So, after checking all the figures, how many overall equivalent album sales has each album by Prince 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
5a2EaR3hamoenG9rDuVn8j
1
For You
950,000
04.10.18
111,000
78,000(210,000)
15,000(100,000)
33,000 (05/31/23)
Av.: 10LD: 20
1,187,000
20,230,531
33,000
639
5a2EaR3hamoenG9rDuVn8j
2
Prince
2,080,000
04.10.18
1,197,000
462,000(1,321,000)
131,000(870,000)
174,000 (05/31/23)
Av.: 80LD: 80
4,043,000
20,230,531
174,000
640
5a2EaR3hamoenG9rDuVn8j
3
Dirty Mind
1,540,000
04.10.18
582,000
88,000(150,000)
22,000(150,000)
45,000 (05/31/23)
Av.: 20LD: 10
2,277,000
20,230,531
45,000
641
5a2EaR3hamoenG9rDuVn8j
4
Controversy
2,320,000
04.10.18
455,000
188,000(450,000)
89,000(590,000)
62,000 (05/31/23)
Av.: 30LD: 30
3,113,000
20,230,531
62,000
642
5a2EaR3hamoenG9rDuVn8j
5
1999
7,010,000
04.10.18
2,570,000
1,317,000(4,141,000)
612,000(4,080,000)
310,000 (05/31/23)
Av.: 140LD: 130
11,819,000
20,230,531
310,000
643
5a2EaR3hamoenG9rDuVn8j
6
Purple Rain
23,030,000
04.10.18
9,220,000
3,189,000(10,527,000)
1,577,000(10,510,000)
1,104,000 (05/31/23)
Av.: 480LD: 540
38,120,000
20,230,531
1,104,000
644
5a2EaR3hamoenG9rDuVn8j
7
Around the World in a Day
5,000,000
04.10.18
1,535,000
717,000(2,045,000)
288,000(1,920,000)
266,000 (05/31/23)
Av.: 120LD: 150
7,806,000
20,230,531
266,000
645
5a2EaR3hamoenG9rDuVn8j
8
Parade
4,560,000
04.10.18
3,361,000
1,068,000(2,538,000)
421,000(2,810,000)
457,000 (05/31/23)
Av.: 190LD: 240
9,867,000
20,230,531
457,000
646
5a2EaR3hamoenG9rDuVn8j
9
Sign 'o' the Times
5,250,000
04.10.18
1,262,000
1,271,000(3,882,000)
293,000(1,950,000)
141,000 (05/31/23)
Av.: 60LD: 60
8,216,000
20,230,531
141,000
647
5a2EaR3hamoenG9rDuVn8j
10
Lovesexy
3,390,000
04.10.18
232,000
559,000(1,132,000)
32,000(210,000)
18,000 (05/31/23)
Av.: 10LD: 0
4,230,000
20,230,531
18,000
648
5a2EaR3hamoenG9rDuVn8j
11
Batman
6,680,000
04.10.18
3,000
944,000(2,805,000)
53,000(350,000)
45,000 (05/31/23)
Av.: 20LD: 20
7,724,000
20,230,531
45,000
649
5a2EaR3hamoenG9rDuVn8j
12
Graffiti Bridge
2,550,000
04.10.18
161,000
309,000(741,000)
18,000(120,000)
21,000 (05/31/23)
Av.: 10LD: 10
3,059,000
20,230,531
21,000
650
5a2EaR3hamoenG9rDuVn8j
13
Diamonds and Pearls
7,100,000
04.10.18
1,152,000
1,191,000(3,957,000)
282,000(1,880,000)
129,000 (05/31/23)
Av.: 50LD: 60
9,854,000
20,230,531
129,000
651
5a2EaR3hamoenG9rDuVn8j
14
Love Symbol Album
3,020,000
04.10.18
327,000
516,000(1,552,000)
102,000(680,000)
54,000 (05/31/23)
Av.: 20LD: 20
4,019,000
20,230,531
54,000
652
5a2EaR3hamoenG9rDuVn8j
15
Come
1,270,000
04.10.18
0
93,000(310,000)
6,000(40,000)
9,000 (05/31/23)
Av.: 0LD: 0
1,378,000
20,230,531
9,000
653
5a2EaR3hamoenG9rDuVn8j
16
The Gold Experience
1,130,000
04.10.18
552,000
731,000(1,850,000)
1,000(10,000)
50,000 (05/31/23)
Av.: 30LD: 60
2,464,000
20,230,531
50,000
654
5a2EaR3hamoenG9rDuVn8j
17
Chaos and Disorder
450,000
04.10.18
0
6,000(20,000)
2,000(10,000)
0 (10/04/18)
N/A
458,000
20,230,531
0
655
5a2EaR3hamoenG9rDuVn8j
18
Emancipation
1,420,000
04.10.18
0
57,000(190,000)
2,000(10,000)
19,000 (05/31/23)
Av.: 10LD: 10
1,498,000
20,230,531
19,000
656
5a2EaR3hamoenG9rDuVn8j
19
Newpower Soul
390,000
04.10.18
0
0(0)
0(0)
0 (10/04/18)
N/A
390,000
20,230,531
0
657
5a2EaR3hamoenG9rDuVn8j
20
The Vault: Old Friends 4 Sale
300,000
04.10.18
5,000
0(0)
0(0)
4,000 (10/04/18)
N/A
309,000
20,230,531
4,000
658
5a2EaR3hamoenG9rDuVn8j
21
Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic
820,000
04.10.18
20,000
45,000(150,000)
2,000(10,000)
1,000 (10/04/18)
N/A
888,000
20,230,531
1,000
659
5a2EaR3hamoenG9rDuVn8j
22
The Rainbow Children
320,000
04.10.18
1,000
0(0)
0(0)
0 (10/04/18)
N/A
321,000
20,230,531
0
660
5a2EaR3hamoenG9rDuVn8j
23
Musicology
2,830,000
04.10.18
1,000
17,000(30,000)
26,000(170,000)
14,000 (05/31/23)
Av.: 10LD: 10
2,887,000
20,230,531
14,000
661
5a2EaR3hamoenG9rDuVn8j
24
3121
1,080,000
04.10.18
1,000
63,000(80,000)
21,000(140,000)
11,000 (05/31/23)
Av.: 10LD: 0
1,176,000
20,230,531
11,000
662
5a2EaR3hamoenG9rDuVn8j
25
Planet Earth
520,000
04.10.18
1,000
3,000(10,000)
15,000(100,000)
4,000 (10/04/18)
N/A
543,000
20,230,531
4,000
663
5a2EaR3hamoenG9rDuVn8j
26
Lotusflow3r / MPLSound
700,000
04.10.18
0
0(0)
11,000(80,000)
2,000 (10/04/18)
N/A
717,000
20,230,531
2,000
664
5a2EaR3hamoenG9rDuVn8j
27
Plectrumelectrum
190,000
04.10.18
0
0(0)
8,000(50,000)
6,000 (10/04/18)
N/A
204,000
20,230,531
6,000
665
5a2EaR3hamoenG9rDuVn8j
28
Art Official Age
350,000
04.10.18
0
0(0)
8,000(50,000)
27,000 (10/04/18)
N/A
385,000
20,230,531
27,000
666
5a2EaR3hamoenG9rDuVn8j
29
Hit n Run Phase One
180,000
04.10.18
2,000
0(0)
8,000(50,000)
0 (10/04/18)
N/A
190,000
20,230,531
0
667
5a2EaR3hamoenG9rDuVn8j
30
Hit n Run Phase Two
150,000
04.10.18
2,000
0(0)
5,000(30,000)
0 (10/04/18)
N/A
157,000
20,230,531
0
668
5a2EaR3hamoenG9rDuVn8j
31
Welcome 2 America
0
0
0(0)
0(0)
16,000 (05/31/23)
Av.: 0LD: 0
16,000
20,230,531
16,000
0
5a2EaR3hamoenG9rDuVn8j
32
Orphan
0
04.10.18
4,388,000
222,000(2,000)
129,000(860,000)
57,000 (10/04/18)
N/A
4,796,000
20,230,531
57,000
1,721
'Av.' stands for Average, 'LD' for Last Day.
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)
Purple Rain emerges far and away as Prince‘s most successful album. It registers over 37 million sales on the back of all formats. The album continues to sell well and its streams started off strong since its wide availability from February 2017.
We tend to say that the 80s legend has been strongly inconsistent. While Purple Rain is a one-in-a-lifetime blockbuster, follow ups are numerous and solid. There is as many as 6 albums fighting for the second spot. 1999, Diamonds and Pearls, Parade, Sign ‘O’ The Times, Batman and Around the Word in A Day, in that order, range from 11,5 million to 7,5 million. The average of these 6 albums is over 9 million which shows the singer has been widely popular during many years.
Actually, every album from 1978’s For You to 1994’s The Gold Experience reached at least 1 million equivalent album sales. From 1981’s Controversy to 1992’s Love Symbol Album every era topped 3 million EAS.
The average per release dropped drastically after his departure from Warner. The artist got one more comeback with 2004’s Musicology. Frozen for several years due to the lack of its availability on all formats, the recent arrival of the record on Spotify & cie may push it over the 3 million mark at some point.
Over a career of 38 years plus 2 seasons of posthumous sales, the mastermind amassed 131,92 million equivalent album sales. An incredibly innovative artist that shared new sounds, new formats (he sold downloads virtually before anyone else), new concepts, and new promotion methods, Prince managed to combine all his experiments with highly successful records during his extensive career.
To go deeper…
Thanks to our new ASR (Artist Success Rating) concept, we know that their sales represent 21,81 million times the purchase of his entire discography. Coupled with his total sales, it translates into an ASR score of 304. This puts him ahead of other legends like David Bowie and Bob Dylan.
Additionally, the following pages list their most successful songs as well as their 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!
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