• From: BELGIUM
  • Registered: 2007-01-27
  • Posts: 3,403

Topic: BEST SELLING BANDS UK versus USA

This is what I found, BUT DO YOU AGREE OR NOT THAT'S THE QUESTION (Source = 50% Shakespeare).

UK All-Time Best Selling Albums
1. Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band - The Beatles (1967)
2. (What's The Story) Morning Glory - Oasis (1995)
3. Brothers In Arms - Dire Straits (1985)
4. Bad - Michael Jackson (1987)
5. The Immaculate Collection - Madonna (1990)

US All-Time Best Selling Albums
1. Eagles: Their Greatest Hits, 1971–1975 - Eagles
2. Thriller - Michael Jackson
3. Led Zeppelin IV - Led Zeppelin
4. The Wall - Pink Floyd
5. Back in Black - AC/DC
Yep, the good old AC/DC sold sold more than 200 million albums worldwide, including about 69 million albums in the United States AND "BACK IN BLACK" alone 42 million units worldwide AND 22 million in the United States only. I was really surprised. The "seniors" here do they remember the "almost a war" after BON SCOTT died? I remember very well the discussions AND disputes about their new singer BRIAN JOHNSON. It took a while before he was accepted by the fans, even after BACK in BLACK.
Are there still discussions about which of them is the best? Probably not.
Probably that list isn't satisfying a lot of chordians, so come on what do you think? Where are the Stones, Presley, DARK SIDE OF THE MOON?

[color=blue]- GITAARDOCPHIL SAIS: TO CONQUER DEAD, YOU HAVE TO DIE[/color]   AND [color=blue] we are born to die[/color]
- MY GUITAR PLAYS EVERY STYLE = BLUES, ROCK, METAL, so I NEED TO LEARN HOW TO PLAY IT.
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  • upyerkilt
  • upyerkilt
  • Unofficial king of Scotland
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  • From: Balloch, Scotland, UK, Earth
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 3,290

Re: BEST SELLING BANDS UK versus USA

Well I am not too sure what side of the atlantic my info is based on but

Pink Floyd's Dark side of the moon and MEatloaf's BAt out of hell albums were both very high selling albums and I would say both would outsell some of those listed you have.


As for Brian Johnston being accepted in sc dc. I was recently in a foru where people still say he has not managed to replace Bon SCott. But after 28 years or so I would say he has done a pretty good job. And I do not think people should be comparing him to Bon Scott. Two different singers in a the same band that brought two different fronts to the band, yet Brian Johnston can still get through very nicely songs such as " whole lotta rosy"  highway to hell, " TnT" and all other songs that bon Scott sang.
I bet if it was the other way round where Brian Johnston was the first singer and Bon Scott took over people would now be saying Bon can never replace Brain.

Ken

ye get some that are cut out for the job and others just get by from pretending
  • From: Independence, Mo
  • Registered: 2007-09-23
  • Posts: 233

Re: BEST SELLING BANDS UK versus USA

I agree, Pink Floyd Dark Side Of The Moon, and Meatloaf Bat Out Of Hell were good selling albums. I also think Brian Johnston has done a fabulous job of taking over for the late great
Bon Scott. I use the term taking over out of respect for Bon Scott, cause no one could replace him. But someone could carry on where he left off. If you listen to the both of them, you will find  some similarities. They both have gruff sounding vocals 'cept Bon Scott's were a high
pitch, and Brian Johnston's are a lower pitch. I like both of them. And your right. Brian Johnston has proved himself or he wouldn't have stayed around for 25 years!!
                                                                                         getfiddle

A musician is someone with too much time on their hands! Thank god I'm a musician!!!

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  • From: Tennessee
  • Registered: 2008-08-03
  • Posts: 125

Re: BEST SELLING BANDS UK versus USA

I am surprised at a couple of the albums on this list (according to the 50% Shakespeare source). The biggest surprise is that AC/DC ranked only 5th sad . I would have thought it to be 2nd or even 1st. Everyone, or so it seemed, had this album. Also, Sgt. Pepper didn't make the top 5 in U.S. and Led Zep didn't make it in U.K.,,,,WOW. When Back in Black was released, it was about the time when the transition from records to cassettes was happening. Do you think this could have any affect on sales? This may be a question for a different thread,,,if so I apologize.

Great Post smile

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  • From: BELGIUM
  • Registered: 2007-01-27
  • Posts: 3,403

Re: BEST SELLING BANDS UK versus USA

Fatstrings, the list is based on 2 things:
1) my personal knowledge of music which allows me to find very fast all different sources. A strange point is the fact that if you "google" MAKING MONEY ON LINE gives a big difference than MAKE MONEY ON LINE. This is just an example, and it took me a long time to notice that 1 single word, as first word will give different results if you put it second.
2) There are SO many lists, you have "Rolling Stone", "Billboard" "Q" .... and they all have there list.
3) It is also not so easy to compare records sold in the 60ties versus 90ties: more people on earth, more or a better economic situation. Just compare the year 1960 with a decade earlier: IF THERE WAS NO TELEVISION, JFK would have lost the presidential elections in advantage of NIXON. REASON: How many people could watch TV and notice that JFK had a lot more charisma than NIXON. A lot of stuff happens on TV.
THE BEST PHRASE I CAN QUOTE IS "VIDEO KILLED THE RADIO STAR"by THE BUGGLES. They were the very first band you could see on MTV. MTV makes stars or destroy stars.
LISTS MADE TODAY WOULD BE A LOT DIFFERENT WITHOUT TV or RADIO.
4) I agree with you KEN, even when PETE BEST was replaced by RINGO STARR, there were problems.
5) Thank you UYK for a new idea.

[color=blue]- GITAARDOCPHIL SAIS: TO CONQUER DEAD, YOU HAVE TO DIE[/color]   AND [color=blue] we are born to die[/color]
- MY GUITAR PLAYS EVERY STYLE = BLUES, ROCK, METAL, so I NEED TO LEARN HOW TO PLAY IT.
[color=blue]Civilization began the first time an angry person cast a word instead of a rock.[/color]

gitaardocphil's Website

  • From: Norway
  • Registered: 2007-05-06
  • Posts: 2

Re: BEST SELLING BANDS UK versus USA

gitaardocphil wrote:

This is what I found, BUT DO YOU AGREE OR NOT THAT'S THE QUESTION (Source = 50% Shakespeare).

UK All-Time Best Selling Albums
1. Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band - The Beatles (1967)
2. (What's The Story) Morning Glory - Oasis (1995)
3. Brothers In Arms - Dire Straits (1985)
4. Bad - Michael Jackson (1987)
5. The Immaculate Collection - Madonna (1990)

US All-Time Best Selling Albums
1. Eagles: Their Greatest Hits, 1971–1975 - Eagles
2. Thriller - Michael Jackson
3. Led Zeppelin IV - Led Zeppelin
4. The Wall - Pink Floyd
5. Back in Black - AC/DC
Yep, the good old AC/DC sold sold more than 200 million albums worldwide, including about 69 million albums in the United States AND "BACK IN BLACK" alone 42 million units worldwide AND 22 million in the United States only. I was really surprised. The "seniors" here do they remember the "almost a war" after BON SCOTT died? I remember very well the discussions AND disputes about their new singer BRIAN JOHNSON. It took a while before he was accepted by the fans, even after BACK in BLACK.
Are there still discussions about which of them is the best? Probably not.
Probably that list isn't satisfying a lot of chordians, so come on what do you think? Where are the Stones, Presley, DARK SIDE OF THE MOON?

I think that the US list looks quite well. I have all of these albums, and even though i am just 15 years old, i listen to these. They are classics, and people still by them. I am not suprised by the fact that Back in Black is on 5th place. Come on, who hasn't heard Back in Black?!
Thank you for writing this, it was interesting seeing it. :)

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