vol 1 - 1,000,000
1980 1997 Rock n Roll Music Vol 2 - 1,000,000
1977 1977 At the Hollywood Bowl - 1,000,000 - 11,000 jan 2007
1977 2000 Love Songs - 1,500,000 - 94,000 jan 2007
1980 1997 Rarities - 500,000 - 10,000 jan 2007
1982 1982 Reel Music - 500,000 - 16,000 jan 2007
1982 1997 20 Greatest Hits - 2,000,000 - 821,000 jan 2007


All of the above are the official Capitol/Apple Albums.

Many more albums were released in the US on other labels.

Herkenrath reports that a 1964 court case forced Vee-Jay to release their sales figures.

Introducing the Beatles was a cut-down version of their UK debut. It sold 1,346,226 by the end of 1964. The other Vee-Jay albums sold 465,557 in total.

Total riaa shipment for The Beatles is 134,707,000 (apr 2011). They are the only band to ship more than 100m albums.

Soundscan began more than 20 years after the band broke-up, but their total of 62,066,000 (dec 2010) is way ahead of any other band.

The following 4 titles

A Hard Day's Night
Help
Rubber Soul
Revolver

shared the same titles in the UK and US, but their contents were very different until the CD re-issues.

[Basil]

The UK catalogue became the official worldwide catalogue in 1987. It's listed here with chart peaks, and - for what they're worth! - BPI shipments

Key
year of release
title
chart peak
BPI shipment
( ) weeks spent on Top 200 album chart since 1994

Part Two UK Albums

1963 Please Please Me - 1 - (15w)
1963 With the Beatles - 1 - (12w)
1964 A Hard Day's Night - 1 - (15w)
1964 Beatles For Sale - 1 - (5w)
1965 Help - 1 - (18w)
1965 Rubber Soul - 1 - (40w)
1966 Revolver - 1 - (116w)
1967 Sgt Pepper - 1 - (274w)
1967 Magical Mystery Tour - 31 - 100,000 - (31w)
1968 The Beatles - 1 - (18w)
1969 Yellow Submarine - 3 - (5w)
1969 Abbey Road - 1 - (104w)
1970 Let It Be - 1 - (16w)

1973 1962-1966 - 3 - 300,000 - (90w)
1973 1967-1970 - 2 - 300,000 - (93w)
2000 One - 1 - 2,400,000 - (200w)

1988 Past Masters Vol 1 - 49 - (1w)
1988 Past Masters Vol 2 - 46 - (6w)
1988 Studio Box - dnc
1994 At the Beeb - 1 - 600,000 - (28w)
1995 Anthology 1 - 2 - 600,000 - (17w)
1996 Anthology 2 - 1 - 300,000 - (39w)
1996 Anthology 3 - 4 - 100,000 - (17w)
1999 Yellow Submarine Songtrack - 8 - 100,000 - (18w)
2003 Let It Be Naked - 7 - 100,000 - (11w)
2004 Capitol Box 1 - dnc

Non-CD Compilations
1966 Collection of Oldies - 7
1976 Rock n Roll Music - 11 - 100,000
1977 At the Hollywood Bowl - 1 - 100,000
1977 Love Songs - 7 - 100,000
1980 Rarities - 71 - 60,000
1980 Ballads - 17 - 100,000
1982 20 Greatest Hits - 10 - 300,000

So Sgt Pepper has spent more than half of the past 10 years lurking on the Top 200 albums chart. Not bad for a 38 year old album. UK sales are now around the 5m mark. Miguel reports 3.2m for Abbey Road in feb 1997. All their major albums are likely past the 1m or even 2m mark in the UK.

We know that shop sales of The Beatles from 1984 to 2004 were between 10,766,000 and 11,427,000.

[Basil]

Part Three - Some Beatles Chart Feats

The Beatles entered EMI studios in late summer 1962 and their last session was in late summer 1969.

In just 7 years they wrote and produced over 200 top quality songs. These days some artists take 7 years to produce one album.

Such was their output that many tracks were never on albums - just singles. When their album catalogue was released on CD in 1987/8, it took 2 full length CD's to round-up all these non-album tracks.

Of their chart feats around the world, some of the USA ones are the most astonishing.

In April 1964, they occupied the Top Five positions in the singles chart.

Also in April 1964, they had fourteen singles in the billboard Top 100 singles.

Further to this, in 1964 they had a mind-blowing 30 Hits on the Top 100 singles chart.

Here are their 30 1964 Hits, with chart peak

She Loves You - 1
I Want to Hold Your Hand - 1
Love Me Do - 1
A Hard Day's Night - 1
I Feel Fine - 1
Can't Buy Me Love - 1
Do You Want to Know A Secret - 2
Twist and Shout - 2
Please Please Me - 3
She's A Woman - 4
PS I Love You - 10
And I Love Her - 12
I Saw Her Standing There - 14
Matchbox - 17
Ain't She Sweet - 19
I'll Cry Instead - 25
Slow Down - 25
My Bonnie - 26
Thank You Girl - 35
From Me To You - 41
All My Loving - 45
You Can't Do That - 48
If I Fell - 53
I Should Have Known Better - 53
Roll Over Beethoven - 68
There's A Place - 74
Why - 88
Four By the Beatles EP - 92
I'm Happy Just ot Dance With You - 95
Sie Liebt Dich - 97

In the USA, they have more Multi-Platinum Album Awards than any other artist - 24.

They have also more 5,000,000 selling albums than any other artist - 11

They are the only artists in the USA to actually ship more than 100,000,000 albums.

[Basil]

Part Four - Canadian Albums

figures soon!!

[Hanboo]

Here's some Beatles world album sales info I posted on Dotmusic in 2003.
I've updated some figures.

Offical Beatles US/UK releases

Sales in millions
(world sales, RIAA certified level, title, year of releae)

06.0 01.0 Please Please Me (1963)
06.0 00.5 With The Beatles (1963)
09.0 05.0 Meet The Beatles (1964)
02.0 01.4 Introducing The Beatles (1964)
04.0 02.0 Second Album (1964)
11.0 04.0 A Hard Day's Night (1964)
04.0 02.0 Something New (1964)
02.0 00.5 Story Of The Beatles (1964)
06.0 01.0 Beatles For Sale (1964)
05.0 03.0 Beatles '65 (1965)
04.0 02.0 Beatles VI (1965)
10.0 03.0 Help! (1965)
12.0 06.0 Rubber Soul (1965)
04.0 02.0 Yesterday And Today (1966)
12.0 05.0 Revolver (1966)
05.0 00.0 Collection Of Oldies (1966)
32.5 11.0 Sgt.Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)
12.0 06.0 Magical Mystery Tour (1967)
06.0 01.0 Yellow Submarine (1968)
18.5 09.5 The Beatles (White Album) (Double) (1968)
29.5 12.0 Abbey Road (1969)
05.0 03.0 Hey Jude (1970)
01.0 01.0 The Early Beatles (1970)
10.0 04.0 Let It Be (1970)
20.0 07.5 1962-1966 (Double) (1973)
21.0 08.0 1967-1970 (Double) (1973)
04.0 01.0 Rock & Roll Music (1976)
04.0 01.0 Live At The Hollywood Bowl (1977)
06.0 01.5 Love Songs (Double) (1977)
01.0 00.5 Beatles Rarities (1979)
03.0 00.0 Beatles Ballads-20 Original Tracks (1980)
01.0 01.0 Rock & Roll Music, Vol.1 (1980)
01.0 01.0 Rock & Roll Music, Vol.2 (1980)
01.0 01.0 The Beatles Box (12 LP's) (1981)
02.0 00.5 Reel Music (1982)
05.0 02.0 20 Greatest Hits (1982)
02.0 01.0 Past Masters, Vol. 1 (1988)
02.0 01.0 Past Masters, Vol. 2 (1988)
08.0 02.0 Live At The BBC (Double) (1994)
10.0 04.0 Anthology 1 (Double) (1995)
06.0 02.0 Anthology 2 (Double) (1996)
04.0 01.5 Anthology 3 (Double) (1996)
01.0 00.5 Yellow Submarine Songtrack (1999)
28.0 10.0 1 (2000)
01.5 01.0 Let It Be - Naked (2003)
00.3 00.3 Capitol Box Volume 1 (2004)

Total world sales official US/UK releases: 348.3 million
Total US certified: 134.2 million (170 m. counting double albums)

Apart from the UK and US releases, which were released all over the world,
most countries issued their own specific Beatles releases, especially before Apple came into being in 1968.
There are at least 50 albums, which were released by record companies like Capitol Canada, Odeon, Electrola, etc.

These are the most successful ones:

(sales in million, title)

2.0 Beatles in Italy
1.0 The Beatles Nr. 1-5 (1964 Mexican LPs)[/b]
1.0 The Beatles In The Beginning (ca. 1960)
1.0 Live At The Star Club Albums
1.0 Beatles Beat
1.0 20 Golden Hits
0.5 Greatest Hits (1965)
0.5 Beatles First
0.4 Songs, Pictures & Stories Of The Fabulous Beatles
0.3 14 Plus Grands Succes (1965)
0.2 Beatles Tapes

These 12 sold about 10 million. If we take an average of 100,000 for the other 48 albums, we reach a total of about 15 million.

Total world sales official US/UK releases: 348 million
Total world sales foreign releases: 15 million

Grand total: 363 million.

[Marius]

These 12 sold about 10 million. If we take an average of 100,000 for the other 48 albums, we reach a total of about 50 million.

Total world sales official US/UK releases: 348 million
Total world sales foreign releases: 50 million

Grand total: 398 million.

48 x 100,000 = 4,800,000. roughly 5M, isn't it?
Shouldn't then it be as follows:

Total world sales official US/UK releases: 348 million
Total world sales foreign releases: 15 million

Grand total: 363 million ?

[rewardman]

The Beatles are at 168.5 million

Elvis at 116.5

Led Zeppelin 107.5

and Garth Brooks at 105.0

I guess what you are saying is that when you half the double album's or box sets by whatever factor the 2nd, 3rd and 4th all fall below 100 million

Garth Brooks would be very close as I think only double live needs a subtraction - so he'd be 97.5 million - and thats purely certification levels.

If reports are correct that Brooks sells around 300,000 albums from his back catalog even in retirement he will be over 100 million in effect.

So could you do the math for us for the top artists, please?

[Hanboo]

These 12 sold about 10 million. If we take an average of 100,000 for the other 48 albums, we reach a total of about 50 million.

Total world sales official US/UK releases: 348 million
Total world sales foreign releases: 50 million

Grand total: 398 million.

48 x 100,000 = 4,800,000. roughly 5M, isn't it?
Shouldn't then it be as follows:

Total world sales official US/UK releases: 348 million
Total world sales foreign releases: 15 million

Grand total: 363 million ?

You're right, your math is better than mine.
I'll amend the article, thx.

[Basil]

The Beatles are at 168.5 million

Elvis at 116.5

Led Zeppelin 107.5

and Garth Brooks at 105.0

I guess what you are saying is that when you half the double album's or box sets by whatever factor the 2nd, 3rd and 4th all fall below 100 million

Garth Brooks would be very close as I think only double live needs a subtraction - so he'd be 97.5 million - and thats purely certification levels.

If reports are correct that Brooks sells around 300,000 albums from his back catalog even in retirement he will be over 100 million in effect.

So could you do the math for us for the top artists, please?

Hi rewardman

First, all the maths has been done. See

http://www.ukmix.org/forums/viewtopic.p ... 47&start=0

Read Page One

Second, the riaa totals on their website that you've used are full of errors. Around 40% of the totals are wrong. This are all corrected on my thread (link above).

The Beatles have shipped 130.85m albums. No other artist is over 100m.

Garth Brooks may have shipped 97.5m albums, but he has only scanned around 66m in the stores. Some of the difference is record club sales at very cheap rates. The evidence is that he has not sold 97.5m albums, let alone go over the 100m mark.

For Elvis, apart from the double albums and box sets, they included 7 inch EP's!!. He has shipped around 98m albums.

Led Zeppelin have shipped 87.6m

[Basil]

Here's some Beatles world album sales info I posted on Dotmusic in 2003.
I've updated some figures.

Total world sales official US/UK releases: 348.3 million
Total US certified: 134.2 million (170 m. counting double albums)

Total world sales official US/UK releases: 348 million
Total world sales foreign releases: 15 million

Grand total: 363 million.

Many thanks for your analysis Hanboo.

I think your worldwide total of 363m albums looks very good. I reckon their total US sales to be at least 162m (130.85m of these are audited). Doubling this gets you 324m. The US is under half the market and The Beatles sold everywhere so, as I've said, your figure seems spot on. I'm only glad I didn't have to work it out!

One note on US shipments. I have 130.85m, so I had to see how your figure differed. I found

- Introducing The Beatles was never certified, though it did sell 1.4m

- You have Beatles VI as 2xP. The riaa site gives only 1xP.

- You have 1xP for the LP Box. I can't find this on the riaa database. The 15 CD studio box was platinum, but only shipped 67,000 copies.

[Herkenrath]

Great idea Basil.

Regarding some of the release dates: Rock'N'Roll Music, Vol. 1 & Vol. 2 were both released in October 1980. The original 1976 double album Rock'N'Roll Music was deleted at that time.

Regarding boxed sets, Capitol released the first such box in 1978 called "The Beatles Collection" which comprised all 12 UK Parlophone albums. This boxed set was limited to 3,000 numbered copies (selling at $132.98), but an extra 50 sets were distributed to Capitol executives and record industry VIPs as Christmas gifts.

The RIAA certified Box Set - Multiselection was originally released in 1988.

I remember recently you asked if someone knew if Beatles records were sold through record clubs. I have found some information regarding the "Capitol Records Club", this club sold the following Beatles LPs during the 1960s and 1970s: Meet The Beatles, Second Album, Something New, Beatles '65, Early Beatles, Beatles VI, Help!, Rubber Soul, Yesterday ... And Today as well as Revolver.

[Basil]

Great idea Basil.

Regarding some of the release dates: Rock'N'Roll Music, Vol. 1 & Vol. 2 were both released in October 1980. The original 1976 double album Rock'N'Roll Music was deleted at that time.

Regarding boxed sets, Capitol released the first such box in 1978 called "The Beatles Collection" which comprised all 12 UK Parlophone albums. This boxed set was limited to 3,000 numbered copies (selling at $132.98), but an extra 50 sets were distributed to Capitol executives and record industry VIPs as Christmas gifts.

The RIAA certified Box Set - Multiselection was originally released in 1988.

I remember recently you asked if someone knew if Beatles records were sold through record clubs. I have found some information regarding the "Capitol Records Club", this club sold the following Beatles LPs during the 1960s and 1970s: Meet The Beatles, Second Album, Something New, Beatles '65, Early Beatles, Beatles VI, Help!, Rubber Soul, Yesterday ... And Today as well as Revolver.

Thanks Herkenrath. I was hoping you would add some interesting information to this thread and I certainly wasn't disappointed.

First - I've put in those release dates, thanks.

That record club info is priceless. I wonder if this was used when the 60's American albums were re-certified in the 1990's because the riaa changed the rules then to allow record club sales to be included in certifications.

The 2 big US clubs are BMG and Columbia House. I've found no evidence that Beatles albums were ever sold by these. Probably in line with the policy of keeping Beatles albums at full price - it hardly seems to harm sales!

I never knew the LP box was a limited edition.

Finally - good idea? - well it had to be done. It was like the elephant in the room. All this discussion on other threads. We had to have a Beatles thread.

They're not my favourite band, but I have colossal respect for them and love the songs. Also, when you deal with statistics, the Beatles ones are just off the scale...awesome. I'm still being surprised at what I find out about their sales - and they only recorded for 7 years.

Hope to do a country by country look at the band on this thread in time.

My Canadian figures are ready, except I'm trying to ascertain if the cria follow the riaa and award double the sales to double albums. Can you help?

[Basil]

Part Five - The Beatles UK Albums Sales 1984-2004

following the release of 20 Greatest Hits in 1982, there were no new re-issues until 1987

1984 - total sales - 125,000

1985 - total sales - 175,000

amazing catalogue sales all on vinyl/cassette only

1986 - sales were less than 102,000

1987 - total sales - 507,000

13 studio albums are released on CD for the first time.
Sgt Pepper sold 170,000. So the other 12 albums did 337,000 between them.

1988 - total sales - 285,000

Past Masters Vols 1 and 2 were released and the CD re-issues carried on selling.

1989 - total sales - 256,000

all catalogue sales.


1990 - no figure

we have an end of year chart without sales which indicates sales of less than 200,000 - all catalogue titles

1991 - no figure

The band were 55 on the end of year chart, indicating sales of around 275,000 - all catalogue titles

1992 - no figure

The band were 38 on the end of year chart, indicating sales of around 300,000 - all catalogue sales boosted by 25th anniversary of Sgt Pepper.

1993 - 504,000

The Red and Blue compilations were released selling about 350,000 between them. Sgt Pepper sold 57,000 - the remaining 97,000 being catalogue sales.

1994 - 798,000

Live at the BBC released selling about 550,000. Sgt Pepper sold 47,000 with the catalogue selling about 201,000.

By march of 1995, the BBC album had sold 590,000.

1995 - 1,080,000

Anthology One released selling about 500,000. Sgt Pepper sold 61,000. Remaining catalogue sold 519,000.

1996 - 840,000

Anthology Two and Three released selling 200,000 and 140,000 respectively. Sgt Pepper sold 70,000. Remaining catalogue sold 430,000.

1997 - 550,000

Sgt Pepper sold 74,000. The remaining 476,000 was all catalogue sales.

1998 - 560,000

Sgt Pepper sold 106,000. The remaining 454,000 was all catalogue sales.

1999 - 588,000

Yellow Submarine Songtrack released selling 67,000, Sgt Pepper sold 85,000 leaving catalogue sales of 436,000.

2000 - 2,333,272

Beatles One released selling 1,850,000 and Sgt Pepper sold 61,000, so catalogue sales were 422,000.

2001 - 730,000

All catalogue sales, with One selling 402,000, Sgt Pepper 51,000 and the rest 277,000.

2002 - no figure.

Sales were less than 400,000, with One selling about 125,000 and Sgt Pepper 45,000.

2003 - 597,000

Let It Be - Naked released selling 216,000. One sold 110,000 and Sgt Pepper 40,000 leaving catalogue sales of 231,000.

2004 - no figure

Sales were less than 430,000. One sold 93,000 and Sgt Pepper 33,000.


So in the 21 years from 1987-2004 they sold between 10,766,000 and 11,427,000 albums in the UK, with The Beatles One selling over 2.5m.

[asm]

All very interesting! but I notice little about U.K sales acheivements! "Sgt Pepper" and "With the Beatles" both million plus sales certainly! Its possible that "Beatles For Sale" may be a U.K million seller, but it's not certain. They had Five Million selling U.K singles, the highest bieng "She Loves You" (This was temporarily eclipsed by Ken Dodd's "Tears" in 1966-71 for biggest ever selling U.K single.

[Basil]

All very interesting! but I notice little about U.K sales acheivements! "Sgt Pepper" and "With the Beatles" both million plus sales certainly! Its possible that "Beatles For Sale" may be a U.K million seller, but it's not certain. They had Five Million selling U.K singles, the highest bieng "She Loves You" (This was temporarily eclipsed by Ken Dodd's "Tears" in 1966-71 for biggest ever selling U.K single.

Hi asm

On the UK Albums post above I mention UK sales of Sgt Pepper and Abbey Road.

However, there is much more to come on this thread. I have a detailed analysis of UK and US singles to post, including sales. Also sales of UK albums. Then an item on non-Capitol releases and one on soundtracks. Then there will be some on different countries. These will be posted shortly - I just like my figures to be as exact as possible before posting, and there's always one more to check!

[asm]

Can't find ABBEY ROAD figures Basil. In the 1960's "With The Beatles" passed the UK million mark in 1965, "PEPPER" went over million by 1973. There are reports of BEATLES FOR SALE acheiving 1.000.000, but these are unconfirmed. UK sales of Beatles L.P's actually tailed off a little in the late 60's whereas in the US their albums sales really climbed 67-70 compared to UK. I don't believe for all its weeks at No1 1969/70 ABBEY ROAD reached 500.000 UK sales-but if anyone has figures to correct me for this period please update me!

[Herkenrath]

Basil, here's some info related to the official Beatles EMI/Capitol catalogue of the years 1976 to 1982. It is not really sales-related, but I thought it would be the appropriate thread anyway.

I didn't include every release, because even if restricted to just EMI releases, there were too many. Taken from "The Long And Winding Road" by Neil Stannard (1984).

Not complete, but still. Taken from "The Long And Winding Road" by Neil Stannard (1984).

The Singles Collection
Released (UK): March 6, 1976
Released (US): ---
During March, EMI released all 23 Beatles singles simultaneously in special picture sleeves. Although they were advertised as being re-released, they were not re-issues, as all The Beatles’ singles were still available at that time. (For a few years, several early singles were deleted, these being Love Me Do, Please Please Me, From Me To You, She Loves You, Can’t Buy Me Love, A Hard Day’s Night, I Feel Fine and Ticket To Ride, but they were later reinstated before the “picture sleeve” releases).

Got To Get You Into My Life / Helter Skelter (single)
Released (UK): ---
Released (US): May 31, 1976
Interest in The Beatles’ White Album had been rekindled by the television dramatisation of the Charles Manson murder trials of 1969. The two part film Helter Skelter, based on the best selling book by the prosecuting attorneys, Vincent Bugliosi and Curt Gentry, featured several tunes from the White Album including Helter Skelter. Because of the film’s popularity, Capitol rushed radio stations a special limited edition DJ single (P 4274) of Helter Skelter on April 30, 1976, but for commercial release relegated Helter Skelter to the B side, preferring Got To Get You Into My Life as the A side, as they rightly felt that exploiting the Manson case would not be the best way to get a hit single.

Back In The USSR / Twist And Shout (single)
Released (UK): June 25, 1976
Released (US): ---
Released as a promotional single for the Rock’N’Roll Music double album, this was the first track to be taken from the White Album as a UK single. The single was released in a picture sleeve to match The Singles Collection, and both tracks appear in stereo.

Rock’N’Roll Music (double album)
Released UK: June 10, 1976
Released US: June 7, 1976
On February 6, 1976, The Beatles’ nine year recording contract, which they had signed in 1967, expired, thus leaving EMI with the rights to release anything from their back catalogue of previously released material. This album was the first release over which EMI had been able to exert complete control.

Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da / Julia (single)
Released (UK): ---
Released (US): November 8, 1976
To continue their million dollar Beatles 1976 revival programme (which included Beatles albums advertised on TV and Beatles filmstrips shown in record stores), Capitol lifted two tracks from the White Albums as a single. The A side song, Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da, had already proved itself as singles material, charting for two British groups in 1969, although neither act scored in America with the song. This single only rose to no. 49 in the Billboard Hot 100, thus becoming the first Capitol Beatles single not to enter the American Top 30.

Magical Mystery Tour (album)
Released (UK): June 25, 1976
Released (US): November 27, 1967
The decision on EMI’s part to release this album has never been satisfactorily explained, and in many ways was somewhat unnecessary, in view of the fact that the identical US album (albeit in electronically reprocessed stereo) had been available as an import in Britain since 1968, and was in fact EMI’s biggest selling import in Britain, with sales of over 50,000. The British release is exactly the same as the album released in the United States in 1967. This LP did not feature in the album charts, which was possibly the result of another unexplained decision on EMI’s part – this release was not advertised in any way.

The Beatles At The Hollywood Bowl
Released (UK): May 6, 1977
Released (US): May 4, 1977
Before the Beatles recorded their first album, their producer, George Martin, had considered recording the group at the Cavern Club for a live album which would become their first LP, but in fact fourteen years elapsed before the Beatles’ first live album appeared, consisting of recordings made over twelve years earlier in 1964 and 1965. The group’s Hollywood Bowl concerts were taped by Capitol Records using a three track recorder, under the supervision of George Martin, but due to the poor recording conditions and the continuous screaming from 17,000 fans, the results were therefore technically disappointing to George Martin, and neither he nor The Beatles, at the time, considered the tapes good enough to release. As a result, the recordings were forgotten for over a decade, until Capitol’s president, Bhaskar Menon, unearthed them and asked George Martin to listen to them, as Capitol wished to release an album. After reluctantly listening to the tapes, Martin was impressed by the electric atmosphere and raw energy emanating from the performances…..the release of the album in Britain was backed by a £200,000 TV advertised campaign and was released on the Parlophone label. The album was the fourth in a series of TV advertised albums from EMI. Up to April 1978, ten albums were released by EMI in this series, the first being The Beach Boys’ 20 Golden Greats followed by similar albums by Glen Campbell, Diana Ross & The Supremes, The Shadows, Buddy Holly, Nat King Cole and Frank Sinatra plus 30 Golden Greats from The Black And White Minstrels and 40 Golden Greats (a double album) from Cliff Richard.

The Beatles Collection
Released (UK): autumn, 1977
Released (US): ---
During the autumn of 1977, EMI’s mail order subsidiary, World Records, released a boxed set entitled The Beatles Collection, of the 24 singles from Love Me Do to Back In The USSR, available by mail order only, and not through the usual retail outlets. The 24 singles were presented in the same sleeves as the March, 1976, re-releases, and packaged in a special gold embossed case. The collection was heavily advertised in the national press with full page advertisements, and also with postal circulars, which included a promotional flexi-disc, to World Records regular customers. The Sgt. Pepper single was added to the collection after its release in September, 1978. Unlike the later album and EP collections, the singles collection does not have a special catalogue number. It was deleted from World Records catalogue in April, 1981.

Love Songs (double album)
Released (UK): November 19, 1977
Released (US): October 21, 1977
The second compilation album of old Beatles tracks to appear after their recording contract ended in 1976, this two record set was released at the end of 1977, with very little publicity, and failed to reach the album charts until nine weeks after it first appeared. Like Rock’N’Roll Music, it includes tracks never previously available in Britain in stereo. It was the Beatles’ sixth American double album release.

Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band – With A Little Help From My Friends / A Day In The Life (single)
Released (UK): September 30, 1978
Released (US): August 14, 1978
The Beatles’ 25th British single, and the first to feature tracks from the Sgt. Pepper album. The single was released due to the interest generated in the Sgt. Pepper album by the film Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, which was based on both Sgt. Pepper and Abbey Road albums.

The Beatles Collection
Released (UK): December 2, 1978
Released (US): ---
After The Singles Collection of 1976, The Album Collection had to follow. EMI collected 12 original studio albums together, plus one “free” album of “Rarities” and a poster and presented them in a gold blocked box for £51.39. Up to October, 1980, The Beatles Collection had sold 25,000 copies in Australia, thus qualifying for a Gold Box, and had also entered the Top 40 there (which amounts to a gross sale of £1,284,750.)

The Beatles Collection
Released (UK): ---
Released (US): December, 1978
With EMI in Britain releasing The Beatles Collection of all 12 UK albums, Capitol released this very limited Edition de Luxe boxed set also containing the Beatles’ original British releases. Instead of the British bonus albums or rarities, Capitol added their own version of the release, which was identical to the British album, although instead of the German versions of She Loves You and I Want To Hold Your Hand, Capitol substituted the English versions of these songs. This boxed set was limited to 3,000 numbered copies (selling at $132.98), but an extra fifty sets were distributed to Capitol executives and record industry VIPs as Christmas gifts.

Hey Jude (album)
Released (UK): June, 1979
Released (US): February 26, 1970
This is identical to the LP released in America in 1970, which reached no. 2 in the US charts, selling nearly 4 million. Both the American album and its French equivalent The Beatles Again had been available as imports in Britain since 1970 and were among EMI’s biggest selling import albums – as a result, EMI once again seemed to be displaying a lack of imagination, and as they also failed to advertise the album in any of the music papers, it seems doubtful that the albums’ sales can have exceeded a few thousand copies in Britain initially.

Rarities (album)
Released (UK): October, 1979
Released (US): ---
When the boxed set of original Beatles albums was released in 1978, EMI stated that the bonus Rarities album would not be made available separately, and would only appear in the £51.39 boxed collection. After some record shops separated the Rarities album form the box set, and sold it for as much as £8, EMI decided to release the album officially as a separate LP.

The Beatles Rarities (album)
Released (UK): ---
Released (US): March 24, 1980
Capitol Records announced in 1979 that the Rarities album from The Beatles Collection would be released on their budget line series in November 1979. However the budget Rarities album was scrapped and the revised Rarities album prepared, including several tracks that appeared on the also-scrapped “Collectors’ Items” LP of summer 1979.

The Beatles Ballads – 20 Original Tracks (album)
Released (UK): October 20, 1980
Released (US): ---
The first 20 track Beatles album, and the first Beatles album of the 1980s, was released unheralded with no pre-publicity or any media advertising whatsoever. Initially, it did not sell well enough to enter the charts, but after the tragic murder of John Lennon on December 8th, 1980, sales of this, and virtually all items in The Beatles’ catalogue, escalated, and it entered the NME Top 30 album chart at no. 21 on January 3rd, 1981, for one week only. The track selection is not dissimilar to the Love Songs album, with ten out of twenty tracks on Ballads also being on Love Songs.

Rock’N’Roll Music, Vol. 1 (album)
Released (UK): October 27, 1980
Released (US): October, 1980
The first ever Beatles album to be repackaged on a budget label, this and Vol. 2, were part of a package of five solo Beatle albums re-released on EMI’s budget label (Ringo by Ringo Starr, Mind Games by John Lennon and George Harrison’s Dark Horse), Music For Pleasure (MFP). All five albums sold for the very reasonable price of £1.99 each, but it wasn’t until Lennon was murdered that they started to sell. Like EMI in Britain, Capitol Records delted the original double album and replaced it with two single albums on their budget label.

Rock’N’Roll Music, Vol. 2 (album)
Released (UK): October 27, 1980
Released (US): October, 1980

The Beatles Box
Released (UK): December, 1980
Released (US): ---
World Records, the mail-order subsidiary of EMI, have released over fifty boxed sets of albums covering the careers of EMI’s top artists. Obviously their ultimate release would be a Beatles collection. Ten years after the Beatles’ split, and following many years of negotiations, World Records were given the right to release this Beatles’ boxed collection. Unlike the EMI Beatles Collection of 1978, it is a collection of completely new albums, in new sleeves and a highly original box. The collection was advertised for the first time in the national press on November 5, 1980 with repeat ads monthly into 1981. As the albums was sold by mail order, its sales would not register in the charts, but at a very reasonable price of £29.75 for eight albums, it was a very good purchase, and its sales must have been increased by the tragic death of John Lennon. Each sleeve contains very well written notes (by Hugh Marshall) being a short biography of the Beatles from 1960 to 1970, with notes on the songs on each album. All eight sleeves contain a different picture to depict the period from which the songs on each album were taken. The track selection was compiled in chronological order by Simon Sinclair.

I Want To Hold Your Hand / I Saw Her Standing There
Can’t Buy Me Love / You Can’t Do That
A Hard Day’s Night / I Should Have Known Better
I’ll Cry Instead / I’m Happy Just To Dance With You
And I Love Her / If I Fell
Matchbox / Slow Down
I Feel Fine / She’s A Woman
Eight Days A Week / I Don’t Want To Spoil The Party
Ticket To Ride / Yes It Is
Help! / I’m Down
Yesterday / Act Naturally
We Can Work It Out / Day Tripper
Nowhere Man / What Goes On
Paperback Writer / Rain
Yellow Submarine / Eleanor Rigby
Penny Lane / Strawberry Fields Forever
All You Need Is Love / Baby You’re A Rich Man (singles)
Released (UK): ---
Released (US): November 30, 1981
In 1965 Capitol re-released six singles on the Starline label; 1981 saw the re-issue of Capitol’s first seventeen Beatles’ singles on this label (thus deleting the original Capitol releases). The singles were originally schedulec to appear on August 31, but were held up on account of problems at the pressing plant; they did not appear until November 1981. None of the re-issues appeared in picture sleeves sported by the original release, but came enclosed in “Starline” bags.

The Beatles EP Collection
Released (UK): December, 1981
Released (US): ---
Following the singles and albums collections of 1976 and 1978, 1981 saw the release of The EP Collection. It contained all of the original 12 EPs in mono, the Magical Mystery Tour double EP in stereo, plus a bonus EP containing previously unavailable stereo versions of four songs.

Reel Music (album)
Released (UK): March 29, 1982
Released (US): March 22, 1982
Yet another compilation album, again originating from Capitol Records in America, where the albums was co-ordinated by Randall Davis. This selection features songs from the Beatles’ five films.

The Beatles Movie Medley / I’m Happy Just To Dance With You (single)
Released (UK): May 24, 1982
Released (US): March 22, 1982
Due to the popularity of the imitation Beatles medley singles by Star Sound / Stars on 45 in 1981, Capitol put together this single using tracks from the Reel Music album (released simultaneously with the single). The single was originally scheduled for release on March 15 with a B side featuring an interview recorded during the filming of A Hard Day’s Night called Fab Four on Film. However due to legal difficulties, the B side had to be changed. Originally, EMI did not consider the single good enough for release in Britain, even though a catalogue number was assigned to it; however, due to demand for imported copies from the US, they eventually relented, and the record was released becoming the Beatles’ 26th Parlophone single.

Love Me Do / P.S. I Love You (single)
Released (UK): October 4, 1982
Released (US): ---
In his editorial (subtitled “A Note to EMI”) in Record Collector magazine (April 1982), Johnny Dean made a special plea to EMI to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the release of the Beatles’ first Parlophone single by re-releasing that single in a picture sleeve on October 5, 1982. And thereafter re-issuing all subsequent releases on their 20th anniversary date. Dean also offered assit in compiling the releases. Up to this point (April 1982) EMI had no plans whatsoever to celebrate the anniversary date; however, on October 4, 1982, the repackage of Love ME Do appeared. To further celebrate the 20th anniversary, EMI released a limited editions picture disc of the Love Me Do single – this being the first official release of its kind to feature the Beatles.

20 Greatest Hits (album)
Released (UK): October 18, 1982
Released (US): ---
The Beatles’ second 20 track compilation album, and the first to feature single tracks only, entered the NME album chart on October 30 at no. 24. It rose to no. 9 the next week staying in the charts for a total of six weeks. The album went gold (100,000 copies) in Britain by October 26.

It is the first Beatles hits album to feature singles tracks only; the 1966 Collection of Beatles Oldies featured two album tracks (Michelle and Yesterday as well as Bad Boy). The 18 singles featured on the album have sold well over 14 million in Britain, with six being million sellers. All have sold over a million globally, with total sales worldwide of around 67 million. EMI had originally scheduled a double album titles The Beatles Greatest Hits, featuring all 22 original single A sides, making a total of 26 tracks (including double sided hits), giving a total running time of over 75 minutes. The album was due for release on October 11, 1982. It was to be TV advertised, and as it would have been the first Beatles album to contain all their original singles – without any album fillers – it would almost certainly have been a massive seller. It wasn’t until a few single-sided white label copies of the double album had been pressed that EMI decided to withdraw the release, in favour of the 20 track single album. EMI’s reason for shelving the double album (making it the first withdrawn British Beatles album) was that other countries were releasing 20 track albums; therefore EMI had to follow suit, and they were afraid of criticism that the double album idea was duplicating the 1962-66 and 1967-70 compilations. The 20 Greatest Hits album, despite not having a TV catalogue number, did receive TV advertising.

20 Greatest Hits (album)
Released (UK): ---
Released (US): October 1982
In America, Capitol compiled their own 20 Greatest Hits album, as the Beatles’ American No. 1s differed slightly from their British chart toppers. All singles were American million sellers, with She Loves You, Can’t Buy Me Love and Get Back selling 3 million copies, Hey Jude over 4 million and I Want To Hold Your Hand a staggering 5 million, making a grand total of over 40 million in the US.

The Beatles Singles Collection
Released (UK): December 6, 1982
Released (US): ---
To further celebrate the 20th anniversary, EMI put together the third collection in their trilogy of box sets. This set contained all 26 British Beatles singles. It is the third re-issue of their singles: The Beatles Singles Collection appeared in 1976. This collection was not available to the public in a box set, although promotional boxed sets were supplied by EMI to DJs and other notable music business personnel. In 1977, The Singles Collection was available from EMI’s mail order subsidiary World Records, as a box set called The Beatles Collection; this included the subsequent releases of Back In The USSR and, later, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band – With A Little Help From My Friend.

[asm]

If anyone has a listen to either the 1976 or 1983 release of "Please Please Me" and the 1963 original-there is a marked and noticiable difference.

[Herkenrath]

Thanks Herkenrath. I was hoping you would add some interesting information to this thread and I certainly wasn't disappointed.

First - I've put in those release dates, thanks.

That record club info is priceless. I wonder if this was used when the 60's American albums were re-certified in the 1990's because the riaa changed the rules then to allow record club sales to be included in certifications.

Would be interesting to know which sales are included in RIAA certifications.

My Canadian figures are ready, except I'm trying to ascertain if the cria follow the riaa and award double the sales to double albums. Can you help?

I have no clue about Canadian criteria, but I'm sure there are people here at UKmix that know about that.

[Basil]

Part Six - UK Album Sales

Most of these figures come from Fedepeti and Miguel

Original Studio Albums

Please Please Me - 600,000
Fedepeti figures are not dated but look to be quite old - possibly just for the 1960's only. So,this figure looks too low, given it's huge chart performance, continuous availability for 42 years and CD sales since 1987.

With the Beatles - 1,500,000

A Hard Day's Night - 2,000,000

Beatles For Sale - 800,000
This figure seems too low/out of date

Help - 700,000
Too low again?

Rubber Soul - 2,500,000
Miguel's figures are more recent - from Q magazine in 1997. Fedepeti's figure was 800,000 which makes me think they are definitely 60's figures.

Revolver - 1,750,000

Sgt Pepper - 5,329,000
The UK's biggest selling album - sales up to September 2005

The Beatles - 2,200,000

Yellow Submarine
Don't know. Probably less than 1m.

Abbey Road - 3,200,000

Let It Be - 1,000,000

Compilations

1962-1966
1967-1970
Both of these "shipped" 300,000 back in 1973. Sales of both likely well over 1m.

Beatles One - 2,600,000

CD Era Releases

Magical Mystery Tour
Shipped 100,000 in CD format. Earlier Import and some UK sales from belated 1976 vinyl release.

Past Masters Vol 1
Past Masters Vol 2
No certification. Must be 100,000 each after 17 years on CD and these are essential to any fan to complete their collection

Studio Box (15CD's)
No figures. Perhaps 10-20,000

At the Beeb
Shipped 600,000. Sold 590,000 in it's first year.

Anthology One
Shipped 600,000.

Anthology Two
Shipped 300,000

Anthology Three
Shipped 100,000. Sold 140,000 in first year.

Yellow Submarine Songtrack
Shipped 100,000. Sold 68,000 in first year.

Let It Be - Naked
Shipped 100,000. Sold 216,000 in first year.

Capitol Box Vol 1
Very low sales in the UK

Other Compilations/Exploitation - not on CD

Collection of Beatles Oldies
No figures. 100,000??

Rock n Roll Music
Shipped 100,000

Live at the Hollywood Bowl
Shipped 100,000 in first year and TV advertised. Must have sold a lot more.

Love Songs
Shipped 100,000

Rarities
Shipped 60,000

Ballads
Shipped 100,000

20 Greatest Hits
Shipped 300,000. Could have sold up to 1,000,000

Beatles featuring Tony Sheridan
Shipped 100,000

Hey Jude
Low sales, sold more on import before 1979 vinyl release.

So there's a lot we don't know about UK Sales. EMI know, but it's a secret!

I estimate that in the 24 years from 1963-1986, they sold 29 million albums. We know that since 1987 they have sold 11 million. This gives an estimated total sale of 40 million albums.

[Basil]

Can't find ABBEY ROAD figures Basil.

Hi asm

See Third Post on Page One - UK Albums.

Have now posted UK Album sales - see above. Lots of gaps as you can see!

[Basil]

Basil, here's some info related to the official Beatles EMI/Capitol catalogue of the years 1976 to 1982. It is not really sales-related, but I thought it would be the appropriate thread anyway.

Many thanks Herkenrath.

It's useful additional data for all the posts I plan on this thread.

Didn't know that Magical Mystery Tour and Hey Jude got released in the UK in the 70's. As you say, they were readily available as imports anyway.

The Hollywood Bowl album really should be on CD. There is simply no other album quite like it. Talk about hysteria.

On the first post - USA albums, I've added year of certification. This shows that the catalogue is always certified in batches.

It also shows some certs may be overdue.

For example

Yellow Submarine. Shipped 1m by 1991. Since then it has scanned well over 1m

[Basil]

Part Seven - Beatles Soundtracks

The band made 5 films while they were together. Curiously, the "soundtracks" to these films all appeared in 2 versions. So which versions are closest to being an actual soundtrack.

A Hard Day's Night
In the UK this was the usual 14 track album released just to co-incide with the film. Some of the songs were in the film and some not.

The US version was much closer to a soundtrack containing music by George Martin. This has not come out on CD. Perhaps a Capitol Albums Box Vol 2 is required?

Help
Same as above. A 14 track album in the UK just to co-incide and a US release with George Martin music.

Magical Mystery Tour
The 6 new songs for the film were released as a double EP in the UK.

Capitol in the US were baffled by the idea of a double EP - didn't fit into any boxes at all. So they added 5 tracks from recent singles and made an album. In doing so they made a cracking record that is up there with Sgt Pepper before it and the White Album afterwards. It sold very well, including in the UK on import. In 1987 it was released worldwide on CD - the only "American Only" album that was included.

Yellow Submarine
Initial UK and US release was the same for once and included George Martin's music. With only four new songs which weren't the band's best-ever, never sold quite as well as their other albums.

Then in 1999 they released a "songtrack" featuring all the songs in the film.

Let It Be
Recorded in early 1969 and released after Abbey Road - their real last album. The overdubs were added a year later prior to it's spring 1970 release.

In 2003, released as Let It Be - Naked with no overdubs so closer to the material being worked on in the film.

This film finally gets a DVD release later this year now that some of the lost audio tracks have been found.

[Basil]

Part Eight - UK Singles

Key
year of release
title
UK Chart Peak
US Chart Peak - post on US singles will follow
UK Sales

The Original 22 UK Singles

1962 Love Me Do - 4 - 1 - 300,000
1963 Please Please Me - 2 - 3 - 350,000
1963 From Me To You - 1 - 41 - 720,000
1963 She Loves You - 1 - 1 - 1,890,000
1963 I Want to Hold Your Hand - 1 - 1 - 1,750,000
1964 Can't Buy Me Love - 1 - 1 - 1,520,000
1964 A Hard Day's Night - 1 - 1 - 750,000
1964 I Feel Fine - 1 - 1 - 1,410,000
1965 Ticket to Ride - 1 - 1 - 580,000
1965 Help - 1 - 1 - 905,000
1965 We Can Work It Out/Daytripper - 1 - 1 - 1,385,000
1966 Paperback Writer - 1 - 1 - 540,000
1966 Yellow Submarine/Eleanor Rigby - 1 - 2 - 520,000
1967 Penny Lane/Strawberry Fields - 2 - 1 - 540,000
1967 All You Need Is Love - 1 - 1 - 570,000
1967 Hello Goodbye - 1 - 1 - 790,000
1968 Lady Madonna - 1 - 4 - 300,000
1968 Hey Jude - 1 - 1 - 940,000
1969 Get Back - 1 - 1 - 580,000
1969 Ballad Of John & Yoko - 1 - 8 - 320,000
1969 Something/Come Together - 4 - 1 - 200,000
1970 Let It Be - 2 - 1 - 300,000

Other Singles

1963 My Bonnie - 48 - 26
1976 Yesterday - 8 - 1
1976 Back in the USSR - 19 - nr
1978 Sgt Pepper/Help From My Friends - 63 - 71
1982 Movie Medley - 10 - 12
1995 Baby It's You - 7 - 67
1995 Free As A Bird - 2 - 6
1996 Real Love - 4 - 11

So, 17 UK Number One Singles, and 13 Singles were Number One in both the UK and US.

The sales figures have been based on the following link.

http://beatlelinks.net/forums/showthread.php?t=1351

However there is a problem. The total for the 22 Original UK Singles comes to only 17,160,000. The Channel 4 list of 2 years ago gave a total of 20,800,000. This leaves 3,640,000 missing.

Maybe the other 8 singles could have sold up to 1m, but this would still leave at least 2.6m unaccounted for.

We have to conclude that the sales figures are simply out of date and sales of the 22 Original Singles listed above are too low.