All Together Now
The Beatles are a rare case of being both the best in their field and the most popular. Some might argue they're not the best (and I'll go on ignoring them), but the numbers show they're the most popular. I recently ran across a couple web pages that demonstrate this.
It's always been hard to get good numbers for record sales. For years charts were full of guesstimates and even had some rigging. The best available info for domestic sales came from the RIAA, started in 1958, which would certify gold (half a million albums shipped) then later platinum (a million) and most recently diamond (ten million) albums. Still, certification had to be requested and paid for, so not all acts were accounted for and up to date. Also, RIAA certification only told how many recordings were shipped and not returned, not how many were sold. (In the 70s, music execs started talking about records with big initial demand as shipping platinum. Then when some of them flopped, the line was they returned platinum.)
Next, in 1991, came SoundScan: a system where computers kept track of record store sales with exact numbers. This was a great leap forward, but it was still imperfect, since not every record store participated and, more important, other types of distribution, such as record clubs, weren't included.
Ultimately, all this will be outmoded now that downloading--legal and illegal--is how people receive music, and the album (a term that goes back to 78s) is no longer the essential unit. (The Beatles' music is not yet officially available for downloads, but it eventually will be, adding yet more sales.) But for the past 50 years, these numbers are the best sources for domestic numbers. There are other sources for worldwide figures.
Anyway, after that overlong intro, let me just make a few points about The Beatles' numbers that I garnered from the links.
That they were the best-selling act of the 60s should be no surprise, and that they're the best-selling act of all time shouldn't be too surprising. (Album sales, which is what I'll be talking about, increased considerably post-60s--in part thanks to The Beatles popularizing the format.)
When it comes to domestic album sales, no one's close. They're approximately 33% above their second-place competition (Garth Brooks) and by the time you get to sixth place (Billy Joel) they more than double that amount. And recall this is mostly music created during a seven-year span versus acts that lasted much longer. (Imagine the numbers if you threw in the band's solo careers.) Also, their lead in singles sales would likely be more dominant over the majority of the album artists, since when The Beatles started, singles sold better than albums.
What fascinated me even more is how well they sell in catalogue. Many thought rock music was evanescent, but The Beatles have been over for almost two generations and they continue to sell. In fact, if you counted their sales only after their breakup, they'd still be in the top 25 of all time.
Now there are a number of reasons beyond mere popularity that they keep selling. Record companies have chopped up and repackaged their music many times, and also released new material. In addition, the format change to CD had Beatles fans buying their whole catalogue all over. (One of my favorite lines from Men In Black and when Tommy Lee Jones shows Will Smith a new alien technology of storing information and notes "guess I'll have to buy the White Album again.") But plenty of bands put out greatest hits and live collections, and none have anywhere near the same sales.
What are their most popular albums? It depends if you're talking about America or England or the world. First, let's look at their original catalogue, not later collections. In America, their biggest album was Abbey Road, with over 12 million sold, followed by Sgt. Pepper with over 11 million. (Their top release certified by the RIAA is actually The Beatles, aka "The White Album," but that's because they count double albums twice. If considered as a single album, it's sold about 10 million.) In England and the world, however, their top seller is Sgt. Pepper, with around 33 million, while Abbey Road "only" has around 30 million.
Since they broke up in 1970, there's been a steady stream of new/old material being released. Their biggest sellers by far have been greatest hits collections. The first such release--in fact, their first new release after the breakup--came in 1973, with their "red" and "blue" collections, the former being songs from 1962-1966, the latter, 1967-1970. (I've heard a rumor that the record company didn't want to do it, but there were so many Beatles greatest hits bootlegs out there that it was a defensive measure.)
While I prefer their earlier stuff, the public slightly favors their later period. The "red" collection has sold a bit under 8 million domestically while the "blue" collection has sold a bit over 8 million. Worldwide, the numbers are 20 million and 21 million.
These two double-album collections have been superseded by the success of 1, a collection of their #1 hits, released in late 2000. It's sold over 10 million domestically and around 30 million worldwide. In time, it will likely become their all-time worldwide top seller.
Perhaps it's nostalgia, and the real test of their popularity will be when they're no longer in living human memory. But I believe that they're a band for all time, and, while formats change, their music will never go out of fashion.
It's always been hard to get good numbers for record sales. For years charts were full of guesstimates and even had some rigging. The best available info for domestic sales came from the RIAA, started in 1958, which would certify gold (half a million albums shipped) then later platinum (a million) and most recently diamond (ten million) albums. Still, certification had to be requested and paid for, so not all acts were accounted for and up to date. Also, RIAA certification only told how many recordings were shipped and not returned, not how many were sold. (In the 70s, music execs started talking about records with big initial demand as shipping platinum. Then when some of them flopped, the line was they returned platinum.)
Next, in 1991, came SoundScan: a system where computers kept track of record store sales with exact numbers. This was a great leap forward, but it was still imperfect, since not every record store participated and, more important, other types of distribution, such as record clubs, weren't included.
Ultimately, all this will be outmoded now that downloading--legal and illegal--is how people receive music, and the album (a term that goes back to 78s) is no longer the essential unit. (The Beatles' music is not yet officially available for downloads, but it eventually will be, adding yet more sales.) But for the past 50 years, these numbers are the best sources for domestic numbers. There are other sources for worldwide figures.
Anyway, after that overlong intro, let me just make a few points about The Beatles' numbers that I garnered from the links.
That they were the best-selling act of the 60s should be no surprise, and that they're the best-selling act of all time shouldn't be too surprising. (Album sales, which is what I'll be talking about, increased considerably post-60s--in part thanks to The Beatles popularizing the format.)
When it comes to domestic album sales, no one's close. They're approximately 33% above their second-place competition (Garth Brooks) and by the time you get to sixth place (Billy Joel) they more than double that amount. And recall this is mostly music created during a seven-year span versus acts that lasted much longer. (Imagine the numbers if you threw in the band's solo careers.) Also, their lead in singles sales would likely be more dominant over the majority of the album artists, since when The Beatles started, singles sold better than albums.
What fascinated me even more is how well they sell in catalogue. Many thought rock music was evanescent, but The Beatles have been over for almost two generations and they continue to sell. In fact, if you counted their sales only after their breakup, they'd still be in the top 25 of all time.
Now there are a number of reasons beyond mere popularity that they keep selling. Record companies have chopped up and repackaged their music many times, and also released new material. In addition, the format change to CD had Beatles fans buying their whole catalogue all over. (One of my favorite lines from Men In Black and when Tommy Lee Jones shows Will Smith a new alien technology of storing information and notes "guess I'll have to buy the White Album again.") But plenty of bands put out greatest hits and live collections, and none have anywhere near the same sales.
What are their most popular albums? It depends if you're talking about America or England or the world. First, let's look at their original catalogue, not later collections. In America, their biggest album was Abbey Road, with over 12 million sold, followed by Sgt. Pepper with over 11 million. (Their top release certified by the RIAA is actually The Beatles, aka "The White Album," but that's because they count double albums twice. If considered as a single album, it's sold about 10 million.) In England and the world, however, their top seller is Sgt. Pepper, with around 33 million, while Abbey Road "only" has around 30 million.
Since they broke up in 1970, there's been a steady stream of new/old material being released. Their biggest sellers by far have been greatest hits collections. The first such release--in fact, their first new release after the breakup--came in 1973, with their "red" and "blue" collections, the former being songs from 1962-1966, the latter, 1967-1970. (I've heard a rumor that the record company didn't want to do it, but there were so many Beatles greatest hits bootlegs out there that it was a defensive measure.)
While I prefer their earlier stuff, the public slightly favors their later period. The "red" collection has sold a bit under 8 million domestically while the "blue" collection has sold a bit over 8 million. Worldwide, the numbers are 20 million and 21 million.
These two double-album collections have been superseded by the success of 1, a collection of their #1 hits, released in late 2000. It's sold over 10 million domestically and around 30 million worldwide. In time, it will likely become their all-time worldwide top seller.
Perhaps it's nostalgia, and the real test of their popularity will be when they're no longer in living human memory. But I believe that they're a band for all time, and, while formats change, their music will never go out of fashion.
posted by LAGuy @ 12:11 AM
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