Beatles remasters please please fans

EMI has revealed the extent of the success of The Beatles remastered campaign by stating that more than 2.25m albums were sold in North America, Japan and the UK during the opening five days of business.

The major says the tally, which takes in both the individual remastered albums and the stereo and mono boxed sets, underlines the band’s timeless appeal and unique status in music.

In the States EMI notes that more than 1m remastered titles were bought in the first five days since the September 9 release date, helping the band to achieve a new record by an act of simultaneously having 18 albums on Billboard’s Comprehensive Albums chart. Five of these were in the chart’s Top 10, led by Abbey Road. On the catalogue chart they filled nine of the Top 10 positions.

In the UK they occupied four of the Top 10 in the week after release, while in Japan all 14 remastered titles and the two boxed sets made the top 25 of the international chart, adding up to 840,000 sales across three days.

The remastered albums have achieved huge success across the world with other highlights including:

. 15 of the Top 20 catalogue titles in Canada

. a record three albums in the French Top 10

. a record 13 albums in the Spanish chart

. 14 albums in the Australian chart

. filling seven of the Top 10 in Argentina

. the stereo and mono boxed sets placed at number three on the German chart

EMI Music CEO Elio Leoni-Sceti says, “Beatlemania has returned, with fans new and old embracing these beautiful albums in their re-mastered and re-packaged forms. By putting the needs and desires of consumers first the band are breaking new records around the world more than four decades after they first started recording. All of us at EMI Music are very proud to have been a part of this exciting project and to have delivered an insightful and globally executed marketing plan.”

Source: MW by Paul Williams