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US
106 QUEEN GREATEST HITS 4,502 -35 6,889 7,020,779
How many copies has GH sold before SoundScan era?
Catalog
162 QUEEN GREATEST HITS-WE WILL ROCK YOU 1,362 -9 1,489 1,098,214
Thank you.
These two versions were released during the Soundscan era.
But the original one, from 1981, was certified platinum (1,000,000 copies) four weeks after it was released. It was available thorugh Columbia House during the eighties (sold 10,000 copies according to Soundscan).
Many thanks, HUR!
Wow, I thought the numbers were bigger. But on the other hand, they lost the US audience after I Want To Break Free video :-? Anyway, ~9mln copies sold is still amazing
Freddie, always in our hearts. The best songwriter, arranger, singer, and showman ever to walk our planet.
Originally posted by arab
Many thanks, HUR!
Wow, I thought the numbers were bigger. But on the other hand, they lost the US audience after I Want To Break Free video :-? Anyway, ~9mln copies sold is still amazing
Yes, that video didn't really help them in the United States, I imagine. Other than that, it was a perfectly commercial song.
It reached sales of 211 during August. During 2012, Platinum Collection sold 1,119 copies in South Korea.
Originally posted by innocenteyes
Originally posted by HUR
Australia Back Catalogue Albums
9 (10) Greatest Hits (51 weeks)
Must be close to 15 x Platinum now.
Agreed. I noticed this album has spent 51 weeks in the Catalogue Top 50.
But more important, if a weekly Top 150 or 200 was compiled every week -and there were no price restrictions-, this album would always be in there. I can understand how it sold over a million after nearly 31 years.
The problem is that Queen switched to Universal Music in 2011, their new record company will need to combine its sales with what was certified before.
And we don't even know what went on before 1984, when their catalogue was under Warner.
These were their record labels in Australia:
1973 to 1983: Warner/Elektra
1984 to 2010: EMI
2011 to present: Universal
EMI (who controlled their distribution between 1984 and 2010) assured they certified Greatest Hits (14 times platinum, with 1,000,000 claimed) using their own information, and nothing from 1981 to 1983. But I have been told that EMI may have already have been pressing some copies before 1984, not sure what to think about it.
Here is a Billboard claim, from June 1982:
"WEA's 1981 achievements included the biggest selling non-tv album of the year with John and Yoko's 'Double Fantasy' (285,000), along with Richard Clayderman's 'Reveries' (175,000), Queen's 'Greatest Hits' (170,000)…" (Billboard, June 1982).
Clearly, they are stating Greatest Hits reached shipments of 170,000 during 1981, so I guess it had definitely reached 210,000 by early 1984 (the equivalent of a modern triple platinum).
Thank you for your weekly Australian posts, they are great.
Agreed. I noticed this album has spent 51 weeks in the Catalogue Top 50.
But more important, if a weekly Top 150 or 200 was compiled every week -and there were no price restrictions-, this album would always be in there. I can understand how it sold over a million after nearly 31 years.
The problem is that Queen switched to Universal Music in 2011, their new record company will need to combine its sales with what was certified before.
Thank you for your weekly Australian posts, they are great.
Thank you .
Completely forgot that they switched to Universal. Then, we shouldn't hold our breath for another cert unfortunately. I think that it must've sold 60-70k units since it was certified 14 x Plat in 2007.
With EMI's sales, total sales must stand at 1,250,000 units. That would place it at #3 or #4 on the list of biggest selling albums in Australia (depending whether Brothers In Arms sold more but I wouldn't be surprised if Queen's GH was above BIA).
Although not posted in his website, MJDangerous has also compiled an all time list of the best selling bands worldwide, with albums, singles, digital downloads and music videos added together. These were the results for Queen:
3- Queen: 260,000,000
Albums – 178,000,000
Physical Singles – 45,000,000
Digital downloads – 25,000,000
Music Videos – 12,000,000
No link, it was information shared via private. Anyway, only groups were included in this ranking, not solo acts. I think you would like to know about Madonna's total. I will ask him about it perhaps and, if you want, I will send you the information via private.
Great, fantastic, wonderful - Queen back in the top 75 UK album chart!
Can't believe they've charted higher this week then the week after they performed at the Olympics Closing ceremony. I wonder how many weeks this is now in the official chart - must have beaten 'Bat Out of Hell' and be close to 'Rumours' by now.
I really hope in their sales analysis this week Musicweek give some commentary on current Queen UK album sales as we haven't had any official figures for ages.. :-?
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