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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shocked (Score:1)
(User #2789 Info | http://www.morrisseymusic.com/)
What the F (Score:0)
big drop between quarry and ringleaders (Score:1)
(User #17066 Info)
Someone tell Julia (Score:1)
(User #17066 Info)
Less than 5 million albums sold... (Score:0)
He really does think he's a bigger star than he really is.
Important to note... (Score:0)
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.
1 x 2 (Score:0)
2 per second (Score:1)
(User #184 Info | http://www.cato.org/)
Liverpool 4 0 West Ham (Score:0)
We're in the mood for dancing over 2 0
Overall Worldwide Sales (Score:0)
Can I safely say maybe 15 million?
Best 1, Worst 1 (Score:1)
(User #18826 Info)
Sales (Score:0)
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
devastated (Score:1)
dunno what to say, but not even a million seller
album
(User #220 Info)
That can't be right (Score:1)
(User #18355 Info)
Where does "RANK".....err............rank in this? (Score:1)
(User #19050 Info)
wow (Score:0)
record sales blah blah blah... (Score:1)
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...
(User #20629 Info)
The Smiths still outselling Morrissey (Score:0)
No wonder... (Score:0)
he'll be ok! (Score:1)
(User #1081 Info)
the evildoers who censor this site will suffer (Score:0)
I am FYS, lord of this realm and king of the world.
I see you ever
Other figures (Score:1)
(User #11791 Info)
The Smiths and Morrissey US Chart runs (Score:0)
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*-48-53-58-67-70-69-82-76-88-93-101-1
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-
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
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
03/01/1987: 182-183-172-161-161-162-156-163-169-183-181-198-1
4. LOUDER THAN BOMBS
Date: 25/04/1987 - Run: 78-64-*62*-62-74-75-85-97-102-122-118-118-133-146
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-
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.