CSPC: Meat Loaf Popularity Analysis

MEAT LOAF CAREER CSPC RESULTS

So, after checking all the figures, how many overall equivalent album sales has each album by Meat Loaf achieved? Well, at this point we hardly need to add up all of the figures defined in this article!

In the following results table, all categories display figures in equivalent album sales. If different, pure sales are listed between parentheses.

artist_spotify_id	#	Cover	Album	Studio albums (EAS)	sales_update_date	Other LPs (EAS)	Physical singles (units sold)	Digital singles (units sold)	Streams	Streams increase	Total EAS	valid_as_of	streams_updated_value	album_id
7dnB1wSxbYa8CejeVg98hz	1		Bat Out of Hell	27,410,000	16.06.18	6,709,000	870,000 (2,900,000)	336,000 (2,240,000)	590,000 (12/01/23)	Av.: 240 LD: 250	35,915,000	20,231,201	590,000	738
7dnB1wSxbYa8CejeVg98hz	2		Dead Ringer	1,980,000	16.06.18	1,010,000	129,000 (430,000)	11,000 (70,000)	56,000 (12/01/23)	Av.: 20 LD: 20	3,246,000	20,231,201	56,000	739
7dnB1wSxbYa8CejeVg98hz	3		Midnight at the Lost and Found	400,000	16.06.18	79,000	44,000 (147,000)	1,000 (10,000)	3,000 (06/16/18)	N/A	527,000	20,231,201	3,000	740
7dnB1wSxbYa8CejeVg98hz	4		Bad Attitude	800,000	16.06.18	64,000	69,000 (230,000)	1,000 (10,000)	12,000 (12/01/23)	Av.: 0 LD: 0	967,000	20,231,201	12,000	741
7dnB1wSxbYa8CejeVg98hz	5		Blind Before I Stop	260,000	16.06.18	9,000	30,000 (100,000)	0 (0)	1,000 (06/16/18)	N/A	300,000	20,231,201	1,000	742
7dnB1wSxbYa8CejeVg98hz	6		Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell	12,730,000	16.06.18	1,499,000	1,479,000 (4,930,000)	150,000 (1,000,000)	383,000 (12/01/23)	Av.: 160 LD: 200	16,241,000	20,231,201	383,000	743
7dnB1wSxbYa8CejeVg98hz	7		Welcome to the Neighbourhood	2,110,000	16.06.18	115,000	333,000 (1,110,000)	15,000 (100,000)	45,000 (12/01/23)	Av.: 20 LD: 20	2,702,000	20,231,201	45,000	744
7dnB1wSxbYa8CejeVg98hz	8		Couldn't Have Said It Better	520,000	16.06.18	2,000	20,000 (67,000)	6,000 (40,000)	2,000 (06/16/18)	N/A	550,000	20,231,201	2,000	745
7dnB1wSxbYa8CejeVg98hz	9		Bat Out of Hell III: The Monster Is Loose	1,180,000	16.06.18	3,000	45,000 (150,000)	32,000 (210,000)	36,000 (12/01/23)	Av.: 10 LD: 10	1,301,000	20,231,201	36,000	746
7dnB1wSxbYa8CejeVg98hz	10		Hang Cool Teddy Bear	280,000	16.06.18	0	0 (0)	5,000 (30,000)	3,000 (06/16/18)	N/A	288,000	20,231,201	3,000	747
7dnB1wSxbYa8CejeVg98hz	11		Hell in a Handbasket	120,000	16.06.18	0	0 (0)	3,000 (20,000)	2,000 (06/16/18)	N/A	125,000	20,231,201	2,000	748
7dnB1wSxbYa8CejeVg98hz	12		Braver Than We Are	110,000	16.06.18	0	0 (0)	2,000 (10,000)	2,000 (06/16/18)	N/A	113,000	20,231,201	2,000	749
7dnB1wSxbYa8CejeVg98hz	13		Orphan	400,000	16.06.18	75,000	65,000 (217,000)	24,000 (160,000)	10,000 (06/16/18)	N/A	574,000	20,231,201	10,000	1,701

As a reminder:

• Studio Album: sales of the original album
• Other Releases: sales of compilations generated thanks to the album
• Physical Singles: sales of physical singles from the album (ratio 3/10)
• Download Singles: sales of digital singles from the album (ratio 1,5/10)
• Streaming: equivalent album sales of all the album tracks (ratio 1/1500 for Audio stream and 1/6750 for Video stream)

Artist career totals

See where the artist ranks among remaining singers

Conclusions

In the music industry, some artists are one-hit wonders, others are one-album wonders. Meat Loaf is unique in that he is a one-franchise wonder. Both Bat Out Of Hell I and II have been immense successes. If sales claims often quoted on media of the former are largely inflated, it remains an insane smash. Up to 35,4 million equivalent album sales and counting, it’s among the Top 40 most successful albums of all-time. It tops classic records like Pink Floyd‘s Wish You Were Here and the Beatles‘ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.

The volume II is one of the most successful comebacks ever. A la Paul Simon‘s Graceland and Santana‘s Supernatural, it succeeded a very weak seller and went on to become a blockbuster. It is close to 16 million EAS to date. The 3rd chapter of the franchise is much more modest at less than 1,3 million.

Modest is also the word for remaining albums. If follow ups of his monster albums average 3 million EAS, remaining albums of Meat Loaf bombed in great fashion. Dead Ringer sold less than 10% of Bat Out Of Hell. It’s only one of his 5 albums which dropped 77% or more over their immediate predecessor. The singer has been completely unable to transform the success of his albums into a real following of his persona.

More than 40 years into his career, Meat Loaf has now sold close to 62 million EAS. Apart from back catalog sales of his two main records, this tally isn’t going to be boosted anytime soon.

To go deeper…

Thanks to our new ASR (Artist Success Rating) concept, we know that his sales represent 32.6 million times the purchase of his full catalog. Coupled with his total sales, it translates into an ASR score of 233. That puts him ahead of Cher and Green Day but behind Enya and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Additionally, the following pages list his most successful songs as well as his records and achievements. Do not forget to check our amazing cross-artists lists posted inside the CSPC: Data Collector which includes the full listing of all CSPC results compiled so far.

As usual, feel free to comment and / or ask a question!

Sources: IFPI, Spotify, YouTube, Discogs, Chartmasters.org.