Worldwide album sales

ManinIronMask

ManinIronMask

Prowler
The wikipedia says their career album sales are about 80 million. What are the band's own numbers? The real reason is that I want to know the real sales figure for the Number of the Beast so that I can scare the hell out of people.
 
I've never been able to figure out the exact amounts - I've seen the band list anywhere from 70 to 100 million. Sales are a bit confusing because you get certifications based on albums shipped and not necessarily albums sold, and then you have Soundscan tracking, which didn't go into effect until 1991...so any sales pre-1991 aren't overly accurate. I also don't know if they're throwing in live album/singles/DVD sales as well.

I've seen TNOTB listed anywhere from 2.5 million to 4 million worldwide.
 
soundwave said:
I've never been able to figure out the exact amounts - I've seen the band list anywhere from 70 to 100 million. Sales are a bit confusing because you get certifications based on albums shipped and not necessarily albums sold, and then you have Soundscan tracking, which didn't go into effect until 1991...so any sales pre-1991 aren't overly accurate. I also don't know if they're throwing in live album/singles/DVD sales as well.

I've seen TNOTB listed anywhere from 2.5 million to 4 million worldwide.
Click to expand...

I've seen TNOTB listed as way more than that for worldwide, 14 million.
 
Who gives a crap about numbers? They have sold a fucking crapload of albums and are one of the most successful band and touring acts of our generation without radio play and have NEVER sold out. EVER. Be proud of that and be proud if you are a true fan and understand the influence they have in the metal world.
 
It's interesting to me to see how many records they've sold precisely because they've done so relatively unconventionally and anonymously. Maiden are in a fairly exclusive club with Rush and Radiohead in that regard.
 
I did a thread about the numbers that were from Billboard and a few other charts from around the world... I'll find it and get you the numbers again.... I believe it stopped totals after A Matter of Life and Death... Never saw totals for FF or BOS
 
Found it.... ended at Dance of Death... Can't find much after it as far as totals

Album ----------------------------Peak Chart ---#of weeks on chart ------World Wide sales
Iron Maiden ---- --------------------NA --------------NA--------------------- 2.8 Million
Killers --------------------------------NA --------------NA ---------------------4.0 Million
Number of the Beast ---------------NA -------------- NA ---------------------14.2 Million
Piece of Mind -----------------------NA ---------------NA ---------------------5.0 Million
Powerslave ---------------------------21 ---------------34 ---------------------4.5 Million
Live After Death ---------------------19 ---------------22 --------------------- 5.5 Million
Somewhere in Time -----------------11 ---------------39 ----------------------4.5 Million
Seventh Son of a Seventh Son ------12 ---------------23 ---------------------- 4.5 Million
No Prayer For the Dying ------------17 ---------------18 ---------------------- 3.0 Million
Fear of the Dark ----------------------12 ---------------13 ---------------------- 3.5 Million
X Factor -------------------------------NA --------------NA --------------------- 1.2 Million
Virtual XI -----------------------------NA --------------NA --------------------- 700,000
Brave New World --------------------39 ---------------10 ---------------------- 2.0 Million
Dance of Death -----------------------18 ----------------4 ----------------------- 1.5 Million
A Matter of Life and Death ----------9 -----------------6 ------------------------ NA
The Final Frontier --------------------4 -----------------8 ------------------------ NA

obviously, I left out compilation albums, all live albums excluding Live After Death and so on... Those add up to a few million total too
 
went back and found AMOLAD and FF

A Matter of Life and Death -------- 9 -------- 6 ----------------- 1.085 Million
The Final Frontier ------------------ 4 -------- 8 ----------------- 523,000
The Book of Souls ------------------- 4 ------- NA --------------- 550,000
 
Looking at the steep drop from AMOLAD to TFF, it's no wonder they prefer doing history tours to releasing new albums.
 
That figure for Book of souls can't be worldwide surely. The NA next to the number does that signify just North America?

Book of souls went number one in a ton of countries and top 5 in loads more. Even in today's world where album sales have dropped due to the internet a band like maiden must surely break a million sales minimum on each album.
 
Maiden have mentioned over 80 million for at least the last 15 years, so those figures look a good bit too small
 
The figures for The Book of Souls was recorded through the end of the year (2015). It does NOT include any sales in the year 2016. I have been unsuccessful at locating record sales totals for the last 3 studio albums as the numbers posted were year end totals... as we know, new people discover Maiden everyday and past albums continue to sell. The NA for TBOS was that there was no data found for the number of weeks it was on the charts... in the USA.

In regards to the 80 million or 90 million sales worldwide claim, it's pretty believable when you factor many albums were bought in multiple formats from vinyl to cassettes to CDs to MP3 downloads... my number does NOT include the countless live albums, compilations and such.... Both of the live albums following Fear of the Dark were each 1 million + in total units sold... I was listing the big albums and of course listed Live After Death... Maiden England confirmed over 500,000 copies sold as did Rock In Rio..
 
Got some updates for you numbers gurus..... so here goes a fresh list with much more accuracy....
Chart ratings are for the USA only
Album sales is world wide
Sales in parenthesis are verified 100% accurate from record certifications posted from numerous countries (pre-1996 albums were the sales from release date up to 1996)
Sales not in parenthesis were published by Billboard themselves (wish I could find the link now)

ALBUM --------------- peak position on chart ------# of weeks on charts -- Sales 1st week --- WW Sales
Iron Maiden ---------------------- NA --------------------------- NA ----------- NA -------------- (650,000) 2.8 Million
Killers ----------------------------- 78 ---------------------------- 23 ------------ NA -------------- (1,200,000) 4.0 Million
Maiden Japan -------------------- 89 ---------------------------- 30 ------------ NA -------------- NA
NOTB ----------------------------- 33 ----------------------------- 63 ----------- NA --------------- (1,900,000) 14.2 Million
Piece of Mind --------------------- 14 ----------------------------- 47 ----------- NA --------------- (1,775,000) 5.0 Million
Powerslave ------------------------ 21 ----------------------------- 34 ----------- NA --------------- (1,550,000) 4.5 Million
Live After Death ------------------ 19 ----------------------------- 22 ----------- NA --------------- (1,375,000) 5.5 Million
Somewhere in Time -------------- 11 ----------------------------- 39 ----------- NA --------------- (1,650,000) 4.5 Million
Seventh Son of a Seventh Son --- 12 ---------------------------- 23 ------------ NA --------------- (975,000) 4.5 Million
No Prayer for the Dying ---------- 17 ---------------------------- 18 ------------ NA --------------- (700,000) 3.0 Million
Fear of the Dark ------------------- 12 ---------------------------- 13 ------------ NA --------------- (250,000) 3.5 Million
A Real Live One ------------------ 106 ---------------------------- 2 ------------- NA --------------- NA
A Real Dead One ----------------- 140 ---------------------------- 1 ------------- NA --------------- NA
Live at Donington ---------------- NA ---------------------------- NA ----------- NA --------------- NA
X Factor -------------------------- -------------------------------- NA ----------- 6,000 ----------- (60,000) 1.2 Million
Virtual XI ------------------------ 124 ----------------------------- 1 -------------- 10,000 ---------- (40,000) 700,000
Brave New World --------------- 39 ------------------------------ 10 ------------- 38,000 --------- (559,316)
Rock in Rio ---------------------- 186 ------------------------------ 1 ------------- NA --------------- (125,000)
Dance of Death ------------------ 18 ------------------------------- 4 -------------- 40,000 --------- (1,165,000)
Death on the Road -------------- NA ------------------------------ NA ---------- NA --------------- (60,000)
A Matter of Life and Death ----- 9 -------------------------------- 7 -------------- 56,000 --------- (1,401,000)
Somewhere Back in Time ------ 58 ------------------------------- 6 -------------- NA -------------- (131,815)
Flight 666 ------------------------34 ------------------------------- NA ------------ NA -------------- (40,000)
The Final Frontier -------------- 4 --------------------------------- 8 -------------- 63,000 --------- (523,000)
From Fear to Eternity ---------- 86 ------------------------------- 1 --------------- NA -------------- NA
En Vivo -------------------------- 80 ------------------------------- NA ------------ NA --------------- NA
Maiden England ---------------- 148 ------------------------------ 1 --------------- NA -------------- (521,000)
The Book of Souls --------------- 4 -------------------------------- 6 --------------- 74,000 --------- (1,728,046)

Concert DVDs # of copies in USA sold

Behind the Iron Curtain ------------ 50,000
Live After Death --------------------- 100,000
12 Wasted Years --------------------- 50,000
Maiden England --------------------- 50,000
The Early Days ----------------------- 100,000
Rock in Rio -------------------------- 175,500
Death on the Road ------------------ 96,176
Visions of the Beast ----------------- 200,000
Flight 666 ---------------------------- 271,546
En Vivo ------------------------------- 165,000
LAD 2008 DVD release ------------- 182,331
ME 2013 release --------------------- 55,000


DVDs and albums not listed are because there was no info found on them anywhere for the USA

Fun Facts...

1. No Prayer for the Dying was the last album to achieve GOLD sales (500,000) in the states. All albums past this never sold 500,000 or more stateside
2. Somewhere in Time was the last album to achieve Platinum sales (1,000,000) in the states.
3. Dance of Death was the least successful of the reunion albums being the only one not to hit at least 400,000 documented sales
4. Number of the Beast charted LONGER than any other album
5. Maiden England is the best selling live album since Live After Death according to documented sales and was released in 2013
6. The average number of weeks an album was on the charts in the 80s was 27.25 weeks
7. The average number of weeks an album was on the charts in the 90s was 10.6 weeks
8. The average number of weeks an album was on the charts in the reunion era is 7 weeks

Album rankings by verified sales (studio albums that is) Billboard has much higher numbers as seen above but these are verified by country record certifications such as RIAA, CAPIF, ARIA, ABPD, Music Canada, IFPI, SNEP, BVMI, FIMI, BPI, GCC, IMPALA

1. Number of the Beast - 1,900,000 sales
2. Piece of Mind - 1,775,000 sales
3. Somewhere in Time - 1,650,000 sales
4. Powerslave - 1,550,000 sales
5. Killers - 1,200,000
6. Seventh Son of a Seventh Son - 975,000
7. No Prayer for the Dying - 700,000
8. Iron Maiden - 650,000
9. Brave New World - 559,316
10. The Book of Souls - 528,046
11. Final Frontier - 523,000
12. A Matter of Life and Death - 441,000
13. Dance of Death - 365,000
14. Fear of the Dark - 250,000
15. X Factor - 60,000
16. Virtual XI - 40,000
 
Last edited:
13,166,362 verified definite records sold. A FAR cry from the acclaimed 90 million.
59,334,861 sales according to Billboard records that were found. Several live albums missing but I can't figure they amount to a missing 30 million acclaimed albums
 
U.S sales from May 1991 (when Nielsen Soundscan began tracking) until February 2005:

Iron Maiden (1980) - 196,628
Killers (1981) - 211,410
The Number Of The Beast (1982) - 357,463
Piece Of Mind (1983) - 347,400
Powerslave (1984) - 299,022
Live After Death (1985) - 558,578
Somewhere In Time (1986) - 291,420
Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son (1988) - 218,056
No Prayer For The Dying (1989) - 213,745
Fear Of The Dark (1992) - 421,786
Live At Donington (1993) - 23,639
A Real Live One (1993) - 108,177
A Real Dead One (1993) - 130,652
A Real Live/Dead One (1998 -new format) - 20,621
The X Factor (1995) - 112,710
Best Of The Beast (1996) - 251,112
Virtual XI (1998) - 65,243
Ed Hunter (1999) - 52,886
Brave New World (2000) - 282,460
Rock In Rio (AUDIO) (2002) - 69,307
Rock In Rio (DVD & VIDEO) (2002) - 59,644
Edward The Great (2002) - 130,611
Dance Of Death (2003) - 138,904
Visions Of The Beast (DVD & VIDEO) (2003) - 77,850
Part 1: Early Days (DVD) (2004) - 32,037
http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/iron-maiden-u-s-album-sales-revealed/

At their lowest level of popularity and without a major label record deal they could still sell 65 000 records in the U.S, that's not bad.
 
Last edited:
Vantage Point said:
Is the quoted 80/90 million, album sales or unit sales? As unit sales could include singles as well.
Click to expand...

I consistently see the word "album" but I believe it would be units. You are correct that I did not add singles in. That would take a lot more time. Also, the billboard numbers represent the totals purchased multiple times in different formats (cassette, vinyl, CD, MP3).... would definitely be units based on that alone.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top