CSPC: The Beatles Popularity Analysis

https://flic.kr/p/pPc4nv

Download Singles Sales – Part 3

Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967) – 379,000 equivalent albums

Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band – 300,000
Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds – 400,000
A Day in the Life – 450,000
When I’m Sixty-Four – 225,000
With a Little Help from My Friends – 550,000
Remaining Tracks – 600,000

Magical Mystery Tour (1967) – 386,000 equivalent albums

Hello, Goodbye – 300,000
Penny Lane – 375,000
Strawberry Fields Forever – 450,000
I Am the Walrus – 400,000
Magical Mystery Tour – 150,000
All You Need Is Love – 550,000
Remaining Tracks – 350,000

The Beatles (White Album) (1968) – 664,000 equivalent albums

Back in the U.S.S.R. – 325,000
Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da – 450,000
While My Guitar Gently Weeps – 600,000
Revolution – 350,000
Blackbird – 700,000
Dear Prudence – 250,000
Rocky Raccoon – 200,000
Helter Skelter – 150,000
Remaining Tracks – 1,400,000

Yellow Submarine (1969) – 68,000 equivalent albums

Hey Bulldog – 175,000
Remaining Tracks – 275,000

One may expect wonders from Sgt Pepper’s album tracks. Its full track list is no doubt impressive, but the lack of hits fire-back on it, resulting in a pretty average tally of download single sales by the band standards. As a double LP full of well known tunes the White Album amasses well past 4 million sales from its digital tracks in spite of no individual song going over 700,000 units. Interestingly, 700,000 units is very precisely the highest level attained by all those songs, with several album tracks out-performing supposed singles. Those two facts together highlight how much those eras were promoted around full albums instead of pushing hard being a couple of songs.