DreamTheaterForums.org Dream Theater Fan Site
General => General Music Discussion => Topic started by: pg1067 on April 21, 2021, 01:04:01 PM
-
This Wikipedia article ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_best-selling_albums ) lists 24 albums (excluding soundtracks and greatest hits albums) as having sold 30 million or more copies. How many of the 24 have you listened to in full?
EDIT: "listened to in full" means either that you listened to it in one sitting from start to finish or have otherwise heard every song.
For me, it's 1-5: Back in Black. Led Zeppelin untitled, Sgt. Pepper, Metallica's Black Album, and Abbey Road.
-
Around 20, don't mean I like them all though.
Missing (no, not really) Celine Dion and one or two others.
-
Pink Floyd - The Dark Side Of The Moon
Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin IV
The Beatles - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
The Beatles - Abbey Road
Pink Floyd - The Wall
Just five, I guess.
-Marc.
-
It's easier for me to list the one's I HAVEN'T:
Shania Twain - Come On Over
Michael Jackson - Dangerous
Celine Dion - Falling Into You
Adele - 21
Celine Dion - Let's Talk About Love
Santana - Supernatural
Even if you include soundtracks/greatest hits, there are only two more: The Bodyguard and Dirty Dancing.
-
Only 8 of them.
Meatloaf - Bat Out of Hell
Eagles - Their Greatest Hits (1971–1975)
Eagles - Hotel California
Beatles - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Beatles - 1
Beatles - Abbey Road
Bruce - Born in the U.S.A.
Pink Floyd - The Wall
** I've listened to Horner's Titanic soundtrack 100+ times
-
I'm at 13.
-
Led Zeppelin IV
Metallica
Nevermind
Bat out of Hell too probably, as I remember listening to my parents CD of it when I was a kid.
I feel like I must have heard Dark Side of the Moon at some point as well, but I can't actually be sure.
A paltry number :lol but not unexpected, since I've never really listened to pop music or very much that was released before the mid 80s.
-
I suppose some of this is age, but while I don't target this at any one person, I don't know how you move through life not having heard "Dark Side Of The Moon" or "Abbey Road" or "Thriller" or "Zeppelin IV". These aren't just records; they are cultural icons. It turned out these are some of my favorite records, but I didn't "choose" to hear them.
-
Ten, but part of it depends on what we mean by "listened to in full." I've never in my life made a point to sit and listen to Thriller. At the same time I've heard every song on the album countless times. I suspect that's probably true of Rumours, as well.
-
12, apparently.
-
16 I think.
-
Even if you include soundtracks/greatest hits, there are only two more: The Bodyguard and Dirty Dancing.
If you included greatest hits albums, I'd add one to mine: Eagles Greatest Hits.
it depends on what we mean by "listened to in full." I've never in my life made a point to sit and listen to Thriller. At the same time I've heard every song on the album countless times. I suspect that's probably true of Rumours, as well.
Good point. My intent was to include either a straight through listen or having heard all of the songs separately.
I suppose some of this is age, but while I don't target this at any one person, I don't know how you move through life not having heard "Dark Side Of The Moon" or "Abbey Road" or "Thriller" or "Zeppelin IV". These aren't just records; they are cultural icons. It turned out these are some of my favorite records, but I didn't "choose" to hear them.
As I pointed out in the thread that inspired this one, if I don't like a band or the one or two songs I get exposed to off an album, I'm not likely to have listened to it. I mentioned Thriller in the other thread. As for Floyd, I liked the "we don't need no education" song when I heard it back in 7th or 8th grade, but I've never otherwise liked anything I've ever heard by Floyd, so I have and never have had any reason to listen to any full album. All of the albums on the list were iconic (hence why they sold so well), but if you don't like a band, there's just no reason to listen to entire albums.
-
16-17 range for me.
-
1-5, or more specifically, 2. A couple years ago, I listened to Dark Side of the Moon and The Wall in full. Those are the only two albums from the 30+ million lists. Goes to show how little I've been exposed to new music up until last year!
Even if I were to mention individual songs I've heard, aside from the two PF albums, the only other songs from any of these albums that I've ever heard are "Hells Bells" from AC/DC and "Black Dog" from Led Zeppelin, and I only even know Black Dog because of the roulette I hosted a while ago.
-
As I pointed out in the thread that inspired this one, if I don't like a band or the one or two songs I get exposed to off an album, I'm not likely to have listened to it. I mentioned Thriller in the other thread. As for Floyd, I liked the "we don't need no education" song when I heard it back in 7th or 8th grade, but I've never otherwise liked anything I've ever heard by Floyd, so I have and never have had any reason to listen to any full album. All of the albums on the list were iconic (hence why they sold so well), but if you don't like a band, there's just no reason to listen to entire albums.
Not even by osmosis? I mean, I strongly dislike The Eagles, but when I was in college, everyone brought their records around in a milk crate, and you'd be hard-pressed to find even two or three rooms on a floor that didn't have one of Eagles Greatest Hits, Dark Side Of The Moon, Led Zeppelin IV, Abbey Road or Rumors (you could add Steve Miller's Greatest Hits and The Dead "What A Long Strange Trip" as well). I was a metal head going into college, and I learned/listened to SO MUCH music in college it was ridiculous, a lot of it inadvertently or passively.
-
1-5, or more specifically, 2. A couple years ago, I listened to Dark Side of the Moon and The Wall in full. Those are the only two albums from the 30+ million lists. Goes to show how little I've been exposed to new music up until last year!
Even if I were to mention individual songs I've heard, aside from the two PF albums, the only other songs from any of these albums that I've ever heard are "Hells Bells" from AC/DC and "Black Dog" from Led Zeppelin, and I only even know Black Dog because of the roulette I hosted a while ago.
You've never heard "Stairway To Heaven" or "Hotel California"?
Man. I can't imagine that. That's like me never having heard "Hound Dog" or "Twist And Shout". I really don't mean this judgmentally, but observationally: if I hear an artist I like referencing someone, I will generally try to expose myself to it, just to be familiar with it.
-
1-5, or more specifically, 2. A couple years ago, I listened to Dark Side of the Moon and The Wall in full. Those are the only two albums from the 30+ million lists. Goes to show how little I've been exposed to new music up until last year!
Even if I were to mention individual songs I've heard, aside from the two PF albums, the only other songs from any of these albums that I've ever heard are "Hells Bells" from AC/DC and "Black Dog" from Led Zeppelin, and I only even know Black Dog because of the roulette I hosted a while ago.
You've never heard "Stairway To Heaven" or "Hotel California"?
Man. I can't imagine that. That's like me never having heard "Hound Dog" or "Twist And Shout". I really don't mean this judgmentally, but observationally: if I hear an artist I like referencing someone, I will generally try to expose myself to it, just to be familiar with it.
Oh! I have heard Stairway to Heaven before, so that'll make an extra song I've heard from any of these albums. As for Hotel California, though, I don't believe I've ever heard that one.
-
I'm at 19. But I'm not a fan of all of them either. I think I've heard Appetite For Destruction once. I like GnR, but I rarely listen to a full studio album by them. I've heard Nevermind, but I don't like it.
And I've heard 1 (Beatles) and Their Greatest Hits (Eagles), too - quite often actually ;)
The ones I haven't heard are
both Celine Dion albums,
the Shania Twain album,
the Alanis Morrisette album and
Back In Black (though I surely have heard most of the songs on there).
-
As I pointed out in the thread that inspired this one, if I don't like a band or the one or two songs I get exposed to off an album, I'm not likely to have listened to it. I mentioned Thriller in the other thread. As for Floyd, I liked the "we don't need no education" song when I heard it back in 7th or 8th grade, but I've never otherwise liked anything I've ever heard by Floyd, so I have and never have had any reason to listen to any full album. All of the albums on the list were iconic (hence why they sold so well), but if you don't like a band, there's just no reason to listen to entire albums.
Not even by osmosis? I mean, I strongly dislike The Eagles, but when I was in college, everyone brought their records around in a milk crate, and you'd be hard-pressed to find even two or three rooms on a floor that didn't have one of Eagles Greatest Hits, Dark Side Of The Moon, Led Zeppelin IV, Abbey Road or Rumors (you could add Steve Miller's Greatest Hits and The Dead "What A Long Strange Trip" as well). I was a metal head going into college, and I learned/listened to SO MUCH music in college it was ridiculous, a lot of it inadvertently or passively.
You and I apparently had very different college experiences. You apparently lived on campus and in a dorm (and probably graduated in four years like a normal person). I lived at home. I went to one of the UC schools for my first year and spent most of my time with my best friends who had the same taste in music that I did. I changed schools and majors multiple times over the next more years than I care to admit (all at either community colleges or commuter universities). My best friends remained, and most of the new friends I made had similar tastes in music.
-
1-5, or more specifically, 2. A couple years ago, I listened to Dark Side of the Moon and The Wall in full. Those are the only two albums from the 30+ million lists. Goes to show how little I've been exposed to new music up until last year!
Even if I were to mention individual songs I've heard, aside from the two PF albums, the only other songs from any of these albums that I've ever heard are "Hells Bells" from AC/DC and "Black Dog" from Led Zeppelin, and I only even know Black Dog because of the roulette I hosted a while ago.
You've never heard "Stairway To Heaven" or "Hotel California"?
Man. I can't imagine that. That's like me never having heard "Hound Dog" or "Twist And Shout". I really don't mean this judgmentally, but observationally: if I hear an artist I like referencing someone, I will generally try to expose myself to it, just to be familiar with it.
Oh! I have heard Stairway to Heaven before, so that'll make an extra song I've heard from any of these albums. As for Hotel California, though, I don't believe I've ever heard that one.
I'm sure once you hear it you'll go "ooh that one" ;)
Either way, I strongly recommend listening to that song, it has a great guitar battle at the end! The acoustic version from Hell Freezes Over is amazing as well.
-
Of the Top 24..
Thriller
Back In Black
DSOTM
Zeppelin IV
Jagged Little Pill
Metallica
Of the rest..
Nevermind
Appetite
Slippery
Boston
Hysteria
WYYH
Breakfast In America
-
Let’s see, I count 6 (excluding greatest hits) going down the list of 30 million or more:
Dark Side of the Moon
Rumors (I think. I own it at least but rarely listen to it).
Jagged Little Pill (great album)
Sgt. Pepper
Abbey Road
The Wall
From the 20-29 million group:
Unplugged (Eric Clapton)
No Jacket Required
Bridge Over Troubled Water
The Joshua Tree
The Sign (Ace of Base - bought this for my wife actually and the kids love it)
Cross Road (Bon Jovi)
Hysteria
Wish You Were Here
-
12 total
-
14 of 24.
-
I think I counted 31. Several of the albums not counted in my total, I've heard a good chunk though not the full album.
-
I think I counted 31. Several of the albums not counted in my total, I've heard a good chunk though not the full album.
31 out of 24? :huh: :lol
-Marc.
-
22. I haven't listened to either of the Celine Dion albums.
-
I think I counted 31. Several of the albums not counted in my total, I've heard a good chunk though not the full album.
31 out of 24? :huh: :lol
-Marc.
Ah nevermind didn't read the OP excluding greatest hits and soundtracks and only listing from 30 million and upwards. Then my list would be 17.
-
From that criteria in the OP.
Back in Black
Led Zeppelin IV
Appetite for Destruction
I don't know why I haven't listened to the Black album in full. Just haven't had the chance or the investment to listen to it in full. Obviously, I've heard all the key songs. Also, the only other album from that page I've heard in full was Hybrid Theory.
-
13 or 14 (can't remember for sure if I heard all of The Wall, but I think so).
Of the first 9 and sold over 40 million, I have heard 6 of those (and at one point, owned them). It might be 7 if I have heard the entirety of the Eagles greatest hits. I never listened to all the songs on that specific album. But pretty sure I have likely heard most or all of the songs at one time or another, so no idea whether that counts.
-
MJ - Thriller
MJ - Bad
MJ - Dangerous
FM - Rumors
Nirvana - Nevermind
Metallica
Wow, that's it.
-
I've listened to 14/24:
Thriller
Back in Black
Bat out of Hell
TDSOTM
LZ IV
Sgt Pepper
Metallica
Abbey Road
Born in the USA
The Wall
Brothers in Arms
Nevermind
Appetite
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
-
Oh! I have heard Stairway to Heaven before, so that'll make an extra song I've heard from any of these albums. As for Hotel California, though, I don't believe I've ever heard that one.
I'm sure once you hear it you'll go "ooh that one" ;)
Either way, I strongly recommend listening to that song, it has a great guitar battle at the end! The acoustic version from Hell Freezes Over is amazing as well.
I gave it a listen just now. It was good, but I didn't recognize it at all. Well, either way, I guess I can add that to the small list of songs I know from best-selling albums I've never listened to now!
-
14. Not terrible.
-
1-5, or more specifically, 2. A couple years ago, I listened to Dark Side of the Moon and The Wall in full. Those are the only two albums from the 30+ million lists. Goes to show how little I've been exposed to new music up until last year!
Even if I were to mention individual songs I've heard, aside from the two PF albums, the only other songs from any of these albums that I've ever heard are "Hells Bells" from AC/DC and "Black Dog" from Led Zeppelin, and I only even know Black Dog because of the roulette I hosted a while ago.
You've never heard "Stairway To Heaven" or "Hotel California"?
Man. I can't imagine that. That's like me never having heard "Hound Dog" or "Twist And Shout". I really don't mean this judgmentally, but observationally: if I hear an artist I like referencing someone, I will generally try to expose myself to it, just to be familiar with it.
Oh! I have heard Stairway to Heaven before, so that'll make an extra song I've heard from any of these albums. As for Hotel California, though, I don't believe I've ever heard that one.
Count yourself lucky. That song is awful. :)
-
1-5, or more specifically, 2. A couple years ago, I listened to Dark Side of the Moon and The Wall in full. Those are the only two albums from the 30+ million lists. Goes to show how little I've been exposed to new music up until last year!
Even if I were to mention individual songs I've heard, aside from the two PF albums, the only other songs from any of these albums that I've ever heard are "Hells Bells" from AC/DC and "Black Dog" from Led Zeppelin, and I only even know Black Dog because of the roulette I hosted a while ago.
You've never heard "Stairway To Heaven" or "Hotel California"?
Man. I can't imagine that. That's like me never having heard "Hound Dog" or "Twist And Shout". I really don't mean this judgmentally, but observationally: if I hear an artist I like referencing someone, I will generally try to expose myself to it, just to be familiar with it.
Oh! I have heard Stairway to Heaven before, so that'll make an extra song I've heard from any of these albums. As for Hotel California, though, I don't believe I've ever heard that one.
Count yourself lucky. That song is awful. :)
Yeah, I wouldn’t mind un-hearing Hotel California.
-
Oh! I have heard Stairway to Heaven before, so that'll make an extra song I've heard from any of these albums. As for Hotel California, though, I don't believe I've ever heard that one.
Count yourself lucky. That song is awful. :)
Yeah, I wouldn’t mind un-hearing Hotel California.
And here I thought it was alright after listening to it just recently! :lol
-
I've listened to 17 of them. More than I thought. :corn
-
About 16. Now I kinda want to listen to them all.
Chillin out with Brothers in Arms rn. Heard it before, but it's been a long time.
-
I've listened to 20 out of 24. I physically own 18 of the 24.
The only ones I haven't heard are:
Shania Twain - Come On Over
Michael Jackson - Dangerous
Celine Dion - Falling Into You
Celine Dion - Let's Talk About Love
The 2 I've heard but don't own:
Meat Loaf - Bat Out Of Hell (I HATE this album)
Michael Jackson - Bad
-
I've listened to 20 out of 24. I physically own 18 of the 24.
The only ones I haven't heard are:
Shania Twain - Come On Over
Michael Jackson - Dangerous
Celine Dion - Falling Into You
Celine Dion - Let's Talk About Love
The 2 I've heard but don't own:
Meat Loaf - Bat Out Of Hell (I HATE this album)
Michael Jackson - Bad
I kind of wonder what allowed Bat Out of Hell to become such a huge thing. RIP Jim Steinman though. He had a knack for writing major hits, including some from Celine Dion’s Falling Into You.
-
28 for me
-
28 for me
Out of 24?
-
Meat Loaf - Bat Out of Hell (RIP Jim Steinman, you'll be missed)
Metallica - Black album
Bruce Springsteen - Born in the USA
Guns N' Roses - Appetite for Destruction
Also not following Pink Floyd I truly don't remember if I ever listened out of curiosity to Dark Side of the Moon at least once. I heard the DT version, not so sure I've heard the original.
I also have a blank about Led Zeppelin. Do they have a double greatest hits? because in that case I've heard that, not so sure I ever listened their albums in full.
-
1-5, or more specifically, 2. A couple years ago, I listened to Dark Side of the Moon and The Wall in full. Those are the only two albums from the 30+ million lists. Goes to show how little I've been exposed to new music up until last year!
Even if I were to mention individual songs I've heard, aside from the two PF albums, the only other songs from any of these albums that I've ever heard are "Hells Bells" from AC/DC and "Black Dog" from Led Zeppelin, and I only even know Black Dog because of the roulette I hosted a while ago.
You've never heard "Stairway To Heaven" or "Hotel California"?
Man. I can't imagine that. That's like me never having heard "Hound Dog" or "Twist And Shout". I really don't mean this judgmentally, but observationally: if I hear an artist I like referencing someone, I will generally try to expose myself to it, just to be familiar with it.
Oh! I have heard Stairway to Heaven before, so that'll make an extra song I've heard from any of these albums. As for Hotel California, though, I don't believe I've ever heard that one.
Count yourself lucky. That song is awful. :)
:hifive: :lol
-
Quite a few, actually.
Pink Floyd - The Dark Side Of The Moon
Fleetwood Mac - Rumours
Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin IV
Eagles - Hotel California
The Beatles - Sgt Pepper
Metallica - Metallica
The Beatles - 1
The Beatles - Abbey Road
ABBA - Gold
Bruce Springsteen - Born In The USA
Pink Floyd - The Wall
Dire Straits - Brothers In Arms
Elton John - Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
-
1-5, or more specifically, 2. A couple years ago, I listened to Dark Side of the Moon and The Wall in full. Those are the only two albums from the 30+ million lists. Goes to show how little I've been exposed to new music up until last year!
Even if I were to mention individual songs I've heard, aside from the two PF albums, the only other songs from any of these albums that I've ever heard are "Hells Bells" from AC/DC and "Black Dog" from Led Zeppelin, and I only even know Black Dog because of the roulette I hosted a while ago.
You've never heard "Stairway To Heaven" or "Hotel California"?
Man. I can't imagine that. That's like me never having heard "Hound Dog" or "Twist And Shout". I really don't mean this judgmentally, but observationally: if I hear an artist I like referencing someone, I will generally try to expose myself to it, just to be familiar with it.
Oh! I have heard Stairway to Heaven before, so that'll make an extra song I've heard from any of these albums. As for Hotel California, though, I don't believe I've ever heard that one.
Count yourself lucky. That song is awful. :)
:hifive: :lol
It's probably one of those songs that get played up and down on every radio station for decades now and because of that, you have heard it half a million times and don't want to hear it anymore. But that doesn't mean the song is "awful".
-
No, I agree. It's not necessarily a bad song, but it's not something I'll ever intentionally listen to and I don't actual enjoy hearing it whenever it does pop up somewhere. I guess it's a pretty good track. The guitar solo is iconic, and its chorus is very memorable, but is it that good for the amount of time it gets played? I don't know. let's not WildRanger this thread.
-
Interestingly, there isn't much music recorded and released after 1999 on that list.
-
Maybe that’s because a) older albums havr had more time to reach 25 million sales, and b) CD sales have declined since about the 1990’s.
-
Maybe that’s because a) older albums havr had more time to reach 25 million sales, and b) CD sales have declined since about the 1990’s.
I disagree.
Without looking it up, I assume most of these albums hit 20-25 million long before now, and long before 2001.
This list includes more than just CD sales, some of these albums were released before CDs existed.
Napster/Spotify/downloads/etc.. is one reason why music sales have dipped the last 20 years.
That, and I think the market is fractured, along with no artist or band doing anything musically interesting anymore to sweep 20-30 million people off their feet.
The music business can't even get the Ariana Grande's of the day to outsell Tracy Chapman, Lionell Richie, or Eminem.
I think Adele is the only current artist on that list, mainly because:
In October 2015, numerous journalists speculated that other musicians had pushed back their album releases in order to avoid chart competition with Adele; artists such as Justin Bieber, Rihanna, Sam Smith, and One Direction all did this so that their sales would not be affected.
and
Adam Shewin of The Independent stated that "25 sent casual purchasers back to the remaining physical stores and may even have introduced a new generation to the delights of ownership."[200] The album was described as saving the music industry, which was seeing dwindling profits with downloading and streaming as the popular methods of music consumption.[111] The album was also noted for boosting sales of retailer Target, which sold the extra track edition of 25, during Thanksgiving and Black Friday. Target Chief Executive Brian Cornell stated that 25 was "the biggest release we've ever had – this is going to break all the records for us" and that "the combination of Adele dropping when it did, the weekend before Thanksgiving, really helped bring in people".
from wikipedia
I'm not an Adele fan, the music is too slow, sombre, and depressing, but maybe someone with more knowledge on the subject can explain why her "25" album was so anticipated? Why did other artists go out of their way to help her with her new album at the time??
-
All but one of those that sold 30 million (excl. OSTs and live records) and up. (I didn't listen to Falling Into You by Céline Dion). If the ones selling below 30 million had been included, I'd have a much higher number here.
-
15, more than I thought. This gives me some new albums to listen to.
-
All but one of those that sold 30 million (excl. OSTs and live records) and up. (I didn't listen to Falling Into You by Céline Dion). If the ones selling below 30 million had been included, I'd have a much higher number here.
The page includes a list of albums that sold 20-29 million units.
-
It does, but this was the question in the OP: "This Wikipedia article ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_best-selling_albums ) lists 24 albums (excluding soundtracks and greatest hits albums) as having sold 30 million or more copies. How many of the 24 have you listened to in full?", so it's still 23 out of 24 for me.
-
I remember a thread on Reddit asking "which record will never be broken". Can we assume that due to the enormous shift that happened with music, the purchase of it and the new technologies there will never, ever be another album that will sell more than Thriller?
-
22. I haven't listened to either of the Celine Dion albums.
This is me as well.
-
22. I haven't listened to either of the Celine Dion albums.
This is me as well.
Yeah, baby.
-
I kind of wonder what allowed Bat Out of Hell to become such a huge thing. RIP Jim Steinman though. He had a knack for writing major hits, including some from Celine Dion’s Falling Into You.
Steinman definitely has a sound. Even Bonnie Tyler's "Total Eclipse Of The Heart" and Air Supply's "Making Love Out Of Nothing At All". His style is unmistakable. But, I find the Meat Loaf material to be unlistenable. I've never been able to put my finger on just what it is I dislike about it so much. Perhaps it's all of its melodrama. Too over-the-top.
-
I kind of wonder what allowed Bat Out of Hell to become such a huge thing.
The fact that it's fucking awesome.
-
22. I haven't listened to either of the Celine Dion albums.
This is me as well.
Yeah, baby.
Golly.
I kind of wonder what allowed Bat Out of Hell to become such a huge thing.
The fact that it's fucking awesome.
Boom.
-
28 for me
Out of 24?
I think IM confused on the list Im gonna look again
-
OK to me it looked like the top 40m then a list of 39- 30m then another list...thats why said 28 or even more actually
-
I also have a blank about Led Zeppelin. Do they have a double greatest hits? because in that case I've heard that, not so sure I ever listened their albums in full.
Not really. There are a bunch of "box set" style compilations ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Led_Zeppelin_discography#Compilation_albums ). The 1990 4-CD set is pretty well known (and is Diamond certified by the RIAA). Others have been successful, but I'm not familiar with any of them.
No, I agree. It's not necessarily a bad song, but it's not something I'll ever intentionally listen to and I don't actual enjoy hearing it whenever it does pop up somewhere. I guess it's a pretty good track. The guitar solo is iconic, and its chorus is very memorable, but is it that good for the amount of time it gets played? I don't know. let's not WildRanger this thread.
Stairway to Heaven has a chorus?
Maybe that’s because a) older albums havr had more time to reach 25 million sales, and b) CD sales have declined since about the 1990’s.
In part, I think it's because a lot of folks may have bought an album on vinyl initially, maybe also bought a cassette for the car, then bought it on CD, and maybe bought a remaster or two. Of course, that probably only applies to stuff released before the CD became the primary listening media. I bought two copies of Zeppelin's untitled 4th album but only one of "The Black Album."
-
Maybe that’s because a) older albums havr had more time to reach 25 million sales, and b) CD sales have declined since about the 1990’s.
I disagree.
Without looking it up, I assume most of these albums hit 20-25 million long before now, and long before 2001.
This list includes more than just CD sales, some of these albums were released before CDs existed.
Napster/Spotify/downloads/etc.. is one reason why music sales have dipped the last 20 years.
That, and I think the market is fractured, along with no artist or band doing anything musically interesting anymore to sweep 20-30 million people off their feet.
The music business can't even get the Ariana Grande's of the day to outsell Tracy Chapman, Lionell Richie, or Eminem.
I think Adele is the only current artist on that list, mainly because:
In October 2015, numerous journalists speculated that other musicians had pushed back their album releases in order to avoid chart competition with Adele; artists such as Justin Bieber, Rihanna, Sam Smith, and One Direction all did this so that their sales would not be affected.
and
Adam Shewin of The Independent stated that "25 sent casual purchasers back to the remaining physical stores and may even have introduced a new generation to the delights of ownership."[200] The album was described as saving the music industry, which was seeing dwindling profits with downloading and streaming as the popular methods of music consumption.[111] The album was also noted for boosting sales of retailer Target, which sold the extra track edition of 25, during Thanksgiving and Black Friday. Target Chief Executive Brian Cornell stated that 25 was "the biggest release we've ever had – this is going to break all the records for us" and that "the combination of Adele dropping when it did, the weekend before Thanksgiving, really helped bring in people".
from wikipedia
I'm not an Adele fan, the music is too slow, sombre, and depressing, but maybe someone with more knowledge on the subject can explain why her "25" album was so anticipated? Why did other artists go out of their way to help her with her new album at the time??
I have nothing to back this up, but I think the "Napster" thing is way overblown. There's a couple reasons I think that: one, I know too many people that didn't use Napster to just flood their collections, but rather to either fill gaps or to "digitize" what they already had (that's what I did; I had a thing: I wouldn't download anything I didn't already own on vinyl or cassette or CD). Two, those albums had a LONG run, including at least one if not two format changes, to get to "25 million" or whatever it is. I know people that have three versions of some of those record (Eagles Greatest comes to mind, as does Grease). I know I have at least four copies of the Grease soundtrack (two vinyl, from a marriage, one cassette, and a CD). Three, even if I own music legally, format is less of an issue now. I only need to buy it once. I'm finding that I used to buy the "CD/DVD" packages, and I don't even have to do that anymore. I can and do rip my DVDs/Blu-rays to my network drive and save myself anywhere from $10 to $15 in the process. Four, ALBUMS don't matter; again, even if I buy legally. I used to have to choose between a shitty 7" single, or the album if I wanted ANY song that wasn't a single. Now, if I want side A? Just buy those songs I want. This was widely considered why Led Zeppelin was so successful commercially; they never bastardized their album sales with singles. You wanted Stairway to Heaven? Zep IV was the only option!
-
That kinda Adult Contemporary music (Celine Dion, Adele, etc) is a weird thing. How else can you explain Susan Boyle having the best selling album worldwide in 2009?!? (It's toward the bottom of the Wiki page for these best-selling albums). It's one of those things like "I don't know anyone who listens to it. But, apparently, everyone is listening to it."
Some of the albums on this list are just absolute juggernauts. I mean, Pink Floyd's Dark Side Of The Moon spent over 900 weeks on the Billboard 200 in the 70's and 80's. That's over 17 years!!! That's an album so good that people who owned it on vinyl bought it on cassette 8-9 years later and bought it again on CD. Metallica's Black Album spent over 300 weeks on the chart. That's not people rebuying an album in a new format. That's staying power. New people discovering music. Nowadays, an album is #1 selling 60K copies and drops off the chart a couple weeks later. I guarantee people who bought/downloaded Ariana Grande's latest album won't be saying they need to purchase it again 5 years later in a different format.
-
for me it'd be 9.
-
I've listened to 17 of them. More than I thought. :corn
Me too. I thought it be something like 10. Surprised it was 17, but
Nevermind is probably the only one post-1990
-
Six among the 30+ers
Dark Side of the Moon
Hotel California
Sgt. Pepper
Abbey Road
The Wall
Brothers in Arms
Then among the 20-29ers
Hybrid Theory
(What's the Story) Morning Glory?
Wish You Were Here
Breakfast in America
Tommy
-
I’m at 16 out of 24. If you include the soundtracks and greatest hits the % jumps up considerably.
I am honestly SHOCKED there are people here who have never listened to Dark Side of the Moon and LZ IV all the way through.
I don’t think I’m exaggerating when I say this but Dark Side of the Moon is perhaps the greatest artistic achievement within the album format, ever conceived. If you consider yourself a fan of prog or even just music, stop what you’re doing, sit down, put some headphones on, and listen to that album immediately.
-
Michael Jackson - Thriller
AC/DC - Back In Black
Meatloaf - Bat Out Of Hell
Pink Floyd - Dark Side Of The Moon
Alanis Morissette - Jagged Little Pill
Adele - 21
Pink Floyd - The Wall
Dire Straits - Brothers In Arms
Nirvana - Nevermind
Guns N’ Roses - Appetite For Destruction
So that’s 10 then. There’s a couple I’m not sure on in Metallica and Santana. My Dad had that Santana album and used to play it a lot so I may have sat through it all. My brother had the Metallica album and I’ve certainly heard most of it but not sure I’ve listened to the whole thing in one sitting.
-
If you consider yourself a fan of prog or even just music, stop what you’re doing, sit down, put some headphones on, and listen to that album immediately.
I would tend to agree with this.
-
I kind of wonder what allowed Bat Out of Hell to become such a huge thing.
The fact that it's fucking awesome.
This guy gets it. Ok, so I'm not sure why the OP wants to exclude the Greatest Hits or Soundtracks? As Stads said, it's easier to include what I haven't listened to:
The Bodyguard (though, I may have heard it once back when it was released)
Dangerous
21
The Immaculate Collection - I'm going to give myself a pass here ... I may not have listened to this album, but I've heard all the songs.
Let's Talk About Love
1
Titanic
Nevermind
Supernatural
So, overall I'm at 24 / 32. Otherwise, I'm at 18 / 24.
-
No, I agree. It's not necessarily a bad song, but it's not something I'll ever intentionally listen to and I don't actual enjoy hearing it whenever it does pop up somewhere. I guess it's a pretty good track. The guitar solo is iconic, and its chorus is very memorable, but is it that good for the amount of time it gets played? I don't know. let's not WildRanger this thread.
Stairway to Heaven has a chorus?
My comment was about Hotel California.