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How many records has Led Zeppelin sold?

Geezer

By Geezer
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Pagesbow

Pagesbow

Posted
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Who are you on UKMIX, I am Jimmypages59?

Where are you getting your information from about Music Club sales? I believe they were a great seller through Music Clubs and Military Bases, and the allowance of Music Club Freebies and Military Base Sales by RIAA, to go towards certification, is the main reason for the Huge Certification rises in the 1990's.

This was a bang on point, sir. Zep don't even have a a single album in the top 40, whereas Queen have the biggest selling album in the U.K ever with Greatest Hits II. I don't think a lot of North Americans would be able to comprehend how omnipresent Queen are in the U.K. Bohemian Rhapsody is the song over here - I've NEVER heard Stairway to Heaven played on the radio here, and I'm not joking.

icon_post_target.gifby jimmypages59 » Fri Oct 14, 2005 4:30 pm

ASM, fair enough. I suppose I used to (when I was younger) pretend that Zep were up there in the UK, with regard to everyhing, sales, fans etc, but in subsequent years I have taken a more rational outlook on their status In the UK. They certainly are a very big band, but really can't compete with a lot of other artists in the UK. Queen for instance are nowhere near Zep interms of US sales, fans, concert attendances, yet over here they are massive easily beating Zep on all accounts. I really think in a way the no singles decision, has kind of back fired on them in the long run. Bands like Queen, Beatles, U2, Rolling Stones etc, through singles, tv appearances, videos have placed themselves more and deeper into the minds of the UK music buying public, well general public. 8 UK number 1's is a remarkable feat (out of 9 releases, at the time) but I put that down to a very large hardcore fanbase, they dont sell (beyond say the first 4 LP's) to the general public as much as say The Beatles or Queen, look at best of sales for the 3 bands, Remasters has done Double Platinum 600,000 in the UK (probably more now), but the Beatles and Queen comps' have shifted immense amounts. I feel the same could be levelled at Pink Floyd, OK Dark Side still sells, maybe The Wall and Wish You Were Here do as well, but beyond that I can't imagine anything still shifting great number per year (maybe Echoes). You could ask any Joe Bloggs of the street to name 10 Queen, Beatles, Rolling Stones songs and they could, but I'd be surprised if your average man knew 1 Zep song outside Stairway To Heaven, same with The Floyd maybe Another Brick, Wish You Were Here, but not many or any more.
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Tatty73

Tatty73

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Hi mate, yeah I don't really post on here that much, but been a member for a while.

I suppose no one really knows their level of Music Club and Military Base sales, but I imagine them to be quite significant. I believe that Columbia House for some reason started to discontinue Led Zeppelin from 1996 onwards, probably something to do with Atlantic/Warners/Swan Song deciding against it.

If you look at all those huge jumps in certification, they must (IMO) come from Music Club Freebies and Military Base sales, as having only 25m Soundscan sales in total since 1991 would not merit the magnitude of the jumps in certification throughout the 1990's. They must have come from Atlantic/Warners/Swan Song re auditing the catalogue on the back of the RIAA beginning to allow Music Club Freebies and Military Base sales from I think 1992 or 1994 onwards.

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Tatty73

Tatty73

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This was a bang on point, sir.

icon_post_target.gifby jimmypages59 » Fri Oct 14, 2005 4:30 pm

ASM, fair enough. I suppose I used to (when I was younger) pretend that Zep were up there in the UK, with regard to everyhing, sales, fans etc, but in subsequent years I have taken a more rational outlook on their status In the UK. They certainly are a very big band, but really can't compete with a lot of other artists in the UK. Queen for instance are nowhere near Zep interms of US sales, fans, concert attendances, yet over here they are massive easily beating Zep on all accounts. I really think in a way the no singles decision, has kind of back fired on them in the long run. Bands like Queen, Beatles, U2, Rolling Stones etc, through singles, tv appearances, videos have placed themselves more and deeper into the minds of the UK music buying public, well general public. 8 UK number 1's is a remarkable feat (out of 9 releases, at the time) but I put that down to a very large hardcore fanbase, they dont sell (beyond say the first 4 LP's) to the general public as much as say The Beatles or Queen, look at best of sales for the 3 bands, Remasters has done Double Platinum 600,000 in the UK (probably more now), but the Beatles and Queen comps' have shifted immense amounts. I feel the same could be levelled at Pink Floyd, OK Dark Side still sells, maybe The Wall and Wish You Were Here do as well, but beyond that I can't imagine anything still shifting great number per year (maybe Echoes). You could ask any Joe Bloggs of the street to name 10 Queen, Beatles, Rolling Stones songs and they could, but I'd be surprised if your average man knew 1 Zep song outside Stairway To Heaven, same with The Floyd maybe Another Brick, Wish You Were Here, but not many or any more.

Yeah, I think a lot of guys on that site, who were just huge Zep fans didn't fully appreciate that Zep pale in comparison to quite a few other acts in the UK or just seem to think that Zep were absolutely huge everywhere, I'd say they were only truly huge in the US and Canada and a very big act in France, the UK, Japan and Australia. Some of their chart peaks in a lot of countries (even in Europe) decline quite poorly post Houses of The Holy, which I think was on the back of a lack of touring those countries and what seemed a concerted effort to just concentrate solely on the US.

Yes, I think Led Zeppelin IV is somewhere just outside the Top 100, maybe around the 110th-115th biggest seller. Music Week magazine stated a few years back that it had sold 1,720,000 solely to through retail, not including Music Club Sales, which would count towards the BPI certification awards. Queen I would say without hesitation are easily the 2nd biggest group in the UK behind The Beatles, I think their popularity, sales, fans and just general public awareness even eclipses acts such as The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd and U2.

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Pagesbow

Pagesbow

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Yes, I think Led Zeppelin IV is somewhere just outside the Top 100, maybe around the 110th-115th biggest seller. Music Week magazine stated a few years back that it had sold 1,720,000 solely to through retail, not including Music Club Sales, which would count towards the BPI certification awards. Queen I would say without hesitation are easily the 2nd biggest group in the UK behind The Beatles, I think their popularity, sales, fans and just general public awareness even eclipses acts such as The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd and U2.

By my estimation It would be The Beatles, Queen and ABBA. Maybe it's just the type of radio stations I've had to endure over the last 16 years or so at various jobs etc, but in terms of radio play - without a doubt - it's Queen who you guaranteed to here every day, every few hours; they get played on BBC Radio 1, Radio 2 and even Heart FM (which is a cheesy 80's/90's/00's power ballad station for hairdressers and women who are getting ready to go out for a night on the town) I could count on one hand the times I've heard Zep, and on those rare diary noting occasions, they were played on BBC Radio 2.

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Tatty73

Tatty73

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Yes, there is no denying that ABBA are massively popular here in the UK too, Gold recently jumped into 2nd place in the Best Selling Albums list, leapfrogging Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band. Mind you bands like Take That and Oasis, while absolutely nothing in the US are also very big sellers, huge fan bases and extremely popular here, far more than Zeppelin! I've always felt that the UK has a far more Pop sensibility towards music and acts, whereas as the US seems more Rock inclined.

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Pagesbow

Pagesbow

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I've always felt that the UK has a far more Pop sensibility towards music and acts, whereas as the US seems more Rock inclined.

The top 40 best selling albums list (if accurate:P) certainly bears this out. A lot of crap on there that is no doubt currently residing on E-bay starting at 99 pence: Dido, Scissor Sisters, Spice Girls, Shania Twain, The Corrs, James Blunt, David Gray, GaGa, Take That and Michael Buble. And surely only a matter of time before Ed Sheeran joins the list of shame. Shocking stuff....

"Bed Wetter" music also seems popular with the U.K masses, i.e, Travis, Keane and Coldplay. The only rock albums on the list - other than the pop/rock of Queen - would be Pink Floyd, Meatloaf, U2 and maybe Dire Straits.

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Tatty73

Tatty73

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BBS can see sales of 300 Million plus. I have everything on 8 track, casette, singles on vinyl, record vinyl and cd. So no problem on the 300 Million count.

Sorry, but 200m let alone 300m is impossible. I'd love to see your breakdown of how you actually get to 300m, I could do with a good laugh!

This is my very rough breakdown, which I have deliberately been very generous with, most of the sales are actually over what they have sold in certain territories, but it is just to emphasis the impossible claims of 300m and actually how difficult it is to get to.

USA 110m (Probably around 100m)

Canada 12m (Probably around 9m-10m)

UK 12m (Probably around 10m)

Rest of Europe 25m (Probably around 20m)

South & Central America 10m (Probably around 6m-7m)

Asia/Australia/NZ etc 15m (probably around 8m)

Africa 10m (I actually have no idea of African sales)

World 194m (Probably around 160m)

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Pagesbow

Pagesbow

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Bed Wetter music? This is a genre now? Hahahaha, oh, lordy...

It suuuuure is, sir...see also: Embrace, Starsailor, Snow Patrol, Athlete

It's characterised by mournful vocals sung by students with zero charisma and a centre parting; maybe a feather cut if they want to be a bit edgier. Will likely cite Jeff Buckley's Grace as a vocal influence, and possibly Radiohead. Tinkling piano is a must and a plodding drum beat is optional. Songs will be about love - and how you lost it - or general misery of some sort. Ideally this music is best listened to whilst staring out of the window forlornly; as you ruminate over your own lost loves as the wind lashes the rain against your window. Crying, although left to the discretion of the listener, is optional, but encouraged.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPUlichsfQg

And the daddy of them all....

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Pagesbow

Pagesbow

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Sorry, but 200m let alone 300m is impossible. I'd love to see your breakdown of how you actually get to 300m, I could do with a good laugh!

World 194m (Probably around 160m)

Can you not let us live with the delusion? :lol: I like living in a world where Zeppelin have sold 300 million; if feels right and befitting. I don't want to live in a world where Celine Dion has sold more albums; where Queen The Rolling Stones and The Bee Gees are bigger bands. I refuse to live there.

On a serious note, I can't accept that Zep are the only band with an inflated sales figure. I've never really believed that Elvis and The Beatles have each sold a billion records worldwide. ABBA are quoted in some places at around 450 million? and in others around 200 million. Queen 300 million? how many records have they sold in America...30 million, 50 max? if 50, where is the other 250 million coming from...

If the Zeppelin ethos was not to release singles so people would buy the album, this obviously didn't work anywhere other than the States, really. (which has been alluded to before on here, I think)

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Tatty73

Tatty73

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Can you not let us live with the delusion? :lol: I like living in a world where Zeppelin have sold 300 million; if feels right and befitting. I don't want to live in a world where Celine Dion has sold more albums; where Queen The Rolling Stones and The Bee Gees are bigger bands. I refuse to live there.

On a serious note, I can't accept that Zep are the only band with an inflated sales figure. I've never really believed that Elvis and The Beatles have each sold a billion records worldwide. ABBA are quoted in some places at around 450 million? and in others around 200 million. Queen 300 million? how many records have they sold in America...30 million, 50 max? if 50, where is the other 250 million coming from...

If the Zeppelin ethos was not to release singles so people would buy the album, this obviously didn't work anywhere other than the States, really. (which has been alluded to before on here, I think)

No and I'm not stating that they are. If you go to Wiki "Bloody" Pedia, you'll probably find that every single Musical Artist has inflated sales, due to over zealous fans who are more concerned with their faves looking good, than truth. I think Queen have sold around 45m in the US, what with unrecorded sales and under certification, they are absolutely huge in South America ans Europe though, I think they have shifted around 70m-80m albums in Europe alone, I'd say just albums wise worldwide they are pretty much on par with Led Zeppelin around the 150m-160m mark.

The buy the album, no singles approach I think is only half the argument. Unfortuntatley when Zep came out (certainly in the UK & Europe) album sales were still not that huge, it was still a singles market and while LZII has some tremendous chart stats in the UK, they did not translate into huge sales, sales of Albums in the UK did not really start to take of until around 1973, by which point (sadly) Zep were on the wane there, as can be seen by the length of chart stays by their albums from Houses onwards.

The other problem is their complete disregard for the rest of the world as a touring entity, from 1973 onwards they hardly played any where but the US. They just became far less of a presence in the rest of the world and the public just grew less interested in each new album release, because they were never in any other territory to promote or keep alive the Zep image and other bands (especially Queen) started to pay more attention to places like Europe, Japan, South America etc

I suppose personally, I am just not interested in making my favourite band have inflated sales, I just want the truth and sadly that does mean facing up to the fact, that Zep just were not that big in many, many parts of the world (which was IMO their own fault, through disregard and lack of presence in these territories)

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Pagesbow

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I suppose personally, I am just not interested in making my favourite band have inflated sales, I just want the truth and sadly that does mean facing up to the fact, that Zep just were not that big in many, many parts of the world (which was IMO their own fault, through disregard and lack of presence in these territories)

I guess Zep focused primarily on the States as they were so big there and could make so much money with their live shows. It was a focus that saw them become second only to The Beatles in terms of album sales (unless this is also wrong) had their focus shifted to other territories they might have sold more there, but less in the States.

It makes Elvis's popularity throughout the world even more amazing given that he only stepped foot outside the U.S, once. The Beatles, too, were hardly road hogs. These two acts are obviously the exceptions rather than the rule.

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Tatty73

Tatty73

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No mention of Russia? Silly

The USSR/Russia would be included within Europe or Asia. I do not imagine sales in The USSR/Russia were/are high, as I was led to believe, that in the Communist Era, foreign albums were not allowed to be legally imported or manufactured and sold within the country, hence why we would get things like the bizarre and illegal "Stairway to Heaven" counterfeit album released on the Melodia label in 1988. Also even official albums ended up as things like this for Led Zeppelin I http://www.discogs.com/%D0%9B%D0%B5%D0%B4-%D0%97%D0%B5%D0%BF%D0%BF%D0%B5%D0%BB%D0%B8%D0%BD-%D0%9B%D0%B5%D0%B4-%D0%97%D0%B5%D0%BF%D0%BF%D0%B5%D0%BB%D0%B8%D0%BD/release/4412571

Even post 1991 and the break up of The USSR, sales are very poor in relation to Western countries and counterfeit items are still a problem, also chart compilation is relatively new, I don't think the country started to produce Music Charts until the mid 1990's.

So it is not silly at all, what is silly, is just saying something is silly, without offering any helpful information yourself and just having a go at others that try to!

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Anjin-san

Anjin-san

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So it is not silly at all, what is silly, is just saying something is silly, without offering any helpful information yourself and just having a go at others that try to!

Since you know SO much,...tell us how many bootleg albums made into the CCCP?

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Tatty73

Tatty73

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Since you know SO much,...tell us how many bootleg albums made into the CCCP?

Yet another useful and helpful post from you!

I don't claim to know how many counterfeit albums (not bootlegs: bootlegs are unlicensed live or studio outake albums, counterfeit albums are replicas of Original Releases) have been sold, released or made it into the USSR or Russia, I doubt many do. What I do know is that Russia is plagued with them and they probably sell more and have sold more, than official versions.

I also know that a lot of foreign acts were not actually released officially in Russia until the 2000's, so sales would be extremely minimal, also taking into consideration that a Diamond Certification in Russia only amounts to 200,000 for International artists, so even if every LZ album released was Diamond, which I am sure they are not, as they do not actually seem to have even 1 Silver, Gold or Platinum Certification, it would at most amount to around 21 albums x 200k which would only equal around 4.2m sales in total.

Here are few links to the UKMIX site and a few threads on Russian Charts, Certifications, Sales etc

http://www.ukmix.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=60131

http://www.ukmix.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=61040

http://www.ukmix.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=46526

http://www.ukmix.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=59693&hilit=russia

Most of them highlight that Counterfeit albums are a big problem and take up most sales of foreign acts and that official sales are extremely small, for a country the size of Russia.

I don't know why you are acting like a smart arse about this and posting stupid, pointless and no good to anybody remarks, about what I'm posting. I have actually done quite a bit of research into all this, do know what I am talking about (to a level) and am just trying to inform people on here, to how things actually are with regards to sales. Why can't you actually add to the debate with maybe some information, research or useful comments, as appose to just saying things are "silly" or being sarcastic as in "Since you know SO much"

I don't claim to know everything, but I do know quite a bit about things like this and just want to impart some of this knowledge (about this band that I love) to others, without people like you getting all stroppy, because you don't like the facts that I offer you.

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SuperDave

SuperDave

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When Celebration Day came out and the video promos were released for TV and the internet (you can check them on You Tube and this site), they noted it was the most demanded concert ticket in history and a band with over 300 million albums sold worldwide). That's what was said in the very beginning of the video. It was during the GTBT intro. Not sure where their accuracy is from, but it must have some substance, otherwise they wouldn't be there!

Here it is and look in the beginning!

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