Queen :: Charts & Sales History

[HUR]

I wouldn't expect much from the reissues myself. they are going to be very expensive and will only appeal to a minoriry. If the movie is any success, then some compilations, such as "Absolute Greatest" are going to sell plenty of copies, and the soundtrack too. Personally, I would like them to release remaster versions of "Greatest Hits" and "Greatest Hits 2", 30th and 20th anniversaries will happen next year. Don't expect a success like "Mamma Mia" anyway, Abba's music is perfect for a love movie; not sure if this film is going to do as well (I don't think so).

[EdWood]

Queen's retail sales for the period 1984-2009 are 17,000,298. There is also up to 500,000 missing sales for years when Queen werent in the top 50 selling acts. If you take roughly 300,000 for these then it would be 17,300,298. This is more then Robbie Williams. This is ONLY for 1984 to 2009. Remember Queen were selling records in the UK from 1973 to 1983 - a full eleven years of sales!! Plus Absolute Greatest sales up to mid September in 2010 were estimated to 106.2k - probably this is now nearly 120K. With other catalog sales they have probably sold 150K?

SO - so far from 1984 to 2010 - Queen have sold (over the counter) 17,450,298 albums in the UK - more then Robbie. Only Madonna will have sold more in the UK (for the period 1984-2010) and this will nearly be her total sales as she only started selling in 1983...

With Queen having a new record contract next year with Universal - the largest record company in the world, with all their studio albums re-issued expanded, the future releases of the BBC sessions, the Anthology/archive boxsets and the release of the new Queen biopic and possible We Will Rock You film, their sales for the next few years at least should be huge as well!

Anyone's opinions - HUR what do you think?

[HUR]

About Portugal, I have now found this

More about Portugal. Best selling albums per year, or at least the ones I found. Some annual charts.

Best selling albums of 1978

1 - Saturday Night Fever - Bee Gees
2 - The Kick Inside - Kate Bush
3 - O Casarão - Banda Sonora
4 - News Of The World - Queen
5 - Some Girls - Rolling Stones
6 - And Then There Were Three - Genesis
7 - 30 Sucessos Explosivos - Vários (Polystar)
8 - Deliverance - Space
9 - Grease - Banda Sonora
10 - Portfolio - Grace Jones

Best selling singles of 1978

1 - Wuthering Heights - Kate Bush
2 - Rivers Of Babylon - Boney M
3 - Aba-Ni-Bi - Izhar Cohen & Alpha Beta
4 - Stayin' Alive - Bee Gees
5 - Canção Proibida - Marco Paulo
6 - Nuvem Passageira - Hermes Aquino
7 - Cry To Me - Sérgio & Madi*
8 - One For You, One For Me - La Bionda*
9 - Um Português - Linda de Suza
10 - We Are The Champions - Queen
11 - Mocidade, Mocidade - António Calvário
12 - Unlimited Citations - Café Creme
13 - My Life - Ed Costa
14 - Verde Vinho - Paulo Alexandre
15 - Terra da Maria - Roberto Leal
16 - Recordar É Viver - Victor Espadinha
17 - My Life - Michael Sullivan
18 - Night Fever - Bee Gees
19 - Bailemos Un Vals - José Velez
20 - Parlez Vous Français - Baccara

Best selling albums of 1989

1-Raices - Júlio Iglesias
2-Like A prayer - Madonna
3-Tracy Chapman - Tracy Chapman
4-Delicate Sound Of Thunder - Pink Floyd
5-Lambada - Kaoma
6-Sassaricando - Banda Sonora
7-Watermark - Enya
8-Miracle - Queen
9-Roberto Carlos - Roberto Carlos
10-Crossroads - Tracy Chapman

Best selling albums of 1991

1 - MCMXC a.D. - Enigma
2 - Out Of Time - R.E.M.
3 - Waking Up The Neighbours - Bryan Adams
4 - Twin Peaks - Banda Sonora
5 - Bachata Rosa - Juan Luis Guerra
6 - The Very Best Of - Supertramp
7 - The Beach Boys Collection - The Beach Boys
8 - Innuendo - Queen
9 - Mingos & Os Samurais - Rui Veloso
10 - Tieta - Banda Sonora

Best selling albums of 1992

1 - Palavras Ao Vento - Resistência
2 - Rock In Rio Douro - GNR
3 - Nevermind - Nirvana
4 - Use Your Illusion II - Guns N' Roses
5 - Greatest Hits II - Queen
6 - Live At Wembley 86 - Queen
7 - Still Loving You - Scorpions
8 - ABBA Gold: Greatest Hits - ABBA
9 - Stars - Simply Red
10 - Earthrise - Vários (Polygram)

Best selling albums of 1993

1 - The Bodyguard - Whitney Houston / Banda Sonora
2 - Tutte Storie - Eros Ramazzotti
3 - Bigger, Better, Faster, More! - 4 Non Blondes
4 - On The Night - Dire Straits
5 - Timeless - Michael Bolton
6 - Ten Summoner's Tales - Sting
7 - Love Classics - Vários
8 - 16 Top World Charts 93 - Vários (Vidisco)
9 - Super Mix 8 - Vários
10 - Five Live - George Michael + Queen e Lisa Stansfield

Best selling albums of 1995

1 - 1492 The Conquest of Paradise - Vangelis
2 - Laura Pausini - Laura Pausini
3 - Álbum Dance - Iran Costa
4 - No Need To Argue - Cranberries
5 - Nº1 - Vários
6 - Made In Heaven - Queen
7 - These Days - Bon Jovi
8 - D'Eux - Celine Dion
9 - Pulse - Pink Floyd
10 - The Colour Of My Love - Celine Dion

Some impressive results.

Here an article about the best selling albums ever in the country:

"Qual é o álbum mais vendido em Portugal?

«Mingos e os Samurais», de Rui Veloso, com mais de 140.000 cópias, datado de 1990. Segue-se «Waking up the Neighbours», de Bryan Adams, de 1991, com mais de 120 mil exemplares. Da colectânea de êxitos «Número Um», editada pela Sony em 1993, venderam-se mais de 100 mil unidades e «Delicate Sound of Thunder», dos Pink Floyd (1988), teve mais de 80 mil cópias vendidas, o que também foi o caso de «Greatest Hits II», dos Queen, editado em 1991."

"Greatest Hits II" is arguably a better a catalog seller than the above albums. So its sales would have risen since then.

Apparently, "The Works" was one of the best sellers in its year of release.

[nucleardolphin]

ok, nice one! Queen here ranked as the 7th most greatest band by Myspace users worldwide! here is the list...
Top Ten Bands
1 AC/DC
2 Nirvana
3 Red Hot Chilli Peppers
4 Beatles
5 Guns N Roses
6 Coldplay
7 Queen
8 Metallica
9 U2
10 Led Zeppelin

here is the link..http://www.couriermail.com.au/entertain ... 5935430066

[borderwolf]

Norway
mid-price, week 39

# 1 Queen - Absolute Greatest

http://lister.farojournalen.no/liste_mu ... l?liste=22

[loris39]

Billboard top-200 Catalogue albums

#95 QUEEN GREATEST HITS 1,475 16 1,269 6,801,248

#126 QUEEN GREATEST HITS-WE WILL ROCK YOU 1,243 0 1,238 930,653

[Lawyeris]

I suppose Universal will release his new Greatest Hits compilation, or maybe brand new Queen album finishing those Queen demos with Freddies vocals on it. Or maybe Queen Anthologies?

[zeus555]

Here is a 'Daily Mail' Article about the Queen Film:,

http://smurl.name/hx53

Zeus555

[slightlymad]

This announcement should help shift a few copies of Universals reissues of Queen's back catalogue when they get issued next year. 2011/12 could turn out to be very good years for Queen and their fans

The film which all Hollywood has been hotly pursuing is finally on track to be made – it is the Freddie Mercury story, this week announced by GK Films in partnership with Robert de Niro’s and Jane Rosenthal’s Tribeca Productions and Queen Films.

Two-time Academy Award®-nominated screenwriter Peter Morgan (“The Queen,” “Frost/Nixon”) is already at work on the script of the currently untitled film, which will feature Academy Award® nominee Sacha Baron Cohen in the starring role.

Baron Cohen will play the legendary front man of the iconic rock band Queen, and the currently untitled drama will focus on the years leading up to Queen’s appearance at the historic Live Aid concert in 1985 when the band famously took the event by storm.

Production is set to begin in 2011. GK Film’s Graham King said today, “Queen is one of the greatest rock bands of all time, and a music brand all unto itself. Freddie Mercury was an awe-inspiring performer, so with Sacha in the starring role coupled with Peter’s screenplay and the support of Queen, we have the perfect combination to tell the real story behind their success.”

Baron Cohen is currently starring in Martin Scorsese’s “Hugo Cabret,” also produced by GK Films. His recent credits have included “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” and his “Bruno” and “Borat” feature films, based on characters from his British TV series “Da Ali G Show.” Baron Cohen was nominated for an Academy Award® for his adapted screenplay for “Borat” as well as winning the Golden Globe for his performance in the comedy feature. He has also won two BAFTA’s for his work on “Da Ali G Show.” Baron Cohen is currently writing and plans to star in an Untitled/Goat Herder feature film for Paramount Pictures.

Peter Morgan has seen his career go from strength to strength over recent years. In addition to his Academy Award®-nominated credits he also recently wrote the acclaimed “The Last King of Scotland” starring Forest Whitaker, who won the Academy Award® for Best Male Actor, ”The Other Boleyn Girl” and “The Damned United,” as well as his Emmy-nominated TV dramas “The Special Relationship” and “Longford.” His current film “Hereafter” directed by Clint Eastwood is set for its theatrical release through Warner Bros. Pictures following its debut at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Queen have sold over 170 million albums and scored countless number one albums and singles around the world including such classics as “We Will Rock You,” “We are the Champions,” “Another One Bites the Dust.” “Radio Ga Ga,” and, of course, “Bohemian Rhapsody.”

Queen’s smash hit stage musical “We Will Rock You” continues to pack the 2,000 seat Dominion Theatre in London’s West End nightly, 9 years after its opening, and with additional productions springing up around the world has now been seen by more than 11 million people.

Sacha Baron Cohen is repped by WmE Entertainment. Peter Morgan is repped by United Talent in the US and Independent Talent Group in the UK

[EdWood]

Someone at Haven.com has estimated sales for Queen's Absolute Greatest UK sales as 106.2k this year so far putting it in 66th position altogether, and total sales of 651.2k. It is at number 78 in this weeks chart.

[HUR]

I don't think these Mexican certifications have been posted in this topic. I do have them since several years, provided by Braca (with information supplied by EMI). I guess I should include them in this topic. This is what I have for Queen in Mexico:

The Game 100,000 (Gold)
Greatest Hits 250,000 (Platinum)
Innuendo 150,000 (Platinum)
Greatest Hits II 250,000 (Platinum)
Made In Heaven 100,000 (Gold)

The certification for "Innuendo" was applied in September 1992, it may have moved a few thousands ever since then. "Made In Heaven" was certified within a few weeks of going on sale, it could have sold more. The compilation may not be updated but it is something; I wish I could know the date of each certification.

Below is the impressive chart performance of "The Game" in Israel:

09/05: 7
09/12: ?
09/20: ?
09/27: ?
10/03: ?
10/10: ?
10/17: ?
10/24: 3
10/31: 6
11/07: 9
11/14: 7
11/21: 5
11/28: 7
12/05: 7
12/12: 6

No information for some weeks as it can be seen; but the missing weeks coincide with when "Another One Bites The Dust" was released (reached #1 in Israel; "Play The Game" went to #2 from what I have seen). This is from the "Hits of the world" section, in the Billboard magazine.

It looks to have reached #3 and spent at least 15 weeks in the Top 10.

[trueno]

Absolute chart run in Italy Top 100

32-21-22-23-24-29-26-26-26-25-28-27-41-29-59-70-70-77-89-79-74-Out-75-59-84-96-Out-74-97-Out-Out-Out-Out-Out-Out-Out-80-Out-Out-Out-Out-Out

[HUR]

New gold certifications for "Absolute Greatest".

Italy
gold (30,000 copies)

ABSOLUTE GREATEST
QUEEN
EMI
EMI MKTG
13/11/2009

EMI's Top selling albums worldwide in 2009:

1 Robbie Williams Reality Killed The Video Star
2 Norah Jones The Fall
3 Lily Allen It’s Not Me, It’s You
4 Various Artists Now Thats What I Call Music! 74
5 Depeche Mode Sounds Of The Universe
6 Queen Absolute Greatest
7 David Guetta One Love
8 Lady Antebellum Lady Antebellum
9 The Beatles Abbey Road
10 Various Artists Now Thats What I Call Music! 73

[borderwolf]

Norway
mid-price, week 37

Queen - Absolute Greatest
debuted at # 2

[kingjack]

This probably means that the beatles album sold 1.9M since it was released in 2000 i think, but "only" 0,6m since 2001 when this decade has begun! I think it´s that!

[borderwolf]

Me too, I want a source for portuguese album chart before 2003...!!!!

[blackcat]

More than a year ago, I remember posting the following peak positions for Queen in Portugal:

The Works: #1
A Kind Of Magic: #3
The Miracle: #3
Innuendo: #1
Greatest Hits 2: #1
Live At Wembley '86: #1
Made In Heaven: #1
Queen Rocks: #27
Greatest Hits 3: #4
Queen On Fire: #9

From Portugal, I have now found this:

Albums
05/08/1989
Nº 01 – JÚLIO IGLÉSIAS – "Raíces"
Nº 02 – V/A – "Sassaricando"
Nº 03 – NANA MOUSKOURY – "Classical"
Nº 04 – QUEEN – "Miracle"
Nº 05 – THE CURE - "Disintegration"
Nº 06 – PAUL McCARTNEY - "Flowers In The Dirt"
Nº 07 – MADONNA – "Like A Prayer"
Nº 08 – STEVIE NICKS - "The Other Side of the Mirror"
Nº 09 – SIMPLE MINDS - "Street Fighting Years"
Nº 10 – ONDA CHOC – "Será Que Ele Pensa Em Mim"

Singles
05/08/1989
Nº 01 – MADONNA – "Like A Prayer"
Nº 02 – DA VINCI - "O Conquistador"
Nº 03 – XUTOS&PONTAPÉS - "Se Me Amas"
Nº 04 – BANGLES – "Eternal Flame"
Nº 05 – BANANARAMA – "Help"
Nº 06 – RITA LLE/R. CARVALHO - "Sassaricando"
Nº 07 – JASON DONOVAN - "Too Many Broken Hearts"
Nº 08 – QUEEN - "I Want It All"
Nº 09 – THE CURE - "Lullaby"
Nº 10 – Vários Artistas - "Pirilampo Mágico"

Japan

Last decade best selling international albums

1. Queen - Jewels (1,343,228)
2. t.A.T.u. - 200 Km / H in the Wrong Lane (1,075,445)
3. Avril Lavigne - Under My Skin (976,645)
4. Avril Lavigne - Best Damn Thing (931,586)
5. Enya - For Lovers (915,621)
6. Avril Lavigne - Let Go (898,035)
7. O-Zone - Discozone (858,879)
8. Backstreet Boys - Hits: Chapter One (846,624)
9. Britney Spears - Greatest Hits: My Prerogative (717,185)
10. The Beatles - Beatles 1 (625,485 / Total 1,964,165)

Don't understand the figures for Beatles 1 here, Hur, it has 625,485, and then a total figure of some 1.9 million. ??

[HUR]

More than a year ago, I remember posting the following peak positions for Queen in Portugal:

The Works: #1
A Kind Of Magic: #3
The Miracle: #3
Innuendo: #1
Greatest Hits 2: #1
Live At Wembley '86: #1
Made In Heaven: #1
Queen Rocks: #27
Greatest Hits 3: #4
Queen On Fire: #9

About Portugal, I have now found this:

Albums
05/08/1989
Nº 01 – JÚLIO IGLÉSIAS – "Raíces"
Nº 02 – V/A – "Sassaricando"
Nº 03 – NANA MOUSKOURY – "Classical"
Nº 04 – QUEEN – "Miracle"
Nº 05 – THE CURE - "Disintegration"
Nº 06 – PAUL McCARTNEY - "Flowers In The Dirt"
Nº 07 – MADONNA – "Like A Prayer"
Nº 08 – STEVIE NICKS - "The Other Side of the Mirror"
Nº 09 – SIMPLE MINDS - "Street Fighting Years"
Nº 10 – ONDA CHOC – "Será Que Ele Pensa Em Mim"

Singles
05/08/1989
Nº 01 – MADONNA – "Like A Prayer"
Nº 02 – DA VINCI - "O Conquistador"
Nº 03 – XUTOS&PONTAPÉS - "Se Me Amas"
Nº 04 – BANGLES – "Eternal Flame"
Nº 05 – BANANARAMA – "Help"
Nº 06 – RITA LLE/R. CARVALHO - "Sassaricando"
Nº 07 – JASON DONOVAN - "Too Many Broken Hearts"
Nº 08 – QUEEN - "I Want It All"
Nº 09 – THE CURE - "Lullaby"
Nº 10 – Vários Artistas - "Pirilampo Mágico"

Japan

Last decade best selling international albums

1. Queen - Jewels (1,343,228)
2. t.A.T.u. - 200 Km / H in the Wrong Lane (1,075,445)
3. Avril Lavigne - Under My Skin (976,645)
4. Avril Lavigne - Best Damn Thing (931,586)
5. Enya - For Lovers (915,621)
6. Avril Lavigne - Let Go (898,035)
7. O-Zone - Discozone (858,879)
8. Backstreet Boys - Hits: Chapter One (846,624)
9. Britney Spears - Greatest Hits: My Prerogative (717,185)
10. The Beatles - Beatles 1 (625,485 / Total 1,964,165)

[trueno]

Absolute chart run in Spain:

36-37-29-20-24-22-21-34-40-47-60-60-60-61-86-81-92-68-out top 100-out-out-out-out-out-out-out-out-out-out-out-out-out-out-58-35-31-35-29-32-32-37-40

[trueno]

Absolute chart run in Sweden:

11-6-5-8-9-10-12-21-19-22-25-26-27-33-40-39-42-35-35-33-41-36-59-59-42-54-OUT TOP 60-53-51-OUT-OUT-OUT-OUT-46-59-52-56-51-OUT-OUT-OUT

[zeus555]

Here is what UK Trade Magazine, 'Music Week',
said about 'Bohemian Rhapsody', rising in UK Sales
to 2.3 Million, in the Top 100 UK Million Sellers
Chart, which was Broadcast - by BBC Radio 2 - on
Monday 30th August:,


"A number of other singles that were already above 1m sales have increased their tallies in the download era, including Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody, which has added about 170,000 extra sales to take its total to 2.3m and third place on the list; Bryan Adams’ (Everything I Do) I Do It For You whose additional 140,000 sales have taken its total above 1.6m; and Soft Cell’s Tainted Love, now with more than 1.2m sales after selling around 100,000 downloads".

Zeus555

[EdWood]

Don't know if this has been posted but Queen Absolute Greatest has been in the Canadian Top 100 album chart for some weeks now - it is currently at number 87 on the national charts.....

It has just dropped outside the UK top 100 album chart at number 101 this week (down from 91)..UK shipments probably over 750,000 now?

[james125]

good information, thanks for sharing

[nucleardolphin]

Wow, thats impressive stuff for Japan, I had no idea they were so popular there during the 70's. Que bien!

[HUR]

HUR nice info, could you tell me what do the numbers mean on the list of top 10 artists in europe?

The numbers are points, based on charts performance.

Here are Queen stats on the All Japan Pop 20 chart. It was a combination of sales, airplay and listeners' votes:

Peak Position(#1:weeks)/ The Date(Peak Position)/ Points / Song Title

Queen

#40/ May.5.1974/ -/ Keep Yourself Alive
#12/ Sep.1.1974/ 556/ Seven Seas of Rhye
#1(7 weeks)/ Apr.6.1975/ 1584/ Killer Queen
#2/ Jul.13.1975/ 1534/ Now I'm Here
#1(3 weeks)/ Mar.21.1976/ 1468/ Bohemian Rhapsody
#2/ Jul.25.1976/ 1314/ You're My Best Friend
#1(2 weeks)/ Feb.6.1977/ 1491/ Somebody to Love
#3/ May.22.1977/ 1260/ Teo Torriatte (Let Us Cling Together)
#4/ Sep.18.1977/ 908/ Tie Your Mother Down
#2/ Jan.8.1978/ 1208/ We Are the Champions
#9/ Jul.16.1978/ 754/ It's Late
#2/ Dec.17.1978/ 1065/ Bicycle Race
#3/ May.6.1979/ 1271/ Don't Stop Me Now
#11/ Jul.29.1979/ 701/ Love of My Life(live)
#28/ Dec.30.1979/ -/ We Will Rock You
#2/ Feb.10.1980/ 1178/ Crazy Little Thing Called Love
#6/ Jun.15.1980/ -/ Save Me
#6/ Aug.24.1980/ -/ Play the Game
#3/ Nov.15.1980/ -/ Another One Bites the Dust
#3/ Mar.28.1981/ -/ Flash
#7/ Jul.3.1982/ -/ Body Language

Queen & David Bowie

#14/ Dec.20.1981/ 627/ Under Pressure

"Killer Queen" was the top song of 1975 and "Bohemian Rhapsody" the top song of 1976.