Assuming minimal streaming sales of Bohemian Rhapsody in the last two years, Happy is on the verge of becoming the UK's third best-selling song of all time

Assuming minimal streaming sales of Bohemian Rhapsody in the last two years, Happy is on the verge of becoming the UK's third best-selling song of all time

'Bohemian Rhapsody' had sold 354k downloads/streams as of November 2014, on top of 2.130m physicals, putting it on a total of 2.48m. The current estimate in the all-time singles thread is 2.495m as of January 2016, but I imagine that is way under-estimated and the song is in fact well passed 2.5m. It's a big download trickle seller and, I imagine, a big streamer, given it has 141m worldwide streams on Spotify, so I can't see 'Happy' managing to overtake, especially now it's no longer a regular in the Top 200.

Whereas OCC sales go back to 1994 the BPI commenced in 1973 based on sales levels at the time - 250,000 for silver. The OCC may rely on known sales data (e.g. Record company shipments, Alan Jones) and be able to combine sales (physical and digital). Just like they did with albums earlier this year.

Another golden oldie certified this week. What were the original physical sales?

Foundations - Build me up buttercup (Silver)

200,000 digital sales in 11 years.

All those downloads over the Christmas season add up.

WIZZARD - I WISH IT COULD BE CHRISTMAS EVERYDAY

Gold Certification (Single) 13 May 2016

WARNER MUSIC (RHINO)

Released 4th April 2006

Certification History:

Silver Certification 22 July 2013

 

Anyone know what total sales are?

 

Strange that it should cross over the line at this time of the year!

Edited May 13, 20169 yr by ben08

BPI database also lists,

WIZZARD - I WISH IT COULD BE XMAS EVERY DAY

Silver Certification (Single) 01 December 1973

EMI (HARVEST)

Released 30 November 1973

 

Digital and physical sales have not been combined. Different spelling - duplicate entry.

And they probably have different catalogue numbers.

Xmas instead of Christmas.

 

So 250,000 + 400,000 = 650,000 at least.

Edited May 14, 20169 yr by ben08

Who the hell is buying/listening to I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day in May?

Who the hell is buying/listening to I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day in May?

 

Someone who literally wishes it was Christmas everyday.

Got a few weeks of certifications to catch up on - here's the first bunch, others will be posted soon...

 

22 April 2016

Adele - Rolling in the Deep - 2x Platinum - Released: 2011

Ben Howard - Only Love - Gold - Released: 2011

Dawin - Dessert - Silver - Released: 2015

Dolly Parton - 9 to 5 - Gold - Released: 1980

Drake ft. Wizkid & Kyla - One Dance - Silver - Released: 2016

Eminem - Lose Yourself - 2x Platinum - Released: 2002

Erasure - A Little Respect - Silver - Released: 1988

Faul & Wad Ad vs. PNAU - Changes - Gold - Released: 2014

Fifth Harmony ft. Ty Dollar $ign - Work From Home - Gold - Released: 2016

Foxes - Let Go for Tonight - Silver - Released: 2014

Katy Perry - Unconditionally - Silver - Released: 2013

Kelis - Caught Out There - Silver - Released: 2000

Michael Jackson - Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough - Silver - Released: 1979

Pharrell Williams - Happy - 4x Platinum - Released: 2013

Sia - Cheap Thrills - Gold - Released: 2016

Sigala ft. Imani & DJ Fresh - Say You Do - Silver - Released: 2016

Taylor Swift ft. Ed Sheeran - Everything Has Changed - Gold - Released: 2012

The Chainsmokers ft. ROZES - Roses - Silver - Released: 2015

Underworld - Born Slippy .NUXX - Silver - Released: 1995

Zara Larsson - Lush Life - Platinum - Released: 2015

ZAYN - PILLOWTALK - Platinum - Released: 2016

 

Albums

Billy Talent - Billy Talent - Silver - Released: 2003

Eminem - Curtain Call: The Hits - 6x Platinum - Released: 2005

Panic! at the Disco - Death of a Bachelor - Silver - Released: 2016

Public Service Broadcasting - The Race for Space - Silver - Released: 2015

Sia - This is Acting - Gold - Released: 2016

The Who - The Who Hits 50 - Gold - Released: 2014

 

'Only Love' had sold 243k by the end of 2013, including 150k in that year, meaning 157k since.

 

'9 to 5' I guess would have sold about 20k in the 80s, meaning a combined total of ~420k - a huge total for a song that failed to reach the Top 40!

 

'Lose Yourself' had sold 420k by the end of 2003, meaning a huge 780k since! :o It has managed to sell 100k+ in 2013, 14 and 15.

 

At a guess, 'A Little Respect' sold ~240k in the 80s, meaning 440k in total.

 

'Changes' sold 315k in 2014, meaning 85k since.

 

'Unconditionally' is the 17th Katy Perry single to be certified Silver. 'Thinking of You' and 'This is How We Do' remain uncertified.

 

'Caught Out There' sold 163k in 2000, meaning 37k on download/streams (a smaller figure than I expected from such a known song).

 

'Don't Stop Till You Get Enough' sold an estimated 450k in 1979, meaning a total of 650k to date.

 

'Everything Has Changed' has sold about 310k by the end of 2013, meaning 90k since.

 

The Silver certification for 'Born Slippy .NUXX' does not include its 90s sales. There's different figures for what the original sold but all are around the 450k mark, so ~650k if you combine.

 

This is what Curtain Call: The Hits has sold per year:

 

2005 | 926,000

2006 | 218,000 (1,144,000)

2007 | 035,000*

2008 | 035,000*

2009 | 070,000* (1,286,000)

2010 | 097,000 (1,383,000)

2011 | 101,000 (1,484,000)

2012 | 072,000 (1,556,000)

2013 | 087,000 (1,643,000)

2014 | 056,000 (1,699,000)

2015 | 078,000 (1,777,000)

2016 | 023,000 (1,800,000)

 

* In 2007-9, the album didn't appear in the End of Year Chart so these are very rough estimates by me, just worked out from sales in other years.

Those trickle sales for 'Lose Yourself' continue to amaze me! :o

 

Intrigued to see how they compare with 'Chasing Cars' in the last few years.

Those trickle sales for 'Lose Yourself' continue to amaze me! :o

 

Intrigued to see how they compare with 'Chasing Cars' in the last few years.

Funnily enough I did post the year-by-year sales for 'Chasing Cars' when it passed 2x Platinum! :D

 

2006: 211,000

2007: 163,000

2008: 109,000

2009: 118,000

2010: 101,000

2011: 128,000

2012: 90,000

2013: 100,000

2014: 95,000

2015: 85,000

 

As for 'Lose Yourself, it had sold 223k in 2002, 197k in 2003, had a total of 597k by the end of 2009 (works out as an average of 30k per year from 2004 to 2009), had a total of just over 800k by the end of 2012 (averaging almost 70k per year from 2010 to 2012), sold 110k in 2013, 100k in 2014 and 136k in 2015, leaving 53k for 2016 so far.

 

In short, 'Chasing Cars' has sold much more consistently through the years, but 'Lose Yourself' is definitely a better trickle seller in recent years, making the Top 200 frequently compared to 'Chasing Cars' which is every so often and usually for just a week at a time.

Thanks for the sales figures, liamk97. Very interesting indeed. I wonder if 'Lose Yourself' might overtake 'Chasing Cars' eventually, or is it still a fair bit behind?

Eminem will definitely pull ahead at some point I think - he's on 1.215m now and Snow Patrol are on about 1.240m now.

Will Lose Yourself overtake Love the Way You Lie as well?

The Silver certification for 'Born Slippy .NUXX' does not include its 90s sales. There's different figures for what the original sold but all are around the 450k mark, so ~650k if you combine.

According to Hit Music 'Born Slippy' sold 462,400 copies in 1996 and 33,508 copies in 1997, a total of 495,908 for those two years.

 

According to the OCC quiz "Billie Jean" has only sold 426,000 copies. Not right, surely?

According to the OCC quiz "Billie Jean" has only sold 426,000 copies. Not right, surely?

No, that's a definite mistake (I assume it is either its download/stream total of post 1994 total). It's likely a million seller at this point (certainly with streams).

It would have been announced as a million seller by the OCC if it had actually sold 1 million purchased copies, but I guess it's pretty close

It would have been announced as a million seller by the OCC if it had actually sold 1 million purchased copies, but I guess it's pretty close

Not necessarily - they always take AGES to confirm and clearly the OCC have issues regarding the total of 'Billie Jean' anyway.

No, that's a definite mistake (I assume it is either its download/stream total of post 1994 total). It's likely a million seller at this point (certainly with streams).

 

The question in the quiz was which sold more? "Together Again" or "Billie Jean" and the answer was Janet lol with over 798,000 sales (physicals + downloads). That 426k total must just be it's download sales.