TOTAL ALBUM SALES IN FRANCE
Studio Albums
1963 The Beatles (With The Beatles) – 85,000
1963 Les Beatles No 1 (Please Please Me) – 110,000
1964 4 Garçons Dans Le Vent (A Hard Day’s Night) – 110,000
1964 Les Beatles 1965 (Beatles For Sale) – 85,000
1965 Help! – 135,000
1965 Rubber Soul – 155,000
1966 Revolver – 190,000
1967 Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band – 385,000
1967 Magical Mystery Tour – 120,000
1968 White Album – 390,000
1968 Yellow Submarine – 100,000
1969 Abbey Road – 425,000
1970 Let It Be – 205,000
Compilation Albums
1965 14 Plus Grands Succès – 20,000
1966 A Collection Of Beatles Oldies– 45,000
1970 The Beatles Again (US Compilation Hey Jude) – 25,000
1973 Red 1962/1966 – 1,360,000
1973 Blue 1967/1970 – 1,490,000
1975 Ain’t She Sweet, The Beatles First – 120,000
1976 Rock N’ Roll Music – 125,000
1977 Love Songs – 150,000
1988 Past Masters vol 1 – 85,000
1988 Past Masters vol 2 – 95,000
1995 Anthology vol 1 – 255,000
1996 Anthology vol 2 – 135,000
1996 Anthology vol 3 – 75,000
2000 One – 1,060,000
Live Albums
1977 At The Hollywood Bowl – 165,000
1977 Live In Hambourg – 80,000
1994 Live At The BBC – 370,000
2013 Live At The BBC 2 – 20,000
Box Set Albums
2009 Mono Box – 10,000
2009 Stereo Box – 40,000
Remix Albums
1999 Yellow Submarine – 35,000
2003 Let It Be… Naked – 70,000
2006 Love – 260,000
Remaining albums – 150,000
The Beatles sold a total of 8,770,000 albums in France.
As usual, feel free to comment and / or ask a question!
Sources: SNEP, IFOP, GFK, Spotify, Le Parisien.
Do you have the chart listing and sales for the album «The Beatles’ First», the 1969 reissue of the 1964 German compilation of Hamburg recording of 1961-2 with Tony Sheridan. Also, in 1964, a 25 inch LP of these eight songs was released…Any info on this one ?
Hi André! These albums haven’t chart, back then only a top 15 was published so it was very taugh to make the ranking. Even Yellow Submarine peaked at 11 only. As for sales, ‘First’ was reissued many times, including by the budget line Impact. All its French LP versions add for 2,422 owners on Discogs, while Abbey Road for example, which sold 200,000 plus up to the 80s, has 7,904 owners, a ratio of 3.26. Obviously not all albums are equally collected, but anything from 50,000 to 75,000 for all ‘First’ versions pre-CD era makes sense. About the 25″ LP,… Read more »
Thanks, I suspected that these editions did not do too well. But I wanted to make sure. Regards. André
You have to look at the eras that acts were active in. How many homes had record players in the 1960s, let alone the individuals in them. As time went on most kids had their own record/ cd players. It’s like comparing car sales. In the early 60s you were lucky to be a one car family. A few decades later many families had 2 and even 3 cars. It’s all relative.
I was expecting a little more coming from them, still a huge number that many acts can only dream of. Great analysis man, I will share this with my friends if you don’t mind.
About the other analysis that you made about Madonna… Do you know how much the “The Next Best Thing” soundtrack sold? Its chart-run was short-lived but it managed to peak at #36 on Billboard 200, at #19 in Germany and at #24 on the UK Soundtrack compilation chart.
It’s less than U2 and practically even with AC/DC… are you sure???? I’m shocked!
8.4 million only???? Less than Madonna??? WOW!!!
Why is it surprising? Madonna is huge in France.
Hello Gustavo!
For some reason remix albums weren’t listed on totals page so the overall result stands at 8,8 million actually. It doesn’t change the nature of your comment though. Yes, compared to their immaculate sales in English speaking countries this total may seem someway disappointing, but we must keep in mind unlike the US market, French one got relevant from mid 70s only. Everything considered their sales in France are amazing still!