Van Halen Stat Experts ONLY!!! ( Sales )

[Alex's Neck Brace]

I have to present a question to all the so called experts who have said Dave outsold Sam and vice versa...

Yes this topic has been discussed over and over and the different era's of Van Halen including Dave and Sam have argued the point that they were the most successful version.

The band has been awarded many RIAA plaques and countless MTV awards that mentioned the band sold over 66 million records at one point.

Now the question is to all those who are in the know. And take in to consideration that RIAA's website has Van Halen selling over 50 million in the USA alone.

Who knows the correct amount sold worldwide, with the exact, precise, proof amount of units sold!
The argument among Van Halen fans of both era's say that the early material sales, was based on 8track, Vinyl, Tape, and cd so the sales differ for that reason. And don't forget the re-masters!

So experts, where is the proof ( website ) of sales of Dave era, and Sam era...( Gary era? no era) worldwide!

Get your calculators out, this should be intersting!

I say Dave outsold Sam despite the different formats ( vinyl, tape, 8track )

This is not a question of who was better but the amount of sales, with proof! Thanks... [img]graemlins/thumb.gif[/img]

[Balanced Rock]

Dude, VHIII is your favorite album?

As for the topic, i ain't gonna beat a dead horse.

[Alex's Neck Brace]

Originally posted by Balanced Rock:
Dude, VHIII is your favorite album?

As for the topic, i ain't gonna beat a dead horse.

VHIII? I was kidding! Did you notice my reference to the Gary era?

You ain't gonna beat a dead horse? Thanks for the confirmation on the sales, and thanks for coming out! [img]graemlins/thumb.gif[/img]

[Brett]

There is no site that shows international sales of albums that anyone has ever found.

[Balanced Rock]

Originally posted by Alex's Neck Brace:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Balanced Rock:
Dude, VHIII is your favorite album?

As for the topic, i ain't gonna beat a dead horse.

VHIII? I was kidding! Did you notice my reference to the Gary era?

You ain't gonna beat a dead horse? Thanks for the confirmation on the sales, and thanks for coming out! [img]graemlins/thumb.gif[/img] </font>[/QUOTE]Upon further review, it appears i missed that part. [img]redface.gif[/img]

Ah well, here's to Alex's neck brace. [img]graemlins/thumb.gif[/img]

[Alex's Neck Brace]

Originally posted by Brett:
There is no site that shows international sales of albums that anyone has ever found.

Then tell me something...

If there is no international site of any kind to confirm the sales of Van Halen 8track,vinyl,tape,and cd's, then way back when, the boys were presented an award during the Sam era, while the guys dipped their hands in cement for recognition of their sales ( Eddie, Sam, Mike and Alex ) they were presented with an award to mark sales over 60 million + worldwide.

Where is that proof of international sales?

Where the guys giving their fans a deceptive figure or amount of records sold?

[Brett]

A lot of those figures aren't given to the general public. For example, Sound Scan only allows people in the industry to subscribe to their service to get accurate sales figures. Just because the internet doesn't offer us fans a place to check international sales doesn't mean that these figures aren't real. There just hasn't be a way for us as fans to verify them on the internet. How does that lead you to believe they're false? Believe me, record companies know how many albums they have shipped to foreign countries, they track all that shit.

[Alex's Neck Brace]

Originally posted by Brett:
A lot of those figures aren't given to the general public. For example, Sound Scan only allows people in the industry to subscribe to their service to get accurate sales figures. Just because the internet doesn't offer us fans a place to check international sales doesn't mean that these figures aren't real. There just hasn't be a way for us as fans to verify them on the internet. How does that lead you to believe they're false? Believe me, record companies know how many albums they have shipped to foreign countries, they track all that shit.

It isn't so much that I don't believe the figures, it's the different calculations industry people come up with. Like I mentioned, during the band's inaugural presentation of having their paw prints embedded into cement, the fans were told of sales over 60 million +, then band members say over 80 million. Like what is it?

Brett, what is your opinion? did Dave era outsell Sam? and will we ever know the correct sales count?

[Brett]

Well not that my opinion means much, but I don't think there is any doubt the Dave era has outsold the Sam era. As much as I like the Sam stuff, no one is gonna tell me that FUCK or OU812 is close to the sales of Van Halen I, even with people replacing their LP's, cassettes and 8-tracks. [img]smile.gif[/img]

I think all these guys use these figures very loosely when they talk publically. Everyone tends to exaggerate a little when they talk about album sales.

[Pacfanweb]

Originally posted by Brett:
Well not that my opinion means much, but I don't think there is any doubt the Dave era has outsold the Sam era. As much as I like the Sam stuff, no one is gonna tell me that FUCK or OU812 is close to the sales of Van Halen I, even with people replacing their LP's, cassettes and 8-tracks. [img]smile.gif[/img]

I think all these guys use these figures very loosely when they talk publically. Everyone tends to exaggerate a little when they talk about album sales.

Absolutely. I don't think anyone would say that, the Hagar era sales would be the same as VH1 or 1984 if not for media upgrades (e.g. vinyl to cassette to CD to remaster) adding to the old albums' sales.
I would bet money that the gap wouldn't be as large as it is now. (10 million to 7 million)
Either way, all the albums have sold a crapload.

In the pre-soundscan days, album sales figures were VERY suspect anyway.
Labels would call around the country to a small percentage of record stores and ask, yes, ASK how many of this and that were sold that week.
They would then project those figures over the country (like polls do) and use those figures.
They also, on a regular basis, asked, coerced, bribed record store owners to lie about how many certain albums had sold, depending on who's figures they wanted boosted.
I know this for a fact. A good friend of mine owned a Blockbuster store, and he got all kinds of clothing, tickets, vacations, etc. for doing just that.

[Sean]

I might be out of line here but it's late and I really don't care. I'm sure the Dave era did outsell the Sam era....and it SHOULD HAVE being as that those records were in existance prior to, during, and after the 'Sam' era! New people are exposed, old copies get replaced, etc, etc... I could be wrong but this topic (and the dozens similar to it) ring of sour grapes from rothbots that are pissed that Roth never pulled off a #1 album (much less 4) and insist on tearing down something that the 'other guy' accomplished. Get over it already.

[Davejab]

No one here was tearing down anything by either singer, look in the mirror you're the one complaining, sheesh talk about sour grapes,

go to bed.

[Brett]

Have to say, this was a pretty civil conversation, I don't see anybody tearing down either singer at all.

[Little Dreamer]

I think that Sam's claim is that during his tenure with VH (86-96)m VH sold more album than during the DLR period (78-85).

Sam includes all VH albums sold during the 86-96 period, even the Roth ones.

Of course, his method could be debated, but if u accept it, then Sam's claim is correct.

[MikeL]

Just to complicate things further, WACF and FW were at one point sold on the same tape cassette.

The only group with a reasonable approximation of how the albums sold, when, to whom, and on what media is WB's marketing people. This is probably considered competitive information, so it's not too surprising that it isn't public.

It'd also be interesting to find out production numbers as opposed to sales numbers.