Forum
Hi Clockingbell!
The thing with Unplugged is that it's a live album, it's instantly moved into the compilation / live section. It sold so well the same way as AC/DC's or Phil Collins' live albums from the same period, because they came out during the mass CD replacement era with no existing full-career spanning compilations available. That's why it kept selling extremely well until mid-90s and its sales were reduced a lot from the release of The Cream of Clapton in 94/95 (depending on the country).
That's also why so many 'new' artists released unplugged discs in following years. Not because they brought that much by themselves (in fact nobody does them anymore), but simply because they were the perfect way to milk a catalog with a greatest hits-like record despite the artist having less than the 3/4 studio albums needed to put a best of out. Alanis Morissette, Nirvana, Alicia Keys, Mariah Carey, etc, they all benefited from this.
Nice comparisons! It's just that I think the succes of Clapton 's Unplugged wasn't just about it being career spanning. People not just wanted Layla, they wanted this version, as well as a great live performer at his most accessible. This album brought him new success, not just milking old successes, like Collins did, whose live album contained more of his biggest hits than Unplugged does. Great article btw.
In terms of sales, Nirvana 'Unplugged' is roughly 16 million, Clapton 'Unplugged' is somewhere around 24 million I believe...
AMAZING results! thank you for your hard work! there is something fascinating about huge catalog artists. I would like to ask when will you be doing Frank Sinatra, i think that is one of the big artist left to review in your page
I think that Knockin on Heavens Door is in Clapton's top ten songs. Heavens door is incl. many Clapton collections. E.g Time Pieces +live. Cream of Claptons 1987 and 1995, Complete, Crossroads, Story of Clapton 2004 (together in about 30 million albums). Spotify streams are 17 m.
Let It Rain is 7th in Clapton best selling list. It has 39 m streams.
Both sold roughly same number digital and physical copies. But Let It Rain isn't so popular in collections.
Guys, you did a hell of a job covering such a massive career. Really congrats for your massive effort. I know it's against the rules, but if we combine Eric Clapton's solo sales with that of his groups than Clapton would become the third biggest male act, just behind Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson. Though I agree that they should not be combined it's an incredible achievement for an artist who tends to avoid the media spotlight
He wouldn't be though, if you were to apply the same methodology for members of The Beatles, Jackson, Queen, The Stones, Floyd and maybe even Plant & Zeppelin
Incredible work. I've been waiting for this for a loooonnnng time. BRAVO!!!
Chartmasters men hei,
As old Clapton fan, your statistics must have gotten messed up somehow. You know Hoochie Coochie Man is your lists 11. and Riding with the King 12. Wrong. Last Radio is more reliable here. Hoochie man is 88. and Riding King is 23. or something.
I know how you calculate the numbers, sales from everywhere. Clapton must have been unknown to the list maker, right?
I repeat the previous comment ( under another name- Mikko). This mistake is so obvious, it needs to commented on.
Riding with BB.King and Hoochie Coochie man are not included in any major compilation. The former is included in the album in same name and latter in the album From the Cradle. Nobody recognized that these are Clapton's most favourite hits.
Instead, After Midnight and Knockin' on Heaven's Door have been Clapton's favourites for decades. In addition, together with Randy Crawford, they made a version of Knockin on Heavens Door for the soundtrack Lethal Weapon 2 and song was minor worldwide hit year 1989 and they are included in almost all major compilations.
Younger enthusiasts are not interested in this, but some older are.
Hi Einar/Mikko!
I hope you understand these lists aren't manually typed but instead retrieved from macros, it isn't about knowing the artist or whatsoever.
In that case, the result is indeed awkward to say the least but it's truly a very weird situation, where an album (From The Cradle) happens to be both a strong selling record and home to mostly unpopular material. Audio streams from its track are so bad that the presence of Hoochie Coochie Man on some YouTube live videos is enough to make it the main catalyst of the album's sales. Just goes on to show that Cradle sold mostly on the back of Unplugged and good press than thanks to its own tracks.
