CSPC: Elton John Popularity Analysis

Physical Singles Sales – Part 5

As a reminder, the weighting is done with a 10 to 3 ratio between one album and one physical single.

Too Low for Zero (1983) – 1,074,000 equivalent albums

I Guess That’s Why They Call It the Blues – 1,250,000
I’m Still Standing – 1,750,000
Kiss the Bride – 490,000
Cold as Christmas (In the Middle of the Year) – 50,000
Too Low for Zero – 10,000
Crystal – 30,000

Breaking Hearts (1984) – 702,000 equivalent albums

Who Wears These Shoes? – 420,000
Breaking Hearts (Ain’t What It Used to Be) – 10,000
Passengers – 330,000
In Neon – 230,000
Sad Songs (Say So Much) – 1,350,000

Ice on Fire (1985) – 927,000 equivalent albums

Cry to Heaven – 40,000
Nikita – 2,460,000
Wrap Her Up – 500,000
Act of War – 90,000

Leather Jackets (1986) – 81,000 equivalent albums

Slow Rivers – 50,000
Heartache All Over the World – 220,000

After low-par records John returned to form with the era Too Low For Zero. I Guess That’s Why They Call It the Blues and I’m Still Standing were both solid hits with 3 million units combined.

With singles now selling frequently more copies in Europe than in the US, the string of success continued with Sad Songs (Say So Much). and then the smash hit Nikita, his first multi-million seller in nearly a decade!

Suddenly, everything went wrong with the release of Leather Jackets which John himself considers his worst album. Both of its singles bombed.