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Posted by: ben08 22nd March 2016, 06:21 PM

Some Beatles sales figures in this week's Music Week, by Alan Jones.



In May 2012 OCC gave a figure of 1.06m for Hey Jude.
In June 2013 Hey Jude sales were 1.08m.
In October 2015 Hey Jude sales were given as 1.12m.
So why are sales now only at 1.038m??

If original sales were 900,000 then Hey Jude has 138,000 downloads in 5.25 years (an average of 500 per week).


But Gerry has 214,000 downloads.



Interesting that 15 Beatles songs have sold upwards of 500,000 (I suppose that means more than).
So either Paperback Writer or Yellow Submarine sales are less than half a million.

Posted by: fiesta 23rd March 2016, 12:15 PM

I make it a total of 990,000 for Gerry/Pacemakers, dunno if the OCC are using a different physical sale though.

900,000 physicals for Hey Jude seems a bit high, never seen a figure that high for it before, maybe they have realised this and adjusted it downward

Posted by: ben08 23rd March 2016, 03:45 PM

OCC said its sales were 1.12m by October 2015.
If physical sales were 900,000 (or less) then that would be 220,000 digital sales.
That is impossible as it would have a BPI Silver award.
I have seen physical sales as high as 940,000 - by Chartfacts on HAVEN. (as below)

Hey Jude (released 26th August 1968) 850,000 or 930,000 to 940,000
Shipment figures are as follows: 04-09-1968 250,000; 27-09-1968 558,535; 30-11-1968 700,000; 31-12-1968 800,000 [The Long And Winding Road] and [Coryton/Murrells].

The 1976 re-issue reached number 12.

[The Rock Lists Album] top 100 of the sixties has Hey Jude at number 24. Sales are estimated at around 820,000.

Hey Jude is at number 38 in the [Radio 1 20th Birthday Top 100], which corresponds with sales of 930,000 to 940,000.

On its 20th anniversary re-issue in 1988, it got to number 52 and sold around 5,000.

In [40 Years Of NME Charts Top 100] Hey Jude is at number 75 with sales of around 850,000.

The OCC and Alan Jones must have different estimates for physical sales.

Posted by: ben08 23rd March 2016, 03:52 PM

Guinness Book of Rock Stars gave 776,000. Plus 214,000 gives 990,000.
However I was informed in February by the OCC that it was just over 3,000 short of the million mark.
Maybe 7,000 catalogue sales between end of 60s decade and 2005 when it was released digitally.
Or maybe OCC used an EMI figure or an Alan Jones estimate?