The_7th_one
Ancient Mariner
me too
Worldwide album sales
- Thread starter ManinIronMask
- Start date
srfc
Ancient Mariner
I know that BYDTTS was the number 1 single with the fewest sales ever in the UK for a very long time (it may even still be), and the number quoted was 40,000.
So that's a big jump to the worldwide figure they mention, and you would imagine that the bulk of single sales would be in the UK.
It's pretty consistent with all the previous singles, though.
WildRanger
Nomad
Yep, 7th Son was less successful compared to previous Maiden albums.
The_7th_one
Ancient Mariner
The 750 people who bought The X factor and Virtual XI in New Zealand deserves a Golden Disc as a gift from the band for their loyalty.
WildRanger
Nomad
Let's compare Iron Maiden, Metallica and Black Sabbath albums sales (three biggest metal bands):
https://chartmasters.org/2021/11/iron-maiden-albums-and-songs-sales/
https://chartmasters.org/2019/02/metallica-albums-and-songs-sales/
https://chartmasters.org/2020/03/black-sabbath-albums-and-songs-sales/
It seems that The Number of the Beast was a very big seller in the UK. It's interesting that the biggest Metallica album The Black album sold slightly more than 'Beast' in Britain.
Black Sabbath has sold significantly more of their classic albums in the US than Europe. Classic Maiden albums sold much better in Europe than classic BS albums. It seems that Black Sabbath is a bigger band than Maiden in America, while Maiden is a bigger band in Europe.
https://chartmasters.org/2021/11/iron-maiden-albums-and-songs-sales/
https://chartmasters.org/2019/02/metallica-albums-and-songs-sales/
https://chartmasters.org/2020/03/black-sabbath-albums-and-songs-sales/
It seems that The Number of the Beast was a very big seller in the UK. It's interesting that the biggest Metallica album The Black album sold slightly more than 'Beast' in Britain.
Black Sabbath has sold significantly more of their classic albums in the US than Europe. Classic Maiden albums sold much better in Europe than classic BS albums. It seems that Black Sabbath is a bigger band than Maiden in America, while Maiden is a bigger band in Europe.
SirRobbins
Ancient Mariner
Sabbath and Metallica had a load more of commercial success compared to Maiden... Metallica had a wider audience being stateside and with television on their side.
Kind of late to this, but it is still very popular and definitely a more important album in the states than Seventh Son. The complaining about that album on here comes from a very vocal minority. The album cover is one of their most iconic and overall I would say it is in their top five most popular albums. Definitely more of an impact than Brave New World or Seventh Son.
WildRanger
Nomad
Sabbath in America? Yes. In Europe? No way. Maiden is much more successful. Black Sabbath (Ozzy era) were never that big in Europe, unlike America. And I'm saying it as a Sabbath and Maiden fan from mainland Europe.
And it's interesting that Ozzy solo was commercially more successful than Black Sabbath in the US. Also Ozzy solo was way bigger in America than Europe:
https://chartmasters.org/2020/03/ozzy-osbourne-albums-and-songs-sales/
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Keep in mind the sales figures are cumulative. e.g. all the sales for Paranoid between 1970 and today are lumped together and we can't read from these stats how well it did during its initial run in the 70's.
With that in mind, I think the higher of Ozzy-era Sabbath in America has a lot to do with the larger role classic rock radio plays in the States, but especially with Ozzy's larger media presence from the eighties down to his TV show, Ozzfest and all that. This is how the impression gets transmitted that Sabbath is Ozzy's band, when Iommi was always the band leader and the one to keep it alive.
Now, Ozzy had a pretty big media presence in Germany in the early 2000s as well, but I can't imagine it compares to what it was in the US. Likewise, the classic rock concept exists in Europe as well, but there is also a far more diverse metal scene here that, from my own anecdotal experience, tends (or tended) to rate Dio-era Sabbath higher.
So bottom line, I think the success of Ozzy-era Sabbath in America is more due to 90's and 2000s promotion, and I think (though I can't prove) that in the 70's, they weren't any more successful there than in Europe.
With that in mind, I think the higher of Ozzy-era Sabbath in America has a lot to do with the larger role classic rock radio plays in the States, but especially with Ozzy's larger media presence from the eighties down to his TV show, Ozzfest and all that. This is how the impression gets transmitted that Sabbath is Ozzy's band, when Iommi was always the band leader and the one to keep it alive.
Now, Ozzy had a pretty big media presence in Germany in the early 2000s as well, but I can't imagine it compares to what it was in the US. Likewise, the classic rock concept exists in Europe as well, but there is also a far more diverse metal scene here that, from my own anecdotal experience, tends (or tended) to rate Dio-era Sabbath higher.
So bottom line, I think the success of Ozzy-era Sabbath in America is more due to 90's and 2000s promotion, and I think (though I can't prove) that in the 70's, they weren't any more successful there than in Europe.
TheTalisman
Ancient Mariner
I think it's correct to say that the success of Ozzy's solo career in America in the 80's and 90's (Blizzard of Ozz from 1980 has sold 5x platinum and No More Tears from 1991 4x platinum for example) propably made a lot of younger americans get into older Black Sabbath as well.
Maiden has not had any exogenous factor pushing sales like that, no solo career of any past or former member has become massive and caught on outside the existing fanbase. Balls to Picasso by Bruce was aimed at a wider audience though (both the artwork and the Tears of the Dragon video was really mainstream friendly) but it didn't really break through, it had sold 65 000 copies in the U.S in 2005.
www.blabbermouth.net
Maiden has not had any exogenous factor pushing sales like that, no solo career of any past or former member has become massive and caught on outside the existing fanbase. Balls to Picasso by Bruce was aimed at a wider audience though (both the artwork and the Tears of the Dragon video was really mainstream friendly) but it didn't really break through, it had sold 65 000 copies in the U.S in 2005.
IRON MAIDEN: U.S. Album Sales Revealed
IRON MAIDEN fan site MaidenFans.com has published the latest Nielsen SoundScan figures for the entire MAIDEN catalog as well as MAIDEN singer Bruce Dickinson's solo releases and recordings issued by ex-MAIDEN frontman Blaze Bayley under the BLAZE banner. Note: the SoundScan numbers for MAIDEN's...
www.blabbermouth.net
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Forostar
Ancient Mariner
Shit... I think Priest is not featured on ChartMasters. I'd love to compare their albums with Maiden's this way.
The_7th_one
Ancient Mariner
According with this Soundscan US album sales link… it's very difficult to believe that Fear of the Dark sold more than any other Maiden's studio album including The Number of the Beasts once more time I don't believe these numbers either. I don't know where I've read that Somewhere in Time was the most selling album in US being at least 3x platinumI think it's correct to say that the success of Ozzy's solo career in America in the 80's and 90's (Blizzard of Ozz from 1980 has sold 5x platinum and No More Tears from 1991 4x platinum for example) propably made a lot of younger americans get into older Black Sabbath as well.
Maiden has not had any exogenous factor pushing sales like that, no solo career of any past or former member has become massive and caught on outside the existing fanbase. Balls to Picasso by Bruce was aimed at a wider audience though (both the artwork and the Tears of the Dragon video was really mainstream friendly) but it didn't really break through, it had sold 65 000 copies in the U.S in 2005.
IRON MAIDEN: U.S. Album Sales Revealed
IRON MAIDEN fan site MaidenFans.com has published the latest Nielsen SoundScan figures for the entire MAIDEN catalog as well as MAIDEN singer Bruce Dickinson's solo releases and recordings issued by ex-MAIDEN frontman Blaze Bayley under the BLAZE banner. Note: the SoundScan numbers for MAIDEN's...
Uh... are you sure you read the numbers correctly? FOTD is far, far lower than any 80's album.
Patience. This is a work in progress and the Maiden page was only published a week ago. They might work on Priest in the future.
The_7th_one
Ancient Mariner
You're right but according with this data list is something wrong. As you can see Fear of the Dark sold 421,786. For that reason I don't believe these numbers and the chartmasters one.
TheTalisman
Ancient Mariner
Tracking is from 1992-2005 for the numbers featured in this article.
The 80's albums sold a lot more than Fear of the Dark, but sales before 1992 are not counted at all.
That's why Tattooed Millionarie from 1990 is so low as well, just 21 000. It did a lot more!
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