CSPC: The Beatles Popularity Analysis
Physical Singles Sales – Part 3
Rubber Soul (1965) – 720,000 equivalent albums
Nowhere Man – 1,400,000
Michelle – 1,000,000
Revolver (1966) – 1,320,000 equivalent albums
Yellow Submarine – 3,500,000
Got to Get You into My Life – 900,000
With Rubber Soul & Revolver, the Beatles were now issuing the same albums everywhere. They were also clearly moving into an independent release schedule of albums and singles.
Outside of North America, Nowhere Man was almost released nowhere. Michelle shifted its million units in continental Europe, receiving no release in the US and in the UK to benefit the album instead. Got to Get You into My Life came out a decade later only to promote Rock N’ Roll Music compilation.
In other words, Yellow Submarine was the only track getting a worldwide release in physical single format, with an immediate response – 3,5 million units sold.
I’m curious why their digital singles sales are so low compared to the likes of Queen and MJ?
I guess that one important reason is that they wait many years until put the catalogue there (2009), and 5 years later that market started to collapse, so they had few years to make sales. I mean, even Elvis have a little more digital sales, when the Beatles outstream him x2.
It’s explained on page 31 of this article.
I would love to see the sales of George Harrison. Both John Lennon and Paul Mccartney are updated while George and Ringo are missing. I assume Ringo hasn’t sold that well but George had string of succesful albums starting with All Things Must Pass. Maybe in the future when The Beatles sales are going to be updated you could also do George and Ringo, same as it was done with Neil Young, when both Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young were done at the same time. I’m sure a lot of people would love to see that. Thank… Read more »
An update on The Beatles would be great.
BFD on amount of records sold. Theres more people in the world. All these groups/people are playing because of the BEATLES. I bought my first guitar from a guys living room. I traded my flute in for an electric guitar, at Jacks Drum Shop, after Feb. 1964 when they were on Ed Sullivan. There was no Guitar Center, or anything like that. Since the BEATLES, everyone and their brother play guitar.