Queen :: Charts & Sales History

[HUR]

well said cidermaster! i don't wanna make trouble,queen are one of my fave bands.I wanted to say they played the "media coverage"game,instead of led zep.it's a respectable choice.I'm pretty sure LZ sales are underestimated in the UK,even if they're far from queen.Their best selling records are ALL hits packages.beacause they released pop oriented singles,(a lot of them are classics anyway).i doubt queen outsell led zeppelin

No problem, but if Queen is one of your favourite bands, I donīt understand why put that message. In every mayor country their main album is a compilation, thatīs right, but we simplely donīt know how much their would have sold, if they didnīt release such a huge number of compilations.

Their catalog is still selling well in most countries. In the last three years, they sold 2,921,000 in USA, thatīs very good. In Japan they are huge.

And well, if you donīt agree I respect that, but itīs quite clear (at least to me) that Queen sold more records.

[HUR]

No disrespect here HUR but Queen are far more commercial than Led Zeppelin,far far more commercial.

Queen were heavily influenced by Led Zeppelin,infact Brian May really looks up to Jimmy Page.

Pound for Pound Page beats May,Bonham beats Taylor,Jones beats Deacon,as for Mercury he probalby does have the edge over Plant.

Page is ahead in every main poll done on Guitarists.Usually way way ahead.

As for Queen having more impact,well Zep are a much bigger infuence on Rock music.

Zep outsell Queen in USA,Australia,Canada among others,and almost certainly outsell them globally.

Zep have the biggest selling music DVD in the world.

Queen's Rodger Taylor rates Led Zep the best Rock band ever.

That said Queen are massive and great.

Also Led Zep broke up much earlier than intended and were far far far less commercial.

IF Bonham had not died then Zep would easily have sold more than Queen in sales,easily,instead of maybe.

Zep made a mistake of not releasing singles in UK.

They had planned to be more accessable to the media in 80s,but of course Bonham died.

Cheers Cidermaster

yes, queen was a far more commercial band than Led zeppelin, but is that a deffect?. Queen made songs with far more complex and elaborated arrangements, more production than Led Zeppelin, and yet their songs are more easy-listening. You want people to think that is something negative but, on the contrary, thatīs brilliant. What other bands have been able to make songs as complex as "Killer queen", "Bohemian rhapsody", "Somebody to love", "We are the champons", "Innuendo" and many others, and still so listeneables as these ones.

On the other hand, you say that Led Zeppelin musicians are better than Queenīs. Thatīs a joke. Letīs make a comparisson:

Freddie and Robert Plant

Freddie is definately a more complete singers, both are close in my opinion, but Fredie made things that no other popular singer has been able to make he made operatic arrangements; gospell; he emulated several instruments with his voice; he sang as a soprano singer in the song "The kiss"; he performed a "bolero" (listen "the great pretender), and he wrote, arranged, performed and produced an opera album (listen to "Barcelona" from 1988)

He made a symphonic movement, where the main motif was written and arranged by him (as I have said, listen to the "The kiss") and based on this the arranger Howard Blake made the rest of the song.

Brian and Jimmy Page

Both good guitarrists, but neither of them were a virtuoso in this regerd (they are not even close to, say, Slash or steve Vai), but yet Brian was far better, with more conditions and able to emulate other instruments with his guitar as he did it in "Procession", "good company" or "The millionaire waltz" where the guitar sounded as violin.

He was a better song-writer and arranger, and he made thing that Jimmy Page was not able to do. He awsa also producer, and he composed, arranged and performed (he played acustic and electric guitar, he sang, made backing vocals and such, besides playing piano. He far more capable, no doubt about it.

Roger and John Bonham

Well John Bonham was a better drummer, thatīs true, but as a general artist Roger was far better. He was song-writer and arranger and made several number one hits ("Radio ga-ga" and "A akind of magic"), he was producer and also singers (he made lead vocals, backing vocals, harmonies, and scream). He could play drums and sing at the same time.

John and John Paul Jones

Well, yet again they were close as bassist. But Queenīs bass lines were far more complex, as you can see in songs like "The millionaire waltz", "The fairy feller master stroke" or "the hitman". He also palyed guitar and piano, and was a great composer and arranger, certainli better.

So I canīt say that Queen were better, they were both very different. But Queen musicians were far better and complete than Led zeppelin. They were all song-writer, arranger, performers, producers, they had three singers and were able to do on their own things that other bands couldnīt.

And yes, itīs quite clear that Queen sold more records than Led Zeppelin counting singles, videos and albums in my opinion.

[braca]

queen studio albums are very poor! they practically sell only greatest hits packages and stuff like that.i tjink it's time to uptade led zeppelin uk sales.i'm pretty sure they are at least at 10 or 11 million.

Interesting post!
at what number do you consider album sales to be very poor?
And what has the 1st sentence got to do with the other? The price of crude oil will go up. I had an indian last night.

[braca]

Zep outsell Queen in USA,Australia,Canada among others,and almost certainly outsell them globally. Also Led Zep broke up much earlier than intended and were far far far less commercial.

IF Bonham had not died then Zep would easily have sold more than Queen in sales,easily,instead of maybe.

Zep made a mistake of not releasing singles in UK.

They had planned to be more accessable to the media in 80s,but of course Bonham died.

Cheers Cidermaster

Cidermaster do not get upset.
I have been trying very hard to stay out of these pointless comparisons. 1st no one has complete sales info 2nd it is nearly always driven by emotions. look at diva debate and MJ/beatles/elvis

I m a little lost here Bold (almost certainly is not maybe)

US, Can yes Australia i am not so sure!

Zep never made a mistake reference not releasing singles that was there position the album is the complete statement. they released singles in US under pressure from WB. Beside Zep was never a singles band and would not have sold that many singles anyway it may have boosted there albums sales as they would have gotten some more airplay.

If Freddie would not have died .....
If freddie would not have grown facial hair on his upper lip it would not have hurt their sales in the US so much.
The IF word ....If my auntie would have a *ock she would be my uncle

Queen did certainly not start off being commercial and zep also made some commercial side steps track and ...EVERY rock band was influenced by Zep
as they where the 1st hard rock band.

ZEP and Queen are both GREAT bands and it is a shame that they both came to an early end.

[jrh06]

well said cidermaster! i don't wanna make trouble,queen are one of my fave bands.I wanted to say they played the "media coverage"game,instead of led zep.it's a respectable choice.I'm pretty sure LZ sales are underestimated in the UK,even if they're far from queen.Their best selling records are ALL hits packages.beacause they released pop oriented singles,(a lot of them are classics anyway).i doubt queen outsell led zeppelin

[cidermaster]

No disrespect here HUR but Queen are far more commercial than Led Zeppelin,far far more commercial.

Queen were heavily influenced by Led Zeppelin,infact Brian May really looks up to Jimmy Page.

Pound for Pound Page beats May,Bonham beats Taylor,Jones beats Deacon,as for Mercury he probalby does have the edge over Plant.

Page is ahead in every main poll done on Guitarists.Usually way way ahead.

As for Queen having more impact,well Zep are a much bigger infuence on Rock music.

Zep outsell Queen in USA,Australia,Canada among others,and almost certainly outsell them globally.

Zep have the biggest selling music DVD in the world.

Queen's Rodger Taylor rates Led Zep the best Rock band ever.

That said Queen are massive and great.

Also Led Zep broke up much earlier than intended and were far far far less commercial.

IF Bonham had not died then Zep would easily have sold more than Queen in sales,easily,instead of maybe.

Zep made a mistake of not releasing singles in UK.

They had planned to be more accessable to the media in 80s,but of course Bonham died.

Cheers Cidermaster

[HUR]

queen studio albums are very poor! they practically sell only greatest hits packages and stuff like that.i think it's time to uptade led zeppelin uk sales.i'm pretty sure they are at least at 10 or 11 million.

I donīt know why you bring led zeppelin to this debate, but this is about queen.

And yes, many of their sales are from their hits compilations, but whatīs problem?. They do their bussines with them. Remember Queen was a band of albums and singles, both of them, which gives them the chance of releasing this kind of compilations.

Queen sold 15,566,000 copies since 1984 (with two years missing) and without counting club sales. And an estimayed total of 22 M, porbably second only to the Beatles in that country.

They also made a bigger impact in UK than Led zeppelin, and also in most european countries (Netherlands, switzeralnd, austria, germany, Finland, Spain, Portugal, Italy, France, Sweden, Norway, and such), and also Japan, Argentina, Korea, New Zealand, Australia and many. Most of the world.

They also sold more records than led zeppelin.

And their songs are more widely regarded by the general public, yet they are far more complex, regarding harmony and structure, and still listeneable. "bohemian rhapsody" has nearly 60 chords If iīm not wrong. A very complex piece, that sounds as catchy and listeneable as a pop song, but itīs more complex that most of prog. rock and everything ever made by Led zeppelin.

[jrh06]

queen studio albums are very poor! they practically sell only greatest hits packages and stuff like that.i think it's time to uptade led zeppelin uk sales.i'm pretty sure they are at least at 10 or 11 million.

[jrh06]

queen studio albums are very poor! they practically sell only greatest hits packages and stuff like that.i tjink it's time to uptade led zeppelin uk sales.i'm pretty sure they are at least at 10 or 11 million.

[HUR]

Thank Nick and Jimmypage59 for these great sales numbers.

[EdWood]

Just looked at the Argentina Top 100 Albums thread - couldnt believe that all 3 Greatest Hits Albums by Queen are in the current top 100 chart!


95 GREATEST HITS VOL III QUEEN EMI
38 (86) GREATEST HITS VOL II QUEEN EMI
16 (33) GREATEST HITS QUEEN EMI !!!!!!

I wonder what type of sales these albums had and at what level their totals are?!

They must be one of the biggest selling acts in Argentina even including their own domestic acts!

[EdWood]

Thanks for the UK album totals braca and Jimmypages59.

The Game's Uk album sales for July 1992 to end of 2006 are quite low - 76,154 - thought they would be about 100,000. It did go to number 1 in 1980 for 2 weeks though so I suppose it did sell well at the time. I wonder what the sales of the studio albums were like just after Freddies death in late 1991-early to mid 1992?

Live Killers sales for the same period seem quite good - should have gone platinum as released in 1979 and was only live album until 1986 when Live magic came out.

Queen Rocks sales of 328855 are again a bit higher then expected. It didnt seem to chart very well at the time and seemed to be ignored - I suppose its just because everyone compares it to the huge success of the Greatest Hits albums. There was also supposed to be a Queen Rocks Volume 2 but that never saw the light of day!

Very surprised at Queen at the beeb sales!
It wasnt even an official release by Queens record company - EMI/Parlophone. It was released on the Band of Joy Record Company and only reached number 63 or 67 for a week so surprised that it sold nearly 50,000 in just 5 years although i think 150,000 sales in total is a bit optimistic eh Braca?

As regards the new US Queen compilation in Walmart - A to Z of Queen im surprised at this. Surely they have enough US compilations already and they all seem to be selling very well still!



Queen in UK Top 200 Albums chart this week:

141. (162) GREATEST HITS I II & III (Queen)

Also in UK DVD music chart:

04 (RE) QUEEN - On Fire - Live At The Bowl (RE)

[slightlymad]

I don't think to many of us Queen fans are aware that there has been a new compilation released this week in America. It's called The A-Z of Queen Volume 1 and is being made available exclusively through Wallmart, here is the tracklisting and a link to the release on wallmart

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/produ...uct_id=6014573

QUEEN A-Z VOL 1

Track Listings
1. A Kind Of Magic
2. Another One Bites The Dust
3. Bohemian Rhapsody
4. Bicycle Race
5. I Want It All
6. Crazy Little Thing Called Love
7. Don't Stop Me Now
8. Fat Bottomed Girls
9. Flash
10. Innuendo
11. Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy

Bonus DVD:
1- A Kind of Magic from Video Hits 2 DVD
2- Another One Bites the Dust live from On Fire at the Bowl DVD
3- Bohemian Rhapsody from Video Hits 1 DVD
4- I Want It All from Return of the Champions DVD
5- Crazy Little Thing Called Love from live at Wembley Stadium DVD
6- Don't Stop Me Now from Video Hits 1 DVD
7- Fat Bottomed Girls from return of the Champions DVD
8- Innuendo music video
9- an interview segment that was on the Live at Wembley Stadium DVD

Not being American I'm not to sure if this will be eligable for the Billboard Top 200 or whether it will sell at all. Let's wait and see.

[braca]

sales figures provided by jimmypages59

Queen – At The Beeb
1991 --- 5,500
1992 --- 38,500
1993 --- 2,753
1994 --- 2,962
1995 --- 120
Total --- 49,835

"The 91 figure is only for the last Quarter of 1991. I think it was released in 1989 sometime, so probably nearer to 150,000 copies by 1995.

The Album was deleted in 1995 in the UK. It was then re-titled as 'Queen at the BBC' and re-released on Hollywood records, since 1995 the Hollywood Records version is the only version available. It is not technically a UK release anymore but an American Import and as such I/we have no figures for it as they will be audited/charged through Hollywood Records in the US".

[braca]

sales figures provided by jimmypages59

Queen - Rocks (Shop Sales)
1997 --- 199.655
1998 --- 49.792
1999 --- 5.709
2000 --- 2.105
2001 --- 538
2002 --- 596
Total Sales --- 258.395

Queen - Rocks (Music Club Sales)
1998 --- 64.287
1999 --- 4.627
2000 --- 898
2001 --- 534
2002 --- 114
Total Sales --- 70.460"
"As for Queen Rocks, I had a check and could only find sales from 1997-2002, it appears this is similar to Queen at the Beeb, it is no longer made by EMI only Hollywood records and as such is termed as an import and thus no UK sales from 2002 onward".

[braca]

sales figures provided by jimmypages59

Queen - Live Killers (Shop Sales)
1992 --- 5.087
1993 --- 2.256
1994 --- 5.060
1995 --- 5.599
1996 --- 4.496
1997 --- 3.587
1998 --- 1.883
1999 --- 2.386
2000 --- 1.511
2001 --- 1.713
2002 --- 2.997
2003 --- 2.099
2004 --- 4.246
2005 --- 11.218
2006 --- 13.893
2007 --- 39
Totals Sales 68.070

Queen - Live Killers (Music Club Sales)
1992 --- ???
1993 --- ???
1994 --- 1.985
1995 --- 690
1996 --- 1.498
1997 --- 2.443
1998 --- 1.387
1999 --- 1.071
Totals Sales --- 9.074
"imagine there were club sales 92 & 93 just don't have them" "figure LK was stopped as a club release in 99"

[braca]

sales figures provided by jimmypages59

since july 92
Queen - The Game (Shop Sales)
1992 --- 4.925
1993 --- 5.258
1994 --- 4.777
1995 --- 2.484
1996 --- 2.435
1997 --- 1.698
1998 --- 4.078
1999 --- 1.615
2000 --- 1.888
2001 --- 2.337
2002 --- 3.531
2003 --- 5.705
2004 --- 7.095
2005 --- 7.651
2006 --- 11.515
2007 --- 77
Totals Sales --- 67.069

Queen - The Game (Music Club Sales)
1992 --- ???
1993 --- ???
1994 --- 1.235
1995 --- 2.357
1996 --- 2.367
1997 --- 1.536
1998 --- 662
1999 --- N/A
2000 --- N/A
2001 --- 31
2002 --- 619
2003 --- 133
2004 --- 107
2005 --- 37
2006 --- 1
2007 --- 0
Totals Sales --- 9.085
"imagine there were club sales 92 & 93 just don't have them"

[EdWood]

According to Haven forum, Queen's 'The Platinum Collection is currently the 71st best selling UK album so far in 2007 with 82,000 sales!


http://fatherandy2.proboards35.com/inde ... 1183492335


Should hopefully sell 150,000 + by end of 2007..

[EdWood]

Thank you Edwood, great information.

Any time HUR!


Heres a brief part of a very rare Queen track called 'Face It Alone' - supposed to be on the upcoming Queen Anthology Boxsets in 2009.
Alledgedly its supposed to be a 10 minute ballad in 3 parts - a bit like Bohemian Rhapsody crossed with 'Save me'
I think the clip on Youtube just repeats about 10 secs continously though! Ive heard that no-one has got anywhere near the full track!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lt1lqBfgUPA

[HUR]

Thank you Edwood, great information.

[EdWood]

Queens chart positions this week in UK album chart!

162. (107) GREATEST HITS I II & III (Queen)

OUT. (160) GREATEST HITS (Queen)

In US Top Pop Catalog Chart:

Queen's Greatest Hits 18 (15)
Total weeks on combined chart - 689

Looks like the above album will join the Elite group of albums in Pop Catalog Chart that charts over 500 weeks in this chart. Should still be selling about 6-7,000 copies a week. I wonder what Queen sell in total in the US, given that Queens Greatest Hit 1 and 2 sells more on Amazon.Com and the fact their 15 studio albums are still strongish sellers for an old 'classic' rock band - 20,000 a week?

[braca]

About "Queen 2", well even "Queen" (that reached number 84 on the charts) was certified gold in 1977. the album charted at a high position, and sold more from 1991 to 2005. So according to this I personally think that both albums are at about 700,000 in USA but itīs difficul to estimate sales.

I also think those figures for Queen I and Queen II are about right - they would have sold alot due to Queens High Popularity in the USA in 1975-1982 period and Queen II is always seen as a cult favourite - Beck and Billy Corgan (Smashing Pumkins) rate this very highly.

In respect of Queen 1 there is a radio recording from the David Lee Roth show where he states that the QueenI was the blue print for VanHalen's 1st album. for those interested i can sent it to you (pm with you email address)

[EdWood]

Very good points here. I have the total soundscan since 2003, so here i put them:

2003: 302,000 (from february to december of that year)
2004: 399,000
2005: 435,000 (I also read 416,000)
2006: 327,000

And the 2004 issue sold 613,000.

This gives a total of 2,074,000 in thse years.

The album was certfied in 2002 7 platinum, so it has definetely sold over 9 millions in USA.

About "Queen 2", well even "Queen" (that reached number 84 on the charts) was certified gold in 1977. the album charted at a high position, and sold more from 1991 to 2005. So according to this I personally think that both albums are at about 700,000 in USA but itīs difficul to estimate sales.

Good Figures HUR!
I wonder if Queens Greatest Hits will continue to sell so much in 5-10 years in the USA.
The sales are surprisingly high when you think that they also have the We Will Rock You Edition which i think has also been in the Top Pop Catalog chart recently as well.

Regarding other Queen Collections in the US -There is also Classic Queen which has sold over 3.2 million according to soundscan as of 2006, the Platinum Collection, Stone Cold Classics and also Greatest Hits I and II - (this last album was recently at number 3 on the Top Pop Catalog chart and also topped the Top Digital album chart but then disappeared without trace! - it does always seem to be selling more if you look on Amazon.coms site - sometimes nearly reaching the top 200 position - i dont think it is far off selling 1m - which will make it double platinum as its a double disc release )


I also think those figures for Queen I and Queen II are about right - they would have sold alot due to Queens High Popularity in the USA in 1975-1982 period and Queen II is always seen as a cult favourite - Beck and Billy Corgan (Smashing Pumkins) rate this very highly.

Also this week in Canadian Hard Rock/Metal Chart (this weeks chart in brackets):

24 55 46 (64) GREATEST HITS-WE WILL ROCK YO
QUEEN

552 27 22 (31) CLASSIC QUEEN
QUEEN

560 13 13 (14) GREATEST HITS
QUEEN ( HOL )

[HUR]

Very good points here. I have the total soundscan since 2003, so here i put them:

2003: 302,000 (from february to december of that year)
2004: 399,000
2005: 435,000 (I also read 416,000)
2006: 327,000

And the 2004 issue sold 613,000.

This gives a total of 2,074,000 in thse years.

The album was certfied in 2002 7 platinum, so it has definetely sold over 9 millions in USA.

About "Queen 2", well even "Queen" (that reached number 84 on the charts) was certified gold in 1977. the album charted at a high position, and sold more from 1991 to 2005. So according to this I personally think that both albums are at about 700,000 in USA but itīs difficul to estimate sales.

[braca]

hi Edwood - ref the Flash G album gold status it is now the 2nd time that it up there (RIAA DBASe is down again). Also QOL, 'as it began' and the OFF fanclub all have this album listed as GOLD (and QueenII and the miracle) Considering the back sales for Flash and Queen II I would say that GOLD is correct but that's just an "educated" guess.

having said that Basil (by PM) has informed of the following "Joel Whitburn's books are more reliable than the riaa site (old or new) and this one (FG) isn't listed."