Has there been any other artist that have that big of a sales difference over time throughout their career?

Ex:

Purple Rain- 21M

then he has albums such as N.E.W.S. and Plectrum which sell under 50,000 copies.

It's always been hit or miss for Prince in terms of sales wise...

Yet another sales thread from our friend feeluupp..

I would think there are other acts who have had fluctuating album sales. Although Prince never had Madonna album sales, I'm actually very, very impressed with his sales when you consider all the stunts he's pulled off in the years.. 1 album a year? questionable/nonexistent promotion? at times, horrible singles? weird movie(s)? lack of touring? changing name to a symbol? I think if Prince fans actually stepped back a minute and REALLY looked at all the horrible business decisions and weird, crazy stunts Prince has pulled off since 1985, they would feel amazed that Prince actually became one of the best-selling artists of all time regardless. Despite challenging his audience and generally being a weirdo all the time, he still had hits every year throughout most of the 80s and at least half of the 90s, and continued to be popular (even if it went up and down). The fact he made crazy-ass music that oversaturated the market in his heydey yet still sold over 100 million is amazing to me. And it's just something we have to accept, the fact that Prince did and always will make questionable decisions, fail at promotion, and release albums at weird paces/times, then complain about it afterwards. He never did and never will play by the game. So in retrospect, his album sales are amazing. We can't compare someone like him to someone like Michael Jackson who spent millions upon millions on promotion, music videos, 8+ singles, properly timed releases, etc etc etc.. Not that there's anything wrong with the way he did it, he was a completely different beast, more of an entertainer than a musician... but Prince ended up being the one who escaped with his sanity. I remember reading that Prince and GM didnt "exit the pop world.. they took the side door out to whatthefuck? land" here on the org, and it's true. If Prince followed a Madonna/Janet route (releasing 1 album every 2/3 years, lots of singles, good business decision, remixes), he definitely would sell im guessing 50 million more records than he has. But he didn't go that route. And we instead got a lot of great albums and eras that wouldn't have existed if he did.

Next time we wonder why Parade sold 4 million or Lovesexy 3 million, we have to remember the circumstances they were released under, the questionable singles (Glam Slam, Mountains), the spotty promotion, etc. I for one think The Purple One has had an amazingly successful career (even with times he did good promotion and just ended up failing i.e. Rave).. not everyone can afford to make big mistakes like UTCM or Lovesexy and still have hit singles 5 years later.. Go Prince.

[Edited 4/11/15 14:06pm]

There were one album wonders like Alanis Morissette or Jewel who sell peanuts now even though they hit Diamond back in the day. Mariah and Celine had those highs like Purple Rain and now they sell in the same level as Prince's last project.

The more reasonable question is "Are there any major artists who haven't had big sales differences?" When you look at the top selling acts of all time there are artists who died relatively young (Elvis), soloists who retired (Billy Joel), and bands who broke up after a decade or so (like the Beatles and Zeppelin) who don't have an apples-to-apples (no Beatles pun intended) comparison. Stack Sgt. Pepper though against McCartney's last few solo records, or Zeppelin to Robert Plant, and you get a more direct correlation.

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AC/DC's new album didn't sell anything like Back In Black. Did it sell more than N.E.W.S.? Sure, but those aren't exactly fair comparisons. AC/DC were releasing their first new album in nearly a decade, toured, and opened the Grammys. N.E.W.S. was a 4-song instrumental jazz record released independently on the internet with spotty physical distribution. Of course it wasn't going to go platinum, it wasn't meant to. Plectrum was a delayed afterthought released, essentially, as a bonus with AOA. The only Prince albums that were really flops were things like Rave, or Lovesexy, which were meant to be big sellers and tanked. Come, NEWS, Rainbow Children, etc etc etc....they weren't designed to be multi-platinum blockbusters. They were contract filler or esoteric musical whims of an eclectic genius. It's silly to compare them to Purple Rain and fault them for not being equal. Sometimes he cares and sometimes he doesn't. In that respect, he's pretty unique amongst major selling artists.

posted earlier, - figures are from 2008?

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source: "the Org somewhere"..

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Year - Album - Worldwide estimated sales = USA estimated sales + International (outside US) estimated sales
.
The 70's + 80's
.
1978 For You 930,000 = 550,000 + 380,000
1979 Prince 1,950,000 = 1,500,000 + 450,000
1980 Dirty Mind 2,015,000 = 1,085,000 + 930,000
1981 Controversy 2,650,000 = 1,550,000 + 1,100,000
1982 1999 6,075,000 = 4,320,000 + 1,755,000
1984 Purple Rain 19,880,000 = 14,480,000 + 5,400,000
1985 Around The World In A Day 4,585,000 = 2,845,000 + 1,740,000
1986 Parade 4,155,000 = 2,105,000 + 2,050,000
1987 Sign Of The Times 4,025,000 = 1,840,000 + 2,185,000
1988 Lovesexy 2,825,000 = 960,000 + 1,865,000
1989 Batman (Soundtrack) 4,790,000 = 2,500,000 + 2,290,000
.
Total 70's + 80's estimated worldwide all-time sales:
53,880,000 = 33,735,000 + 20,145,000
.
The 90's
.
1990 Graffiti Bridge 2,305,000 = 980,000 + 1,325,000
1991 Diamonds & Pearls 6,450,000 = 2,780,000 + 3,670,000
1992 Symbol 2,700,000 = 1,100,000 + 1,600,000
1993 The Hits/The B-Sides 1,000,000 = 650,000 + 350,000
1993 The Hits 1 2,750,000 = 2,000,000 + 750,000
1993 The Hits 2 2,250,000 = 1,750,000 + 500,000
1994 Come 1,000,000 = 500,000 + 500,000
1994 The Black Album 575,000 = 275,000 + 300,000
1995 The Gold Experience 900,000 = 550,000 + 350,000
1996 Chaos & Disorder 350,000 = 150,000 + 200,000
1996 Emancipation 1,200,000 = 700,000 + 500,000
1998 Crystal Ball 275,000 = 125,000 + 150,000
1998 Newpower Soul 425,000 = 225,000 + 200,000
1999 The Vault 250,000 = 125,000 + 125,000
1999 Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic 750,000 = 500,000 + 250,000
.
Total 90's estimated worldwide all-time sales:
23,180,000 = 12,410,000 + 10,770,000
.
The 00's
.
2001 The Very Best Of Prince 2,000,000 = 1,300,000 + 700,000
2001 The Rainbow Children 300,000 = 175,000 + 125,000
2004 Musicology 1,500,000 = 1,000,000 + 500,000 (concert sales NOT included)
.
(add 3121, Planet Earth, Lotus, MPLSound, let's say 1,5 / 2 millions)
.
Total 00's estimated worldwide all-time sales:
3,800,000 = 2,475,000 + 1,325,000
.
Total (Estimated) Career All-Time Album Sales Worldwide:
.
80,860,000 = 48,620,000 + 32,240,000
.
.
Wikipedia:
.
- 1 billion records or more:
.
The Beatles
Elvis Presley
.
- 500 million to 999 million records:
.
Bing Crosby
Michael Jackson
.
- 200 million to 499 million records:
.
AC/DC
A. R. Rahman (India)
ABBA
Alla Pugacheva (Rusia)
Bee Gees
Bob Marley
Celine Dion
Cliff Richard
The Drifters
Elton John
Herbert von Karajan (Austria)
Julio Iglesias
Led Zeppelin
Madonna
Mariah Carey
Nana Mouskouri (Grecia/Francia)
Pink Floyd
The Rolling Stones
Tino Rossi (Francia)
Wei Wei (China)
.
- 100 million to 199 million records:
.
Adriano Calentano (Italia)
Aerosmith
Backstreet Boys
Barry White
Billy Joel
Bon Jovi
Boney M (Alemania)
The Carpenters
Charles Aznavour
Cher
Chicago
Dave Clark Five
David Bowie
Deep Purple
Depeche Mode
Dire Straits
Dolly Parton
The Eagles
Electric Light Orchestra
Engelbert Humperdnicks (USA/UK)
Fats Domino
Fleetwood Mac
The Four Seasons
Frank Sinatra
Garth Brooks
Genesis
George Michael
Guns N' Roses
Iron Maiden
James Last (Alemania)
The Jackson 5
Janet Jackson
Johnny Hallyday (Francia)
Kenny Rogers
Lionel Richie
Luciano Pavarotti
Michiya Mihashi (Japón)
Mireille Mathieu (Francia)
Modern Talking
Neil Diamond
Olivia Newton-John
Patti Page
Paul McCartney
Perry Como (USA)
Pet Shop Boys
Phil Collins
Prince
Queen
Ricky Nelson
Roberto Carlos
Rod Stewart
Salvatore Adamo (Bélgica)
Status Quo
Stevie Wonder
Teresa Teng (Taiwán)
Tina Turner
Tom Jones
U2
Valeriya (Rusia)
The Ventures
Whitney Houston
The Who
.
.
.
French magazine:
.
1 - Beatles = 346.500.000 (12/2007)
2 - Michael Jackson = 205.500.000 (09/2008)
3 - Pink Floyd = 193.700.000 (02/2008)
4 - Madonna = 188.500.000 (01/2008)
5 - Elvis Presley = 187.000.000
6 - Elton John = 177.200.000 (01/2008)
7 - Queen = 170.100.000 (09/2008)
8 - Rolling Stones = 169.100.000
9 - U2= 166.400.000 (02/2008)
10 - Led Zeppelin = 165.500.000 (01/2008)
11 - Celine Dion = 163.000.000 (12/2007)
12 - Eagles = 147.800.000 (12/2007)
13 - Mariah Carey = 147.800.000 (12/2007)
14 - Rod Stewart = 140.100.000 (03/2008)
15 - Barbra Streisand= 139.800.000 (02/2008)
16 - Whitney Houston = 134.200.000 (12/2007)
17 - AC/DC = 133.700.000 (11/2007)
18 - Garth Brooks = 131.900.000 (02/2008)
19 - Bruce Springsteen = 130.900.000 (02/2008)
20 - Eric Clapton = 129.000.000 (02/2008)
21 - Billy Joel = 124.500.000 (12/2007)
22 - Bee Gees = 122.100.000 (12/2007)
23 - Phil Collins = 122.000.000 (12/2007)
24 - Bob Dylan = 119.800.000 (12/2007)
25 - Fleetwood Mac = 118.100.000 (12/2007)
26 - Santana - 117.700.000 (03/2008)
27 - Neil Diamond = 117.300.000 (02/2008)
28 - Aerosmith = 113.500.000 (11/2007)
29 - Bon Jovi = 107.200.000 (12/2007)
30 - Simon and Garfunkel = 105.100.000 (03/2008)
31 - ABBA = 104.200.000 (09/2007)
32 - Paul McCartney - 103.700.000 (02/2008)
33 - Dire Straits = 102.800.000 (12/2007)
34 - Metallica - 102.500.000 (01/2008)
35 - Prince = 99.900.000 (02/2008)
36 - Genesis = 98.000.000 (12/2007)
37 - David Bowie = 95.700.000 (12/2007)
38 - Van Halen = 94.000.000 (02/2008)
39 - Guns N' Roses = 93.200.000 (12/2007)
40 - Kenny Rogers = 90.400.000 (02/2008)
41 - The Doors = 89.700.000 (01/2008)
42 - Julio Iglesias = 89.500.000 (03/2008)
43 - Stevie Wonder= 87.100.000 (03/2008)
44 - Bob Marley = 86.600.000 (01/2008)
45 - Backstreet Boys = 85.900.000 (02/2008)
46 - R.E.M. = 83.800.000 (02/2008)
47 - Eminem = 83.400.000 (12/2007)
48 - Neil Young = 79.900.000 (06/2008)
49 - Enya = 78.300.000 (12/2007)
50 - Kenny G = 77.900.000 (03/2008)