U2 :: Charts & Sales History

[oasisbobo]

anyone got any or the total amount?

[MJDangerous]

Re: U2 album sales?

anyone got any or the total amount?

Almost 140 millions albums sold.

[CaptainAhab]

Re: U2 album sales?

anyone got any or the total amount?

Almost 140 millions albums sold.

Do you have the estimation album by album? Thanks

[RollingBob]

Boy : ~3m
October : ~3m
War : ~8m
UABRS : ~8m
Unforgettable Fire : ~8m
WAIA : ~2m
Joshua Tree : ~25m
Rattle & Hum : ~14m
Achtung Baby : ~17m
Zooropa : ~8m
Pop : ~6m
Best of 1980-90 : ~16m
ATYCLB : ~12m
Best of 1990-00 : ~5m
HTDAAB : ~9m
Total = ~144 million

[CaptainAhab]

Thank you

[RollingBob]

Thank you

No problem. Btw, their US album total is now about 57m whilst in the UK it's now around/close to 16m (excluding Music Club sales).

[seattleboy]

....
U2 were hypnotised by America, and America was about to return the compliment. Named after the arid, evocative national park outside LA that proved the final resting place of country-rock legend Gram Parsons, 1987's Joshua Tree album applied the Unforgettable Fires sound palette to even better songs and the rewards were instant. With Or Without You and the gospel-flavoured, I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For, topped the the US singles chart. With grammys for Album Of The Year and Best Rock Performance, the album clocked up 20 million sales.
....
http://umusic.ca/u2/#info

[seattleboy]

....
worldwide sales total of more than 120 million, according to Interscope.
....

http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/art ... 1000728821

[wikipediabrown]

I'm wondering if anyone knows where RollingBob's undoubtedly accurate information on U2's albums sales comes from? I'm working on the U2 Wikipedia article and it would be great to have the original reference rather than just pointing at this forum conversation which isn't as well-appreciated in encyclopedia-land.

Thanks.

Boy : ~3m
October : ~3m
War : ~8m
UABRS : ~8m
Unforgettable Fire : ~8m
WAIA : ~2m
Joshua Tree : ~25m
Rattle & Hum : ~14m
Achtung Baby : ~17m
Zooropa : ~8m
Pop : ~6m
Best of 1980-90 : ~16m
ATYCLB : ~12m
Best of 1990-00 : ~5m
HTDAAB : ~9m
Total = ~144 million

[Classicrock]

I'm wondering if anyone knows where RollingBob's undoubtedly accurate information on U2's albums sales comes from? I'm working on the U2 Wikipedia article and it would be great to have the original reference rather than just pointing at this forum conversation which isn't as well-appreciated in encyclopedia-land.

Thanks.

Boy : ~3m
October : ~3m
War : ~8m
UABRS : ~8m
Unforgettable Fire : ~8m
WAIA : ~2m
Joshua Tree : ~25m
Rattle & Hum : ~14m
Achtung Baby : ~17m
Zooropa : ~8m
Pop : ~6m
Best of 1980-90 : ~16m
ATYCLB : ~12m
Best of 1990-00 : ~5m
HTDAAB : ~9m
Total = ~144 million

The Best of 1980-1990 includes the double counting that occurs in Canada and USA;

[RollingBob]

I'm wondering if anyone knows where RollingBob's undoubtedly accurate information on U2's albums sales comes from? I'm working on the U2 Wikipedia article and it would be great to have the original reference rather than just pointing at this forum conversation which isn't as well-appreciated in encyclopedia-land.

Thanks.

Boy : ~3m
October : ~3m
War : ~8m
UABRS : ~8m
Unforgettable Fire : ~8m
WAIA : ~2m
Joshua Tree : ~25m
Rattle & Hum : ~14m
Achtung Baby : ~17m
Zooropa : ~8m
Pop : ~6m
Best of 1980-90 : ~16m
ATYCLB : ~12m
Best of 1990-00 : ~5m
HTDAAB : ~9m
Total = ~144 million

The Best of 1980-1990 includes the double counting that occurs in Canada and USA;

Those figures come from years of studying many newspaper/magazine/website articles/chart forums & official sales figures & certifications. Here's just a few examples :

- MusicWeek (official UK music industry Bible) said 11m (sold) for ATYCLB in it's September 14th 2002 issue. Then in it's 18th January 2003 issue they said ATYCLB had now shipped 11m outside the UK as well as 1m sold in UK - so that's over 12m shipped at that point. U2's record company then also apparantly said 13.5m shipped in Nov 2004. Also, the March 12th 2005 edition of Musicweek reported that ATYCLB had sold 1,083,169 copies in UK (& it's spent another 9 wks on the UK top 200 since then, peaking at # 91).

- in it's September 14th 2002 issue MusicWeek said Best Of 80-90 had sold 13m. Since then it's actually most likely sold about another 2m (it sold around 500k in UK & US last year + most probably about the same again in ROW). So 15m is probably now the most accurate figure for this. BTW, the single sales of both versions of Best Of 80-90 in US should now be at over 4m (i think about 4.2m). This is because the single disc verson has now sold around 3m copies in US (though it's still 2xP) & the 2-CD version has been 2xP for a few years now, so must've sold over 1m in US (i think about 1.2m).

- the 18th January 2003 issue of MusicWeek also said that Best Of 90-00 had shipped 5.2m outside the UK + it's now sold about 850k in UK (so most likely about 1m now shipped in UK).

- in mid-2004 a special edition issue of Q magazine said U2 had 'sold 135m albums'.

- Billboard.com said U2 had 'sold over 120m albums' just prior to the release of HTDAAB (8,188,000 sold up to week of Sept 10th 2005 on Mediatraffic global top 40 album chart + sold about another 800k outside of this, since then).

- in March 2005 VH1 said U2 had sold '180 million albums' (surely that's too high though).

- in May 2005 ABC news said U2 had sold 'some 130 million albums'

[RollingBob]

Thx to Brunosilva in the 'biggest selling artists of all time' thread :

U2 100million Sales Award



This huge award measured over 1.5 metres wide (1524x480mm). Scaled down versions were made for individual band members and management. Presented by Universal Music to U2 and Principal Management in recognition of worldwide sales in excess of 100,000,000.

Client: Universal Records, Island Records

1st September 2000

Since 1st September 2000 they've sold another approx 37m albums :

All That You Can't Leave Behind : ~12m
Best Of 90-00 : ~5m
How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb : ~9m
Back Catalogue : ~11m (~1.8m per year)
Total = ~37 million

So this would mean their Overall Album Sales Total is actually now ~137 million.

[brunosilva]

In Portugal:

On 09/jan/03: Best of 1990-2000 - #4 - 5P (200.000)

[AutomaticBR]

UK Sales (Thanks to MJDangerous) - Up to April 22nd

U2:18 Singles (Album) 687,892

[380sec]

In Australia, ARIA certifications from 1996 - 2006

Albums:
Pop - 70,000 (Platinum) (1996 certification)
Achtung Baby - 350,000 (5x Platinum)(1996 certification)
Best Of 1980-1990 - 560,000 (8x Platinum)
Best of 1990-2000 - 140,000 (2x Platinum) (2002 certification)
All That You Can't Leave Behind - 280,000 (4x Platinum)
How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb -280,000 (4x Platinum)
U218 Singles - 210,000 (3x Platinum)

=1,890,000

Singles:
Discotheque - 70,000 (Platinum)
Sweetest Thing - 35,000 (Gold)
Beautiful Day - 70,000 (Platinum)
Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of - 35,000 (Gold)
Electrical Storm - 35,000 (Gold)
Vertigo - 35,000 (Gold)

=280,000

DVDs:
U218 Videos - 30,000 (2x Platinum)
Vertigo 2005: Live From Chicago - 90,000 (6x Platinum)
Zoo TV: Live From Sydney - 30,000 (2x Platinum)
Go Home - Live From Slane Castle - 105,000 (7x Platinum)
Elevation 2001: Live At Boston - 30,000 (2x Platinum)
The Joshua Tree - 15,000 (Platinum)

=300,000

[borderwolf]

Brazil:

Certifications

1992 - album - Achtung Baby - 1xGold
1994 - album - Zooropa - 1xGold
1994 - album - Rattle and Hum - 1xGold
1994 - album - War - 1xGold
1997 - album - Pop - 1xGold
1999 - album - Série Millennium - 1xGold
2002 - dvd - Elevation 2001: U2 Live From Boston - 1xGold
2002 - album - The Best Of 1990/2000 - 1xPlatinum
2005 - dvd - Go Home - 1xDiamond
2005 - dvd - The Best of 1990/2000 - 1xPlatinum
2005 - dvd - Vertigo 2005 / Live From Chicago - 1xDiamond
2006 - album - How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb - 2xPlatinum
2007 - dvd - Zoo Tv / Live From Sydney - 1xPlatinum
2007 - dvd - U2 18 Videos - 1xPlatinum
2007 - album - U2 18 Singles - 1xGold

-----------------------------------------------------
Shipment Codes
Thanks to AutomaticBr, of course!

U2 - Boy
AA????
AB600
AC????
AD1500
AE2000

U2 - October
AA????
AB????
AC4000
AD1500
AE2000

U2 - War
AA????
AB????
AC????
AD????
AE????
AF1000

U2 - Under a blood red sky
AA????
AB????
AC????
AD????
AE1500
AF3000

U2 - The Unforgettable fire
AA500
AB????
AC5000
AD3000

U2 - Wide awake in America
AA3000

U2 - The Joshua tree
AA????
AB????
AC4000
AD2000
AE????
AF3000

U2 - Rattle and hum
AA????
AB????
AC????
AD????
AE????
AF4000
AG1500
AH4000

U2 - Achtung baby
AA????
AB????
AC4000
AD2000

U2 - Zooropa
AA????
AB????
AC4000

U2 - Pop
AA????
AB????
AC3500
AD1000

U2 - Best of 1980-1990
AA????
AB????
AC????
AD????
AE????
AF????
AG????
AH????
AI????
AJ????
AK????
AL????
AM????
AN???
AO????
AP5000
AQ????
AR1000
AS3500

U2 - All that you can't leave behind
AA????
AB????
AC????
AD????
AE1500
AF3000
AG3000
AH1500

U2 - Elevation Tour 2001: Live in Boston (DVD)
AA????
AB????
AC????
AD????
AE????
AF????
AG????
AH????
AI????
AJ????
AK????
AL3000
AM????
AN????
AO????
AP4000
AR5000

U2 - Go Home: Live from Slane Castle
AA23500
AB????
AC????
AD????
AE????
AF????
AG????
AH????
AI????
AJ????
AK????
AL????
AM????
AN????
AO????
AP????
AQ????
AR????
AS????
AT????
AU7500
AV????
AW????
AX????
AY????
AZ3000
BA5000
BB3000
BC????
BD????
BE????
BF4000

U2 - Best of 1990-2000
AA????
AB????
AC????
AD????
AE????
AF????
AG????
AH????
AI????
AJ????
AK????
AL4000
AM2000
AN????
AO2000

U2 - Best of 1990-2000 (DVD)
AA????
AB????
AC????
AD????
AE4000
AF????
AG????
AH????
AI????
AJ????
AK????
AL????
AM????
AN????
AO????
AP8000
AQ5000
AR1000
AS3000

U2 - How to dismantle an atomic bomb
AA25000
AB100000
AC20000

U2 - How to dismantle an atomic bomb (with DVD)
AA25000
AB15000
AC20000
AD20000
AE25000
AF25000

U2 - Vertigo Tour 2005: Live from Chicago (DVD Limited Edition - 2 Discs)
AA10000
AB5000

U2 - Vertigo Tour 2005: Live from Chicago (DVD)
AA30000
AB20000
AC20000
AD10000
AE????
AF5000
AG????
AH6000
AI????
AJ????
AK2000
AL2000

U2 - Zoo TV: Live from Sydney (DVD)
AA40000

U2 - Zoo TV: Live from Sydney (DVD - 2 Discs)
AA10000
AB2000

U2 - U2:18 Singles
AA30000
AB20000
AC2000
AD????
AE????
AF????
AG1000


U2 - U2:18 Singles (DVD)
AA30000
AB10000
AC5000

U2 - PopMart: Live from Mexico (DVD)
AA15000
AB5000

[borderwolf]

France

Albums
1992 - Rattle and hum - 1xPlatinum (300.000)
1992 - October - 1xGold (100.000)
1992 - Boy - 1xGold (100.000)
1992 - The Joshua Tree - 2xPlatinum (600.000)
1995 - Under a blood red sky - 1xPlatinum (300.000)
1995 - Zooropa - 1xPlatinum (300.000)
1995 - Achtung baby - 2xPlatinum (600.000)
1996 - The unforgettable fire - 1xGold (100.000)
1996 - War - 2xPlatinum (600.000)
1998 - Pop - 1xPlatinum (300.000)
1999 - The best of 1980-1990 - 1xPlatinum - (300.000)
2003 - The best of 1990-2000 - 2xGold (200.000)
2004 - How to dismantle an atomic bomb - 1xPlatinum (300.000)

Singles
1995 - Hold me, thrill me, kiss me, kill me - 1xSilver (125.000)

[borderwolf]

Hungary

2000 - Best of U2 - 1xGold
2001 - All that you can't leave behind - 1xGold
2003 - The Best Of 1990-2000 - 1xGold
2004 - How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb - 1xGold
2007 - U2 18 Singles - 1xPlatinum

[borderwolf]

an update from Australia:

2007 - U218 Videos - 2x PLATINUM

[borderwolf]

Germany

Albums
1988 Rattle And Hum - 1xPlatinum
1990 Under A Blood Red Sky - 1xPlatinum
1990 War - 1xGold
1992 Achtung Baby - 1xPlatinum
1994 The Joshua Tree - 2xPlatinum
1994 Zooropa - 1xGold
1997 Pop - 1xGold
1998 The Best Of 1980-1990 - 1xPlatinum
2001 All That You Can't Leave Behind - 3xGold
2003 The Best Of 1990-2000 - 1xGold
2005 How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb - 3xGold

Music Dvd
2002 Elevation 2001 - 1xGold

[borderwolf]

Austria

1990 - Joshua Tree - 3xGOLD
1991 - Achtung Baby - 1xPLATINUM
1993 - Zooropa - 1xGOLD
1997 - Pop - 1xPLATINUM
1999 - Best Of 1980-1990 - 2xPLATINUM
2000 - All you Can Leave Behind - 1xPLATINUM
2002 - Best of 1990-2000 - 1xPLATINUM
2005 - How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb - 1xPLATINUM

[borderwolf]

U.K.

Albums
1985 - BOY - 1xGold
1987 - THE UNFORGETTABLE FIRE - 2xPlatinum
1987 - UNDER A BLOOD RED SKY - 3xPlatinum
1992 - THE JOSHUA TREE - 6xPlatinum
1992 - OCTOBER - 1xPlatinum
1992 - WAR - 2xPlatinum
1993 - ZOOROPA - 1xPlatinum
1995 - RATTLE & HUM - 4xPlatinum
1997 - POP - 1xPlatinum
1998 - BEST OF 1980-1990 & B-SIDES - 1XPlatinum
2000 - ALL THAT YOU CAN'T LEAVE BEHIND - 2xPlatinum
2001 - ACHTUNG BABY! - 4xPlatinum
2002 - THE BEST OF 1980-1990 - 5xPlatinum
2003 - BEST OF 1990-2000 - 2xPlatinum
2005 - HOW TO DISMANTLE AN ATOMIC BOMB - 4xPlatinum
2007 - U218 SINGLES - 2xPlatinum

E.P.
1985 - WIDE AWAKE IN AMERICA - 1xSilver

Singles
1988 - DESIRE - 1xSilver
1991 - THE FLY - 1xSilver
1994 - STAY - 1xSilver
1995 - HOLD ME, THRILL ME, KISS ME, KILL ME - 1xGold
1997 - DISCOTHEQUE - 1xSilver
1998 - SWEETEST THING - 1xSilver
2000 - BEAUTIFUL DAY - 1xSilver

[edge3]

In Australia, ARIA certifications from 1996 - 2006

Albums:
Pop - 70,000 (Platinum) (1996 certification)
Achtung Baby - 350,000 (5x Platinum)(1996 certification)
Best Of 1980-1990 - 560,000 (8x Platinum)
All That You Can't Leave Behind - 280,000(4x Platinum)
How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb -280,000(4x Platinum)
U218 Singles - 210,000 - (3x Platinum)

=1,750,000

Missing from there is Best of 1990-2000. This was certified 2xPlatinum in it's 1st week but has now sold about 300,000. So it should be at least 4xPlatinum.

Also, ATYCLB has sold about 450,000 in OZ so it should be at least 6xPlatinum.

[edge3]

U.K.

Albums
1985 - BOY - 1xGold
1987 - THE UNFORGETTABLE FIRE - 2xPlatinum
1987 - UNDER A BLOOD RED SKY - 3xPlatinum
1992 - THE JOSHUA TREE - 6xPlatinum
1992 - OCTOBER - 1xPlatinum
1992 - WAR - 2xPlatinum
1993 - ACHTUNG BABY! - 3xPlatinum
1993 - ZOOROPA - 1xPlatinum
1995 - RATTLE & HUM - 4xPlatinum
1997 - POP - 1xPlatinum
2000 - ALL THAT YOU CAN'T LEAVE BEHIND - 2xPlatinum
2002 - THE BEST OF 1980-1990 - 5xPlatinum
2003 - BEST OF 1990-2000 - 2xPlatinum
2005 - HOW TO DISMANTLE AN ATOMIC BOMB - 4xPlatinum
2007 - U218 SINGLES - 2xPlatinum

E.P.
1985 - WIDE AWAKE IN AMERICA - 1xSilver

Missing from there is Best Of 1980-1990 & B-sides. This got 1xPlatinum around the time it was released (Nov 1998).

Also, Achtung Baby got 4xPlatinum on Fri Mar 16th 2001 & ATYCLB got 3xPlatinum sometime between March & July 2001.

Btw, from looking at all the official UK sales info here & elsewhwere i've got the following UK sales totals for each album :

1. The Joshua Tree : ~2,670,000 (2,665,553 as at 22nd Oct 2006, 26th best selling album in UK of all-time)
2. Best of 80-90 (both versions) : ~1,925,000 (1,919,678 by end of Sat 25th Nov 2006, ~1.425m for single disc version & ~500k for 2-cd version)
3. Rattle & Hum : ~1,400,000 (~1.23m by Oct '94)
4. Achtung Baby : ~1,370,000 (1.13m by Jan '98)
5. UABRS : ~1,350,000 (3xP by April 1987 & ~1.1m by end of '80's)
6. HTDAAB : ~1,240,000 (1,200,000 by end of 2005)
7. ATYCLB : ~1,130,000 (1,083,169 by end of Sat 5th Mar 2005 & has since done ok in top 100/200)
8. The Unforgettable Fire : ~950,000 (~810k by end of '80's)
9. Best of 90-00 (both versions) : ~875,000 (871,765 by end of Sat 25th Nov 2006)
10. War : ~850,000 (~750k by end of '80's)
11. U218 Singles : ~694,000 (608k in '06 + 86k so far this year)
12. Zooropa : ~600,000 (~500k in '93)
13. Pop : ~480,000 (~370k in '97)
14. October : ~400,000
15. Boy : ~300,000
16. WAIA : ~150,000

Total = ~16,384,000

[borderwolf]

Missing from there is Best Of 1980-1990 & B-sides. This got 1xPlatinum around the time it was released (Nov 1998).
Also, Achtung Baby got 4xPlatinum on Fri Mar 16th 2001 & ATYCLB got 3xPlatinum sometime between March & July 2001.

Achtung Baby is my mistake but, about All That You Can't Leave Behind, I had faith in B.P.I. web-site; Best Of 1980-1990 is not missing but 5xPlatinum (2002)