CSPC: Guns N’ Roses Popularity Analysis
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 (EAS) = 212/132 * Spotify streams / 1500 + YouTube views / 11750
Streaming Part 1
You must start to understand it, Appetite For Destruction isn’t just a blockbuster album seller. Whichever format you look at this record achieved insane results. In terms of streaming, its main three singles cumulate 200 million plays on Spotify alone with all three of them among the Top 15 biggest tracks of the 80s along with the likes of Billie Jean, Don’t Stop Believin’ and With Or Without You. Inside those 80s biggest hits in the streaming world, only Michael Jackson‘s album Thriller can challenge Guns N’ Roses’ beast with its main three songs receiving 758 million streams combined. Its streams on YouTube are equally impressive with over 1,8 billion views in total.
Equivalent album sales wise, Appetite For Destruction‘s songs streaming figures total over 1,1 million albums sold, more than many recent releases.
GNR Lies is nowhere near as big but Patience remains a very popular song. It generates nearly 100,000 equivalent album sales out of the 136,000 units managed by the entire track list.
The youtube stats for November Rain are just insane. 2 billion views? There are popular acts now that would kill for those kind of views. I wonder how many of them will still be getting these kind of stats in 30 years? I have always been curious though on why November Rain does even better than Sweet Child O Mine on youtube. Sweet Child was much bigger in it’s initial release and does much better than November Rain on Spotify.
I remember there being a bit of a furore about the track back in 91/92. I recall it being referred to as their Stairway to Heaven, due to it’s length, epic nature and extended guitar solo. The video was quite talked about too, which I think they spent a preposterous amount on. As to it’s Youtube popularity, maybe the actual video has it’s own popularity. While not exactly the same or on the same scale, I’d imagine a lot views for The Prodigys Smack My Bitch Up is to see the video, not so much to hear the song. Maybe… Read more »
That’s true, it’s still referred to in those terms to this day. But it’s popularity endures (just like Stairway).
There’s plenty of similar cases, Aerosmith’s Crazy being their most viewed video while it’s only their 5th most streamed song…etc., music videos aren’t just about music.
True, take The Beatles. At face value it seems crazy that Don’t Let Me Down, their 29th most popular track on Spotify, is their most viewed video/track on Youtube. IMO it’s clearly the event and the live footage of it, the legendary and iconic Apple Records roof top concert, by the band, that’s actually getting the views.
The song was featured in the Thor film. That soundtrack boost from Marvel is huge nowadays.
While I agree with you, that a song in a Marvel film helps give it a boost, November Rain has been one of the most streamed videos on YouTube for years, way prior to its inclusion in Thor.
AfD reaches 50 million EAS! What a timeless classic!