Streaming Sales
Streaming is made up of two families – audio and video. Our CSPC methodology now includes both to better reflect the real popularity of each track. The main source of data for each avenue is respectively Spotify and YouTube. As detailed in the Fixing Log article, Spotify represents 132 million of the 212 million users of streaming platforms, while YouTube is pretty much the only video platform generating some revenue for the industry. Below is the equivalence set on the aforementioned article:
Audio Stream – 1500 plays equal 1 album unit
Video Stream – 11,750 views equal 1 album unit
Equivalent Albums Sales = 212/132 * Spotify streams / 1500 + YouTube views / 11750
Streaming Part 1
Many would have expected Michael Jackson‘s albums to be monster sellers and his post-Off The Wall records to have done wonders in various formats as they did. The expectations were fairly low on his early Motown albums though, especially on the streaming front. Got to be There is quite impressive with album tracks over 1 million on Spotify and 4 songs at 7 million or more. The album has a total of 50,000 equivalent album sales from streaming.
Ben is solid too at 28,000 equivalent album sales thanks to the 15 million streams on Spotify of the title track.
At the time of writing, ‘Thriller’ has now topped 120 million EAS.
It’s astounding to think that one album has been more successful that the entire career output (so far) of some pretty big international acts. Dire Straits, Coldplay, RHCP, Simon and Garfunkel, Adele, Drake and Rihanna to name a few…
Apart from Simon and Garfunkel, you’re right according to this system
Yes, sorry, I meant to say ‘The Doors’. Thank you for the correction!
Michael Jackson was part of Thriller album, there was dozens of workers and inventors, everyone’s goal was maximum commercialism or sales. That’s why its rating is not at the top. Not so creative. Call product.
I’m not necessarily saying than I’m a fan of either Jackson or ‘Thriller’. Just commenting on the enormous success it has achieved regardless of how many people were involved in it’s creation.
How is it any less creative, than say Blood on the Tracks, OK Computer, Nevermind, Sticky Fingers etc
You just sound like a bitter snob, finding fault and putting something down, just because it’s not to your taste.
Read everyone’s reviews from the critics. They say it better. Are Agatha Christie books better than, let’s say Herman Hesse, John Steinbeck or L-F Celine? I just threw a comment out of context. It’s not dangerous.
No, it’s bollocks. It’s not everyone’s reviews, it’s a certain subset of societys reviews. Do you really think hip hop magazines, bang on about or even give a fuck about, the merits or validity of Blonde On Blonde or Pet Sounds. On top of that, the majority of the world couldn’t give a toss what critics say, let alone use them as a barometer of what music they enjoy or want to buy. I don’t know what you deem as creative but for me, Thriller is on many levels. It’s not only the most popular album of all time and… Read more »
What’s your point? That’s like 99% of music out there!
There is an interesting comment in Sandra Bullock’s film The Lost City. She plays a romance novelist who’s extremely popular but would prefer to write serious work. The cover model says, “How can I be embarrassed by something that brings so much joy to so many people?”
If you like something, enjoy it. But don’t try to negate someone else’s happiness.
Same with your quote about Agatha Christie. Hundreds of millions of people bought her books. It obviously brought them joy. Why insult their taste?
Hi MJD, do you have any estimate of how many albums Michael sold since his passing in 2009? According to Soundscan he sold 16.1 million albums in the US alone as of 2019, is it possible to make a worldwide figure?
some of y’all need to shut up
michael had 6 studio albums and the beatles 13
the beatles did it in 7 years and mj in 22 years
the thing is that both found their own way into their success and there’s no excuse to invalidate the other, just SHUT UPPPPP
Not to mention that Michael has actually 10 studio albums. Anyway, they’re both icons
He had 6 albums as an adult. If we don’t add
The other four albums ,they won’t affect that
Much.
mj I a solo artist being compared to a band , I think that says enough
Just out of curiosity, there probably are good reasons, but is History the only album that is counted twice? Or are any of the other (double) albums also treated this way?
I hope this works so they could answer you soon @MJD @Al @Martin
Why number of sales are changing?
Do they update daily?
Streams are updated daily. The EAS from streams cause movement on their sales.
Alas, the question is probably too dumb/difficult or easy for me to search for
Well disc one of history is a compilation and disc two is a studio album and disc on is certified platinum in the us but disc two is certified 8 times platinum in the us so the compilation and studio album are considered like two separate things even though they are put together.