Enormous Selling Albums that NOBODY listens to
One of the most striking passages in David Hepworth’s recent book involved Hootie and the Blowfish. Who you might ask (unless you are of a certain age – and you will nod in vague recollection)? Their album “Cracked Rear View” has sold 21 million copies – 21 times platinum. “Kind of Blue”, by far the best selling jazz album ever, released 60 years ago, is only 4x platinum. Brubeck’s “Time Out” is platinum (1 million). Blue Train sold about the same. The remainder of the platinum awarded jazz albums are all fusion – Herbie Hancock’s “Headhunters” and “Future Shock,” Weather Report’s “Heavy Weather”.
Other alumni of the 20 million plus album sales include Linkin Park, Ace of Base, Backstreet Boys (2 albums) and a couple of Shania Twains’. All on heavy rotation in your living room, I don’t suspect. Susan Boyle sold over 8 million copies of her debut album (“I dreamed a dream”).
Oasis’ “Be Here Now” – one of the greatest abominations ever recorded – has sold over 8 million copies and there are 9 million in bargain bins around the world. At least there is some vague possibility that I might, one day listen to “Be Here Now” – particularly if they “deloudnessed”, remixed and remastered it. No chance would I ever contemplate – MC Hammer’s ‘Please Hammer, Don’t Hurt ‘Em (10m), Linkin Park’s ‘Hybrid Theory’ (10m) and of course Creed’s ‘Human Clay’ (11m).
You would think that the music industry was being kept alive by Beyonce, Jay-Z, Katy Perry etc. based on the amount of press that they receive. In fact, the saviours of the music industry are Adele (50 million albums – including a lot of CDs) and Ed Sheeran (some staggering number). Adele and Sheeran fans listen to their albums – a lot!
One last thought: Norah Jones has sold 50 million albums. It is likely that she has sold more albums that every other artist that has recorded for Blue Note put together in the 1950s (and possibly the 60s – and possibly ever). When did you last listen to “Feels like home” (12 million).
audioexchange 
Are you implying that general public understands f° all about music and arts in general? 😉
Did you read yesterdays NY Time article about the Universal fire that happened in 2008?
Everyone more or less knew what happened, though what was the entity of the disaster is another matter… I’d be interested to know your take!
Cheers
Thanks – no – it is just interesting that some recordings are more a commodity than an artwork, and they lose their allure over time. During the CD era, people bought albums because there was no easy way, prior to Napster, to obtain the individual tracks that they actually liked.
I read the article about the fire a couple of days ago and wrote a blog post – which I just posted. I was really upset by the revelation for all kinds of reasons. But, honestly, anything that I have to say was already in the article – it is just…..stunning. One thing that is really concerning, since the new vinyl revolution effectively started in 2009 – is, if the masters were destroyed, how many great albums are available in only 16 bit backup – and are the majority of reissues (for example there is an Aretha Franklin boxset) being produced from CD because the master no longer exists?
Aha… I thought so. Just joking. People buying CDs just because a song are the same ones that having a chance to listen without paying would… oops! 🙂
I guess you/we will never be given an answer to your last question for obvious reason. What we could do as music lovers on one hand and customers on one another is not to buy artifacts the origin of which is shady. Easier said than done!