Soundscan - best selling artists

[Deleted]

Sept 27, 2008 12:28:39 GMT -5 areyoureadytojump said:

SoundScan began in January 1991.

No, May 1991, always has been

The first Soundscan chart was published in May 1991

Now naturally, they probably took a few months to set their system up, maybe that's what you're thinking ???

They probably had employees in January 1991 but no data was used anywhere until May.

[mcsquared]

Sept 27, 2008 11:11:46 GMT -5 @peigan68 said:

Sept 27, 2008 1:47:47 GMT -5 @mcsquared said:

the same reason Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Prince and Janet Jackson aren't on the list. They had a lot of success before the Soundscan era.

So did the Beatles, and yet they're #2 on the list.

Of course, that's THE BEATLES they are kind of a unique case.

That goes without saying.

[areyoureadytojump]

Billboard began using SoundScan in May 1991, but SoundScan began counting album sales in January 1991.

I found this out years ago on a mailing list I used to belong to.

[Deleted]

probably test charts

nothing was published or used for the purposes of this discussion until May 1991

The information in the yahoo column is correct

[Deleted]

As I would suspect, they didn't just flip on a switch at May 1991 and start pumping out charts, there was likely a lot of set up work to do.

Actual chart data didn't hit Billboard until May 1991, the test charts weren't used by Billboard either.

The 1991 year end charts were still based on the old style point system. If Billboard was using January data, the year end charts would have reflected that.

[HolidayGuy]

To-date sales totals more than likely go back to January 1991. I've seen many titles that peaked well before 5/25/91, whose sales without a doubt came from January-May. One being Mimi's "Someday"- we saw that it wasn't ranked all that high with the first POS chart dated 5/25/91- the bulk of its 545,000+ sales came from January 1991-April 1991.

I have Geoff Mayfield looking into this, and he said he will clarify with Paul Grein.

[Deleted]

Paul Grein is correct

Soundscan official data tracking began in May 1991, not before

You seem to know that because you quoted the precise date

[Deleted]

There may have been unpublished, unofficial test data because they clearly didn't just "flip the switch" for 5/25/91, they must have done some testing

BTW

I guess Paul Grein either currently or used to work for Billboard. So he may know what he is talking about.


"Mariah Carey" was at #3 on the 5/25/91 album chart (which seems pretty high to me). No other Mariah album was on the chart at that time.

Do you have a source to support your theory?

[HolidayGuy]

I quoted the singles sales figure for "Someday," not the album. :) Like I said, there's no way Someday's total would be 545,000+ if SS data began May 25, 1991. Mimi's debut has scanned 4.8 million+ in the SS era. Of course I know the date, since that's the issue Billboard's utilizing SS took effect.

[Deleted]

Do you have an album example (since that is what this thread is about)

How about a non-diva example? Where did the 545 number you are using came from?

Also, it appears Paul Grein has been connected to Billboard for a while(or at least was anyway), I found Billboard articles with his name on it back to the 80's. So if he tells me Soundscan began in May 1991 - I would probably believe him (Plus I assume it is a pretty key date for anyone who knows the old charts - as it appears that you were aware of it too)

[Deleted]

Sept 28, 2008 8:48:52 GMT -5 HolidayGuy said:

I quoted the singles sales figure for "Someday," not the album. :) Like I said, there's no way Someday's total would be 545,000+ if SS data began May 25, 1991. Mimi's debut has scanned 4.8 million+ in the SS era. Of course I know the date, since that's the issue Billboard's utilizing SS took effect.

A couple more questions:

Assuming the number you quoted is accurate, How do you know the starting point was not May 1991? (Singles sold pretty brisky 17 years ago, they were widely available and there was no itunes, illegal downloading or CD burning)

Do you have a source?

Why use a example of a single, in an albums thread in the first place?

Do you have an example that is not a one-named female pop singer? And a source?

Year end 1991 charts used the old style point system. If they had a full year of data as you claim, why wouldn't Billboard rank their year-end charts based on Soundscan (like they did in 1992)??

[HolidayGuy]

Billboard didn't rank the year-end albums in 1991 using SS simply because It hadn't been used for the whoel chart year.

Geoff Mayfield said he believes I'm right about the date, and that he was going to look into it and then get with Paul Grein. Guess we'll have to wait and see what the end result is.

Most of the sales reports I've seen were thoseof "divas."

Singles surely sold briskly back, but, again "Someday" was nowhere near the top of the sales charts with the 5/25/91 chart. Another singles example is Whitney Houston's "All the Man That I Need"- close to 500K in sales- it peaked well before the 5/25/91 BB edition (and also wasn't near the top of the sales charts at that date).

[Deleted]

Could you be confusing your singles numbers with RIAA?



The end result seems pretty clear. The first Soundscan chart was May 1991, which would kick off what we now call the "Soundscan era".

The charts listed in this thread are based on album sales. Do you have an album example and a source? (could even be a "diva" if you'd like ;) )

Regarding 1991 year end charts(assuming the starting point of Soundscan was 1/1/91) , if the starting point of Soundscan was back to January (and we know that the chart year was December to November) why not use 11 months of data, since it exists and extrapolate for the missing month??

It is clear to me with a starting point of 5/91 and only a half year data in place why they used a point system. It would not be as clear to me with 11 months of data in place, to avoid using soundscan data since it is a more accurate reflection of sales

[HolidayGuy]

Nooo, the singles numbers I quoted are SoundScan.

Using 11 months of SS data for a year-end chart, when all of that data wasn't published in Billboard for the 11 months nor sued by BB for 11 months, wouldn't make all that much sense, since it was such a drastic change to the chart methodology.

RE the "diva" albums- none were released during that January-May frame, but a couple were in late 1990- Madge's Immaculate Collection and Whitney's I'm Your Baby Tonight. A good bulk of sales would have come from January-May (they each had 7-8 weeks of untracked sales in late 1990, to boot). If the tracking period began in May 1991, IYBT's total wouldn't be as high as the 1.7m+ that it's at (as its catalog life has been lackluster). Figure it could have sold near 2m in late 1990- that is in line with its 4m certification.

[Deleted]

There was clearly a "test chart" period, prior to 5/25/91. I am seeing evidence that this began in March of 1991 (soundscan.com for one)

I don't see anything to support the January theory

[Deleted]

And whether test charts are in the "official count" or not, well there isn't really a source to support that.

One thing is clear though, the first chart was published for the 5/25/91 magazine

[areyoureadytojump]

^Yes, we know that.

[Creme de la Creme]

TOP TEN SELLING ARTISTS OF SOUNDSCAN ERA (1991-12/28/2008) :
Rank-Artist - Units Sold
1 Garth Brooks 68,143,000
2 Beatles 57,088,000
3 Mariah Carey 51,569,000
4 Metallica 51,136,000
5 Celine Dion 50,571,000
6 George Strait 40,619,000
7 Tim McGraw 37,591,000
8 Alan Jackson 36,520,000
9 Pink Floyd 35,213,000
10. Shania Twain 33,707,000

[fanatic]

Is RIAA different from Soundscan? According to RIAA Britney has sold 33M albums(before the GH album, remix and Blackout). Why are their numbers different?

[AutomaticBR]

Jan 25, 2009 4:47:18 GMT -5 fanatic said:

Is RIAA different from Soundscan? According to RIAA Britney has sold 33M albums(before the GH album, remix and Blackout). Why are their numbers different?

RIAA certifies the copies shipped to the stores by the label minus returns, while Soundscan counts the copies that were really sold (people went to the store and took them home lol) in the US.

[WouldYouJumpTheGDTrainAlready?]

5 county artists in the top ten.

[0202]

Jan 25, 2009 4:47:18 GMT -5 fanatic said:

Is RIAA different from Soundscan? According to RIAA Britney has sold 33M albums(before the GH album, remix and Blackout). Why are their numbers different?

Well, i believe her actual Total for albums is around 31,200,000+ so far.

Baby One More Time... 10,600,000
Oops!...I Did It Again 9,200,000
Britney 4,950,000
In The Zone 2,995,000
Greatest Hits 1,300,000
Blackout 945,000
Circus 1,242,000

=31,232,000+

(Blackout and Circus havent been certified, i dont know about her GH)

[Deleted]

platinum certification does not equal soundscan sales

If there were outlets, 10 years ago that did not report to Soundscan than those numbers would not be reflected.

One possible example is record clubs, basically defunct now but were still prominent then. These outlets did not report to Soundscan

[TheJakes]

Jan 25, 2009 21:50:03 GMT -5 WouldYouJumpTheGDTrainAlready? said:

Is that all BOMT sold? I thought it was certified 14x platinum?!

That is because it did huge numbers through music clubs which are not counted by Soundscan but do count towards RIAA certifications.

[Deleted]

And also RIAA certifications and soundscan sales are not the same thing, never have been

[WouldYouJumpTheGDTrainAlready?]

Okay I was going to say like that's awfully lofty of the RIAA to certify it 14x platinum if the disc only sold 10.5mil.

[David]

Apr 8, 2008 18:29:18 GMT -5 @2m said:

This all assumes the E=MC2 will do 5 million

LOL!

[c0ldasfire]

Jan 25, 2009 14:33:28 GMT -5 0202 said:

Jan 25, 2009 4:47:18 GMT -5 fanatic said:

Is RIAA different from Soundscan? According to RIAA Britney has sold 33M albums(before the GH album, remix and Blackout). Why are their numbers different?

Well, i believe her actual Total for albums is around 31,200,000+ so far.

Baby One More Time... 10,600,000
Oops!...I Did It Again 9,200,000
Britney 4,950,000
In The Zone 2,995,000
Greatest Hits 1,300,000
Blackout 945,000
Circus 1,242,000

=31,232,000+

(Blackout and Circus havent been certified, i dont know about her GH)

\wonder where she placed on the SOUNDSCAN list then for top selling artists?

also, her albums need new proper certicifications!

[areyoureadytojump]

www.businesswire.com/news/home/20120105005547/en/Nielsen-Company-Billboard%E2%80%99s-2011-Music-Industry-Report

SOUNDSCAN ERA

TOP TEN SELLING ARTISTS
(Based on album sales from 1991-1/1/2012)

1 Garth Brooks 68,561,000
2 Beatles 63,299,000
3 Mariah Carey 53,612,000
4 Metallica 53,170,000
5 Celine Dion 51,492,000
6 George Strait 43,310,000
7 Eminem 41,166,000
8 Tim McGraw 40,169,000
9 Alan Jackson 38,860,000
10. Pink Floyd 37,228,000

TOP TEN SELLING DIGITAL ARTISTS
(Based on digital track sales from 7/4/2004-1/1/2012)

1 Rihanna 47,571,000
2 Black Eyed Peas 42,405,000
3 Eminem 42,290,000
4 Lady Gaga 42,078,000
5 Taylor Swift 41,821,000
6 Katy Perry 37,620,000
7 Lil’ Wayne 36,788,000
8 Beyonce 30,439,000
9 Kanye West 30,242,000
10. Britney Spears 28,665,000

[Deleted]

Jan 5, 2012 11:19:54 GMT -5 areyoureadytojump said:

www.businesswire.com/news/home/20120105005547/en/Nielsen-Company-Billboard%E2%80%99s-2011-Music-Industry-Report

SOUNDSCAN ERA

TOP TEN SELLING ARTISTS
(Based on album sales from 1991-1/1/2012)

3 Mariah Carey 53,612,000

2006 1.181 49.606 #3
2007 *.331 49.937 #3
2008 1.632 51.569 #3
2009 *.819 52.388 #3
2010 *.797 53.185 #3
2011 *.427 53.612 #3