Red Mosquito

I came across a forum where someone had posted a bunch of worldwide sales minus American figures. We all know that PJ's popularity in America was disproportionate to their global status, but it was interesting to see how the band compared to some of their peers from around the same time. These numbers are maybe 7 years old or so, but sales have been at such a crawl since then that I doubt the changes have been drastic. I shortened the numbers but preserved the order.

In millions:

Nevermind - 13
What's the Story (Morning Glory) - 11.5 (a third of this is in England!)
Use Your Illusion 2 - 11
Out of Time - 10
Use Your Illusion 1 - 10
Achtung Baby - 10
Metallica - 9.5
Automatic for the People - 8.5
Dookie - 8
Monster - 6
Blood Sex Sugar Magik - 5.5
Definitely Maybe - 5.5
Ten - 5.5
In Utero - 5
Mellon Collie - 5
Be Here Now - 4
Superunknown - 4
Zooropa - 4
Vs - 3.5
Insomniac - 3.5
New Adventures in Hi Fi - 3
Vitalogy - 3
Siamese Dream - 2.5
One Hot Minute - 2.5
Downward Spiral - 2
Dirt - 2
Yield - 2
Jar of Flies - 2
No Code - 1.5
Up - 1.5
Down on the Upside - 1.5

I would have thought Metallica and U2 would be the clear winners.

bada wrote:I would have thought Metallica and U2 would be the clear winners.

This is just a select list, although I'm pretty sure Nevermind and Morning Glory were the top performers of the albums included in the discussion. U2 only had two other records in the time frame I looked at, and neither was a global monster.

Would love to see a map for where those sales are coming from.

What is PJ's biggest market outside the U.S.? Australia? South America?

Australia is certainly one of their best markets. I think Yield is triple platinum there.

McParadigm wrote:Australia is certainly one of their best markets. I think Yield is triple platinum there.

Yeah, but I think an album is considered "platinum" in Australia if you buy it, one of your blokes buys it, and then your friend Chester's cousin up in Bundaberg buys it.

Simple Torture wrote:

McParadigm wrote:Australia is certainly one of their best markets. I think Yield is triple platinum there.

Yeah, but I think an album is considered "platinum" in Australia if you buy it, one of your mates buys it, and then your friend Wayne's cousin up in Bundaberg buys it.

FTFY ST

I like my version too, but I guess you are the expert.

No Sheilas were harmed in the making of this convo.

It was an admirable attempt ST but I endorse the accuracy of zeb's revisions.

I've never met an Australian named Chester.

I'm happy to accept your edits, it was all in good fun. If I wanted to piss you off, I would've filled the posts with New Zealand-isms.

Pj are reported to have 60 million in album sales worldwide.

Somethings not adding up.

dimejinky99 wrote:Pj are reported to have 60 million in album sales worldwide.

Somethings not adding up.

Remember, this is minus America. Adding their success here...

Ten
13.3 (US) + 5.5 (world) = 18.8

Vs
7.4 (US) + 3.5 (world) = 10.9

Vitalogy
5.9 (US) + 3 (world) = 8.9

So just the first three albums total over 37 million, once the US figures are added in.

Simple Torture wrote:I'm happy to accept your edits, it was all in good fun. If I wanted to piss you off, I would've filled the posts with New Zealand-isms.

I think it's your turn to fill the chilly bin, ST.

I don't think pearl jam would exist without America but maybe that's why they're so low on the list???

a rabbit & a fox wrote:I don't think pearl jam would exist without America

Do you mean an alternate timeline where North America doesn't exist as a continent and the members of Pearl Jam were never born?

Or they were born in the ocean where America would be.

Eddie Wetter

! thing i care less about than record sales is boom

What would Pearl jam even be, minus America???

Probably less popular