Now that we are waiting for the new album first sales week i think its interesting to post again Prince's Soundscan sales history :

Title (Year of Release; Soundscan, units sold in USA since 1991; Gold/Platinum RIAA Certification, sales in USA since 1978)

ATTENTION : Soundscan only gives sales in USA starting in 1991 till the present, while RIAA certifies shipments in USA since 1958. The bellow sales don't include Prince sales before 1991 in USA neither sales outside USA.

"For You" (1978; 88,000; no certification)
"Prince" (1979; 183,000; Platinum in 1980)
"Dirty Mind" (1980; 125,000; Gold in 1984)
"Controversy" (1981; 200,000; Platinum in 1985)
"1999" (1982; 641,000; 4xPlatinum in 1999)
"Purple Rain" (1984; 2.3 million; 13xPlatinum in 1996)
"Around the World in a Day" (1985; 162,000; 2xPlatinum in 1985)
"Parade" (1986; 230,000; Platinum in 1986)
"Sign 'O' the Times" (1987; 271,000; Platinum in 1987)
"Lovesexy" (1988; 68,000; Gold in 1988)
"Batman" (1989; 111,000; 2xPlatinum in 1989)
"Graffiti Bridge" (1990; 145,000; Gold in 1990)
"Diamonds and Pearls" (1991; 2.5 million; 2xPlatinum in 1992)
"Symbol" (1992; 1.1 million; Platinum in 1992)
"The Hits/The B-Sides" (1993; 630,000; Platinum in 1993)
"The Hits 1" (1993; 1.4 million; Platinum in 1995; has additional 501,000 sales from BMG record club)
"The Hits 2" (1993; 1.6 million; Platinum in 1995)
"Come" (1994; 310,000; Gold in 1994)
"The Black Album" (1994; 261,000; no certification)
"The Beautiful Experience EP" (1994; 210,000; no certification)
"The Gold Experience" (1995; 492,000; Gold in 1995)
"Chaos & Disorder" (1996; 131,000; no certification)
"Emancipation" (1996; 628,000; 2xPlatinum in 1997)
"Crystal Ball" (1998; 113,000; no certification)
"Newpower Soul" (1998; 214,000; no certification)
"The Vault - Old Friends 4 Sale" (1999; 113,000; no certification)
"Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic" (1999; 487,000; Gold in 1999)
"The Very Best of Prince" (2001; 1.2 million; Platinum in 2004)
"The Rainbow Children" (2001; 157,000; no certification)
"N.E.W.S." (2003; 28,000 ; no certification)
"One Nite Alone... Live!" (2003; 27,000 ; no certification)
"Musicology" (2004; 2 million (including 934,000 from retail sales; 2xPlatinum in 2004)

Total Soundscan sales 1991-2005 : 16,849,000 CDs (not counting the tour sales of "Musicology")
17,915,000 CDs (counting all the sales of "Musicology")

Note:
a friend of mine in another forum gave me the figures he was promising me some time ago regarding the albums that didn't appear on the original "Ask Billboard" reply to my email, because Keith didn't searched for Prince under the name Symbol or The Artist. The additions are the Soundscan sales for the albums "Beautiful Experience EP", "Chaos and Disorder", "N.E.W.S" and "One Nite Alone...Live!". He also said that sales of "The Gold Experience" have an additional 69,000. Because i have all the reasons to believe in this friend i added this below to my original post and to original Keith's Billboard answer".

My email to and correspondent reply from "Ask Billboard" are dated from 17 January 2006 and can be seen at (my question is the third and last one) :
http://www.billboard.biz/...02/7005/-1
[Edited 3/23/06 2:53am]

Edu said:

And that's just the US sales and sales for that decade, right?
[Edited 3/23/06 2:39am]

Yes, its only sales in USA and from 1991 onwards (January 1991-December 2005).

Edu said:

what are the criteria for gold and platinum?

The question is, Will 3121 sell more records than Musicology??

Wow, NEWS out sold ONALive

The LoveSexy CD cover is what killed it. Many fans were afraid to pick up that CD, especially the fellas. ---That's where his fans divided. It was the loyal-hardcore fans that had the courage and strength to pick up that CD with a naked man on the front looking very confused. I am female and that cover is creepy. I have it turned the other way.

amyhr said:

That is surprising, although ONA Live cost more so maybe it didn't get as many sales.

rainbowchild said:

I'm going to have to go with no on this one.

Unless by Musicology Sale you mean CD's people bought from Stores and not the one's forced upon those people that went to see him in consert as part of the ticket price.