Talk:List of best-selling music artists/Archive 16

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Edit request from 210.213.147.13, 2 November 2010

{{edit semi-protected}} Lady Gaga has sold 15 million albums worlwide and not 55 million. Total singles sold of Lady Gaga is 40 million, but singles are diffelent from album sales record. Lady Gaga has indeed sold over 50 million records , but alot of artist has only album sales included in the list, instead of both such as Shakira who has sold over 50 million sales , this does not include single sales , other artist who aren't on the list include Pink, Usher, Christina Aguilera and possibly take that. Please correct the information.

210.213.147.13 (talk) 06:14, 2 November 2010 (UTC)

 Not donePlease refer to this archived discussion, we are to use the source the figures within which is the most realistic based on Lady Gaga's certified sales.--Harout72 (talk) 06:19, 2 November 2010 (UTC)

The article is about total sales inc. singles and not just albums. Mattg82 (talk) 12:31, 2 November 2010 (UTC)

Usher

I've read that he's sold close to 50 million albums. Shouldn't he be added to this list? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.137.225.180 (talk) 08:53, 4 November 2010 (UTC)

Cliff Richard missed out

Hi, I was looking up the top selling music artists of all time and noticed that Cliff Richard has been left of the list. It is reported that he has sold over 260 million records but not show up any where. 90.195.211.145 (talk) 00:02, 6 November 2010 (UTC)

Cliff Richard should never be added into the list as his available certified sales do not suggest anything as major as the 260 million is. Also, you might want to refer to this archived discussion that we've had in the past on Richard.--Harout72 (talk) 00:09, 6 November 2010 (UTC)

Why has Cliff Richard been taken off the best selling artist list. Cliff has sold in excess of 260 million records in a career spanning 52 years. The Cliff wikipedia page has Cliffs sales down as being 260 million and it is quoted all over the net and in many books and has been now for many years. EMI have released figures of Cliff selling over 20 million singles alone in the UK regardless of album and ep sales. There is also the sales he has had through out the rest of the world.

Other than the USA (where it,s reported Cliff has sold 16 million records) Cliff is always up there with Elvis and the Beatles in most countries as being one of the top selling artists. If you look at the hits Cliff has had throughout his career all over the world it's easy to see how the 260 million sales add up.

So how can a icon like Cliff be left off the list —Preceding unsigned comment added by 90.195.211.145 (talk) 00:18, 7 November 2010 (UTC)

Please read the archived discussion that I have linked for you above, that should explain why Richard is not on the list. This list is operated differently. If an artist in question doesn't have significant number of certifications which would support a figure as large as the 260 million (for example), the artist will not be added to the list. See the box at the top of the list where it states The list is frequently edited in good faith; however, sales figures published by reliable sources may need to be verified with certification databases to avoid inflated figures. Artists without sufficient certifications to support published claimed figures may not be added to the list.--Harout72 (talk) 06:04, 7 November 2010 (UTC)

So the list is very misleading. Typical Wikipedia getting things wrong again as they so often do. There are many other sources to look at other than the certification databases.90.195.211.145 (talk) 15:40, 7 November 2010 (UTC)

We are only using certifications to analyze and see whether the claimed figures are correct, and in the case of Richard, the 260 million in sales is outrageously inflated for promotional purposes. Sources for certifications, should only be the official sites of the certifying agencies, RIAA, RIAJ, BPI, Bundesverband Musikindustrie etc.--Harout72 (talk) 16:23, 7 November 2010 (UTC)

The Doors

According to The Doors individual page, they've sold over 100 million albums worldwide. If that number is reliable enough for that page, isn't it good enough for this one? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 173.73.23.120 (talk) 03:59, 6 November 2010 (UTC)

I have already removed that figure from their page as it was unsourced.--Harout72 (talk) 04:13, 6 November 2010 (UTC)

Ah. What source would be considered a valid source for the correct number? RIAA or ASCAP? I'm assuming Elektra records wouldn't be reliable enough because they signed the Doors. Any suggestions? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 173.73.23.120 (talk) 12:56, 6 November 2010 (UTC)

It's always best to use articles published by highly regarded news services, CNN, Fox News, Reuters etc. See our reference section for this list for example.--Harout72 (talk) 17:01, 6 November 2010 (UTC)

Should we remove A. R. Rahman from the list?

I strongly believe that A. R. Rahman should be taken off this list as he almost doesn't have any certifications to support such a claimed figure as 100 million in sales. I think we all would agree that the Indian music market alone could not have generated anything even remotely close to 100 million in sales since 1992 until now. And A. R. Rahman is not an artist who's ever had any significant presence on the charts of the developed markets. I would appreciate any comments/opinions.--Harout72 (talk) 00:24, 8 November 2010 (UTC)

He has released a lot of material and so maybe his work is below certification levels. But even forgetting about certs, he hasn't charted much on any chart of significance as you said Harout, so his sales are unverifiable. Even The Telegraph acknowledges piracy blurs his true total, so perhaps he should be deleted. Mattg82 (talk) 18:41, 12 November 2010 (UTC)
I agree to remove A.R. Rahman from this list. Although India is the country with second largest population in the wold, it is just a small music markets. Selling 100 million records in Japan might still make sense, but this is in India. He would never sell that much there Bluesatellite (talk) 17:07, 13 November 2010 (UTC)
Agreed. India cannot possibly produce sales of that magnitude. Remove him.--CallMeNathan • Talk2Me 22:01, 13 November 2010 (UTC)
  •  Done I have removed A.R. Rahman from the list based on our discussion here.--Harout72 (talk) 22:42, 13 November 2010 (UTC)

Kelly Clarkson

She has been reported as selling over 56 million records worldwide.

http://www.seoulstyle.com/calendar.php?eid=261 http://www.bettyconfidential.com/ar/ld/a/american-idol-finale.html http://www.bebo.com/Profile.jsp?MemberId=4054995707&TUUID=92657455-f342-4a88-9eff-dc172a5c777f http://music.ign.com/articles/961/961596p1.html

With her album sales around 20-25 million, 56 million records total sounds about right. This figure was also reported before her most recent album was released, which sold around five million records in the US alone, therefore she is definitely above 60 million. With worldwide sales from the last album factored in, I'd say she's around 65 million now. But since there's no source for that, sticking with the 56 million is ok. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.208.2.95 (talk) 05:07, 12 November 2010 (UTC)

The sources above are not reliable. Clarkson certainly doesn't seem to have collected that many Gold/Platinum certifications around the world to suggest that her sales have reached 56 million records.--Harout72 (talk) 16:24, 12 November 2010 (UTC)
Are you kidding me? 65 million? thats absurd! I agree with Harout, she's no more than 30.--CallMeNathan • Talk2Me 17:54, 12 November 2010 (UTC)
It's absolutely above 30 million. She's sold 16 million singles in the US alone, according to Billboard. Along with her 20 million albums sold worldwide, it's pretty much a given she's sold AT LEAST 35 million. How can someone like Lady GaGa who has had ONE album be on this list, yet an artist who has had four successful albums and has sold more albums and singles than GaGa not be on it? Also, it should be said that Clarkson's label is severely lacking in the gold/platinum certifications area. Her last album along with the singles from it have not been certified at all. The certifications from her other albums are also very outdated. Here's a reliable source saying she's sold 59 million (36 million singles, 23 million albums): http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/artists/d339efbb-77b9-4147-ba9e-59f2f24550b2 —Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.208.2.95 (talk) 06:48, 13 November 2010 (UTC)

Is that the source you're basing your argument on? That is not a real BBC page, that is simply a wikipedia mirror page, look at the bottom of it where it says read more at Wikipedia. In other words, what's been written by Kelly Clarkson's fans on wikipedia is now on that page, nothing more. Is that source also the reason why you believe that lot of Clarkson's records have not been certified?--Harout72 (talk) 08:07, 13 November 2010 (UTC)

You guys keep comparing this stuff to Gaga. I said this before, Gaga is all single sales. This list however, is records, meaning we accept any combination. Of course, Clarkson has more impressive sales judging by the fact that most of her sales are albums, which are much more profitable for the label etc. It is a problem though Harout, I mean is Gaga sells 100 million singles, we need to stress that its not the same as albums, I mean singles mean nothing in comparison to albums. Compare the $1.29 - $13.99 price tag. Big difference.--CallMeNathan • Talk2Me 08:44, 13 November 2010 (UTC)

Of course the record companies profit more from albums than from singles, but, here, for this list, we are to focus on units that are generated for artists respectively, so at the end of the day whether an artist sells 10 albums and 10 singles and 5 videos, they all count towards their total sales, which is 25 (for example). And that's what the term "records" stands for, albums/singles (including downloads) and videos. Each sold unit regardless of whether a single or album is counted as one unit. --Harout72 (talk) 16:33, 13 November 2010 (UTC)

I know her record label has claimed she's sold 56 million records. I just can't find the original source. Whatever, then. This list is pretty much a joke anyway. So much of it is inflated and untrue. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.208.2.95 (talk) 22:40, 13 November 2010 (UTC)

Total certified sales column for all artist

What do you think about adding Total certified sales column on the other tables? It will take some time to complete them of course. But maybe a bot could do it --Neo139 (talk) 03:30, 28 October 2010 (UTC)

Perhaps we can consider posting the certified sales for those artists within 200-299 in the near future. But I assure you that this is nothing that the bot could candle. There are numerous certification-award-levels that need to be applied to releases coming from different periods, this could only be done manually.--Harout72 (talk) 04:00, 28 October 2010 (UTC)

NEED to take Lady Gaga off the list there is no way that she has sold over 20 million world wide its impossible. How could lady Gaga have sold more than artists like Beyonce when first she's only had one album and Beyonce has had 3, which have been more successful than Gaga. Also if single sales should be included than artists like Beyonce, Usher, Rihanna, and Michael Jackson should be much higher. And another thing how could Rihanna have sold 60 million shes only been certified 5 million in the U.S., I am more than sure she hasn't been that popular in other countries. "The Fame" sold 3 million in the U.S. "Fearless" sold much more does that make Taylor Swift have sales of over 55 Million. People need to get common sense and stop this worship over Lady Gaga they make her out to be much more than she actually is. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 98.182.37.49 (talk) 21:31, 16 November 2010 (UTC)

The estimated figures are based on Albums, Singles and Videos, not just albums. That said, Rihanna's US certified sales alone are 4.5 million albums, 26.5 million singles and 50,000 videos. Similarly, Lady Gaga's US certified sales are 4 million albums, 11 million singles, again those are US certified sales only. Both Lady Gaga and Rihanna are more popular outside of the US than Beyonce is.--Harout72 (talk) 01:01, 17 November 2010 (UTC)

Edit request from Dashmn210, 17 November 2010

Beatles have sold 1.3 billion records as of 2004 according to Rolling Stone magazine (the current article cited on the wikipedia page saying they have sold only 1 billion records is 18 years old). My source is listed below.

Rolling stone: The Beatles 100 greatest songs. Special collectors ed. New York, NY: Rolling Stone, 2010.

That statistic is also claimed on this wikipedia page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_The_Beatles'_record_sales

Dashmn210 (talk) 04:55, 17 November 2010 (UTC)

 Not done I don't see any sources on that page. Besides, per The Beatles' certified sales, even 1 billion in sales is clearly inflated regardless.--Harout72 (talk) 05:14, 17 November 2010 (UTC)


really? you're going to argue with rolling stone magazine, who verified their numbers with EMI? alright... if you really think you know better than both of them... - dashmn210 —Preceding unsigned comment added by Dashmn210 (talk • contribs) 05:43, 17 November 2010 (UTC)

A few artists that need refs updating including Modern Talking and Pet Shop Boys

I think we need to change the references for the following artists as they are currently referenced with record label pages.

Also the Modern Talking figure of 120m seems a bit OTT as they have only sold well in German speaking countries and France. There is a solitary cert in the UK and none at all in the US (RIAA site is down atm but I found nothing the last time I looked.) so I think this needs to be changed. Mattg82 (talk) 22:29, 29 October 2010 (UTC)

Sure, if there are articles with figures preferably by news services, that would be better and more reliable. As for Modern talking, we could try and locate a source with lower figures, perhaps somewhere between 50-70 million. But removing Modern Talking entirely from the list would not be fair as their certified sales are:
Modern Talking were quite popular between 85-87 in eastern Europe and Asia Pacific aside from the German Speaking countries. They split up in '87 and reunited in '98, therefore, we don't have the luxury of seeing their earlier certifications as some of our certification-databases cover releases after they split up the first time. But overall, I too believe that the 120 million is inflated, even if we had all of their earlier certifications, we would never come anywhere remotely close to 120 million. Especially, they have never been popular in the English speaking world.--Harout72 (talk) 00:15, 30 October 2010 (UTC)
I've found a book source which says 60m for Modern Talking. I'm having trouble finding newspaper sources for them; after using Google news archive and going through some German newspaper online archives manually (which is rather tedious), I've drawn a blank. I'm still searching for some decent sources for the others. Mattg82 (talk) 00:06, 12 November 2010 (UTC)

Seems to me all the German news services are using the 120 million in sales for Modern Talking. Lot of them do mention the 60 million (these for example, 1, 2), but they also specify that its Modern Talking's sales from the 80s alone, before their 1998 reunion, which I find somewhat unlikely. The only source that I found that mentions a lower figure that 60 million is 41 million in sales by their label, but again it talks about the sales of the 80s.--Harout72 (talk) 03:08, 13 November 2010 (UTC)

Ok, Sony Music Germany seems to have stated a more logical figure for the duo, 100 million records in sales. Should we implement this? After all Sony Music is one of the Big Four parent companies, it's not a Label. Thoughts?--Harout72 (talk) 03:34, 13 November 2010 (UTC)
Erm, not sure as they also say 120m on this release. If we were to use that source are we saying Modern Talking have sold more than Iron Maiden? when there certifications are less. I know we need to judge each artist by there own merits but I think we need to be consistent. :-) Mattg82 (talk) 00:12, 17 November 2010 (UTC)

I don't think Modern Talking have sold more records than Iron Maiden, I'm simply trying to find a source that uses a lower figure than 120 million and bring their estimated sales figure closer to their actual sales. Sony claims 120 million for MT at their 2003 compilation album The Final Album (which was released when MT was under the control of BMG), whereas 7 years later Sony Music claims just over 100 million for MT at 2010 compilation 25 Years Of Disco-Pop. I'd like to believe that Sony Music is finally beginning to realize that the 120 million tossed about by BMG (which was bought by Sony Music in 2008) is nothing but a promotional figure which happens to be too inflated. Just an assumption :).--Harout72 (talk) 01:18, 17 November 2010 (UTC)

Oh well it's better than nothing I suppose. Anyway onto the others; I've found 50m records from The Times for PSBs. So it looks like 100m for them is inflated to. I think it is a press release from The Brit Awards/BPI. Mattg82 (talk) 22:41, 18 November 2010 (UTC)

OK, I will update Modern Talking's source per this discussion and later, if we find another source with lower figures, we'll update again. As for Pet Shop Boys, I too think 100 million is too much for them, but in any case, let me go over their certified sales and post them on here before we update their source, in case we need to support the reason behind the replacement of their source.--Harout72 (talk) 00:22, 19 November 2010 (UTC)

By the way, we also should try and locate a source with much lower figures for Luciano Pavarotti as his certified sales also do not suggest anything as big as 100 million.--Harout72 (talk) 00:30, 19 November 2010 (UTC)

Below are the certified sales for the Pet Shop Boys (largest market at the top and smallest at the bottom). For some markets we may not have all their certified sales as number of markets began their certification systems after mid 80s or the beginning of 90s.

Although, we can't look at Canada's available certifications for Pet Shop Boys due to their database being offline, I doubt it's more than 1 million. Also between 1996 and 2010 (3rd quarter), PSB do not seem to have a single album that has sold 1 million units in the entire Europe according to IFPI certification database. As our total comes up to 12.6 million only, I believe, it's fair to say that they could not have sold more than 50 million records as stated by The Times. An article by The Telegraph states the same figure and it's newer, any objections to using that?--Harout72 (talk) 00:16, 20 November 2010 (UTC)

Wow only 12 million and no Euro certs :-S I was starting to think that maybe 50m looked a little low before seeing that, but that figure is very fair for them now. Also upto 1 million for Canada looks an good guesstimate based on other artists I've seen, that have sold a similar amount of records. I have no issues with the Telegraph article. Mattg82 (talk) 00:45, 20 November 2010 (UTC)

Edit request from Mrrvasquez, 19 November 2010

bon jovi should be changed to 130 million because in 2007, bon jovi sold 120 million and that was before lost highway came out. lost highway has sold 4 million, the circle has sold 3 million, and bon jovi did do special edition in 2010. So that should come out to 10 million, 130 million albums should be right and jon bon jovi ,himself said that they have sold over 130 million http://www.theoaklandpress.com/articles/2010/11/06/entertainment/doc4cd4221167dfa777403506.txt?viewmode=default and private secession that they did on sunday the host said 130 million and i don't think she gets her information from the wiki http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocZkwrPYZjs and http://www.bonjovi.com/story/news-live/bon_jovi_to_play_in_peru_in_september_2010 and cnn http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:bnzqGdSp82YJ:www.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/09/16/cnnheroes.tribute.show/index.html+bon+jovi+130+million+albums&cd=8&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us


Mrrvasquez (talk) 01:19, 19 November 2010 (UTC)

All of you sources above are unreliable with an exception of only one, the article by CNN, which states 130 million album sales only. That said, 130 million may be a logical figure for Bon Jovi, if a source uses the term Records (meaning albums, singles, videos) not just Albums. Allow some time for me to go over Bon Jovi's certified sales to see if their certified sales suggest a figure that could translate into 130 million. In the meantime, you should locate a highly reliable source (preferably by a highly regarded news service) which states records. --Harout72 (talk) 02:08, 19 November 2010 (UTC)

Robbie Williams

Please change his claimed sales, he is the biggest-selling British artist in recent years and has sold definitely higher than 55 million:

Yes, according to Williams' certified sales, the 65 million in actual sales is quite logical. Are there recent articles by highly regarded news services stating 65 million records, because you have only two good sources above and they are not new.--Harout72 (talk) 21:16, 21 November 2010 (UTC)

Rihanna & Beyonce

These have to be inflated. Rihanna has no way sold 60 million her highest selling album has sold about seven million, and as for beyonce i'm pretty sure her sales have been combined with destiny child and it says on there wiki page that they have sold 50 million if you combine the bands solo efforts sales before they seperated. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 94.11.215.142 (talk) 10:11, 21 November 2010 (UTC)

There's NO way Rihanna sold 60 million, that's really inflated. Interestingly, even Rihanna wiki page does not mention anything about record sales, but she is listed here. Harout72 added her to this page without asking for discussion here. I think she should be removed here until we reach consensus on this talk page. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 110.138.53.1 (talk) 12:33, 21 November 2010 (UTC)

First, you guys need to do your homework before coming in here and accusing other editors, I would under no circumstances add any artists to the list without going over their certified sales. First of all, this list is not just about sales based on albums only, it is based on sales of albums, singles and videos.

1) Rihanna's total US certified sales alone are currently 31,050,000, that is 4,500,000 albums, 26,500,000 singles, 50,000 videos. Her total UK certified sales are 4,080,000. For the rest of the markets, see my detailed analysis on Rihanna's certified sales here.

2) Beyonce's total US certified sales alone are currently 34,800,000, that is 9,000,000 albums, 24,900,000 singles, 900,000 videos. Her total UK certified sales are 3,360,000. For the rest of the markets, see my detailed analysis on Beyonce's certified sales here.--Harout72 (talk) 18:06, 21 November 2010 (UTC)

Shakira sales

Pies Descaloz = 5, Donde estan los lodrones = 10, laundry service = 13, fijacion oral vol 1 = 4, oral fixation vol 2 = 8, she wolf = 1.5, grades exitos = 3.5, live&of the record = 3.5 million, the remixes = 1, mtv unplugged = 5 andoral fixation vol 1&2 = 0.5 

All these sales equal 50 million this is only her album sales

Her singles sales are as follow whenever,wherever = 9, underneath your clothes = 5, la tortura = 5, hips don't lie = 10 and waka waka = 4

Add these together and you get you'll get 83 million all these came from wikepedia pages and her total career sales would be closer to 90 million because the singles mentioned are only her most successful. Please change this most other artist have both albums and singles included , this is not fair and she deserves recognition for being a high selling artist. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 94.5.165.179 (talk) 20:56, 15 November 2010 (UTC)

I agree but good luck getting it on the page... Their like a mafia. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 219.89.137.146 (talk) 01:03, 20 November 2010 (UTC)

thanks at least i've got a little support , bit annoyed nothing is being done. Alot of artists including Pink, Usher and Chrisitna Aguilera have sold more than 50 million records.Pink for example has sold 30 million albums and over 30 million singles.These come from added sales of here wiki pages and only half the singles even have certified sales, so the number is probably much higher.Any way still wanting something doen about Shakira sales —Preceding unsigned comment added by 2.120.238.102 (talk) 16:26, 20 November 2010 (UTC)

While lot of those figures at Shakira discography are inflated, they are also supported by unreliable sources such as Shakira's official site which cannot be regarded as reliable, see WP:RS which clearly states Anyone can create a website or pay to have a book published, then claim to be an expert in a certain field. For that reason self-published media—whether books, newsletters, personal websites, open wikis, blogs, personal pages on social networking sites, Internet forum postings, or tweets—are largely not acceptable. For example, the sales figure of 5 million for the album Pies Descalzos is clearly inflated as the album has only been certified Platinum in US for sales of just over 1 million units, Platinum in Brazil for sales of just over 250,000 units, 2x Platinum in Argentina for sales of just over 120,000 units, there are no certifications for that album in Mexico or in any other market. I can't check the Spanish certification for it since their database begins from 2004. All in all, the actual sales for Pies Descalzos should not surpass the 3 million mark, and that album's sales figure is just one example. If interested, I have the breakdown of all Shakira's available certifications which you can see here for every one of her certified albums and singles and videos respectively for markets, all which cover 70-80% of all the global music sales.--Harout72 (talk) 17:27, 20 November 2010 (UTC)

If thats true then wikipedia is full of inflated sales also acts like rihanna,beyonce,lady gaga and the black eyed peas are on the list there sales must be totally made up.Beyonce album sales stand at roughly 25 million and her single sales I've no idea, so if one artist cannot get her real sales then it shouldnt be fair for the rest of them.If the are to remain on the list then Christina Aguilera,PINK and Usher should be definately added aswell —Preceding unsigned comment added by 2.120.238.102 (talk) 22:51, 20 November 2010 (UTC)

If you have a question about sales of certain artists, please discuss them separately by opening up new sections. Otherwise, instructing us which artists need to be added or taken off the list is not a way of discussing the matter. That said, Pink! is nowhere close to having sold 50 million records in order to be added to this list, and Usher's sales currently should be somewhere around 40-45 million, meaning he will soon be on the list. As for Christina Aquilera, we have a discussion on this very page for her sales above, post your concern within that section.--Harout72 (talk) 23:30, 20 November 2010 (UTC)


Platium only records the minimum sales and they do not include digital downloads, such as itunes where shakira has even surpassed the beatles on some records. "hips dont lie" is the best selling single of the century. Also, Shakira's album sales alone are now more than 60 million according to sony music so edit that. source: http://translate.google.com.ar/translate?hl=es&sl=ja&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sonymusicshop.jp%2Fm%2Fitem%2FitemShw.php%3Fsite%3DS%26ima%3D3317%26cd%3D00DX000077433 --109.156.221.54 (talk) 19:33, 23 November 2010 (UTC)

French numbers wrong?

Using the same site linked in the notes as a reference (#68, http://www.infodisc.fr/CDCertif_Detail.php) it seems that the French figures for the best-selling music artists are wrong. Using this page: http://www.infodisc.fr/Artiste_Ventes.php which tracks French sales by artist from 1955-2009, here's what the numbers are vs. those currently reported on the page: The Beatles: 17.3 million vs 3 million Elvis Presley: 6 million vs 2.4 million Michael Jackson: 19.9 million vs 10.4 million ABBA: 8.6 million vs 2.7 million etc. Basically the current French figures are grossly underrated. If there are no objections I'll update them. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Julienvr (talk • contribs) 00:36, 23 November 2010 (UTC)

Those figures you are posting above are actual sales figure, whereas we, on the other hand, as the column states "Total Certified Sales", need to post the sum total of the certified sales. I'm not,however, sure why you bring up the reference No. 68 as an example which is there for an entirely different purpose, certification-award-levels.--Harout72 (talk) 01:14, 23 November 2010 (UTC)
You are right, it was note #9 I should have brought up. But I guess I understand better the issue of sales vs total certified sales, thanks for the explanation :) I guess I still have an issue with the relevance of certified sales for artists like Presley or the Beatles whose careers were before most countries started certifying records...Julienvr (talk) 16:48, 23 November 2010 (UTC)

I realize that some of the artists have launched their careers before most countries established their certifying agencies; therefore, we have footnotes below the first table for every single market indicating when each market has begun their certification schemes, see the footnotes here. The purpose of the footnotes is to inform the readers that some of the record sales prior to those years have gone uncertified. --Harout72 (talk) 16:51, 23 November 2010 (UTC)

Maybe we could add a note below the table saying: "Total known sales for <<artist>> according to Infodisc is: xx.x million." or something similar. Mattg82 (talk) 01:39, 23 November 2010 (UTC)
Posting only the French actual sales doesn't make sense, if we had an access to all markets' actual sales figures, then we could simply add an additional column. But posting only the French actual figures is not consistent. --Harout72 (talk) 01:48, 23 November 2010 (UTC)

Being specific on album or single sales where applicable

Hey everyone, so truth is it kills me to see Rihanna and Lady Gaga in this list, ahead of people like Shania Twain, who have sold 60 million albums, not singles, producing 10 times the revenue! I propose for these kins of artists we indicate like "Rihanna - 60 million - 15 million albums, 45 million singles (as specified in the citation)". otherwise it isnt fair to the other artists who has in reality sold MUCH more than 99 cent digital downloads.--CallMeNathan • Talk2Me 02:01, 23 November 2010 (UTC)

Nathan, we are to focus on units sold, not on revenue. Regardless of whether albums, digital downloads or videos, they all count towards certification-awards, they all count towards how record sales are calculated. What you are suggesting is an issue that concerns the record companies. In other words, the record companies should worry about how to make their artists sell more albums than digital downloads to profit more, if, in fact, they profit more from album sales. I believe, the revenue for 10 or 12 digital downloads (sum total of all is almost $12) is the same as selling an album with 10 or 12 tracks on it (which also in US costs some $12 or $13). By the way, we have to be consistent throughout the entire list, meaning we can't specify what part of Rihanna's 60 million is based on singles and leave someone like Michael Jackson on the list with his rigged 750 million and not be able to specify what portion of his sales is based on singles and which portion on albums, because notable percentage of Jackson's and many others' sales is also based on singles sales but we can't do the same because their sources do not get specific.--Harout72 (talk) 03:40, 23 November 2010 (UTC)
I see what your saying Harout, but I find it so absurd to list Rihanna and Gaga with around 60, and Shania with 60, when all 45 million of their digital downloads equal maybe 4 million albums. Whereas Shania has sold a solid 30 Million in the US alone! So thats what ticks me off!--CallMeNathan • Talk2Me 04:34, 23 November 2010 (UTC)

Nathan, I'm sorry, but it's just the way they count units. Even before the digital downloads came into the picture, each standard single would sell for $3 in US, which would translate into 4 singles vs one album, when viewed from the revenue perspective.--Harout72 (talk) 05:06, 23 November 2010 (UTC)

Brazilian certification body's (ABPD) website does not work! Frustrating!

What was actually wrong with Brazilian certification body's (ABPD) website? It does not work! It makes harder for internet users to find the database for Brazilian certification. MrFawwaz (talk) 15:30, 25 November 2010 (UTC)

The Buscar button does not work in Firefox. Write the artist into the box and press Enter. Mattg82 (talk) 17:03, 25 November 2010 (UTC)

Pugacheva's records

To be honest, I'd actually never heard of her before, but just the other day I saw a TV program on which she was mentionined as one of the best-selling artists of all time with more than 200 miilion records to her credit since the beginning of her career. Now I see that her name already appeared here actually, and it was supported by a credible Britannica source. I see no consensus on the issue except except for seeing some people finding it hard to believe that she could make this list. I think this achievement is possible, but who am I to think if there are sources which perfectly back up the claim? For now I do not agree to the removal of her name. I am willing to check this out further in some books. Shahid • Talk2me 19:52, 25 November 2010 (UTC)

Please do not insert Alla Pugacheva into the list as all artists should have significant number of certifications to be on the list, and that is certainly not the case with Pugacheva. Finland is the only market which has a certification for sales of 25,000 units, that is absolutely, not enough to back up a claimed figure as large as 250 million. As for former Soviet Union, there is no way that their music market alone could have generated that kind of sales with their non-existent economy regardless of what the vinyls and cassettes cost during when she was at her career peak. I think we all would agree that inflated figures are nothing new to us, therefore, all figures need to be examined with certifications. In other words, whether it's Cliff Richard or Bing Crosby or Alla Pugacheva, they should not be added to the list due to lack of certifications, and that is clearly explained at the top of this discussion page in the box The list is frequently edited in good faith; however, sales figures published by reliable sources may need to be verified with certification databases to avoid inflated figures.--Harout72 (talk) 20:03, 25 November 2010 (UTC)
Please see WP:V - "The threshold for inclusion in Wikipedia is verifiability, not truth—whether readers can check that material in Wikipedia has already been published by a reliable source, not whether editors think it is true." Shahid • Talk2me 20:07, 25 November 2010 (UTC)

In the same vein, you should refer to WP:RS, which clearly states The reliability of a source depends on context. Each source must be carefully weighed to judge whether it is reliable for the statement being made and is the best such source for that context. In general, the more people engaged in checking facts, analyzing legal issues, and scrutinizing the writing, the more reliable the publication.--Harout72 (talk) 20:10, 25 November 2010 (UTC)

Sorry? So according to you Britannica is not factually accurate? Is it better if an RfC is started maybe? Shahid • Talk2me 20:54, 25 November 2010 (UTC)

In general, Britannica could be regarded as reliable; however, in this particular case they have had no way of checking and verifying whether the 250 million given to them by Russians was true or not. It's obvious that Soviets at the time have tried to compete with western markets by claiming that one of the best selling artists in the world belongs to them. As for RFC, if you feel that there is a need for that then perhaps you should initiate one. I'd like to emphasize; though, that both the list and the discussion page do inform the editors that record sales may need to get examined with certification to avoid inflated sales figures.--Harout72 (talk) 21:47, 25 November 2010 (UTC)

I'd have to agree with Harout on this one. To start off, I've never heard of her at all. Next, the woman has no certifications in the US, Europe, Japan or Australia which make up roughly 90% of worldwide record sales. I don't see how we could include her next to Mariah Carey and Celine Dion, when they are world renown singers, in all continents. Now regarding calling Britannica reliable. A source could be reliable, but where they got the claim from isn't. Those are probably figures from her management or something. Anyway, sorry we can't include her in the list.--CallMeNathan • Talk2Me 01:48, 26 November 2010 (UTC)
I would have to agree with Harout & Nathan. Britannica is a respected encyclopedia but the 250m figure from 97 on that article looks completely wrong compared to 150m given by The Guardian in 1999. This is the problem this page has, these are two reliable sources and yet they have come up with a figure which is miles apart from each other; and so, this is why we look into sales figures in detail by going over certification databases. So on that basis, if we were to add Alla Pugacheva to the list then The Guardian is definitely a more credible source.
Slighty OT, but this has made me think that we should extend the Artists by reputed sales section to all the artists with sales of 200m+. Then everyone will be able to see that 250m for Cliff Richard is a load of bull. Mattg82 (talk) 03:27, 26 November 2010 (UTC)

Christina Aguilera, P!nk, Shakira and Usher

Harout72, I think you should give some artists more of a chance. You seem to decide if an artist goes on a list based on your on pre-conceptions and general estimations. You dismissed all of the artists in the title as well as many others. I will take the example of Christina Aguilera. You stated that you think her total sales are 42 million. What is this based on? At least the user gave some sources of the claim of 42 million albums but were deemed 'unreliable' meanwhile your assumption that its only 42 million records cancels that out? Her record claims 46 million albums, which is probably inflated but, where do you think MTV gets the figures for Black Eyed Peas Rihanna ect.? Its highly unlikely that a tiny blog would search every single database in the world for their figures from the artist's label or simply guess.

Also you defend Rihanna's sales from an MTV blog with 31,050,000 sales in US. And Christina Aguilera's US sales are at around 28,000,000 even though Lady Marmalade and all singles from Stripped were only released on 12" singles which, as you surely know, is a very unpopular format. they were big hits across the world which may explain why her singles sales are considerably lower. She also has a spanish album which of course would sell more in spanish speaking areas. Taking this into account I think you should re-think all these artist and at least have an open mind instead of of pick and chosing who goes on the list because of your own assumtions. 86.40.63.216 (talk) 20:56, 25 November 2010 (UTC)

Please discuss one artist at a time and do not compare artists to each other, this list is not a competition based list. As for Aguilera, please refer to this archived discussion. Based on her album certifications and not my own assumption (as you suggest above), her album sales alone could not have reached and passed the 42 million mark, her overall record sales (albums, singles, videos) could be some 50 million. That said, if you have a reliable source stating that figure, then please bring it here and we'll take it from there. By the way, this discussion above might interest you.--Harout72 (talk) 21:57, 25 November 2010 (UTC)

Biggest selling British acts of all time

I have just come across this article: Biggest selling British acts of all time, it is basically a copy of what is/was here but just lists British artists. I don't think this article is necessary and it is currently an unprotected article so can easily be vandalized etc. Mattg82 (talk) 02:38, 20 November 2010 (UTC)

Looks like people are desperately looking for other ways to list artists like Cliff Richard with inflated figures since they can't succeed on here. I personally don't think having that list is all that necessary either, I also see that the column for Best selling album is missing citations for over 70% of them.--Harout72 (talk) 02:51, 20 November 2010 (UTC)

Only desperately trying to put the record straight. If you would open your eyes and put cliff in your list rightfully where he belongs people would not have to male up a new more accurate list. Please do your research better in future and try not to give us a list full of errors. Cliff Richard is an English national treasure, and you insult the Brittish public by being so disrespectful. With a career spanning over 52 years it's easy to sell 260 million. To be honest it's also considered a low figure for such a long career when you look at artists such as Micheal Jackson who have released way less records and sold many more. I ask you to investigate cliff record sales and other artists. There are many other sources to consider other than just certified sales. We want a more accurate list that shows a true picture of how many artists have actually sold. 193.35.132.40 (talk) 00:51, 27 November 2010 (UTC)

I'm afraid that the more I open my eyes the more I realize how inflated Richard's figure is. That said, his record sales has been analyzed enough for us to know that he doesn't belong in the list. Keeping inflated figures off the list is in no way disrespecting anybody's so called national treasure.--Harout72 (talk) 02:43, 27 November 2010 (UTC)

Edit request from 77.28.151.10, 29 November 2010

{{edit semi-protected}}

|- | Britney Spears || United States || 1998–present || Pop / Dance / Dance-pop|| 123 million[1] |- 77.28.151.10 (talk) 10:19, 29 November 2010 (UTC)

Not done: please provide reliable sources that support the change you want to be made. Forums do not qualify as reliable sources, per WP:RS. If the same info is available from a reliable source, please make a new request with that source so that the info can be added. Thanks. Qwyrxian (talk) 14:07, 29 November 2010 (UTC)

Artists that need refs updating: Part II

OK I've started a new section to keep things easily readable, and added Olivia Newton-John. Mattg82 (talk) 17:53, 23 November 2010 (UTC)

 Done – Source replaced with a non-record company source.
 Done – Reliable source added by Bluesatellite
 Done – Figure left the same per discussion and second reliable source added.

Olivia Newton-John

Well, the RIAA has 14 million certified albums and 13 million certified singles for Olivia Newton John, and her singles which have been certified are all released prior to 1989, when the certification-award-levels for singles in US were: Gold=1,000,000, Platinum=2,000,000. So it seems that she may have lots of units on her singles that we can't see with certifications which could lie between the Gold and the Platinum awards, or units that we can't see because some of her singles may be just shy of having reached the Gold status (under 1 million units). In the UK, she has some 800,000 certified album units, and 3,250,000 certified singles. She has just one single certified in Germany for sales of over 250,000 units. I wonder what her actual sales are for Australia, since she's from there. I think, the 100 million in actual sales is reasonable for someone who has 27 million in certified sales from US alone and some 4 million from UK. Thoughts?--Harout72 (talk) 23:13, 23 November 2010 (UTC)

I forgot about the higher thresholds before 89 doh!, so I think 100m is ok if she did sell well in Australia. Unfortunately her biggest selling material was way before 97 so we can't verify exactly how much see sold, although I did see some certs for her newer releases. I did look for sources with a lower figure but I didn't find one, so here is The Age saying 100m. Mattg82 (talk) 03:00, 24 November 2010 (UTC)

I inserted also the source you located, I left the older source in place, I think that way it makes it clearer that she has sold most of her records before early 1980s. Feel free to remove the older one if you want; however.--Harout72 (talk) 05:03, 24 November 2010 (UTC)

Pavarotti

Do we include sales from The Three Tenors ? Mattg82 (talk) 03:37, 26 November 2010 (UTC)

That is a very good question, since I don't listen to opera, I'd forgotten that Pavarotti had a collaboration with other two. Is it possible that the 100 million claimed by news services includes the sales of his collaboration in The Three Tenors? As far as I'm concerned the trio's sales should be viewed as a separate figure, and Pavarotti's sales as another sales. I am honestly confused in this particular case, should we give Pavarotti's 100 million a pass and keep him on the list as it is? Because the three of them together seem to have a huge list of certifications all over the world, in Europe their certifications should be looked for under CARRERAS, DOMINGO & PAVAROTTI.--Harout72 (talk) 05:48, 26 November 2010 (UTC)
If the Tenors are certified as CARRERAS, DOMINGO & PAVAROTTI then maybe he should be left on the list as it is. I could not find any lower figures for him or any sales figures for the Tenors at all. Mattg82 (talk) 03:19, 4 December 2010 (UTC)

Eurythmics

Is there any problem with their claimed sales? I have found three sources for 75 million records The Advocate [7], Wales Online [8], and Times of Malta [9]. Which one is more reputable? Bluesatellite (talk) 10:31, 26 November 2010 (UTC)

It looks like the 75 million for Eurythmics is realistic based on their certifications. I think, Mat just wanted to replace the source as they are currently supported by Sony Music's site. If there are no more reliable sources for Eurythmics (and I can't find anymore that use the term records), then should we go with Wales Online [10]?--Harout72 (talk) 18:41, 26 November 2010 (UTC)
There are some other sources but the way they are written makes it seem Lennox sold 75m by herself. So I think we should use the Wales online source above. Mattg82 (talk) 03:19, 4 December 2010 (UTC)

 Done Source replaced.--Harout72 (talk) 00:22, 5 December 2010 (UTC)

Backstreet Boys

This is out of date now, it is on all sources that the backstreet boys have sold 130 million albums and close to 200 million records. This needs updating —Preceding unsigned comment added by 90.220.231.7 (talk) 23:06, 7 December 2010 (UTC)

The Police

The Police are no longer an active band. Their last reunion ended in 2008 and are deemed inactive. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.51.207.107 (talk) 04:31, 2 December 2010 (UTC)

 Done Changed from present to 2008. Mattg82 (talk) 13:51, 10 December 2010 (UTC)

Christina Aguilera ?

--Mathiassandell (talk) 17:32, 11 December 2010 (UTC)

Where is Christina Aguilera listed, she has sold 50 million according to wikipedia, can somebody do something about this.

I agree with you 100%. Her own labels official website reported she had sold over 46 million albums in an article written earlier this year http://www.rcamusicgroup.com/news/christina-aguilera-perform-american-music-awards I have also found an article on her official website which states 46 million albums sold http://www.christinaaguilera.com/us/news/christina-perform-american-music-awards , and after you add her singles sales (they can use her certifications), it should easily surpass 50 million records and probably is in reality well over 60 million.219.89.134.67 (talk) 05:18, 13 December 2010 (UTC)

See this archived discussion for Aguilera's sales. Based on her album-certifications, her actual album-sales should not be more than 30 million or 35 million maximum. Aguilara's overall record sales (Albums, singles and videos) should be somewhere 50 million mark. I personally cannot find any reliable sources which claim 50 million records (not only albums, which would be outright inflated). If any one does locate a source of that kind, please bring it to our attention here. By the way, record labels which are not parent companies like Sony Music or Warner Music are not regarded as reliable as they always tend to inflate sales figures for promotional purposes.--Harout72 (talk) 16:23, 13 December 2010 (UTC)

Beyoncé

I was just thought that Beyoncé could be labeled as '2003 to present' under period seeing as she didn't start her solo career 'till that time but if you guys think its better the way it is that's fine.

Singles and albums.

Shouldn't the singles and albums sales be shown seperately in brackets or something?. Especially in today's climate where it costs just 99p and one click to buy a single. Some artists on this page haven't sold many albums at all but a massive amount of singles instead. i.e Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Beyonce. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Quickstep22 (talk • contribs) 00:02, 15 December 2010 (UTC)

Unfortunately, we cannot do that for most artists as the sources for 99% of artists do not specify which portion of sales is based on singles and which portion is based on albums.--Harout72 (talk) 00:47, 15 December 2010 (UTC)

Certified, claimed, reputed, estimated...

On this page, 4 different types of sales metrics are described. The top chart calls itself "Artists by reputed sales", but the chart itself doesn't mentioned reputed sales, it mentions certified and claimed sales. Are claimed and reputed the same? If so, why two different words describing them? Then, the lower charts introduces a new metric; estimated sales. Is this data obtained the same way, and if so, why another description for the same thing? Or is an estimate more reliable than a claim?

Assuming some or all of these terms are interchangeable, these should be harmonised. The page should also do a better job of explaining the terms used, especially if these are *not* interchangeable. Aawood (talk) 08:03, 15 December 2010 (UTC)

Bee Gees

I've found sources which say 110m records for the Bee Gees: BBC & Daily Mail. Also Allmusic says 100m. If think we need to check their certs. Mattg82 (talk) 22:52, 11 December 2010 (UTC)

I too think that 220 million in sales is way inflated for them. But, let's be sure. Let me have some time to go over their certified sales. --Harout72 (talk) 23:58, 11 December 2010 (UTC)

Below are Bee Gee's certified sales including the soundtrack Saturday Night Fever:

Our total including the French actual sales is 69,195,470. Although we have some certified sales missing due to some of the databases for some markets beginning many years after Bee Gees have begun releasing materials, our total certified sales would not have been much different had we had all markets' figures from earlier periods. Having said that, the 220 million which our current source claims for Bee Gees is outright inflated. Bee Gees' actual sales including the soundtrack Saturday Night Fever should be somewhere between 110-150 million maximum. Are there sources claiming anything higher than 110 million? If not then 1110 million is quite realistic.--Harout72 (talk) 00:35, 14 December 2010 (UTC)

I've found 120m from the LA Times and Vibe magazine and 110m again from The Guardian. I think we should use one of these sources as the ones I placed above say "...placing them fifth in pop history behind Elvis Presley, the Beatles, Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney" which is clearly wrong. Mattg82 (talk) 02:36, 20 December 2010 (UTC)

I moved the Bee Gees into 100-199 using the article by LA Times (120 million), I think it's our best choice as 110 million may be a little low when counting the sales of Saturday Night Fever. I also agree with you that the use of the initial sources above would not have been correct.--Harout72 (talk) 16:48, 20 December 2010 (UTC)

Edit request on artist Eminem.

the claimed sales still stand on 80 million. that was some time ago, today at the store they marked us with 95 million. I believe it should be updated. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 201.123.8.102 (talk) 05:28, 13 December 2010 (UTC)

I agree with you, but actually I believe they stand over 100 million.219.89.134.67 (talk) 05:36, 13 December 2010 (UTC)

If you can cite a reliable source, then it can be modified as is necessary. ⒺⓋⒾⓁⒼⓄⒽⒶⓃ② talk 19:25, 15 December 2010 (UTC)

Those numbers are from 2005 exept from Re Up, Relapse and Recovery EMINEM - SLIM SHADY LP - 9,332,000 EMINEM - MARSHALL MATHERS LP - 22,469,000 EMINEM - EMINEM SHOW - 20,872,000 EMINEM - 8 MILE SOUNDTRACK - 9,372,000 EMINEM - ENCORE - 10,836,000 EMINEM - CURTAIN CALL - 7,651,000 VARIOUS ARTISTS - EMINEM PRESENTS THE RE-UP - 2,672,000 EMINEM - RELAPSE - 3,775,000 EMINEM - RECOVERY - 5,800,000

SOLO CAREER ALBUMS TOTAL: 92,779,000 —Preceding unsigned comment added by 84.49.177.172 (talk) 22:32, 17 December 2010 (UTC)

Madonna??

I don't get it,

Where's Madonna? --Cprice1000talk2me 01:26, 20 December 2010 (UTC)

Your kidding right? Ga Be 19 01:59, 20 December 2010 (UTC)

LOL, just look at the first section. She is the top-selling female artist of all time according to Guinness World Records. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 114.126.44.217 (talk) 04:51, 20 December 2010 (UTC)

OH! XD I'm so blind! --Cprice1000talk2me 14:49, 20 December 2010 (UTC)

Led Zeppelin

I would like to inform you that the reference for Led Zeppelin is false. As it is, Led Zeppelin didn't sold 300 millions sales, but only 150 millions, as it is writen on the second reference, which is true. I tried to change this error but I couldn't. Can someone do it? Rivaol57 (talk) 23:09, 23 December 2010 (UTC)

Led Zeppelin's available certified sales are almost 130 million alone, and because they have begun their career in '68, good 30-40% of their records have gone uncertified due to numerous markets establishing their certification system after early 1970s. Which means that their actual sales is way above 150 million guaranteed.--Harout72 (talk) 23:23, 23 December 2010 (UTC)
I totally agree with Harout72. Rivaol57, you're kiddin' right? Have a look... and these are from the oldest, most reliable and well-known newspapers, magazines and news agencies of the world that support the 300 million album sales of Led Zeppelin:

Scieberking (talk) 06:26, 24 December 2010 (UTC)

Christina Aguilera... Again...

Hello editors, there has been tons of requests of Christina Aguilera on the list and (I hope) I found a reliable source.

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/still-a-fighting-spirit/story-fn6bm8z4-1225973152129

It says nearly 50 million albums and before you dismiss this, The Daily Telegraph has been used as sources for Michael Jackson, Celin Dion, Barbara Streisand, Bruce Springstein, Bob Dylan, Enya, Pet Shop Boys and Genesis.

If it's acceptable I'll find a singles source.

Thanks. CheezeDoodles (talk) 23:33, 23 December 2010 (UTC)

Oh sorry it accually says records! Nevermind about the search for singles. CheezeDoodles (talk) 23:40, 23 December 2010 (UTC)

Christina Aguilera was never added to this list due to all available sources claiming huge illogical figures for her albums sales only. Based on Aguilera's available certified sales, her overall record sales is not more than 50 million, that is singles, albums, videos combined. Thank you for finally providing a useful source which uses the term Records and not Albums only. She's now on the list.--Harout72 (talk) 23:58, 23 December 2010 (UTC)

Marilyn Manson

Marilyn manson recently singed to cooking vinyl, and reported that he has sold over 50 million records worldwide. And over 8.7 million records in United States http://cookingvinyl.com/artists/marilyn-manson/ http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=149002 http://anrworldwide.com/newsletter/20101109.php http://ecentral.my/music/sleeve/notes.asp?file=archives/sleeve/2.010/11/10/10MarilynMan&date=11/10/2010&title=Marilyn%20Manson%20Signs%20New%20Deal http://www.billboard.com/news/marilyn-manson-plots-2011-comeback-with-1004125762.story --Deathmyname (talk) 21:51, 1 December 2010 (UTC)

Where in Billboard's source do you see any mention about the 50 million records, because that is the only reliable source. And based on Manson's certifications, 50 million is rather inflated.--Harout72 (talk) 02:41, 2 December 2010 (UTC)

It doesnt matter, there is a source that states he has sold 50 mill, therefore he needs to be added to the list. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 125.239.14.36 (talk) 11:30, 1 January 2011 (UTC)

Usher

Usher's wikipedia article states that he has sold 45 million albums worldwide. If Lady Gaga is on this list due to units shipped from "The Fame" and her singles, then we can assume Usher has sold approximately 20 million singles based on all the information in his articles from wikipedia alone. He needs to be added on the list. [11][12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] --Bob bee bee (talk) 20:40, 11 December 2010 (UTC)

So is there a particular reason I haven't gotten a response yet??--Bob bee bee (talk) 23:08, 24 December 2010 (UTC)

The reason why I personally did not respond to you message is because you should not support your statements with other wikipedia pages. In order for Usher to be on the list, we'd need a reliable source which claims some 50 million records, meaning singles, albums, videos. As far as album sales go for Usher, the 45 million is not realistic as Usher is mainly an American phenomenon; in other words, his both singles and albums sales are rather weak outside of the US. His overall album-sales alone should not surpass the 30-35 million mark, and his total record sales should be somewhere around 50 million units (again that is albums, singles, videos combined). See my detailed analysis on Usher's certified sales here to get an idea how his sales-performance is market by market.--Harout72 (talk) 23:25, 24 December 2010 (UTC)

Update totals for MC Hammer

?: [18] MAY2010 - 25 - 0025 Hammer was a relentless entrepreneur, making records in his basement and ... and out of his own production studios - he has sold over 50 million records, ... 63.131.4.149 (talk) 06:54, 1 January 2011 (UTC)

Taken and well sourced from MC Hammer discography and MC Hammer (see intro and award sections):

(fyi: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=MC_Hammer_discography or http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=MC_Hammer_discography#Compilation_albums) 63.131.4.149 (talk) 06:46, 1 January 2011 (UTC)


He/Hammer has sold more than 50 million records worldwide, demonstrating hip-hop's potential for mass market success.[2][19][20][21][22][23]


He/Hammer has sold more than 50 million records worldwide, breaking down numerous doors for rap music and demonstrating that hip-hop had the potential for blockbuster success.[3][4][24][25][26][27][28]


P.S. I can log in and update if needed. 63.131.4.149 (talk) 08:05, 18 December 2010 (UTC)

You don't have a single reliable source above. We'd also need to look at Hammer's available certified sales.--Harout72 (talk) 16:21, 18 December 2010 (UTC)

How are that many sources not "reliable"? Did you view/read them? It's not like I just provided you with one. You can determine this on your own to verify it's correct. If you are simply just not wanting to update it for personal reasons, I can invite Admin to discuss and confirm/approve this. None of the sites are "copies" taken from Wiki either. 63.131.4.149 (talk) 07:55, 31 December 2010 (UTC)

P.S. You/We need to consider the concensus (WP:CON) of the topic and the many sources/sites stating this.[29] Can you disprove it? Some sites say less, but chronologically, they are or may be older. If even to mention, "some sources claim 50+ million...", etc. I mean, ESPN isn't a reliable source? BizTech? or A&E isn't a reliable source? The actual network he has/had his show and website on (Hammertime)? I hope not wanting to include/fix it isn't a personal preference of your own. I would like others, including Admin, to weigh in on this. I can log in and fix it otherwise and then discuss it until it's resolved or disproven per guidelines. Thanks! 63.131.4.149 (talk) 08:20, 31 December 2010 (UTC)

ESPN in general would be considered a reliable source; however, it should not be used here in this very case as they are not a news service nor are they an organization dealing directly with record sales. A&E is only weakly reliable. Again because record sales are very difficult subject which are quite often inflated by record companies for promotional purposes, we tend to use articles published by prestigious news service organizations here. You can refer to our reference section here to familiarize yourself with what kind of sources the artists on the list are supported with. Also, I went over MC Hammer's available certified sales which you can find here. And they are retrieved from the following organizations which certify records:
Also note that some markets which offered certifications during the time that Hammer was around, do not have certifications listed for him due to weak sales, that includes Argentina, Brazil and Finland. Judging by Hammer's available certified sales, it's clear that he's only gained huge success in US, I would also like to look at his Canadian certified sales which at the moment is unavailable due to their certification-database being offline. MC Hammer's total worldwide actual sales (including albums, singles, videos) should be somewhere around 35 or 40 million maximum. However, if you locate a highly reliable source which claims 50 million records for Hammer, then we could add him to the list, but again, it must be either a news service such as CNN, Fox News, The New York Times, LA Times or The Washington Post etc. or music related organizations such as MTV.--Harout72 (talk) 19:57, 31 December 2010 (UTC)

During the time Hammer was around? He's not dead you know? Ok, well, regardless there are more sales than what he is listed as within the article. So it should still be changed. And just because a reliable source that you think is appropriate isn't available ONLINE, doesn't mean it doesn't exist or isn't true. I will have to do some more checking. It's petty to argue about it, but the article status isn't accurate. You can't just take an outdated source and claim it's still right. Those were his totals back when he was most popular. They have increased over the years. At any rate, agree to disagree. I have discussed the amount of record sales with someone else before and can get that person involved to perhaps assist. Good day, bye. P.S. I think Hammer would tell the A&E network and ESPN (who he does interviews with since I have edited most of his article and know a little bit more about him then you probably do) the correct amount of sales he had. He would know best, and his own sites have mentioned this too. But whatever! (conspiracy) 63.131.4.149 (talk) 20:35, 31 December 2010 (UTC)

By the way, I don't need to be familiarized with the sources that "you" or "others" have used and they be the only ones reliable. A source is a source if it's accepted by Wiki. You or anyone who edited the article aren't the final authority on what sources are ok or not. If an article only used one or two kinds of sources, that doesn't mean they are the only ones that have to be used from then on. Others can be introduced as reliable. I think you know those are right, but YOU "don't like" them. I could be wrong. But you haven't proven it otherwise. Thanks... 63.131.4.149 (talk) 20:45, 31 December 2010 (UTC)

User talk:Edgarde, I'm curious what your thoughts and opinions are about this? Per our talk page discussions about this issue before, do you agree that the sources are or aren't reliable enough to consider and change? I'm looking for others as well. Thanks! 63.131.4.149 (talk) 20:45, 31 December 2010 (UTC)

By stating During the time Hammer was around I was speaking of his presence on the charts. Your assuming that Hammer may have told ESPN or A&E his true sales doesn't make those figures right. And I am not sure what you mean by You can't just take an outdated source and claim it's still right. Those were his totals back when he was most popular. If you are speaking of the certified sales, certified sales are always updated by certifying agencies when records (albums or singles) reach the next certification-award-levels, and it's clear that they haven't after the peak of his career. And saying I don't need to be familiarized with the sources that "you" or "others" have used and they be the only ones reliable tells me that you have absolutely no intentions of establishing consensus with editors who frequently edit this page, which tells me that consensus may be the next thing that you need to familiarize yourself with. And finally, all artists are treated the same way here, your assumptions as to whether I view those sources as unreliable because I don't like Hammer is a rather weak argument.--Harout72 (talk) 21:15, 31 December 2010 (UTC)

You can stop with the attitude. I am the one who told you about "concensus". You are assuming and belittling. Please knock it off and be mature. I'm done communicating with you about this. You are not who I'm going to resolve this with it's clear. I prefer to discuss with someone who is more cooperative without sounding like a "know it all". I didn't assume anything regarding ESPN/A&E. It's a source, and his sales have increased since "he was most popular". You're the one with the weak arguments. I don't appreciate your personal attacks, they are not warranted here. You need to bone up on procedures too. I won't reply to anything else you have to say. Bye! 63.131.4.149 (talk) 21:57, 31 December 2010 (UTC)

I would suggest you to remain civil when communicating with your fellow wikipedians, I have explained to you everything very politely and in detail all of which you have ignored shooting back with unproductive comments such as I don't need to be familiarized with the sources that "you" or "others" have used and they be the only ones reliable, You can stop with the attitude. I am the one who told you about "concensus". You are assuming and belittling. Please knock it off and be mature. I'm done communicating with you about this. Unless you can respect the hard work I and other editors have done to keep this list free of inflated figures, and unless you can come forward with similar highly reliable sources that all other artists are supported with on the list, it is futile to discuss this matter any further.--Harout72 (talk) 00:19, 1 January 2011 (UTC)

Pot calling kettle black. If it sounds like I'm upset, it's because this is frustrating having to explain and prove myself. To whom it may concern: Here you go, now please update it for me finally. Via New York Times: [30] I'm not trying to be right, I'm trying to be accurate and improve/update the article. Thanks! P.S. I would like the input of others based on all these sources (http://2010.whartonbiztech.com/speakers.php makes mention of some of the "accepted sources" according to Harout72; ie. CNN, The Wall Street Journal, Washington Post and New York Times) if this one source is still yet to be accepted for some reason. There needed to be more discussion on the matter besides just me and the above editor before considering it "resolved". Like it or not, I consider myself an expert on the artist and have contributed to the majority of his article. Within my recent search, I found even more sources other than those I initially mentioned that would also be valid even if they aren't the ones Harout72 listed. They are on sites that aren't direct from the actual news site but are associated with or taken from them. And not everything is on the web.

(In case you don't want to read through the entire article for Biztech, here is the search result: Wharton Business Technology Conference 2010 | Speakers... Hammer has sold more than 50 million records worldwide, featuring triple platinum ... The Wall Street Journal, Washington Post and New York Times. .... Brandon Berger; MC Hammer; Bob Johnson; Chip Rodgers; Samantha Skey; Matthew Egol ... 2010.whartonbiztech.com/speakers.php - Cached - Similar. Here is NY Times: Jun 12, 2009 ... Search All NYTimes.com. New York Times ... M C Hammer with his son Sammy and his wife of 23 years, Stephanie, in his new reality series, “Hammertime.” ... given that he sold 50 million records in his heyday, ...) 63.131.4.149 (talk) 05:44, 1 January 2011 (UTC)

This matter is now resolved/completed. Thanks for updating, great job! P.S. If you work on other articles regarding album sales that would need to include this information, feel free to update those as well. I appreciate it. Happy 2011! 63.131.4.149 (talk) 06:46, 1 January 2011 (UTC)
  1. ^ Serjeant, Jill (2010-09-29). "Britney Spears praises "Glee" tribute". Reuters. Thomson Reuters. Retrieved 2010-10-23.
  2. ^ "Cast Bio:MC Hammer". The WB. 2005-02-06. Archived from the original on 2005-02-06. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters: |1= and |3= (help); Text "~1,00.html" ignored (help); Text "~1,00.html" ignored (help)
  3. ^ "MC Hammer". rockonthenet.com.
  4. ^ "A&E "Hammertime" Premiering | Film | News". Static Multimedia. 2009-05-21. Retrieved 2010-03-31.
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