Record Sales and thinking back

Was searching  around the big old world wide web and found this? Thought it might be interesting

I suppose after posting the Walmart piece it started me thinking of the good old days.

You could call it a companion to the top selling soundscan era album list lead by Metallica’s “Metallica”. Only this list consist of albums which hasn’t charted on the Billboard top 200 since May 1991 when the Catalog chart was introduced at the beginning of the soundscan era.

Take the lower rankings lightly as there might be other catalog albums with soundscan sales between 1 and 3 million.

Top Catalog Albums of the Soundscan era

(# -year of rel- artist-title-soundscan-date of scan)

01 1984 Bob Marley ”Legend” 10,481,000 feb10
02 1973 Pink Floyd “Dark Side of the Moon” 8,991,000 feb10
03 1988 Journey “Greatest Hits” 7,419,000 feb10
04 1976 James Taylor “Greatest hits” 6,793,000 jan10
05 1980 AC/DC “Back in black” 6,638,000 jan10
06 1985 Jimmy Buffett “Songs you know by heart” 6,408,000 nov09
07 1978 Soundtrack “Grease” 5,858,000 nov09
08 1976 Creedence Clearwater Revival “Chronicle” 5,631,000 feb10
09 1979 Pink Floyd “The Wall” 5,504,000 sep09
10 1976 The Eagles “Their greatest hits 71-75” 5,336,000 nov08

11 1988 Metallica “And Justice For All” 5,330,000 dec09
12 1986 Beastie Boys “Licensed to Ill” 5,322,000 feb09
13 1978 Steve Miller “Greatest hits 74-78” 5,283,000 sep09
14 1980 Aerosmith “Aerosmith’s Greatest Hits” 5,251,000 nov09
15 1987 Guns N’ Roses “Appetite For Destruction” 4,965,000 nov09
16 1982 Michael Jackson “Thriller” 4,662,000 feb10 (NB! inaccurate!)
17 1974 Elton John “Greatest hits” 4,623,000 may06
18 1986 Metallica “Master of Puppets” 4,602,000 dec09
19 1977 Meat Loaf “Bat out of hell” 4,572,000 sep09
20 1982 Eric Clapton “Time pieces” 4,518,000 aug08

21 1969 The Beatles “Abbey road” 4,483,000 feb10
22 1985 Metallica “Ride the Lightning” 4,334,000 dec09
23 1988 Fleetwood Mac “Greatest hits” 4,272,000 sep09
24 1967 The Beatles “Sgt. Pepper” 4,228,000 jan10
25 1973 Janis Joplin “Greatest hits” 4,204,000 nov09
26 1967 Patsy Cline “Greatest hits” 4,188,000 nov09
27 1988 Enya “Watermark” 3,800,000 feb06
28 1985 The Doors “Best of” 3,799,000 sep07
29 1971 Carole King “Tapestry” 3,644,000 jun08
30 1971 Led Zeppelin “IV” 3,564,000 sep08

31 1968 The Beatles “The White album” 3,553,000 jan10
32 1988 Mannheim Steamroller “A fresh aire Christmas” 3,548,000 oct07
33 1985 Billy Joel “Greatest hits I+II” 3,474,000 jan06
34 1984 Mannheim Steamroller “Christmas” 3,446,000 nov09
35 1982 The Eagles “Greatest hits Vol 2” 3,269,000 nov07
36 1987 U2 “The Joshua tree” 3,191,000 apr08
37 1986 Soundtrack “Top Gun” 3,178,000 jul07
38 1986 Bon Jovi “Slippery When Wet” 3,164,000 nov09
39 1975 Pink Floyd “Wish you were here” 3,100,000 apr09
40 1959 Miles Davis “Kind of blue” 3,046,000 may09

41 1972 Simon & Garfunkel “Greatest hits” 3,029,000 nov09
42 1986 The Police “Every breath you take – the singles/classics” 2,902,000 nov08
43 1965 Vince Guaraldi “A Charlie Brown Christmas” 2,775,000 dec09
44 1982 Hank Williams Jr. “Greatest hits” 2,758,000 nov09
45 1977 Fleetwood Mac “Rumours” 2,681,000 may09
46 1965 The Beatles “Rubber soul” 2,616,000 jan10
47 1983 Metallica “Kill em all” 2,575,000 may09
48 1989 Chicago “Greatest hits 1982-1989″ 2,573,000 sep07
49 1983 Marvin Gaye “Every great Motown hit” 2,572,000 feb09
50 1973 The Beatles “67-70” 2,568,000 jan07

51 1984 Prince “Purple rain” 2,558,000 nov09
52 1987 Soundtrack “Dirty dancing” 2,556,000 nov09
53 1974 Grateful Dead “The best of – skeletons” 2,475,000 jan06
54 1987 Various Artists “A very special Christmas” 2,410,000 dec09
55 1980 The Doors “Greatest hits” 2,404,000 dec05
56 1987 Def Leppard “Hysteria” 2,375,000 apr06
57 1976 The Eagles “Hotel California” 2,357,000 nov07
58 1963 Nat King Cole “The Christmas Song” 2,336,000 nov08
59 1988 Reo Speedwagon “The Hits” 2,300,000 jan06
60 1988 Tracy Chapman “Tracy Chapman” 2,276,000 mar06

61 1970 Van Morrison “Moondance” 2,265,000 jul05
62 1972 Rolling Stones “Hot Rocks 1964-1971″ 2,256,000 dec05
63 1984 Soundtrack “Footloose” 2,245,000 jul07
64 1973 The Beatles “62-66” 2,214,000 jan07
65 1987 Enya “Enya(The Celts)” 2,200,000 feb06
66 1969 Led Zeppelin “II” 2,193,000 dec06
67 1966 The Beatles “Revolver” 2,180,000 jan10
68 1974 Santana “Greatest hits” 2,163,000 feb03
69 1981 Blondie “The best of Blondie” 2,116,000 dec05
70 1976 Boston “Boston” 2,100,000 sep09

71 1978 Van Halen “Van Halen” 2,090,000 jan09
72 1989 Lynyrd Skynyrd “Skynyrds innyrds/ Greatest hits” 2,071,000 jan06
73 1979 AC/DC “Highway to hell” 2,045,000 nov09
74 1975 Barry White “Greatest Hits, vol.1″ 2,030,000 apr04
75 1972 Neil Young “Harvest” 2,019,000 dec05
76 1979 Michael Jackson “Off the wall” 1,997,000 nov09
77 1968 Frank Sinatra “Greatest hits” 1,946,000 sep07
78 1979 Bee Gees “Greatest” 1,938,000 may08
79 1976 Doobie Brothers “Best of the Doobies” 1,933,000 jan06
80 1986 Paul Simon “Graceland” 1,875,000 may06

81 1986 AC/DC “Who made who” 1,814,000 nov08
82 1977 Soundtrack ”Saturday night fever” 1,800,000 may06
83 1981 AC/DC “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap” 1,799,000 apr09
84 1973 Led Zeppelin “Houses of the holy” 1,792,000 dec06
85 1981 Bob Seger “Nine tonight” 1,788,000 dec05
86 1983 Stevie Ray Vaughan “Texas flood” 1,782,000 dec05
87 1982 Foreigner “Records” 1,782,000 jan06
88 1985 Bad Company “10 from 6″ n/a 1,765,000 jan06
89 1979 Rod Stewart “Greatest hits” 1,759,000 jan08
90 (1949) Bing Crosby “White Christmas” 1,755,000 dec09

91 1978 The Carpenters “Christmas portrait” 1,754,000 dec09
92 1967 The Beatles “Magical mystery” 1,735,000 nov09
93 1987 Pink Floyd “A momentary lapse of reason” 1,710,000 feb07
94 1978 Earth, Wind & Fire “The best of, Vol.1″ 1,700,000 jan06
95 1976 AC/DC “High Voltage” 1,679,000 nov09
96 1975 America “History: Greatest hits” 1,652,000 sep07
97 1989 Luther Vandross “Best of Luther: The best of love” 1,600,000 jan06
98 1974 Jim Croce “Photographs & Memories” 1,566,000 jan09
99 1973 Elton John “Goodbye Yellow brick road” 1,559,000 dec05
100 1985 Org. Broadway Cast “Les Miserables” 1,537,000 may08

101 1977 Elton John “Greatest hits, vol.2″ 1,512,000 dec05
102 1977 Pink Floyd “Animals” 1,507,000 jan07
103 1989 Beastie Boys “Paul’s boutique” 1,498,000 feb09
104 1987 Michael Jackson “Bad” 1,498,000 dec09
105 1987 Reba McEntire “Greatest hits” 1,484,000 jan06
106 1967 The Doors “The Doors” 1,474,000 dec05
107 1975 Carly Simon “Best Of” 1,472,000 sep07
108 1967 Barbra Streisand “A Christmas album” 1,466,000 dec05
109 1984 Bruce Springsteen “Born in the USA” 1,458,000 feb09
110 1985 The Cars “Greatest hits” 1,451,000 nov07

111 1969 Led Zeppelin “I“ 1,450,000 dec06
112 1983 Def Leppard “Pyromania” 1,433,000 feb09
113 1965 The Beatles “Help” 1,429,000 nov09
114 1970 Black Sabbath “Paranoid” 1,427,000 jan07
115 1986 Peter Gabriel “So” 1,414,000 dec05
116 1983 U2 “War” 1,413,000 jul06
117 1983 Violent Femmes “Violent Femmes” 1,400,000 dec99
118 1970 Santana “Abraxas” 1,400,000 jan07
119 1989 Pat Benatar “Best shots” 1,380,000 aug05
120 1977 Billy Joel “The Stranger” 1,366,000 feb05

121 1958 Elvis Presley “Elvis’ golden records” 1,356,000 dec05
122 1970 The Beatles “Let it be” 1,353,000 nov09
123 1984 Van Halen “1984” 1,347,000 may06
124 1964 The Beatles “Hard days night” 1,344,000 nov09
125 1989 Stevie Ray Vaughan “In step” 1,308,000 dec05
126 1975 Chicago “Chicago IX: Greatest hits” 1,307,000 jan06
127 1989 Guns n Roses “Lies” 1,296,000 feb06
128 1989 N.W.A. “Straight outta Compton” 1,295,000 jun05
129 1985 John Mellencamp “Scarecrow” 1,277,000 dec05
130 1984 Stevie Ray Vaughan “Couldn’t stand the weather” 1,243,000 dec05

131 1976 Linda Ronstadt “Greatest hits” 1,230,000 jan06
132 1980 Ozzy Osbourne “Blizzard of Ozz” 1,218,000 aug06
133 1970 Simon & Garfunkel “Bridge over troubled water 1,210,000 jan06
134 1975 Led Zeppelin “Physical graffiti” 1,206,000 dec06
135 1976 Bob Seger “Live Bullet” 1,200,000 jan06
136 1988 Kenny G “Silhouette” 1,200,000 ???
137 1981 Rush “Moving pictures” 1,200,000 jan07
138 1988 U2 “Rattle & Hum” 1,196,000 jul06
139 1973 John Denver “Greatest Hits” 1,186,000 jul06
140 1988 Eazy-E “Eazy Duz It” 1,174,000 jun05

141 1981 Pink Floyd “A collection of great dance songs” 1,170,000 jan07
142 1988 Sade “Stronger than pride” 1,167,000 dec05
143 1986 Van Halen “5150″ 1,167,000 may06
144 1985 Sade “Diamond life” 1,164,000 dec05
145 1988 The Beatles “Past masters vol 2” 1,164,000 jan07
146 1978 Rolling Stones “Some girls” 1,158,000 dec05
147 1975 Aerosmith “Toys in the attic” 1,150,000 feb05
148 1970 Led Zeppelin “III” 1,139,000 dec06
149 1976 Black Sabbath “We sold our soul to RnR” 1,135,000 jan07
150 1966 Dean Martin “The best of” 1,135,000 sep07

151 1987 George Michael “Faith” 1,131,000 jan06
152 1989 Barbra Streisand “A collection – GH and more” 1,123,000 dec05
153 1959 Dave Brubeck Quartet “Time out” 1,117,000 may08
154 1985 Sade “Promise” 1,115,000 dec05
155 1964 Burl Ives “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” 1,114,000 dec09
156 1963 Patsy Cline “The Patsy Cline Story” 1,100,000 dec05
157 1988 Melissa Etheridge “Melissa Etheridge” 1,100,000 jan06
158 1989 Tom Petty “Full Moon Fever” 1,100,000 jan06
159 1981 Phil Collins “Face Value” 1,100,000 jan06
160 1970 Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young “Deja Vu” 1,100,000 jan06

161 1985 Dire Straits “Brothers in arms” 1,096,000 may05
162 1971 Marvin Gaye “What’s going on” 1,093,000 dec05
163 1971 Rolling Stones “Sticky fingers” 1,078,000 dec05
164 1981 Barbra Streisand “Memories” 1,068,000 dec05
165 1989 Too Short “Life is…Too short” 1,060,000 jan06
166 1983 ZZ Top “Eliminator” 1,060,000 jan09
167 1982 Neil Diamond “12 Greatest Hits, vol.2″ 1,052,000 may08
168 1975 Cat Stevens “Greatest hits” 1,037,000 sep09 (2000 remaster only)
169 1987 Ozzy Osbourne “Tribute” 1,025,000 aug06

170 1957 Elvis Presley “Christmas album” 1,020,000 nov05
171 1977 Jackson Browne “Running on empty” 1,020,000 jan06
172 1982 John Mellencamp “American fool” 1,018,000 dec05
173 1985 Whitney Houston “Whitney Houston” 1,018,000 jan08
174 1988 Pink Floyd “Delicate sound of thunder” 1,016,000 jan07
175 1980 The Eagles “Live” 1,012,000 nov07
176 1968 Johnny Cash “At Folsom Prison” 1,007,000 feb09
177 1964 The Beatles “Please Please Me” 1,006,000 nov09
178 1975 Queen ”A night at the opera” 1,001,000 sep09
179 1977 Eric Clapton “Slowhand” 1,000,000 jan06
180 1989 Skid Row “Skid Row” 1,000,000 may06

Close to 1m:

– 1980 Temptations “Give love at Christmas” 994,000 dec05
– 1971 The Who “Who’s Next” 975,000 jan09
– 1986 Stevie Ray Vaughan “Live alive” 968,000 dec05
– 1987 Whitney Houston “Whitney” 957,000 apr07
– 1987 Paul McCartney “All the best” 946,000 dec05
– 1989 Cher “Heart of stone” 936,000 jan06
– 1987 Aerosmith “Permanent Vacation 920,000 jan06
– 1980 Soundtrack “Blues Brothers” 911,000 jul07
– 1981 Ozzy Osbourne “Diary of a madman” 909,000 aug06
– 1969 Rolling Stones “Let it bleed” 903,000 dec05
– 1988 Bon Jovi “New Jersey” 901,000 feb06

These figures are most likely for remastered editions only:

– 1983 Charlie Daniels band “A decade of hits” 710,000 may06??? (1999remaster??)69
– 1969 Jimi Hendrix “Smash hits” 155,000 jul05? (2002remaster) 64

Missing country albums? (Country/Pop catalog weeks):

– 1987 George Strait “Greatest Hits vol. 2″ (460/34)
– 1985 George Strait “Greatest Hits” (394/5)
– 1986 George Strait “Merry Christmas Strait To You” (68/13)
– 1987 George Strait “Ocean Front Property” (135/0)
– 1988 George Strait “If You Aint Loving” (72/0)
– 1986 Alabama “Greatest Hits” (255/0)
- 1984 Alabama “Roll On” (158/4)
- 1985 Alabama “Christmas” (74/12)
- 1988 Alabama “Live” (133/0)
- 1982 Alabama “Mountain music” (100/0)
- 1989 Reba McEntire “Sweet Sixteen” (204/1)
- 1988 Reba McEntire “Reba” (150/1)
- 1987 Reba McEntire “Merry Christmas To You” (70/16)
- 1985 Patsy Cline “Heartaches” (185/14)
- 1989? Patsy Cline “20 Golden Hits” (127/5)
– 1979 Waylon Jennings “Greatest Hits” (170/6)
- 1981 Willie Nelson “Greatest Hits & some that will be” (63/8)
- 1978 Willie Nelson “Stardust” (25/0)
- 1983 Kenny Rogers “Twenty Greatet Hits” (202/2)
- 1984 Kenny Rogers & Dolly Parton “Once upon A Christmas” (51/13)
- 1982 Dolly Parton “Greatest Hits” (170/0)
- 1970 Hank Williams Sr. “24 Of Hank Williams GH” (135/3)
- 19?? Hank Williams Sr. “20 Of Hank Williams GH” (107/1)

Let me know if any of you have additional information as I want this list to be as accurate and up-to-date as possible.
My aim is to include all millionselling catalog albums.

A few statistics :

1,000,000+ scanning catalog albums: 180
2,000,000+ scanning catalog albums: 75
3,000,000+ scanning catalog albums: 41
4,000,000+ scanning catalog albums: 26
5,000,000+ scanning catalog albums: 14
6,000,000+ scanning catalog albums: 6
7,000,000+ scanning catalog albums: 3
8,000,000+ scanning catalog albums: 2
9,000,000+ scanning catalog albums: 1
10,000,000+ scanning catalog albums: 1

Not even half of the known million sellers has passed 2 million. Could be many between 1m and 2m still missing.

Artists with 3 or more known million scanning catalog albums

The Beatles – 13
Pink Floyd – 7
Led Zeppelin – 6
AC/DC – 5
Metallica – 4
The Eagles – 4
Rolling Stones – 3
Elton John – 3
U2 – 3
Michael Jackson – 3
Van Halen – 3
Barbra Streisand – 3
Sade – 3
Stevie Ray Vaughan – 3
The Doors – 3

Known million scanning catalog albums by decade :

1980’s – 91 – (top seller: “Legend” 10.44m)
1970’s – 63 – (top seller: “Dark side of the moon” 8.96m)
1960’s – 21 – (top seller: “Abbey road” 4.46m)
1950’s – 4 – (top seller: “Kind of blue” 3.05m)
1940’s – 1 – (“White Christmas” 1.76m)