poetbear68 said:[quote]

VANITYSprisonBYTCH said:

Of course!

Next time I go back home I'll grab the book.

Good stuff. Now, does anyone have an up to date sales list for each album. How many times platinum? How many platinum. etc...

jtfolden said:

Excuse me, 1999 was greatly loved the minute it was released and for the almost 2 years before Purple Rain was released, with many feeling that 1999 is still the better album, just not the peak of the hype. Songs like "Delirious" and "Let's Pretend We're Married" were still getting a lot of airplay around the time "When Doves Cry" was released. Actually, the song "1999" had been released twice within that same period of time. 1999 WAS a huge success due to it's own greatness. The album got rave reviews during that whole period and was still being highlighted in the media long after its release. Of course, I'll admit that the success of Purple Rain kept 1999 still on the charts, but it had been on the charts already for more than 80 weeks by that time.

To whomever commented abvout the greatist hits albums not doing well: The main fan bases prince has are mainly those who really love and like him, or the ones who don't like or despise him-really no in-between. The die-hard fands (or enthusiests) Have all or many albums already, so they dont need the greatist hits stuff. Not many7 folks re casual fan. I was then became die-hard

Pretty impressive. However I've noticed a few flaws as far as the number of total wks on Top Album Chart is concerned. I own the Official Billboard Top Pop Albums from 1955-1996. (Again, my info is based on 1996's data so even my figures are horribly outdated.)

1. First, Purple Rain spent 32 wks in the Top Ten, 42 wks in the Top 40, and 72 wks on the Top 200 Album charts, as well as 24 wks at #1. (Hence, since his resurgence this year, he hasrecently hit week 90 on the Top Pop Album Catalog, in which Billboard counts toward total wks charted!)

2. Since his appearance with Beyonce at the Grammys, The Very Best of... shot to #1 on the Top Pop Catalog, and in one week during the release of Musicology sold 35,000 copies. It's still on the charts enjoying it's 50th week, selling on average 10-15,000 copies per week, already sailing past platinum status according to Soundscan. (Obviously, greedy WB knew what they wanted when then released this 3 yrs ago!)

3. Sign O' The Times total 54 wks on the charts

4. Finally, 1999 spent an astounding 154 wks on the Pop Album Charts! (Still, based on 1996's data.) Remember that 1999 New Year's Week Splurge to the record store. I think both the single (original) and album re-charted!

Just my two cents.

Here is a complete list of all Prince albums on the Billboard charts in the US.
(source: Billboard 200 Pop Album Chart)

debut / title / peak / (weeks on charts)

1) 10/28/78: For You - 163 (5)
2) 11/17/79: Prince - 22 (28) Platinum
3) 11/08/80: Dirty Mind - 45 (52) Gold
4) 11/07/81: Controversy - 21 (63) Platinum
5) 11/20/82: 1999 - 9 (125) Platinum X4
6) 07/14/84: Purple Rain - 1 (24 wks #1) (39) Platinum X14
7) 05/11/85: Around The World In A Day - 1 (3 wks #1) (40) Platinum X2
8) 04/19/86: Parade - 3 (28) Platinum
9) 04/18/87: Sign "O" The Times - 6 (45) Platinum
10) 05/28/88: Lovesexy - 11 (21) Gold
11) 07/08/89: Batman - 1 (6 wks #1) (34) Platinum X2
12) 09/08/90: Graffiti Bridge - 6 (24) Gold
13) 10/19/91: Diamonds And Pearls - 3 (45) Platinum X2
14) 10/31/92: Love Symbol - 5 (34) Platinum
15) 10/02/93: The Hits 1 - 46 (20)
16) 10/02/93: The Hits 2 - 54 (19)
17) 10/02/93: The Hits / The B-Sides - 19 (12)
18) 06/04/94: The Beautiful Experience - 92 (12)
19) 09/03/94: Come - 15 (10) Gold
20) 12/10/94: Black Album - 47 (11)
21) 10/14/95: The Gold Experience - 6 (8) Gold
22) 04/06/96: Girl 6 - 75 (4)
23) 07/27/96: Chaos And Disorder - 26 (4)
24) 12/07/96: Emancipation - 11 (21) Platinum X2
25) 03/14/98: Crystal Ball - 62 (5)
26) 07/18/98: Newpower Soul - 22 (8)
27) 02/20/99: 1999-The New Master - 150 (1)
28) 09/11/99: The Vault... Old Friends 4 Sale - 85 (5)
29) 11/27/99: Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic - 18 (15) Gold
30) 08/04/01: The Very Best Of - 66 (10) Gold ( closing on plat)
31) 12/08/01: The Rainbow Children - 108 (2)
32) 2002: One Nite Alone... Live! - failed to make the pop chart
33) 2003: N.E.W.S. - failed to make the pop chart
34) 05/08/04: Musicology - 3 (14+) Platinum
[This message was edited Tue Aug 3 21:10:09 2004 by asg]

prinssi said:

No, I meant the first Hits package. But i hadn't noticed that The Hits/B sides charted at no.19. I only saw the individual positions for the Hits 1 and Hits 2.

Only 39 weeks on the chart? That can't be right.<<<

Yep, its right (see link below). As stated earlier ATWIAD was released what 9-10 months after Purple Rain? And PR fell off when Around The World and Raspberry Beret hit the streets. Any true chart geeks out there have the week by week position of Purple Rain after it fell from munber one after 24 weeks? Just curious how quickly it fell. Despite that noone can deny Purple Rain by far is his best seller at last count approaching 14 million in the US.


WRONG WRONG WRONG WRONG

Where's that Bart Van Halen guy when u need him? Let's go crazy back in 1984. ...Let's see, WHen Doves Cry, LGC, Purple Rain, I would Die 4 U, Take Me With U. ALL SINGLES. Spanning from the album's release in the summer of 1984 to early 1985. I have an old Billboard Magazine with the chart intact, showing it in it's 49th week on the chart. Around the time Take Me With U was dropping off. Just think about the facts: 5 hit singles in 39 weeks. Even the argument that LGC was released while Doves was still #1 is not gonna cut the mustard here. Purple Rain was on the charts when Around The World in A Day was released, and fell off perhaps a few months afterward, probably at least 60 weeks or more on the chart.

U just can't believe everything you read. Anybody remember that Ebony Mag cover around the time of Emancipation. It says right in the article that Purple Rain sold ONE HUNDRED MILLION Copies!!! Misprints and Errors R sadly part of "True Sources." I also question a lot of other info in this chart history. It's just that the Purple Rain one is so funny, and obviously so wrong, that I had 2 bring out my Bart Van Halen impersonation. (That guy was so obsessive about correcting wrong information, that I began 2 make posts with intentional mistakes, just 2 c when he'd strike..)

TheNewPowerMan said:

Not bad for a 46 year old musician/entertainer, right?

I'm shocked Dirty Mind peaked lower than Prince



Would have thought this album would have peaked higher, but like someone said 125 weeks is a LONG time - slow burn on this one, SWEET Curious to see other charts!



I had no idea this album was ever #1



Pretty good for an album people rarely mention



Higher than I expected...


This was cool, thanks for the read

stillwaiting said:

The Hits is not entirely accurate. It was higher.

asg said:

thanks

Anyone gonna do singles and how about UK singles and albums???
Here are a few albums that I can remember from the UK but they might not necessarily be right....
1999 ..... 22
Purple Rain ... 7
ATWIAD ..... 5
Parade ..... 3
Sign ..... 3
Lovesexy ..... 1
Batman ..... 1
GRafitti Bridge 1
D+P ..... 2
Symbol ..... 1
Come ..... 1
Gold ..... 4
Emancipation .. 8
Musicology ..... 3