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Hi,
Rather than opening a Miles Davis thread that will remain almost empty, I open this thread to speak about all Jazz albums.
Many of them sell loads since decades and reached incredible sales. I will start with the absolute Classic album Kind Of Blue. Figures that I have got for it:
US
Certified 4xPlatinum by the RIAA in 2008. This award appears to concern sales from around 1991 to 2008 only. Indeed, it sold 3m copies according to Soundscan alone, it was first certified Gold in 1993. It sold in particular 105k in 1995 according to Soundscan.
Since he passed in 1991, we may think the album started to sell well that year, which explains why it wasn't certified before. While it is obvious that his death may have increased his catalog sales, it would be a huge mistake to think this album wasn't selling before. Allmusic point out 2 positions for this album in the US: #37 in the Jazz album chart in 1977 and #10 in the same chart in 1987. The question is, how much as it sold from 1959 to 1991? It sold an average of 220k per year in the last 18 years, even assuming only 60k per year from 59 to 91, that adds 2 more millions to the 4 millions certified.
UK
Certified Gold in April 1998 for sales from... April 1997. It charted 12 weeks in those 12 months, peaking at 92, it was certainly selling well on Music Clubs too. Charted 3 weeks in 2000 peaking at 164, it had a huge year 2001 charting 33 weeks and peaking at 63, selling an estimated 75k in that year. Sales around 20k/year since then. That is 100k + 75k + 20k*8 = 335k in the last 11 years.
Still sales of 38 years missing...
France
Double Gold in 99 for sales 63-99, Platinum in 2000 for sales 63-2000. We can doubt those sales were completely audited yet, especialy since it jumped from 200k to 300k within' 4 months, showing they were always checking data, we do not know if it sold just 300k, 400k or 599k by that time.
In 2000 (it was certified in January), it charted 2 non-consecutive weeks in the top 75 album chart. Let assume 40k sold. In 2001 it charted as high as #29 in the main chart, it was most of the year in the top 150. Sales estimated at 60-70k for that year. It stills sell pretty well every year, it charted 11 weeks in the top 40 catalog chart in 2008 for example. It sold around 220k since it was certified Platinum. Depending on how comprehensive this award was, it shipped anywhere from 550k to 800k since its release in France.
Spain
Impossible to know how much it sold since its release, but it was #14 last week! It peaked at #22 in 2005 too. Massive catalog sales.
Netherlands
Certified Platinum (100k) in 1996. Again, we do not know from when sales were covered. Since the beginning of the catalog chart of Netherlands (from 2002 I think), it charted 138 weeks on it (a top 50).
We can add that it sold 1.1 million copies out of the US in 1997 + 1998. It is widely reported since at least 2004 as a 10 million selling album.
Feel free to post every figure/comment related to Jazz.
Rather than opening a Miles Davis thread that will remain almost empty, I open this thread to speak about all Jazz albums.
Many of them sell loads since decades and reached incredible sales. I will start with the absolute Classic album Kind Of Blue. Figures that I have got for it:
US
Certified 4xPlatinum by the RIAA in 2008. This award appears to concern sales from around 1991 to 2008 only. Indeed, it sold 3m copies according to Soundscan alone, it was first certified Gold in 1993. It sold in particular 105k in 1995 according to Soundscan.
Since he passed in 1991, we may think the album started to sell well that year, which explains why it wasn't certified before. While it is obvious that his death may have increased his catalog sales, it would be a huge mistake to think this album wasn't selling before. Allmusic point out 2 positions for this album in the US: #37 in the Jazz album chart in 1977 and #10 in the same chart in 1987. The question is, how much as it sold from 1959 to 1991? It sold an average of 220k per year in the last 18 years, even assuming only 60k per year from 59 to 91, that adds 2 more millions to the 4 millions certified.
UK
Certified Gold in April 1998 for sales from... April 1997. It charted 12 weeks in those 12 months, peaking at 92, it was certainly selling well on Music Clubs too. Charted 3 weeks in 2000 peaking at 164, it had a huge year 2001 charting 33 weeks and peaking at 63, selling an estimated 75k in that year. Sales around 20k/year since then. That is 100k + 75k + 20k*8 = 335k in the last 11 years.
Still sales of 38 years missing...
France
Double Gold in 99 for sales 63-99, Platinum in 2000 for sales 63-2000. We can doubt those sales were completely audited yet, especialy since it jumped from 200k to 300k within' 4 months, showing they were always checking data, we do not know if it sold just 300k, 400k or 599k by that time.
In 2000 (it was certified in January), it charted 2 non-consecutive weeks in the top 75 album chart. Let assume 40k sold. In 2001 it charted as high as #29 in the main chart, it was most of the year in the top 150. Sales estimated at 60-70k for that year. It stills sell pretty well every year, it charted 11 weeks in the top 40 catalog chart in 2008 for example. It sold around 220k since it was certified Platinum. Depending on how comprehensive this award was, it shipped anywhere from 550k to 800k since its release in France.
Spain
Impossible to know how much it sold since its release, but it was #14 last week! It peaked at #22 in 2005 too. Massive catalog sales.
Netherlands
Certified Platinum (100k) in 1996. Again, we do not know from when sales were covered. Since the beginning of the catalog chart of Netherlands (from 2002 I think), it charted 138 weeks on it (a top 50).
We can add that it sold 1.1 million copies out of the US in 1997 + 1998. It is widely reported since at least 2004 as a 10 million selling album.
Feel free to post every figure/comment related to Jazz.
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