All data dated September 1993, collected by Minneapolis Star-Tribune journalist Jon Bream , with additional data from Billboard, Rolling Stone and Time Magazine:

Album = Worldwide sales in 1993
(RIAA certification till 1993 end;
US estimated sales till 1993 end;
some specific countries MINIMUM sales till 1993)
(k= x1000 ; m=million)

For You = 800k (not RIAA certified; in US 400k sold)

Prince = 1.75m (RIAA P=1m)

Dirty Mind = 1.8m (RIAA G=500k)

Controversy = 2.3m (RIAA P=1m)

1999 = 5m (RIAA 3xP=3m; 2.3m sales in US when "Purple Rain" was released)

Purple Rain = 14.7m (RIAA 10xP=10m in 1989 with US 1993 sales at more than 12m, Canada=600k, UK=600k, Germany=500k, Australia=140k, Japan=130k)

Around The World In A Day = 4.35m (RIAA 2xP=2m, but Jon Bream says 3.4m in US, shipped 2.7m in US on release week; UK=100k, Japan=75k)

Parade = 3.5m (RIAA P=1m, J.B. says 1.9m ; UK=300k, France=300k, Germany=250k, Netherlands=80k, Japan=50k)

Sign Of The Times = 3.75m (RIAA P=1m, J.B. says 1.8m ; UK=300k, Germany=250k, France=200k, Netherlands=80k, Australia=35k, Japan=20k)

Lovesexy = 2.65m (RIAA G=500k, J.B. says 990k; shipped 700k in US at release week; UK=300k, Germany=250k, France=200k, Japan=45k, Netherlands=40k)

Batman = 4.6m (RIAA 2xP=2m; UK=300k, France=300k, Germany=250k, Japan=175k, Netherlands=40k)

Graffiti Bridge = 2m (RIAA G=500k; UK=100k, Japan=75k)

Diamonds And Pearls = 5.8m (RIAA 2xP=2m; Warner 2.5 US + 3.3 outside US ; France=450k , Australia = 280k , UK=300k, Germany=250k, Netherlands=80k, Japan=60k)

Symbol = 3.45m (RIAA P=1m; UK=300k, Japan=85k)

From Jon Bream data we have

Worldwide sales = 55.5m

Now, some RIAA awards were given some time after 1993, so some data must be added:

i would say:
1999 from 5m to 5.5m (RIAA 4xP=4m in 1999)
Purple Rain from 14.7 to a minimum of 17m (this album according to Billboard sold within a year of release 4.5m outside US and RIAA 13xP=13m in 1996)

this means more 3m ... new total = 58.5m

Following albums, a kind of rough calculation:

The Hits/The B-Sides , global sales above half-million, let's say a maximum of 750k
The Hits 1 + The Hits 2 = at least a combined 2m from US and a probable combined international minimum of at least combined 1.5m
Come, 1m worldwide (US=500k, UK=100k, Japan=80k)
The Gold Experience, also 1m worldwide
Emancipation, EMI said 1million triple albums worldwide (US=700k shipped, Japan=95k)
The Black Album, around 750k worldwide (350k in US and 60k in Japan)
The Crystal Ball, 300k worldwide
New Power Soul, i would say 500k
Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic, no more than 1m
The Very Best Of Prince, 1.7m (1m in US, UK=300k)

This last = estimated 12.4m

1) Total ESTIMATED global sales (albums only) = 70.9 = roughly 71m (around 42.5m in US) (MINIMUM number)

And singles?
A quick estimation (NOT official), global sales

When Doves Cry = 3m
Purple Rain, Kiss, Batdance = 2m each
Let's Go Crazy, Gett Off, The Most Beautiful Girl In The World = 1.5m each
I Wanna Be Your Lover, 1999, Thieves In The Temple, Cream = 1m each
Raspberry Beret, Sign Of The Times, Alphabet Street, Sexy MF, 7 = 750k each
Little Red Corvette, U Got The Look, Diamonds And Pearls = 500k

2) Estimated total for more succeful singles = 22m (only in US from RIAA = 9.5m)

3) Estimated total albums+singles Prince sold in carreer = 93m

4) If we count discs inside albums we should add roughly more 12m

5) Total final estimated RECORDS sold by Prince since 1978 = 105m


Only for curiosity, according to the official Michael Jackson site its sales are (worldwide) :

Off The Wall = 19 m
Thriller = 59 m
Bad = 28 m
Dangerous = 29 m
HIStory = 18 m

So, Michael sold 171m with his first 5 solo albums...

About Prince's RIAA certifications:

Since 1991 "Purple Rain" sold 2.1 m in US, so i would say sales of "Purple Rain" in the 90's are between 2.5 m and 3 m...so the upgrade if it happens will be to 14 m and not more in principle....

Looking to the sales of Prince albums in the 90's, especially the ones which sold less, i would say that are between 100,000 and 200,000 people that would have bought the Prince catalogue in CD to replace the vinyl collection. The RIAA certifications were given almost all of them in the vinyl days. So looking to the Prince LP's sales at the time of latest certifications i would say that if one day happens one upgrade of Prince catalogue will be the following:

Purple Rain = 14xPlatinum (it shipped 1.3 million in first week back in 1984)
Around The World In A Day = 3xPlatinum (shipped 2.7 million on first week in 1985)
Parade = 2xPlatinum
Sign Of Times = 2xPlatinum (its running time is less than 100 minutes, so will never be considered a multi-disc set, otherwise it's recertification would be 4xP)
Lovesexy = Platinum ( Warner waited back in '88 several months to certified this album because it was very close to the million shipped, including 700,000 in the release week, but it never reached the 1m, that's why it was finally certified Gold in December '88, seven months after release date)

and maybe both the "Hits" 2xPlatinum, but just maybe...

do you randomly post this essay in its exact form every few months? i mean, you havent even updated it to include musicology!

The ridiculous low amount of SOTT sales remains ... uhm ... ridiculously low

SpcMs said:

I am really shocked by that.

If you add sales where he has a songwriting credit the figure becomes more plausible

Sineads I Do Not Want What I haven't Got
Hammer Please Hammer Dont Hurt Us which had 21 weeks at No 1 US
TLC CrazySexyCool
Cyndi Laupers She's so Unusual
errr Tom Jones albums with Kiss on it (don't laugh !! it was a huge hit for the old bastard)
Bangles Manic Monday
Celine Dions album thats got With this Tear (musta sold a bunch)
ok I'm scraping the barrel but the top 4 were each huge hits for the artists. Prince definitely got well paid on those

Anyone else I should be adding???