Best selling albums of the year 2021 in the US as of now (week 13)

#1 DANGEROUS - Morgan Wallen (211.000 copies sold in 2021)
#20 THRILLER - Michael Jackson (46.000)
#27 PURPLE RAIN (42.000)

Sales = vinyl, CD and digital = no streaming.

To give you an order of idea, last year at week #13, Purple Rain was "only" #85 of the best seller list with only 19.000 copies sold. !

So it seems like this year, Purple Rain could sell like 200.000 copies, which seems unbelievable.

Some catalog sales charts statistics concerning Prince.
An album is charting in the catalog charts when he is more than two years old.

Most top 10 catalog sales charts :

Prince is #2 with 15 albums, tied with Frank Sinatra, and only topped by the Beatles ( 19 albums in the top 10)


Most charting catalog sales albums by artist :

Prince is #1 with 28 albums (!) tied with the Beatles and Sinatra.

The reissue of Crystal Ball would allow Prince to get the #1 spot and this record with some advance!

And what about the reissue of The Truth?

NoSwan said:

The Truth has never charted before- I don't even think it had his own number of release, barcode, etc.
For instance, last year Rainbow Children was his 28th entry in the catalog sales charts (at #5 for a week) , but ONA, It Ain't Over, etc. weren't.

RODSERLING said:

Crystal Ball is the last reissue I can see that could possibly break the record as the 29th entry in the CSC.

RODSERLING said:

Maybe W2A could anticipate it and be the 29th, don't you think so?

NoSwan said:

No, for an album to be catalogued as a catalog album, like I said, it needs to be 2 years old at least.

So for W2A, it couldn't enter this very chart before August of 2023.

I think Crystal Ball is the last album of the Sony catalogue eligible to the Catalogue sales charts, since it has already been released before.

20TEN, C-NOTe, or even to an extent Lotus Flower, etc. , can't enter the CSC, since they have never been released before - individually.

RODSERLING said:

Alright. It's clear, thank you!

RODSERLING said:

NoSwan said:

Maybe W2A could anticipate it and be the 29th, don't you think so?

No, for an album to be catalogued as a catalog album, like I said, it needs to be 2 years old at least. So for W2A, it couldn't enter this very chart before August of 2023. I think Crystal Ball is the last album of the Sony catalogue eligible to the Catalogue sales charts, since it has already been released before. 20TEN, C-NOTe, or even to an extent Lotus Flower, etc. , can't enter the CSC, since they have never been released before - individually.

what about The Gold Experience? it has been out of print for ages and hasn't been reissued yet because of the TMBGITW lawsuit. so if they reissue that in the future, it could count toward his #s.

LILpoundCAKE said:

RODSERLING said:

NoSwan said: No, for an album to be catalogued as a catalog album, like I said, it needs to be 2 years old at least. So for W2A, it couldn't enter this very chart before August of 2023. I think Crystal Ball is the last album of the Sony catalogue eligible to the Catalogue sales charts, since it has already been released before. 20TEN, C-NOTe, or even to an extent Lotus Flower, etc. , can't enter the CSC, since they have never been released before - individually.

what about The Gold Experience? it has been out of print for ages and hasn't been reissued yet because of the TMBGITW lawsuit. so if they reissue that in the future, it could count toward his #s.

The TMBGITW lawsuit was recently settled. Terms are unknown but it could result in a GE reissue.

laytonian said:

LILpoundCAKE said:

what about The Gold Experience? it has been out of print for ages and hasn't been reissued yet because of the TMBGITW lawsuit. so if they reissue that in the future, it could count toward his #s.

The TMBGITW lawsuit was recently settled. Terms are unknown but it could result in a GE reissue.

wow that is pretty great news

LILpoundCAKE said:

Technically, TGE could enter the CSC of course, but it s in a hell development, since there is a legal issue, that it is still NOT settled, or else, we would have seen TMBGITW in the streaming platforms.

And, of course, Sony would have wasted no time to release it - the Versace Experience was negotiated with the estate in replacement for TGE.

If they could have the rights for TMBGITW, they would have released a true greatest hits, and physically, instead of the odd compilation they "released" In streaming at the end of 2018, that nobody cares about.

Best selling album in the US in 2021, as of week 14

#26 Purple Rain (46.000 copies sold)

Last year, at the same time, week 14, Purple Rain was only #87 with 20.000 copies sold.
It ended the year 2020 with 115.000 copies nevertheless, which was already better than the year before.

At such a cruise speed, Purple Rain would be able to sell 265.000 copies this year!
Which is exactly what he sold last year in the US, counting every one of his albums, greatest hits, etc!

We shall see next week the 60 minutes effect.

RODSERLING said:

Best selling album in the US in 2021, as of week 14 #26 Purple Rain (46.000 copies sold) Last year, at the same time, week 14, Purple Rain was only #87 with 20.000 copies sold. It ended the year 2020 with 115.000 copies nevertheless, which was already better than the year before. At such a cruise speed, Purple Rain would be able to sell 265.000 copies this year! Which is exactly what he sold last year in the US, counting every one of his albums, greatest hits, etc! We shall see next week the 60 minutes effect.

So in 2 years it most likely sold over 400,000 in the U.S. alone, yet it still hasn't been re-certified by the RIAA since 1996. So it still stands at 13x Platinum when in reality it is most likely over 17x Platinum if not more. If the RIAA really re-certified Purple Rain I really wouldn't be surprised if it would be in the TOP 5 selling albums of all time in USA.

feeluupp said:

RODSERLING said:

Best selling album in the US in 2021, as of week 14 #26 Purple Rain (46.000 copies sold) Last year, at the same time, week 14, Purple Rain was only #87 with 20.000 copies sold. It ended the year 2020 with 115.000 copies nevertheless, which was already better than the year before. At such a cruise speed, Purple Rain would be able to sell 265.000 copies this year! Which is exactly what he sold last year in the US, counting every one of his albums, greatest hits, etc! We shall see next week the 60 minutes effect.

So in 2 years it most likely sold over 400,000 in the U.S. alone, yet it still hasn't been re-certified by the RIAA since 1996. So it still stands at 13x Platinum when in reality it is most likely over 17x Platinum if not more. If the RIAA really re-certified Purple Rain I really wouldn't be surprised if it would be in the TOP 5 selling albums of all time in USA.

What has it sold internationally? 25+ million total? It wud b very interesting to see all the money streams from this one project...royalties, tour, movie income through the years.

Purple Rain was last recertified, from 11*P to 13* for two main reasons :
- the RIAA allowed music club sales to account for the certifications of an album.
- the release of Chaos and Disorder.

So this last 13*P certification doesn't look like the album just reached the 13 millions mark, but more like " The album sold 11.5 millions in stores, and we just find out it sold another 2 millions in MC".

Between this last cert. And today, Purple Rain sold 3.5 millions more copies... In store.

Can we really assume it sold zero copies in MC between 1996 and 2004?
Doubtful, since Thriller sold 800.000 copies in MC alone in 1999/2000.

And before the release of Thriller 25 in 2008, both albums had similar soundscan sales (2.5 millions).

In 2016 alone, Purple Rain had 150.000 streaming equivalent sales, that are now allowed to RIAA certs.

So, the 17 millions mark is reasonnably already reached, or will be this year.

Some artists have unexplained certification s, such as recently the Eagles, IIRC, they found out two years ago 9 millions uncounted sales just for their greatest hits ( for a total of 36 millions), without explaining where they came from.
It couldn't be from streaming, because their numbers are low

So, I can't see why they couldn't take into account the sales of the movie Purple Rain. Yes, it contains all the songs from the album.

It must have sold 2/3 millions in the US alone.

The VHS was initially shipped at 400k copies, then a new reprder of 70k two weeks after the release.
It spent 12 weeks at #1.

In the 6 weeks following his death, PR sold 180k copies on dvd, and 30k on bluray in the two weeks after his death.

So, for like a timespan of 2 months in 36 years, we already have 770k confirmed home video sales.

So Purple Rain by estimates should have AT LEAST 17 million RIAA in USA.

So the next question is, why won't it get recertified? Just like MJ's albums always go up for receritification, for example, BAD, hit the 10 million mark and was cerified Diamond not too long ago.

feeluupp said:

Many big artists are still under certified.
The whole catalogue of the Beatles for instance.

Their two biggest albums, Abbey Road and Sgt Peppers, were respectively last certified in 2001 (12*P) and...1997 (11*P) (!). These albums sold like 3/4 millions since, with many reissues.
With streaming added, these albums are both in the range of sales of Purple Rain.

ONE is also clearly under certified. Still at 11*P, while it has 13.1 M soundscan sales.
This album being released in the SS era, it should be really easy to count the sales for the certifications : you just have to read the official numbers!
And what about streaming for these huge 27 songs? It could reach the 20 millions mark!

You're talking about MJ : it s true that lately, his estate decided for the strategy to update his certs ( like the Elvis estate).
In 2013, they did a huge audit, recertifying everything they could, even to the extent of Ultimate Collection and Ben. The latter is a tricky one, since it belongs to Motown, and they used to never certify their albums ( Stevie Wonder is of course under certified too).
Has Ben really not reached the million mark ?
Has Got To Be There really not reached enough sales in 40 years for the Gold status? Seems doubtful.

Lately they recertified the catalogue again to try to compete with the huge and controversial recertification of the Eagles.

Still, one of his adult album is obviously undercert. : Number Ones stands at 4*P, with 5.8 millions SS.

It seems the greatest hits package are not recertified anymore, since they are in fact accounted for the streaming of other studio albums.

So, while some estate still care about recertifications, music labels doesn't care anymore, unlike in the 90's.
It costs money they won't recoup, it doesn't make for good publicity anymore, and in the case of PR, it could mean not everything has been payed to the artist.
[Edited 4/20/21 22:06pm]

The 5th anniversary of Prince' death didn't generate much Views on YouTube, about one million for the whole catalogue ( not counting Purple Rain, which is not on the Prince official Vevo!).

Welcome 2 America just broke yesterday the 400.000 views mark.

It s really weak, but it s already #78 in the most viewed video of Prince channel ( again, not counting Purple Rain)
Just above Dinner With Delores, and behind Darling Nikki Live 1985.

Best selling album in the US in 2021, as of week 15

#2 Taylor Swift - Fearless (179.000- in one week!)
#4 Taylor Swift - Folklore (111.000 - total : 1.387.000 !)
#5 Taylor Swift - Evermore (111.000)

#27 Prince - Purple Rain (49.000)

#47 Taylor Swift - Lover (37.000)
.

Top 25 Vinyl albums :

#10 Purple Rain (200th week in this chart!)

RODSERLING said:

The 5th anniversary of Prince' death didn't generate much Views on YouTube, about one million for the whole catalogue ( not counting Purple Rain, which is not on the Prince official Vevo!). Welcome 2 America just broke yesterday the 400.000 views mark. It s really weak, but it s already #78 in the most viewed video of Prince channel ( again, not counting Purple Rain) Just above Dinner With Delores, and behind Darling Nikki Live 1985.

forgive my ignorance but would a million views on youtube generate much revenue for the estate?

Thanks for all the chart stats btw - really find your threads useful.

PURPLEIZED3121 said:

Thanks for your support!

1 million views = 1000 $ to share with the label, the performers, the writer, the guys who own the publishing rights...

It s not for me a case of making the estate rich, but to see if a new Prince track generate some interest.

Clearly, it doesn't generate much interest, but it generates much more interest than the SOTT deluxe tracks that were stuck at like 20/30k views.
For a few days, Welcome 2 America did 50k views a day. Yesterday it did 11k views.

It s better than the SDEs, worst than the Originals tracks.

Best selling album in the US in 2021, as of week 16


#26 Purple Rain (53 000)

RODSERLING said:

Best selling album in the US in 2021, as of week 16 #26 Purple Rain (53 000)

Sorry if it has been asked before but this year-chart considers only the physical album sales, right?

NoSwan said:

Yes, physical + digital.
Zero streaming, if you prefer.

Last year, on the 115.000 copies PR sold in the US, 98.000 were on the vinyl format (!).

If you had to estimate, how much has Purple Rain sold in USA since its 13x Platinum certiciation back in 1996.

I would think it stands at 18x Platinum by now if it had been re certified.

feeluupp said:

I would think it stands rather at 17* platinum, 20* platinum if you add the movie sales ( amd why not? It contains all the songs of the album!)

Death anniversary effect in the US, for the week of 08/05/2021 :

Billboard 200 albums ( sales + streaming)

#135 (+60) Purple Rain

Top album sales

#24 (+6) Purple Rain ( = 4000 copies)

Soundtracks
#2 Purple Rain ( its 500th week in that chart! Seems like an all time record)

Vinyl album sales (which is a pleonasm)
#16(+1) P..... Urple Rain, of course!


Digital song sales

#21 Purple Rain ( 5th week only in this chart since 2004)
#27 When Doves Cry
#42 Let's Go Crazy
#46 Kiss


So it seems that this week, Purple Rain the album benefited from a lot more streaming than usual ( hence its +60 rank in the BB200).

Best selling albums in the US in 2021, as of week 17

#27 Purple Rain (56.000 copies sold)
.
The album now just reached the 4.1 millions copies sold in stores since march 1991.
5 years later, it was certified for the last time at 13 Platinum, with about 500.000 copies soundscanned.

That means that, for sure, Purple Rain is at a very minimum at 16,6 millions copies sold.
Not counting copies sold in music clubs from 1996 to 2004 and streaming.

Welcome 2 America reached the 500.000 mark on YouTube ( 513.000 exactly)
It is still listened to 4600 times a day.

The song ranks now #75 in the best viewed song of the Vevo Prince channel ( behind Jungle Love audio and above For the Tears in Your Eyes).