posted by davidt on Wednesday March 05 2008, @01:00PM
Johan de Witt writes:
Here are the Morrissey and Smiths album sales in the Soundscan era (i.e from 1992 onwards), which I received from a friend who works there.
Interestingly enough both in 2007 and in total sales since 1992 The Smiths outsell Morrissey, if only just.
In 2007 The Smiths sold 66,063 albums in the US and Morrissey sold 58,992 albums
Cumulatively The Smiths have sold 2,598,266 albums in the SoundScan era and Morrissey has sold 2,350,983.

The best selling Smiths albums from 1992 onwards are:

Best...1 : 432,907
Louder Than Bombs: 412,444
Singles: 396,150
The Queen Is Dead: 287,180
Meat Is Murder: 245,385
Strangeways, Here We Come: 230,794
Best...2: 208,357
Harful of Hollow: 133,809
The Smiths: 130,076

The best selling Morrissey album from 1992 onwards are:

Your Arsenal: 366,047
Bona Drag: 360,977
Vauxhall & I: 293,017
Viva Hate: 234,804
You Are The Quarry: 230,169
Kill Uncle: 221,293
Best of Morrissey: 179,746
Ringleader of The Tormentors: 97,502
Maladjusted: 88,554
World Of Morrissey: 69,357
Southpaw Grammar: 67,451

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  • i always thought the smiths and morrissey had a bigger fan base. i guess most people have bootleg versions of their albums.
    leedoggpimp <[email protected]> -- Wednesday March 05 2008, @01:16PM (#297767)
    (User #2789 Info | http://www.morrisseymusic.com/)
    True friends stab you in the front.
    • Re:shocked by robiskeen (Score:0) Wednesday March 05 2008, @01:22PM
  • You guys can't frickin gather some pennies together to buy a frickin CD from Moz. Moz without a platinum album is pathetic!
    Anonymous -- Wednesday March 05 2008, @03:58PM (#297780)
  • i am just saying, that is quite a big drop.
    rooneyred -- Wednesday March 05 2008, @04:51PM (#297788)
    (User #17066 Info)
  • now that moz is not on tour, to start buying up his albums to increase some of those numbers
    rooneyred -- Wednesday March 05 2008, @04:53PM (#297789)
    (User #17066 Info)
  • ...between him and his former band in America over a decade and a half???

    He really does think he's a bigger star than he really is.
    Anonymous -- Wednesday March 05 2008, @05:40PM (#297792)
  • Please remember that those figures are the Soundscan era calculation figures and do not reflect the total amount of records sold. They only take in what was sold during and/or after 1992

    An example:

    The Smiths,

    STRANGEWAYS HERE WE COME
    LOUDER THAN BOMBS
    THE QUEEN IS DEAD

    All the above titles are GOLD records in the US, which means they have sold 500,000 copies or more. All 3 records were awared GOLD status on 9-19-1990, before the soundscan era.

    As I understand it, the post-1992 figures as posted above should be added to those with pre-1992 GOLD record status to give a better idea of the actual sales.

    An example:

    Louder Than Bombs
        500,000 - Pre-1992 Gold Status
    +412,444 - Post-1992 Soundscan Figure
    _________
    =912,444 - Total Sales

    It should be noted also that many of the Smiths records from the 1980s did not reach GOLD status but the figures above as stated are what was tabulated Post-1992 and do not factor in what the record may have sold in its original year of release before 1992.

    Another example,

    "The Smiths" sold 130,076 after 1992, but when it was first released it may have sold 200,000 in that year and is not included in the numbers from Soundscan. The additional sales would dramatically raise the overall sales figure of that one record.

    What would be helpful is a listing of TOTAL USA record sales that includes both Pre & Post 1992 sales numbers.

    Anonymous -- Wednesday March 05 2008, @05:48PM (#297793)
  • Why the Best...1 sells more than a double of Best...2?? Any thoughts??
    Anonymous -- Wednesday March 05 2008, @06:16PM (#297794)
    • Re:1 x 2 by Anonymous (Score:0) Wednesday March 05 2008, @07:15PM
    • Re:1 x 2 by Corrissey (Score:1) Wednesday March 05 2008, @08:06PM
    • Re:1 x 2 by Anonymous (Score:0) Thursday March 06 2008, @07:20AM
    • Re:1 x 2 by Anonymous (Score:0) Thursday March 06 2008, @09:15PM
  • this equals a moz/smiths record sale roughly every two seconds since 1992. not too shabby.
    VIVAMOZ <[email protected]> -- Wednesday March 05 2008, @07:07PM (#297797)
    (User #184 Info | http://www.cato.org/)
    blame me! i didn't vote!
  • Milan watch it next week
    We're in the mood for dancing over 2 0
    Anonymous -- Wednesday March 05 2008, @07:11PM (#297799)
  • Can anyone give an educated guess then as to how many albums (roughly) Morrissey has sold worldwide, with and without the Smiths?

    Can I safely say maybe 15 million?
    Anonymous -- Wednesday March 05 2008, @07:49PM (#297813)
  • I hate those 'Best' compilations. Moz had nothing to do with either the artwork or track selection and it shows.
    9 x Fined -- Wednesday March 05 2008, @11:05PM (#297824)
    (User #18826 Info)
  • Record sales don't mean much unless you measure quality or talent by them. I'm rather glad to hear a singer or artist I like hasn't blown up massivly with sales; keeps it an interesting and semi-private little something of your own that you know your stupid friends know nothing about.

    Also we all know that generally what sits at the top of the charts for weeks and weeks is rubbish and was most likly tailored to do just that -sell loads of records. I'd sooner have a real record that was made just as the artist wanted it than one that was made just for me to pay for it.

    Don't you think that the fans on here treasure their Smiths & Morrissey records, no matter how few that might be, more than the millions who bought the last Britney Spears record?

    Again, it isn't the quantity but rather the Q-----Y ....Come on, you know the letters!
    Anonymous -- Thursday March 06 2008, @12:14AM (#297825)
  • numbers of sold material in the USA

    dunno what to say, but not even a million seller
    album
    Celibate Cry <[email protected]> -- Thursday March 06 2008, @07:48AM (#297854)
    (User #220 Info)
    and the hills are alive with celibate cries
  • I bought 'Maladjusted' at least five times in a number of formats. I demand a recount.
    Bonaparte Shandy -- Thursday March 06 2008, @08:15AM (#297856)
    (User #18355 Info)
    my god, that's tough, he's stood us up, no point in us remaining
  • I don't see any mention of that album......
    kissmyshadestoo -- Thursday March 06 2008, @08:47AM (#297862)
    (User #19050 Info)
    I'm just a country mile behind
  • Morrissey must manage his money well because he isn't making much from record sales.
    Anonymous -- Thursday March 06 2008, @09:05AM (#297865)
    • Re:wow by Anonymous (Score:0) Thursday March 06 2008, @11:34AM
      • Re:wow by HyldaBaker (Score:0) Thursday March 06 2008, @01:13PM
        • Re:wow by Anonymous (Score:0) Thursday March 06 2008, @01:25PM
          • Re:wow by Anonymous (Score:0) Sunday March 09 2008, @10:33AM
            • Re:wow by Anonymous (Score:0) Sunday March 09 2008, @11:57AM
              • Re:wow by Anonymous (Score:0) Monday March 10 2008, @10:33AM
  • A good chance here for the moaners to complain he hasn't sold enough records...The Haters to slag him as he hasn't sold enough records, The 'I like to be different types' to be happy that he's not as commercial as Britney, hence they must be super cool to be into him when their friends aren't etc etc...
    I really don't care how many records he's sold. I buy them because i like them. And i wouldn't mind having sold as many. U2 have sold billions, and i have never bought one. What does it all mean? Let's leave sales figures to the record companies shall we...
    Nat Coutty -- Thursday March 06 2008, @10:42AM (#297877)
    (User #20629 Info)
  • I think more should be made of the interesting fact that The Smiths sold more records in the US in 2007 than Morrissey, despite the man touring his nuts off in the States last year whilst promoting ROTT. The Smiths split more than 20 years ago, but their music remain more relevant today than anything new Morrissey could possibly come up with.
    Anonymous -- Thursday March 06 2008, @12:32PM (#297889)
  • ...he tours so much. He doesn't get any money from his CDs.
    Anonymous -- Thursday March 06 2008, @04:25PM (#297917)
  • He has millions! he'll be ok!
    delta10km -- Thursday March 06 2008, @09:33PM (#297935)
    (User #1081 Info)
  • for I am satan himself, lord of this realm and I am displeased at the vile site monitors, tseng and other people of malintent.

    I am FYS, lord of this realm and king of the world.

    I see you ever
    Anonymous -- Friday March 07 2008, @11:34AM (#297970)
  • I'd also like to see the iTunes figures for his solo stuff...
    GarethKeenan -- Friday March 07 2008, @04:46PM (#297992)
    (User #11791 Info)
  • Courtesy of UKMix Forums - http://www.ukmix.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=13100 [ukmix.org]

    MORRISSEY

    * US SINGLES *
    =============

            1. THE MORE YOU IGNORE ME, THE CLOSER I GET
    Date: 19/03/1994 - Run: 80-72-70-64-60-52-47-47-47-*46*-55-55-82-80-96 (15 wks) UK:#8/3/1

    * US ALBUMS *
    ============

            1. VIVA HATE
    Date: 09/04/1988 - Run: 95-59-49-*48*-48-53-58-67-70-69-82-76-88-93-101-14 5-153-165-176-197 (20 wks) UK:#1/20/2/1

            2. BONA DRAG
    Date: 24/11/1990 - Run: 87-*59*-76-84-96-96- (6 wsf)
    05/01/1991: 116-121-116-118-122-115-126-146-167-184 (16 wks) UK:#9/4/1

            3. KILL UNCLE
    Date: 23/03/1991 - Run: 73-*52*-57-60-69-86-98-129-140 (9 wks)
    Re #01: 06/07/1991 197 (1 wk)
    Total # of weeks: 10-9c (UK:#8/4/1)

            4. YOUR ARSENAL
    Date: 15/08/1992 - Run: *21*-41-53-63-74-75-88-104-125-150-157-159-181-0-0 -0-188 (14-13c wks) UK:#4/5/1

            5. VAUXHALL & I
    Date: 09/04/1994 - Run: *18*-41-42-57-60-75-99-119-141-169 (10 wks) UK:#1/5/2/1

            6. WORLD OF MORRISSEY
    Date: 11/03/1995 - Run: *134* (1 wk)

            7. SOUTHPAW GRAMMAR
    Date: 30/09/1995 - Run: *66*-123 (2 wks) UK:#4/3/1

            8. MALADJUSTED
    Date: 30/08/1997 - Run: *61*-116-157 (3 wks) UK:#8/3/1

            9. YOU ARE THE QUARRY
    Date: 05/06/2004 - Run: *11*-45-67-90-135-172 (6 wks) UK:#2/18/2

        10. LIVE AT EARLS COURT
    Date: 16/04/2005 - Run: *122* (1 wk) UK:#18/2

    THE SMITHS

    * US ALBUMS *
    ============

            1. THE SMITHS
    Date: 05/05/1984 - Run: 190-185-166-161-155-*150*-150-173-199-193-191 (11 wks) UK:#2/37/4

            2. MEAT IS MURDER
    Date: 02/03/1985 - Run: 194-157-145-140-134-130-124-121-117-112-*110*-110- 136-134-130-140-139-136-128-121-121-139-150-147-16 0-162-168-161-155-176-178-183 (32 wks) UK:#1/15/3/1

            3. THE QUEEN IS DEAD
    Date: 19/07/1986 - Run: 106-86-73-71-71-*70*-77-81-87-74-74-91-100-93-107- 111-122-133-134-150-169-171-187-182- (24 wsf)
    03/01/1987: 182-183-172-161-161-162-156-163-169-183-181-198-19 5 (37 wks) UK:#2/26/2

            4. LOUDER THAN BOMBS
    Date: 25/04/1987 - Run: 78-64-*62*-62-74-75-85-97-102-122-118-118-133-146- 135-161-161-162-176-200-199-189-178-178-196 (25 wks) UK:#38/7

            5. STRANGEWAYS, HERE WE COME
    Date: 10/10/1987 - Run: 131-67-59-*55*-55-57-60-67-80-84-106-119- (12 wsf)
    02/01/1988: 119-109-100-84-84-92-102-109-123-139-153-173-191-1 80-199 (27 wks) UK:#2/21/3

            6. RANK
    Date: 01/10/1988 - Run: 124-*77*-77-84-106-135-164-163 (8 wks) UK:#2/7/1

            7. BEST...I
    Date: 17/10/1992 - Run: *139*-152-181 (3 wks) UK:#1/9/4/1

    Bear in mind, that the gold records they received are based on *shipments*, not sales. But it looks like they're due for some platinum updates.

    Record companies rarely overcertify, most stuff is undercertified because they don't bother/forget to update the sales. Nowadays with increasingly lower album sales those old Smiths sales seem like blockbusters and the 80s was the British invasion anyway.
    Anonymous -- Saturday March 08 2008, @03:40PM (#298068)
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