The only record that really surprised me was Garth Brooks - Double Live. The rest actually don't surprise me. I know some people are surprised by Hootie and the Blowfish. But if you were around during the 90s, that record was MASSIVE and their music was everywhere. They had a lot of crossover appeal.
I wholeheartedly agree with your opinion about compilations. That's why, to me, "Thriller" is still the #1 best-selling album. What I didn't know is that "Hotel California" had surpassed "Back In Black", which to me has always been the #2.
@@Kingcarparpeggio And within that set of criteria, I was shocked that Tapestry wasn't on the list because of its huge popularity and the records it had set.
@@ComedianSkutnik It is a fact. Remember that most of the big albums ( The Rolling Stones ,The Beatles ) did not sell much until later, and in the mid 70s folk rock was a very popular genre.
Right. It would be on a list of the best selling "live" albums, because at one time, and maybe it still is, it was listed in Guinness World Book of Records.
me too - I kept waiting for that one to come up in the top 10. all the way to the point that I thought it might even end up being the number 1. I think if it had kept selling consistently over the last 40 years like some of the other huge albums from the 70's it probably would have made it on the list - but Frampton's popularity did drop off after a point and so I'm sure that even though he was massive at the time that came out and for a while afterword, he doesn't sell today in the same way that Led Zeppelin and the Beatles and some of the others still do. In that same regard though, I'm surprised the Boston album made it - b/c I would have thought it might have suffered in the same manner as Frampton Comes Alive, but apparently Boston has managed to win over younger audiences still (though that album did sell oodles when it came out too and that certainly did hurt its making the list).
When "Thriller" was out I can remember more than once fiddling through the radio stations and have songs from that album playing on EVERY SINGLE STATION. It was MASSIVELY huge back in the day, especially with the music video release for "Thriller". Great album too. It was the very first CD I ever bought (and I still have it).
I really thought "Bat Out of Hell" by Meat Loaf would be on this list. Maybe because it's only counting US sales. P.S. Back when "Thriller" came out I managed a indie record store, when our weekly shipment of albums came in at least four of the boxes were just "Thriller" albums and they would be gone in 2-3 days. Had fun watching this video it reminded me of my record shop days. Thanks.
Worldwide Bat out of Hell is ranked #4 with 43 million albums sold. I also thought it’s strange that it didn’t make this list, and then checked and saw it sits at 33 on USA best selling list with 14million copies sold.
@Barstool Prophet I wasn't referring to length of time on Billboard. You are absolutely right on that point! DSoTM is clearly tops in that regard, by years! I was referring to TOTAL SALES volume. This video was about TOTAL SALES VOLUME IN THE US. People were surprised that it came in at #26. My comment was that if you look at Worldwide Sales, it actually is the 2nd highest selling album of all time, behind only Thriller.
@@druefreeman439 Dark Side was on for 741 CONSECUTIVE weeks and over 950 weeks total and it still shows up from time to time. you can bet that in 2023 it will be back again for quite a few weeks.
I'm glad you expressed your outrage about The Darkside Of The Moon because I was going to. I just found my 5.1 audio cd of that album on Sunday and played it. It is in my top 5 of all time.
Surprised Frampton Comes Alive isn’t on the list. It was like a federal law in the 70’s that every household had to have at least one copy of it (and Rumors and Dark Side of the Moon).
I believe Frampton comes alive is (still) the world's best selling live album. It just didn't sell more than 16 million copies in the US. ( I also thought it would be somewhere on the list)
"Exqueese me? Have I seen this one before? "Frampton Comes Alive"? Everybody in the world has Frampton Comes Alive. If you lived in the suburbs you were issued it. It came in the mail with samples of "Tide"." - Wayne's World
Fun video. Love these list videos. The thing to remember with some of these albums is the RIAA counts double or triple albums as more than one. So if a double album is credited with 10 million sold, only five million we’re actually sold but they count twice due to length. So the numbers are always skewed a bit higher since it’s not like you always pay twice as much for a double LP. And I think I heard Garth Brooks goes out of his way to keep prices low on his music and sell some cheap things at places like Walmart just to juice his sales. I remember reading a comment last year when that legacy box was going for crazy cheap prices and people buying it just because it was cheap.
I love the two albums visible in the video - Miles Davis' "Bitches Brew" and Frank Zappa "Hot Rats." About "Rumors" Fleetwood Mack? I remember how surprised my daughter was when she found out that this was not a "best of" album.
When I saw those two albums I knew this guy knows what's up. I know Bitches Brew is a very popular Miles record so it can seem a bit 'normie' but it's such a good record
I had to laugh when you mentioned Garth Brooks bring Chris Gaines as well as your comment at the end about heading into dark times. I was actually surprised there wasn’t an Elvis Presley album on the list. I thought an Elvis compilation would have sold more than Hootie.
When my son was 10 or 12 he loved Pink Floyd's "The Wall." I have the movie on DVD and we watched it together. He is 30 now and still loves the music but will not watch the movie. He says it scared him so much back when he was a kid that he had nightmares.
I watched it when released in theaters when I was 13... It was chosen because it had a cartoon face in the picture of the poster in the mall theater. We were really poor and if we had the opportunity to watch a movie we did it. It was just me and my ten year old sister watching it.... And as a sociological anticdote I can tell you it totally affected my life while it meant nothing to my sister... Don't get me wrong, I didn't understand what I was watching at all, but as I grew up I realized how much it mirrored my own thoughts and feelings.
I remember spotting a copy of The Wall in Target in the late 90s and was shocked that they wanted more for the record than a ticket to the live concert at LA Memorial did.
In my understanding compilation albums are albums in their most original sense. People started collecting shellac records by one artist in an album to keep them together. In early days of vinyl there where mainly singles compiled to albums with some filler. It took a while to make an album one coherent recording and finally an art form. So in a list like this compilations make sense.
damn - I scribbled out a list of my guesses before I watched the video to see how many I could get. I'm actually still surprised "Frampton Comes Alive" wasn't on the list, I kept thinking it was going to be in the top 10 as you made your way up the list hehe B/c it seemed like *everyone* had/has a copy of that LP - but apparently not quite as everyone as I thought (yes, that intentionally bad grammar lol). But I guessed about 2/3 of them - there were a few that I couldn't name the specific album but I knew the artist had to be on the list, and I was right. But there were some I was pleasantly surprised to see as well that I didn't guess - so that was cool to see too. It did help my guessing that I worked in music stores back in the late 90's and so I had/have some experience seeing what albums/artists sold consistently and then there's just the albums that you knew had to be on the list. Though once you mentioned that some GH albums where on the list I stopped the video and revised some of my picks and actually ended up nailing more than I would have gotten beforehand. I thought the Titanic soundtrack might would have been on there b/c that one sold out the ass at the time, and continued to for a while - but apparently not quite enough. and really though - those huge selling albums from the 70's have kinda had all that time to continue racking up sales - on top of the massive sales they shifted around the time of their releases as well, and so its not quite as surprising to see some of those on the list (I'm deliberately avoiding naming names here of the ones that did make the list b/c I want to give other people a chance to try and pick before watching the video also and so I don't want to spoil it here) Great video though - fun to go through. Thanks man.
Legend has it that during the sessions The Beatles recorded a 20 plus minute long version of Helter Skelter. If this is true, I must hear it before I die.
Speaking of Legend, I am rather surprised Bob Marley - Legend wasn't on the list since they included Greatest Hits. What fraternity brother didn't own that album?
Glad you clarified it was just for the US, would be interesting to see whats sold most in the UK and then Globally as that could raise Rumours and Dark Side of the Moon up the rankings. Couldnt believe what I was hearing when I first heard Billy Joel's Attila - phenomenal record, not for the faint hearted though. Re greatest hits albums, I recall reading somewhere that albums started off as collections of hits and stayed that way for a long time until in the 60's the concept of an album being a collection of songs that havent been hits took hold - though wasnt it Frank Sinatra who started that whole thing about a themed (and dare I say 'concept') album. Also greatest hits collections will mean that casual purchasers are able to get a collection of songs they know without having to sit through what we may call the good stuff - I mean how many people who bought Elton's greatest hits will have sat down with Goodbye Yellow Brick Road and how many people who bought Queen's greatest hits will have any idea of the Prophet's Song or the Millionaire's Waltz etc. Although obviously a lot of people who bought the Eagles Greatest Hits will have also listened to Hotel California!
The way I look at Hootie and The Blowfish's success was this....it came out at a time when people were sick of alternative and were tired of feeling sad and depresed all the time..they wanted something kinda goofy and different. It was "frat/jock rock type music and every. single. radio. station. played it to death. Even the band was asking them to please...please...stop playing our music so much.
I don’ have a top 10, or even 20. I have a top 3: 1: The entire Beatles back catalog 2: The entire Queen back catalog 3: Other music. The #1 and #2 spot often switch places, depending on my mood.
As TruBlu stated, Thriller (by far!) at #1 with over 110 Millon sold and Back In Black at #2 globally. The Eagles and country music reaslly does not play well around the world and I never saw a country band in Korea (jus' sayin') They like Elvis though--you have that! Lived in Turkey and they knew "Dualing Banjoes" and would squeal like a pig but didn't know Garth Brooks from Mel Brooks....an Eagle was a bird. They all know MJ, Pink Floyd the Zeppelin though so something to think about. After all, popular music does not mean it's good music, usually quite the opposite. The first "digital download" was to copy a DDD CD to a Maxell 90 Chrome...or was that the "anlog Napster"?
I believe I read that Fleetwood Mac Rumors was the top selling vinyl in the U.K. last year. It would be interesting to see how some of those charts change over the years as legacy acts fall in and out of favor.
The latest US album RIAA certifications I've seen have The Beatles at number 1 with 183 million and Brooks second with 156. The actual Beatles sales are more like 210 million, but they haven't all been certified.
I heard that Hootie and the Blowfish got inflated numbers because they were the default choice as the Columbia House automatic send for a while... anyone know anything about this?
Think it only sold 5 million range. I know it was only triple platinum in the early 2000s. Gen X was the smallest generation by far, and it shows in album sales by bands who were popular with that generation.
One thing to remember is that for a long time most music sales weren't properly tracked - country for example didn't really start getting tracked until into the 1980's. Due to his popularity, it is believed that Kenny Rogers has sold similar to Garth Brooks but because Kenny was successful in the 70's and 80's and Garth a decade later, they don't have the actual stats for him. It is very possible that there are several albums that should be on a list like this but are not because they just don't know the actual sales.
Thank you, I couldn't remember the song name, and couldn't be bothered to google it, but My mom and sister played that tape out, when i was a teenager... the whole thing.
I inhaled a good proportion of my mornings hot coffee when you (accurately) lumped Adele, Brittany Spears and Backstreet Boys in the same dark pile. Cheers for nearly killing me with laughter.
Bad idea with the coffee because Dillon has these throwaway comments every now and again in most of his videos that will launch you into a laughing fit!
Greetings from the farthest reaches of the Emerald Triangle, Northern California. Ordered a Noble Records hat the other day. Looking forward to wearing it! Great channel!
Hey there! I remember looking into this not too long ago. An interesting fact: many 90s albums were primarily sold on CDs, since they were cheaper to make and easier to distribute. Which is why Alanis Morissette, The Bodyguard, and Hootie are on the list. The CD sales boom was likely a big contributor to this data. Also, Garth Brooks, like you discussed, is very good about marketing his music for the best profit. In terms of country music I believe he has one of the highest net worths. Anyway, just thought I’d throw my two cents in!
That’s how some albums get better sells ,I believe. People traveling want to hear something different than what’s on the radio station,so when they see something in the store when they stop , and they buy it just because they want to hear something they remember they like.
Dillon, my man!!! Came across your channel by a very happy accident, and I love it!!! I've watched several of your videos, and plan to watch as many of them as I can! Just wanted to comment on your comment regarding Greatest Hits (or compilations as you call them) collections. Of course, this is just my opinion and my take on it (doesn't make me right or wrong, of course). I do think that Greatest Hits albums should be considered when discussing top album sales. I am 63 years old, and in the 1970's, and maybe even into the 1980's, but, especially in the 1970's (and remember, this was long before any kind of digital audio, streaming services, UA-cam, etc., were around), Greatest Hits collections were a means of either introducing the music of a well-known artist or band to a new listener, or a means of having the top hits of the said band or artist all in one place, without having to immediately shell out the expense of buying all of the albums from which those hits derived from. In my personal case, "The Eagles Greatest Hits", originally purchased in 1976, was a way for me at the time to be introduced to the band via their hit singles, and a convenient way of owning those hits (all of which I missed buying when they were current in the Top 40, as I was just getting into them - my first Eagles studio album purchased on its release was "Hotel California", in 1977). Whereas Elton John's Greatest Hits, also purchased in 1975, enabled me to own the hits from his earliest albums without having to buy the original albums right away (I bought "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" - surprised it didn't make the list - in October, 1973, on its release, and "Caribou" in the summer of 1974, on its release). I do own the complete catalogs of both of these artists, but it a little time for me to do so. Greatest Hits collections were a really big deal back in the 1970's when pop artists, at times, sold more singles than albums. Once again, this is just my opinion. I guess that is why you don't see groups or artists putting out as many hit compilations now as they used to, because there is not the need for those collections that there once was - they have become victims of their own time. Thanks again for the great videos! The next time I am in North Carolina I will be sure to check out your awesome shop!! BTW - I own everything on your list except for the Garth Brooks, Hootie and the Blowfish, Alanis Morrisette, and Shania Twain (not big into country I'm afraid). Cheers!!!
I was shocked that Meat Loaf's Bat Out of Hell didn't make the list as there are over 50 million sales worldwide but apparently only 14x platinum in the U.S according to Wikipedia. It was 25x platinum in Australia and 17 x platinum in New Zealand so they were the highest market share
Great video Dillon, even with some of the lame titles, I do own 8 of these albums (all on vinyl). Dark Side of the Moon did surprise me and I would have thought Purple Rain made it
Really enjoyable video. When you prefaced it by saying it was essentially people's choice, I was expecting the list to be whackier than it actually turned out to be. Good to include those honorable mentions because they would take the place of the compilations on the list if you removed them.
Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon was the greatest album ever , however , because most of there songs were more then 3 minutes long they got very little air play , thus limiting sales , to make it to 26 was based purely on word of mouth , making it even more sensational,
On what planet? By the time Dark Side came out there were plenty of album orientated radio stations. I heard tracks from Dark Side all the time, most notably "Time" and "Money".
Dark Side of the Moon got MONSTER airplay. so much so it stayed in the charts for over 2 and half years straight. No album since has done that. Yes, today it doesn't get as much because of songs that bleed into the next more than it's "over the 3min pop song limit". But today radio is 60% talking and ads, and 40% music.. how they still exist is a mystery. oh wait, music (and I use the term music loosely) for the masses.. I forgot about the ratio of trash to gems.
I’m so glad you called out Dark Side of the Moon. 26!!! Wow. The Bodyguard was a really great and super popular movie when it came out. Not surprised the soundtrack is on their list. Also I absolutely LOVE that “I Will Always Love You” was used in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.
Back in 1993 Garth Brooks waged war against record stores that sold used CDs. Brooks didn't want people to be able to purchase used copies of his CDs because he didn't earn royalties from the sale of used CDs and because they didn't count toward his total record sales. Some stores refused to stock Brooks CDs as a result.
I didn't keep track of exactly how many compilations were on the list (half a dozen?), but Dillon's "Honorable Mentions" would essentially replace them on the top 20 list.
Just bought Attila from Discogs. Love that album. I'm a huge Billy Joel fan. Everyone who likes Billy Joel should at least check it out. Awesome organ on that. Totally different than everything else he did.
@Paul Johnson Hey Paul if you ever get the chance after this Covid thing. Go to NYC and see Billy at MSG. I went twice in 2019 it's just an amazing experience. I was lucky enough to be front row my first time. I went to NYC for the first time all by myself to see him a night I will never forget. Now I gotta check out the 'Attila' album. Take care.
Jagged Little Pill became a Broadway musical not that long go (was still on when Covid hit) and the music got a new life. A recent trend is getting a free download of an artist’s album when you buy tickets to their concert. Shawn Mendes did it when my daughter went to see him. We got a CD in the mail for that one. I think those get counted as sales as they probably factor the sale of the album into the ticket price. Inflates the record sales numbers.
I screamed in agreement that Physical Graffiti and II are better than IV and YESSSSSS!!!-ATILLA!!! I managed to grab an 80s repress of that last year after looking for a long time. Love it.
16:42 I have a few copies of Hotel California. One copy, which I picked up a couple of years ago, amazed me. It was open, but still tight in the shrinkwrap and the gatefold had never been opened. All the controversy surrounding that image on the inside gatefold and whoever owned it managed somehow to NOT look.
I know who Garth Brooks is because I know a lot of music, but almost nobody knows who he is outside of America (well some Australians probably do). Also - Fleetwood Mac's Rumours is a top ten album worldwide.
I totally agree with you on not counting best-of compilations in album rankings or best-selling lists. It just feels too obvious, like OF COURSE an album with all the hits is gonna sell well (especially if those hits are widespread throughout an artists' discography), but I'm more interested in what their best work is as a whole album experience. What else can they offer besides the hits everyone already knows?
Thanks for posting. Other more specific videos could further break down the recordings into lists the albums into categories, so, there would be best selling studio albums, best selling live albums, best selling greatest hits and other compilations, and so on. Another breakdown could include different genres, such as best selling prog rock albums, best selling country albums, best selling rock albums, best selling R&B albums, etc.
The explanation for Alanis and likely Hootie is Napster - look at the dates. Jagged Little Pill was the last mega-album before pirating started, so she had the largest CD-buying population that there ever was.
My favorite best selling diamond album is Purple Rain by Prince and the Revolution. But it "only" sold 13,000,000 copies. Nevermind by Nirvana, Dookie by Green Day, and Faith by George Michael are also awesome diamond certified albums.
Great video, enjoyed it. How about you do one on top selling vinyl since the "vinyl revival", say 2007 inclusive, or whatever makes more sense to you. Cheers!
It has. The Wall is 23x platinum, that doesn't mean it's sold 23 million copies. Double albums each count for 2 album sales for certifications, so it's really sold 11.5 million and Dark Side has sold 15 million.
Is there a like a definitive place or site to look at the the biggest selling releases etc. Off the top of my head, 2 albums I thought would have been there was Bing Crosby’s White Christmas, and Def Leppard’s Hysteria.
For me, Pink Floyd's _Dark Side of the Moon_ has no equal. It is a flawless album, IMO.
Yes😍
@Ocean Wilson Meh. If it's album sales then let's just say that both us would agree that some highly sold albums don't hold up.
I can hang out and listen to this guy talk music all day.
Hi Dillon, One of your last comments, "It goes into some really dark places here"...priceless! Take care.
Made me Laugh too!
Hahah thanks man. Just speakin the truth 🤣
I had to replay that section and make my wife pay attention for a minute.. 😂
I got quite a chuckle out of it myself! LOL 😂
He had me dying of laughter with that comment.
The only record that really surprised me was Garth Brooks - Double Live. The rest actually don't surprise me. I know some people are surprised by Hootie and the Blowfish. But if you were around during the 90s, that record was MASSIVE and their music was everywhere. They had a lot of crossover appeal.
I wholeheartedly agree with your opinion about compilations. That's why, to me, "Thriller" is still the #1 best-selling album. What I didn't know is that "Hotel California" had surpassed "Back In Black", which to me has always been the #2.
A big factor in album sales is how many hit singles, hence the prevalence of Greatest Hits and lack of bands like Floyd and Zep.
My shock is that Carole King's Tapestry isn't on the list. It was one of the ones everybody had back in the day.
It was the first record that sold 1 million copys in the US..
He’s already explained the criteria to you !
@@Kingcarparpeggio And within that set of criteria, I was shocked that Tapestry wasn't on the list because of its huge popularity and the records it had set.
Is that true that it was the first to sell a million in the US? Seems unlikely given the year it was released and what albums were before it
@@ComedianSkutnik It is a fact. Remember that most of the big albums ( The Rolling Stones ,The Beatles ) did not sell much until later, and in the mid 70s folk rock was a very popular genre.
Kinda surprised "Frampton Comes Alive" didn't crack the top 20. I know It sold alot when it came out.
Right. It would be on a list of the best selling "live" albums, because at one time, and maybe it still is, it was listed in Guinness World Book of Records.
Color me shocked by that.
They never actually sold it, they gave it away with Tide.
@@theidiot1977 i'm old enough to get that reference
me too - I kept waiting for that one to come up in the top 10. all the way to the point that I thought it might even end up being the number 1. I think if it had kept selling consistently over the last 40 years like some of the other huge albums from the 70's it probably would have made it on the list - but Frampton's popularity did drop off after a point and so I'm sure that even though he was massive at the time that came out and for a while afterword, he doesn't sell today in the same way that Led Zeppelin and the Beatles and some of the others still do. In that same regard though, I'm surprised the Boston album made it - b/c I would have thought it might have suffered in the same manner as Frampton Comes Alive, but apparently Boston has managed to win over younger audiences still (though that album did sell oodles when it came out too and that certainly did hurt its making the list).
When "Thriller" was out I can remember more than once fiddling through the radio stations and have songs from that album playing on EVERY SINGLE STATION. It was MASSIVELY huge back in the day, especially with the music video release for "Thriller". Great album too. It was the very first CD I ever bought (and I still have it).
I learned the famous Thriller zombie dance and danced for my mom. She was clapping and beaming with pride lol
I really thought "Bat Out of Hell" by Meat Loaf would be on this list. Maybe because it's only counting US sales. P.S. Back when "Thriller" came out I managed a indie record store, when our weekly shipment of albums came in at least four of the boxes were just "Thriller" albums and they would be gone in 2-3 days. Had fun watching this video it reminded me of my record shop days. Thanks.
Worldwide Bat out of Hell is ranked #4 with 43 million albums sold. I also thought it’s strange that it didn’t make this list, and then checked and saw it sits at 33 on USA best selling list with 14million copies sold.
First album I ever bought was Back in Black. Second was Appetite for Destruction. Then I got hooked on Rush and Queen and lost my mind.
Dark Side of the Moon was on the Billboard Top 100 Album chart for 15 consecutive years! I don't think that record has ever been broken.
BTW, it is considered to be #2 Worldwide behind Thriller. The #26 is only in the US. Worldwide it has sold over 45 Million copies!
@Barstool Prophet I wasn't referring to length of time on Billboard. You are absolutely right on that point! DSoTM is clearly tops in that regard, by years! I was referring to TOTAL SALES volume. This video was about TOTAL SALES VOLUME IN THE US. People were surprised that it came in at #26. My comment was that if you look at Worldwide Sales, it actually is the 2nd highest selling album of all time, behind only Thriller.
@@druefreeman439 Dark Side was on for 741 CONSECUTIVE weeks and over 950 weeks total and it still shows up from time to time. you can bet that in 2023 it will be back again for quite a few weeks.
No pun intended, right? ;)
"Adele, Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears, it goes to some real dark places" ... 😂😂😂
I laughed out loud at that 😂
I'm glad you expressed your outrage about The Darkside Of The Moon because I was going to. I just found my 5.1 audio cd of that album on Sunday and played it. It is in my top 5 of all time.
Surprised Frampton Comes Alive isn’t on the list. It was like a federal law in the 70’s that every household had to have at least one copy of it (and Rumors and Dark Side of the Moon).
I believe Frampton comes alive is (still) the world's best selling live album. It just didn't sell more than 16 million copies in the US. ( I also thought it would be somewhere on the list)
"Exqueese me? Have I seen this one before? "Frampton Comes Alive"? Everybody in the world has Frampton Comes Alive. If you lived in the suburbs you were issued it. It came in the mail with samples of "Tide"." - Wayne's World
Fun video. Love these list videos. The thing to remember with some of these albums is the RIAA counts double or triple albums as more than one. So if a double album is credited with 10 million sold, only five million we’re actually sold but they count twice due to length. So the numbers are always skewed a bit higher since it’s not like you always pay twice as much for a double LP.
And I think I heard Garth Brooks goes out of his way to keep prices low on his music and sell some cheap things at places like Walmart just to juice his sales. I remember reading a comment last year when that legacy box was going for crazy cheap prices and people buying it just because it was cheap.
I love the two albums visible in the video - Miles Davis' "Bitches Brew" and Frank Zappa "Hot Rats." About "Rumors" Fleetwood Mack? I remember how surprised my daughter was when she found out that this was not a "best of" album.
When I saw those two albums I knew this guy knows what's up. I know Bitches Brew is a very popular Miles record so it can seem a bit 'normie' but it's such a good record
And imagine how many more copies of the fourth Led Zeppelin album they would have sold if people had known what to ask for at the record store!
Hahaha
I want the “Stairway To Heaven” album...
I called it Runes.
I had to laugh when you mentioned Garth Brooks bring Chris Gaines as well as your comment at the end about heading into dark times.
I was actually surprised there wasn’t an Elvis Presley album on the list. I thought an Elvis compilation would have sold more than Hootie.
Elvis used to crank out 25 albums a year but it was always his Christmas records that sold the most units
When my son was 10 or 12 he loved Pink Floyd's "The Wall." I have the movie on DVD and we watched it together. He is 30 now and still loves the music but will not watch the movie. He says it scared him so much back when he was a kid that he had nightmares.
I saw The Wall in a theater on LSD.
That was a bad choice.
A really bad choice.
I watched it when released in theaters when I was 13... It was chosen because it had a cartoon face in the picture of the poster in the mall theater. We were really poor and if we had the opportunity to watch a movie we did it. It was just me and my ten year old sister watching it.... And as a sociological anticdote I can tell you it totally affected my life while it meant nothing to my sister... Don't get me wrong, I didn't understand what I was watching at all, but as I grew up I realized how much it mirrored my own thoughts and feelings.
@@nomchompsky2883 same here. Nobody tells the story of the human condition quite like Roger waters. His solo stuff is fantastic.
I remember spotting a copy of The Wall in Target in the late 90s and was shocked that they wanted more for the record than a ticket to the live concert at LA Memorial did.
You should do separate lists of the Top 20 best-selling original albums, Greatest Hits albums, and Soundtrack albums.
"Adele, backstreet boys, Britney it goes in some dark places here"🤣🤣 LMFAO
In my understanding compilation albums are albums in their most original sense. People started collecting shellac records by one artist in an album to keep them together. In early days of vinyl there where mainly singles compiled to albums with some filler. It took a while to make an album one coherent recording and finally an art form. So in a list like this compilations make sense.
damn - I scribbled out a list of my guesses before I watched the video to see how many I could get. I'm actually still surprised "Frampton Comes Alive" wasn't on the list, I kept thinking it was going to be in the top 10 as you made your way up the list hehe B/c it seemed like *everyone* had/has a copy of that LP - but apparently not quite as everyone as I thought (yes, that intentionally bad grammar lol). But I guessed about 2/3 of them - there were a few that I couldn't name the specific album but I knew the artist had to be on the list, and I was right. But there were some I was pleasantly surprised to see as well that I didn't guess - so that was cool to see too. It did help my guessing that I worked in music stores back in the late 90's and so I had/have some experience seeing what albums/artists sold consistently and then there's just the albums that you knew had to be on the list. Though once you mentioned that some GH albums where on the list I stopped the video and revised some of my picks and actually ended up nailing more than I would have gotten beforehand. I thought the Titanic soundtrack might would have been on there b/c that one sold out the ass at the time, and continued to for a while - but apparently not quite enough. and really though - those huge selling albums from the 70's have kinda had all that time to continue racking up sales - on top of the massive sales they shifted around the time of their releases as well, and so its not quite as surprising to see some of those on the list (I'm deliberately avoiding naming names here of the ones that did make the list b/c I want to give other people a chance to try and pick before watching the video also and so I don't want to spoil it here)
Great video though - fun to go through. Thanks man.
Hey Dillon, another awesome video as always! I love these lists you do.
Thanks!
Legend has it that during the sessions The Beatles recorded a 20 plus minute long version of Helter Skelter. If this is true, I must hear it before I die.
Speaking of Legend, I am rather surprised Bob Marley - Legend wasn't on the list since they included Greatest Hits. What fraternity brother didn't own that album?
Loved this video...love also the 'dark places' remark. It would be good to see a top UK 20.
Glad you clarified it was just for the US, would be interesting to see whats sold most in the UK and then Globally as that could raise Rumours and Dark Side of the Moon up the rankings.
Couldnt believe what I was hearing when I first heard Billy Joel's Attila - phenomenal record, not for the faint hearted though.
Re greatest hits albums, I recall reading somewhere that albums started off as collections of hits and stayed that way for a long time until in the 60's the concept of an album being a collection of songs that havent been hits took hold - though wasnt it Frank Sinatra who started that whole thing about a themed (and dare I say 'concept') album. Also greatest hits collections will mean that casual purchasers are able to get a collection of songs they know without having to sit through what we may call the good stuff - I mean how many people who bought Elton's greatest hits will have sat down with Goodbye Yellow Brick Road and how many people who bought Queen's greatest hits will have any idea of the Prophet's Song or the Millionaire's Waltz etc. Although obviously a lot of people who bought the Eagles Greatest Hits will have also listened to Hotel California!
The way I look at Hootie and The Blowfish's success was this....it came out at a time when people were sick of alternative and were tired of feeling sad and depresed all the time..they wanted something kinda goofy and different. It was "frat/jock rock type music and every. single. radio. station. played it to death. Even the band was asking them to please...please...stop playing our music so much.
I don’ have a top 10, or even 20. I have a top 3:
1: The entire Beatles back catalog
2: The entire Queen back catalog
3: Other music.
The #1 and #2 spot often switch places, depending on my mood.
Eagles catalog.
On the world rankings dark side of the moon would be #1
not even close. michael jacksons thriller has it beat by like 20 million records.
Thriller is easily WW #1.
Yes sir
@@ltrev1979 But 20 million is not all that much.
As TruBlu stated, Thriller (by far!) at #1 with over 110 Millon sold and Back In Black at #2 globally. The Eagles and country music reaslly does not play well around the world and I never saw a country band in Korea (jus' sayin') They like Elvis though--you have that! Lived in Turkey and they knew "Dualing Banjoes" and would squeal like a pig but didn't know Garth Brooks from Mel Brooks....an Eagle was a bird. They all know MJ, Pink Floyd the Zeppelin though so something to think about. After all, popular music does not mean it's good music, usually quite the opposite. The first "digital download" was to copy a DDD CD to a Maxell 90 Chrome...or was that the "anlog Napster"?
I believe I read that Fleetwood Mac Rumors was the top selling vinyl in the U.K. last year. It would be interesting to see how some of those charts change over the years as legacy acts fall in and out of favor.
The latest US album RIAA certifications I've seen have The Beatles at number 1 with 183 million and Brooks second with 156. The actual Beatles sales are more like 210 million, but they haven't all been certified.
four against one
I heard that Hootie and the Blowfish got inflated numbers because they were the default choice as the Columbia House automatic send for a while... anyone know anything about this?
No one is as dumb as all of us put together
🤣
this has got to be the first vinyl channel that I can actually watch
Dude, so glad I found your channel. Great content!!!
I'm so happy Boston's debut is in the top 20, that album really is as perfect as albums get and Brad Delp's vocals are out of this world
I would've sworn Nirvana's Nevermind would be way up there.
By Sales ,, NOT POPULARITY
Think it only sold 5 million range. I know it was only triple platinum in the early 2000s. Gen X was the smallest generation by far, and it shows in album sales by bands who were popular with that generation.
This was fun. You nailed the analytics perfectly, regarding greatest hits and compilations. I own 15 of the 20. Aerosmith Rocks, first vinyl...
wow such a respectful, chill dude. Id love to have a beer with this guy!
"I Will Always Love You" was the driver behind the sales of the Bodyguard soundtrack... Just as much credit belongs to Dolly Parton...
This isn;t the top 20 best selling albums of all time , DISCLAIMER this is top 20 best selling albums in the U.S .......
otherwise Ace Of Base would be in there
Also Thriller is still #1 worldwide
Americans tend to think they are the world.
@@FalseFlagAmerican Amen, brother. Show'em whatcha working with!
Thriller is no1. Worldwide
So glad to hear someone else who prefers the Use Your Illusion albums. I love Appetite but Use Your Illusion made me a bigger fan.
One thing to remember is that for a long time most music sales weren't properly tracked - country for example didn't really start getting tracked until into the 1980's. Due to his popularity, it is believed that Kenny Rogers has sold similar to Garth Brooks but because Kenny was successful in the 70's and 80's and Garth a decade later, they don't have the actual stats for him. It is very possible that there are several albums that should be on a list like this but are not because they just don't know the actual sales.
Great video man, I can’t believe Dark Side Of The Moon is 26!!
Whitney singing "I will always love you" is why The Bodyguard album is in that list.
Thank you, I couldn't remember the song name, and couldn't be bothered to google it, but My mom and sister played that tape out, when i was a teenager... the whole thing.
I inhaled a good proportion of my mornings hot coffee when you (accurately) lumped Adele, Brittany Spears and Backstreet Boys in the same dark pile. Cheers for nearly killing me with laughter.
Bad idea with the coffee because Dillon has these throwaway comments every now and again in most of his videos that will launch you into a laughing fit!
Greetings from the farthest reaches of the Emerald Triangle, Northern California. Ordered a Noble Records hat the other day. Looking forward to wearing it! Great channel!
Dark Side of the Moon only 26th? That is shocking. The album is top 5 worldwide and absolutely brilliant.
"Michael Jackson, we're all there with you"... where? LOL
Hey there! I remember looking into this not too long ago. An interesting fact: many 90s albums were primarily sold on CDs, since they were cheaper to make and easier to distribute. Which is why Alanis Morissette, The Bodyguard, and Hootie are on the list. The CD sales boom was likely a big contributor to this data.
Also, Garth Brooks, like you discussed, is very good about marketing his music for the best profit. In terms of country music I believe he has one of the highest net worths.
Anyway, just thought I’d throw my two cents in!
Eagles Greatest Hits is the #1 album to be found at the gas station.
🤣
That’s how some albums get better sells ,I believe. People traveling want to hear something different than what’s on the radio station,so when they see something in the store when they stop , and they buy it just because they want to hear something they remember they like.
If anybody needs a copy of "Saturday Night Fever" on 8-Track I have one.
Dillon, my man!!! Came across your channel by a very happy accident, and I love it!!! I've watched several of your videos, and plan to watch as many of them as I can! Just wanted to comment on your comment regarding Greatest Hits (or compilations as you call them) collections. Of course, this is just my opinion and my take on it (doesn't make me right or wrong, of course). I do think that Greatest Hits albums should be considered when discussing top album sales. I am 63 years old, and in the 1970's, and maybe even into the 1980's, but, especially in the 1970's (and remember, this was long before any kind of digital audio, streaming services, UA-cam, etc., were around), Greatest Hits collections were a means of either introducing the music of a well-known artist or band to a new listener, or a means of having the top hits of the said band or artist all in one place, without having to immediately shell out the expense of buying all of the albums from which those hits derived from. In my personal case, "The Eagles Greatest Hits", originally purchased in 1976, was a way for me at the time to be introduced to the band via their hit singles, and a convenient way of owning those hits (all of which I missed buying when they were current in the Top 40, as I was just getting into them - my first Eagles studio album purchased on its release was "Hotel California", in 1977). Whereas Elton John's Greatest Hits, also purchased in 1975, enabled me to own the hits from his earliest albums without having to buy the original albums right away (I bought "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" - surprised it didn't make the list - in October, 1973, on its release, and "Caribou" in the summer of 1974, on its release). I do own the complete catalogs of both of these artists, but it a little time for me to do so. Greatest Hits collections were a really big deal back in the 1970's when pop artists, at times, sold more singles than albums. Once again, this is just my opinion. I guess that is why you don't see groups or artists putting out as many hit compilations now as they used to, because there is not the need for those collections that there once was - they have become victims of their own time. Thanks again for the great videos! The next time I am in North Carolina I will be sure to check out your awesome shop!! BTW - I own everything on your list except for the Garth Brooks, Hootie and the Blowfish, Alanis Morrisette, and Shania Twain (not big into country I'm afraid). Cheers!!!
I was shocked that Meat Loaf's Bat Out of Hell didn't make the list as there are over 50 million sales worldwide but apparently only 14x platinum in the U.S according to Wikipedia. It was 25x platinum in Australia and 17 x platinum in New Zealand so they were the highest market share
Great video Dillon, even with some of the lame titles, I do own 8 of these albums (all on vinyl). Dark Side of the Moon did surprise me and I would have thought Purple Rain made it
In college in the 90s, EVERY girl I knew owned a Jagged Little Pill CD.
The Eagles greatest hits 1 will always be one of my favorite albums! Two thumbs up if I could, Rock On!
How about a follow-up video on the best selling albums world wide? That would be interesting. I bet a lot of stuff not well known in the US.
Really enjoyable video. When you prefaced it by saying it was essentially people's choice, I was expecting the list to be whackier than it actually turned out to be. Good to include those honorable mentions because they would take the place of the compilations on the list if you removed them.
For how often I hear Billy Joel and the Eagles on the radio there’s really no reason to own their greatest hits albums.
Seeing FZ displayed behind you earned FULL RESPECT!! Agree with ALL your comments. Thanks!
Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon was the greatest album ever , however , because most of there songs were more then 3 minutes long they got very little air play , thus limiting sales , to make it to 26 was based purely on word of mouth , making it even more sensational,
On what planet? By the time Dark Side came out there were plenty of album orientated radio stations. I heard tracks from Dark Side all the time, most notably "Time" and "Money".
Dark Side of the Moon got MONSTER airplay. so much so it stayed in the charts for over 2 and half years straight. No album since has done that. Yes, today it doesn't get as much because of songs that bleed into the next more than it's "over the 3min pop song limit". But today radio is 60% talking and ads, and 40% music.. how they still exist is a mystery. oh wait, music (and I use the term music loosely) for the masses.. I forgot about the ratio of trash to gems.
Damn I want that Frank Zappa Spanish pressing like really bad. :)
I’m so glad you called out Dark Side of the Moon. 26!!! Wow.
The Bodyguard was a really great and super popular movie when it came out. Not surprised the soundtrack is on their list. Also I absolutely LOVE that “I Will Always Love You” was used in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.
Back in 1993 Garth Brooks waged war against record stores that sold used CDs. Brooks didn't want people to be able to purchase used copies of his CDs because he didn't earn royalties from the sale of used CDs and because they didn't count toward his total record sales. Some stores refused to stock Brooks CDs as a result.
Hootie and The Blowfish sold so many because of BMG and Columbia House :-P
Whoa ... upvoted for just seeing that Bitches Brew album and Zappa behind you!
You are totally correct and on point with everything. And Led Zeppelin is my favorite band of all time, too.
I swear if you ask anyone outside of the US who Garth Brooks is they wouldn't have a clue. Kudos to the guy for selling that many albums though.
He couldn't sell out a phone booth here in Australia lol
Yes, can confirm
Well another disciple of ignorance. Garth Brooks played concerts e.g. in Ireland and Germany.
@@havocian1 Yes, but maybe not as popular anywhere else
Kudos to McDonald's for selling more hamburgers than anyone else. That's basically Garth Brooks.
I’m with you on compilations. Idea for another video...top 20 not counting compilations.
I didn't keep track of exactly how many compilations were on the list (half a dozen?), but Dillon's "Honorable Mentions" would essentially replace them on the top 20 list.
America's Greatest Hits sold a bunch.
I'm surprised that Queen Greatest Hits wasn't on the list. That album must have shifted a few copies in it's day.
Best selling album of all time in UK.It’s still in the top twenty in US
Just bought Attila from Discogs. Love that album. I'm a huge Billy Joel fan. Everyone who likes Billy Joel should at least check it out. Awesome organ on that. Totally different than everything else he did.
Yeah, he is great, Attila is just more my speed
@Paul Johnson
Hey Paul if you ever get the chance after this Covid thing. Go to NYC and see Billy at MSG. I went twice in 2019 it's just an amazing experience. I was lucky enough to be front row my first time. I went to NYC for the first time all by myself to see him a night I will never forget. Now I gotta check out the 'Attila' album. Take care.
Hootie & The Blowfish up in there?!?! Now THAT'S a huge surprise to me....
The red vinyl LP version was a $100+ record for a long time! 🤑
Why? Everyone owned it back in the day
Jagged Little Pill became a Broadway musical not that long go (was still on when Covid hit) and the music got a new life.
A recent trend is getting a free download of an artist’s album when you buy tickets to their concert. Shawn Mendes did it when my daughter went to see him. We got a CD in the mail for that one. I think those get counted as sales as they probably factor the sale of the album into the ticket price. Inflates the record sales numbers.
Surprised to the the Beatles white album so high on that list.... but agree, it’s my favourite Beatles album too.
Same here!
I for sure thought the Red Album (1962-1966) would've been on there at a high position, as I could've sworn it's sold more than the Blue.
I screamed in agreement that Physical Graffiti and II are better than IV and YESSSSSS!!!-ATILLA!!! I managed to grab an 80s repress of that last year after looking for a long time. Love it.
Haha thanks for watching!
It may be because I'm from the UK, but I've never heard off Gareth Brooks, can't believe Dark Side of the Moon wasn't higher and Queen!!
16:42 I have a few copies of Hotel California. One copy, which I picked up a couple of years ago, amazed me. It was open, but still tight in the shrinkwrap and the gatefold had never been opened. All the controversy surrounding that image on the inside gatefold and whoever owned it managed somehow to NOT look.
I know who Garth Brooks is because I know a lot of music, but almost nobody knows who he is outside of America (well some Australians probably do).
Also - Fleetwood Mac's Rumours is a top ten album worldwide.
I totally agree with you on not counting best-of compilations in album rankings or best-selling lists. It just feels too obvious, like OF COURSE an album with all the hits is gonna sell well (especially if those hits are widespread throughout an artists' discography), but I'm more interested in what their best work is as a whole album experience. What else can they offer besides the hits everyone already knows?
Hot Rats in Spanish in the back - gotta love Zappa for jammin!!!
Thanks for posting. Other more specific videos could further break down the recordings into lists the albums into categories, so, there would be best selling studio albums, best selling live albums, best selling greatest hits and other compilations, and so on. Another breakdown could include different genres, such as best selling prog rock albums, best selling country albums, best selling rock albums, best selling R&B albums, etc.
Like the Hot Rats and Miles albums in background
I sold beer next to the stage Hootie played on at Center City Fest years ago. Those f’n people could booze. Tapped all the kegs.
The explanation for Alanis and likely Hootie is Napster - look at the dates. Jagged Little Pill was the last mega-album before pirating started, so she had the largest CD-buying population that there ever was.
You mentioned Chris Gaines. Wow. That's a stellar album.
Flight Of The Concords has the funniest Fleetwood Mac joke
Liked when Billy Joel played keyboards for the Earl Scruggs Review.They had the Pointer Sisters as backup singers.
Subscribed!
Bee Gees - Odessa is their best imo - absolutely heartbreaking!
My favorite best selling diamond album is Purple Rain by Prince and the Revolution. But it "only" sold 13,000,000 copies. Nevermind by Nirvana, Dookie by Green Day, and Faith by George Michael are also awesome diamond certified albums.
Great video, enjoyed it. How about you do one on top selling vinyl since the "vinyl revival", say 2007 inclusive, or whatever makes more sense to you. Cheers!
I thought 'Dark Side of the Moon' had out-sold 'The Wall'
It has. The Wall is 23x platinum, that doesn't mean it's sold 23 million copies. Double albums each count for 2 album sales for certifications, so it's really sold 11.5 million and Dark Side has sold 15 million.
@@mattmckenzie7654 Right, I had forgotten about that rather silly rule. It's one album, so it should be one unit of sales, but there you go.
Mid-70’s sweet spot: my boomer brethren.
Confluence of demographics and technology: huge age cohort combined with format. LP’s had superseded singles and preceded digital, including CD’s.
Hell you talk about the records that resonate with you, but you're taste is on point!
There was one year where the music industry was basically sustained by 3 Canadian women: Shania Twain, Celine Dion and Alanis Morrissette
I would ride the bus to school and they played the radio and I would constantly hear Celine Dion and Alanis Morrisette
95?
Good video, thanks...Great to hear someone else say that Helter Skelter is the first punk rock song! I totally agree...
Is there a like a definitive place or site to look at the the biggest selling releases etc. Off the top of my head, 2 albums I thought would have been there was Bing Crosby’s White Christmas, and Def Leppard’s Hysteria.