U2 Chart/Sales Statistics

[STING2]

BUMP

[Popmartijn]

I think it's time for a bump again.

HTDAAB has been certified triple platinum in both the USA (=3 million shipped) and the UK (= 900,000 shipped), while the pan-European figure (which includes the UK) is still double platinum (=2 million shipped, but this is from November).

[STING2]

Originally posted by Popmartijn I think it's time for a bump again. HTDAAB has been certified triple platinum in both the USA (=3 million shipped) and the UK (= 900,000 shipped), while the pan-European figure (which includes the UK) is still double platinum (=2 million shipped, but this is from November).

One should take note that the UK platinum level of 300,000 is 50% higher on a per-capita basis than the US or Canadian platinum levels of 1,000,000 and 100,000 respectively. On the USA or Canadian level, 900,000 copies sold in the UK is the the same as selling 450,000 copies in Canada or 4,500,000 copies in the United States.

[Popmartijn]

With so much discussion about U2's chart performance in the recent weeks I think this thread can be very usefull, as it is an overview of what it known/certified. But with so much discussion about U2's chart performance in the recent weeks this page fall down quickly (it was already halfway page 4 ) so it needs a bump regularly. So here...




As for some real information, on 2 February 2005 Vertigo was awarded a Platinum award for it's paid downloads, meaning that more than 200,000 paid downloads.

[mikeuk]

Originally posted by Popmartijn I think it's time for a bump again. HTDAAB has been certified triple platinum in both the USA (=3 million shipped) and the UK (= 900,000 shipped), while the pan-European figure (which includes the UK) is still double platinum (=2 million shipped, but this is from November).

Bomb was certified as 3 x platinum in Europe in December 2004.

Mike

[Slipstream]

This is such a great thread and super information doctorwho!

There was one bit of info I'm confused on. On page 1 of this thread, With Or Without You is listed as being at 2 on the Canadian charts. I was always sure it went to No. 1. U2 Wanderer which shows how most U2 songs did on the UK/US/Canada charts also backs this up. Of course they could be wrong. I'm just curious on where everyone gets their historical single chart information for Canada? There seems to be a lack of information on this. Billboard only does from 97 onward for Canada. There must be somebody!

If WOWY was a No. 1 then here is what I have for U2's top chart singles in Canada...

With Or Without You
Discotheque
Sweetest Thing
Beautiful Day
Walk On
Elevation
Stuck In The Moment
Electrical Storm
Vertigo
All Because Of You

...and hopefully and likely Sometimes... will go to No. 1. So that is 9 or 10 No. 1s and maybe 11 in Canada which could quite possibly top any other country in the world including Ireland??

Current Canadian singles chart (ending 24 March) had U2 at,

All Because Of You - 2
Sometimes... - 6
Vertigo Single - 7 (Vertigo-19 weeks still top ten)
Vertigo Maxi - 9

[Yahweh]

I believe there has actually been more #1s then that but Vertigo I dont believe ever made it to #1 because that Kalen Porter single was out at the same time I think it only made it to #2 which was the first time in a long time that a U2 single didnt go to #1 on the Canadian singles chart.

[beLIEve]

There are two Canadian charts...singles sales versus Airplay. On the Airplay chart, ABOY is at 19 this week while Sometimes is at 18 and Vertigo is at 92.

On the Singles sales chart, U2 has the top 10 filled with ABOY at #2 (peaked at 1), Sometimes at #6 (peaked at 4), Vertigo at #7 (peaked at 2), and Vertigo Maxi at #9 (peaked at 2).

I think you're talking about the sales chart, which is tracked by BB. Jam has the airplay chart, and I'd be curious to know how many #1 songs U2 has had on that chart. Didn't ABOY and Vertigo make it to #1?

[fitz]

Finally we have a searchable database for gold- and platinum-certifications in Germany:

www.ifpi.de/wirtschaft/gpsuche.htm

required sales figures for platinum:
till the end of 1999: 500 k
from 2000 to the end of 2002: 300k
since 2003: 200k
(gold always half of platinum).

So we have the follow sales figures for the certificated albums:

War: 250k+
Under a blood red sky: 500k+
The Joshua Tree: 1m+
Rattle and Hum: 500k+
Achtung Baby: 500k+
Zooropa: 250k+
Pop: 250k+
Best of 80-90: 500k+
All that you...: 450k+
Best of 90-00: 150k+
How to dismantle: 300k+

[ybird3k]

why are there 2 different versions of Vertigo available in Canada? what is Vertigo Maxi.

Its Amazing how U2 have had such huge success with singles in Canada.
its so different to the US.

[STING2]

Originally posted by fitz Finally we have a searchable database for gold- and platinum-certifications in Germany: www.ifpi.de/wirtschaft/gpsuche.htm required sales figures for platinum: till the end of 1999: 500 k from 2000 to the end of 2002: 300k since 2003: 200k (gold always half of platinum). So we have the follow sales figures for the certificated albums: War: 250k+ Under a blood red sky: 500k+ The Joshua Tree: 1m+ Rattle and Hum: 500k+ Achtung Baby: 500k+ Zooropa: 250k+ Pop: 250k+ Best of 80-90: 500k+ All that you...: 450k+ Best of 90-00: 150k+ How to dismantle: 300k+

VERY INTERESTING! Thanks for the database!

It seems like albums can be certified as either multi-Gold , or multi-platinum.

Thanks again for the certification page. We now have exact certified awards databases for the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Germany. Europe also has a database but it only goes back to 1996.

[STING2]

Originally posted by fitz Finally we have a searchable database for gold- and platinum-certifications in Germany: www.ifpi.de/wirtschaft/gpsuche.htm required sales figures for platinum: till the end of 1999: 500 k from 2000 to the end of 2002: 300k since 2003: 200k (gold always half of platinum). So we have the follow sales figures for the certificated albums: War: 250k+ Under a blood red sky: 500k+ The Joshua Tree: 1m+ Rattle and Hum: 500k+ Achtung Baby: 500k+ Zooropa: 250k+ Pop: 250k+ Best of 80-90: 500k+ All that you...: 450k+ Best of 90-00: 150k+ How to dismantle: 300k+

For purposes of certification in the United States, a double album with two disc has each disc in the album counted as an album sale. So sales of 100k of this album would mean the certification would be for 200k. Is this the way double albums in Germany are certified?

[Axver]

Originally posted by ybird3k why are there 2 different versions of Vertigo available in Canada? what is Vertigo Maxi. Its Amazing how U2 have had such huge success with singles in Canada. its so different to the US.

There were two versions of Vertigo everywhere but it seems they are counted separately in Canada. There was the two-track one with Are You Gonna Wait Forever and the three-track (maxi) with Neon Lights and the remix.

[fitz]

Originally posted by STING2 VERY INTERESTING! Thanks for the database! It seems like albums can be certified as either multi-Gold , or multi-platinum. Thanks again for the certification page. We now have exact certified awards databases for the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Germany. Europe also has a database but it only goes back to 1996.

Yes, albums can be certified with multi-Gold, for example HTDAAB 3xgold. In the official chart list you see the sign for platin and gold. Both ways amounts to a total sales of 300k.

For your other question. In Germany it's different to the states. All the different versions of an album are counting as one for the charts and the certifications. For example the sales for the Best of 80-90 and the Best of with the B-sides count together for the charts and it doesn't matter, if this is a single or double cd. I think this is so right, or does anybody know it better?

[STING2]

Originally posted by fitz Yes, albums can be certified with multi-Gold, for example HTDAAB 3xgold. In the official chart list you see the sign for platin and gold. Both ways amounts to a total sales of 300k. For your other question. In Germany it's different to the states. All the different versions of an album are counting as one for the charts and the certifications. For example the sales for the Best of 80-90 and the Best of with the B-sides count together for the charts and it doesn't matter, if this is a single or double cd. I think this is so right, or does anybody know it better?

I notice that Pink Floyds the WALL is listed as double platinum (1994) while Dark Side of the Moon is only platinum (1993). In every other country I've seen sales for, Dark Side of the Moon are either equal or the larger seller than The Wall. In Germany though, this certification would suggest that The Wall has sold twice as many copies as Dark Side Of the Moon, which seems very unusual. Thats what prompted my question about how they certify double albums. Is there anywhere on that website that explains it?