Some more up to date Van Halen album sales figures than I've seen in a while.... - Page 3

Dave's Dreidel · 11.06.09, 04:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ain't Talkin' Bout' Love

If you average out sales per album per singer (studio albums only), roughly 9 mil per each Roth album and 7.25 mil per each Hagar album, it kind of gives it a little more perspective.

Also, as FW was not the least bit commercial and had no singles, it's no surprise it has not sold as well as some might think.

The fact that FW is one of their lower selling albums hits home the point that the quality of an album should never be argued using sales numbers.

A large percentage of the population are lemmings, they will buy what they are told to.

The Elfoid_TFS · 11.06.09, 09:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Little Dreamer

I donno about that list.
It shows no decrease at all in Europe during the Van Hagar years whereas everyone having lived in Europe during that time knows VH practically fell off the face of the earth in that part of the world. Warner Bros. Europe had no interest in promoting them in Europe. I remember talking to one of their reps during that time who told me: "Van Halen? We don't care. It's all about Madonna."

And that other list of total world wide sales lists Dire Straits 'Brothers In Arms" at 32 millions sold!! Give me a break, that can't be.

The UKMix.org community are a pretty smart bunch and I've never yet seen one of them prove him wrong on a matter.

I think VH barely sold any records with Roth either, that's what people don't realise.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ain't Talkin' Bout' Love

If you average out sales per album per singer (studio albums only), roughly 9 mil per each Roth album and 7.25 mil per each Hagar album, it kind of gives it a little more perspective.

Also, as FW was not the least bit commercial and had no singles, it's no surprise it has not sold as well as some might think.

First albums get a sales boost as they're first. DD and 1984 had longer periods before another album replaced them as the 'latest' album, the same for all the Hagar releases.

About the Eurosales...dunno about the continent, but in the UK 5150 and OU812 charted longer than any CVH release other than 1984. They charted fara higher too (CVH releases got to 34, 23, 15, 49, 36, 15 in the charts, Van Hagar releases got to 16, 16, 12, 24, 8), and had more successful singles - http://www.chartstats.com/artistinfo.php?id=281

Quote:

The fact that FW is one of their lower selling albums hits home the point that the quality of an album should never be argued using sales numbers.

Agreed. I find sales figures interesting but they don't imply quality.

Little Dreamer · 11.06.09, 01:22 PM

Interesting.

Menlow · 11.07.09, 10:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VanHalenRules

The fact that FW sits where it does as far as sales just leaves me scratching my head...one would think that it would have really gained traction over all these years.

To put it into perspective, by January 1985 1984 was certified for 5 million records sold. That means that 1984 sold twice as many albums in one year than Fair Warning has in 28 years.

I'm not surprised though, even today my local classic rock station will play the big four off 1984 on regular rotation, but off Fair Warning you get the very occasional Unchained and that's it.

Wildman · 11.08.09, 10:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EUX4Life

I can't believe VHIII is at 0.7 million. That'd be funny if it FINALLY went platinum another 10 years down the road.

Not that it had a chance, but unless they decide to re-release, it can't happen. It is no longer in print, and I don't believe there are enough copies still out there to do it.

loveevhsince79 · 11.09.09, 07:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daisy Hill

yeah really! If VH did a "play through the entire album" deal ala Springsteen, Fair Warning would be what I'd want to hear....Diver Down? not so much

While it is full of remakes, it has some of my favorite originals on it, Secrets, Little Guitars, Full Bug, etc. but to be honest, as long as Eddie is playing, I'd listen to just about anything.

Ausfan · 11.10.09, 01:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Samoa Joe's Ego

What is interesting to me is how much "replacement" would figure into the sales.

Also, and this thought really is kind of off the reservation, it has always been interesting to me that the music business uses units sold and the movie business goes by gross. Gone With the Wind is still FAR and away the number one movie of all time if you go by ticket sales or do an inflation adjustment like on boxofficemojo. A lot of the newer movie grosses look impressive, but it really diminishes the true popularity of movies like Jaws and earlier if you don't look deeper.

Don't know why I got off on that tangent

I see your point however there are many other factors to consider when making this claim. first and foremost GWTW had no competition from TV or DVD's. These days many people simply wait to see a movie when it is released on DVD or even wait for TV.

The other very important point to remember is that modern movies spend VERY little time in the theatres. For example the last LOTR movie spent only months in the theatres to clock up over a billion $. By comparison GWTW was available to be seen at the theatre for many many years.

These days if you want to make comparisons you would have to take into consideration DVD sales as well.

The Elfoid_TFS · 11.10.09, 04:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wildman

Not that it had a chance, but unless they decide to re-release, it can't happen. It is no longer in print, and I don't believe there are enough copies still out there to do it.

Download sales.

Plus I would guess all over a country, there's probably enough left.

atlantakat · 11.11.09, 10:01 AM

Fair Warning is my favorite of the 6 pack but I don't remember anything off the album getting much airplay when the album was released. Radio still mattered back then. So hard core VH fans hail the album. The more casual fans (and lemmings), not so much.

The single on the radio was When Push Comes to Shove which had a completely different vibe than And the Cradle Will Rock and Everybody Wants Some -- or any of the stuff off VH and VHII that got airplay. Frankly, I remember being disappointed when I first heard it on the radio. (Kind of like I felt when Rush put out New World Man as the single following up Moving Pictures)

The songs on FW were longer and darker. The tour killed. Ed's playing was at its best -- but the band had run through most of the back catalog by then and most all the stuff that sounded like hits to Templeman and WB had already been put out on the earlier albums (Voodoo Queen/Mean Streets aside), so its not surprising that the new and more adventurous stuff on FW did not draw in the more casual fans.

DiveBomb · 11.11.09, 11:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by atlantakat

Fair Warning is my favorite of the 6 pack but I don't remember anything off the album getting much airplay when the album was released. Radio still mattered back then. So hard core VH fans hail the album. The more casual fans (and lemmings), not so much.

The single on the radio was When Push Comes to Shove which had a completely different vibe than And the Cradle Will Rock and Everybody Wants Some -- or any of the stuff off VH and VHII that got airplay. Frankly, I remember being disappointed when I first heard it on the radio. (Kind of like I felt when Rush put out New World Man as the single following up Moving Pictures)

The songs on FW were longer and darker. The tour killed. Ed's playing was at its best -- but the band had run through most of the back catalog by then and most all the stuff that sounded like hits to Templeman and WB had already been put out on the earlier albums (Voodoo Queen/Mean Streets aside), so its not surprising that the new and more adventurous stuff on FW did not draw in the more casual fans.

I did not know that When Push Comes To Shove was the radio single. That would definitely not be my top choice for recieving airplay. Great song, yes. But radio single? I find that very surprising.

VanHalenRules · 11.11.09, 11:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DiveBomb

I did not know that When Push Comes To Shove was the radio single. That would definitely not be my top choice for recieving airplay. Great song, yes. But radio single? I find that very surprising.

Yeah, it wasn't the brightest choice, Unchained, Mean Street and So This is Love? were also released as singles...personally, I think they'd have been better off with Hear About it Later.

chefcraig · 11.11.09, 12:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DiveBomb

I did not know that When Push Comes To Shove was the radio single. That would definitely not be my top choice for recieving airplay. Great song, yes. But radio single? I find that very surprising.

Quote:

Originally Posted by VanHalenRules

Yeah, it wasn't the brightest choice, Unchained, Mean Street and So This is Love? were also released as singles...personally, I think they'd have been better off with Hear About it Later.

The problem is, all of the info on this comes from Wiki, with just about every other site cutting and pasting the info. If these singles from Fair Warning exist, where are they? You can't find them on Ebay or Amazon. None of the collectible sites for vinyl even mention the damned things, yet they have Velvet Underground singles from the sixties in stock.

atlantakat · 11.11.09, 01:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chefcraig

The problem is, all of the info on this comes from Wiki, with just about every other site cutting and pasting the info. If these singles from Fair Warning exist, where are they? You can't find them on Ebay or Amazon. None of the collectible sites for vinyl even mention the damned things, yet they have Velvet Underground singles from the sixties in stock.

Just to clarify, I don't know about any of the songs off FW (or WACF) being released as a 45. The albums were what I bought (for the first of many times I have paid to purchase them.....)

What I do remember is hearing When Push Comes To Shove as the first song off FW to hit the FM airwaves -- and thinking it was not that great. And I don't remember hearing anything else off the album on the radio until Unchained got some play which might have been after MTV started running the clip from the Oakland show.

The Elfoid_TFS · 11.11.09, 08:09 PM

http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&searchlink=VAN|HALEN&sql=11:dzfqxqwg ldte~T51 - list of Billboard charting singles. AllMusic source direcet from BB themselves, but have a less retarded website.

http://www.redrockerdiscography.com/...scography.html - it's only for Van Hagar, but there's a ton of stupidly detailed information

At0micPunk · 11.11.09, 11:35 PM

I remember Push Comes to Shove, So This Is Love and Unchained being played a lot on local rock radio in the day. Other tunes too but none more than those three and maybe so this is love the most. Push is actually one of my fav Vh tunes. Cool vibe and amazing solo.

Either way CVH rules, eh? Even the bov1 with new DLR VH outsold BOBW with new Vhagar. Not even close. Interesting numbers, thanks for posting them.