From now on, the sales d' albums of Elvis Presley in the U.K.: Of his beginnings at 1969 Elvis had 31 albums classified in the U.K. including 5 which was #1. The sales were however very very weak with l' time. Its sales for this period are estimated at 6 d' million; sold albums. Here the 10 larger salesmen d' albums in the U.K. during the Seventies from now on:
1. ABBA = 5.765m
2. The Beatles = 5.405m
3. Rod Stewart = 5.200m
4. David Bowie = 4.690m
5. Pink Floyd = 4.580m
6. Simon & Garfunkel = 4.330m
7. Elton John = 4.230m
8. Paul Mccartney (also Wings)= 4.130m
9. Elvis Presley = 3.821m
10. The Rolling Stones = 3.775m
In 1980,1981,1982 and 1983, it n' had any album which really went. Despite everything with the sales catalogues, it sold at this time there approximately 250.000 albums per annum, that is to say 1 million over these 4 years. From 1984 to 2005 Elvis is the 21st best salesman in the U.K. with 6.577.000 d' sold albums minimum and 7.3m maximum, let us say 6.9 d' million; sold albums. That is to say a total of its beginnings to aujourd' today of 17.7 million, let us round to 18 million with the sales of 2006. Sales d' albums d' Elvis in the U.K.: 18 million.
As much its sales is colossal in the U.K. and in the USA, as much in the other countries, its perfomances very average, is only boosté by its death in 1977 and the very recent best off " 30 #1 Hits". Here a summary of its sales in its main markets:
----------
Elvis in France
Certifications
- Best Of Elvis Presley - It's Now Or Never : 100.000
- C'mon On Everybody : 400.000
- Disque D'or N° 3 : 100.000
- Elvis 30 # 1 Hits : 200.000
- Elvis Forever : 400.000
- It's Now Or Never : 100.000
- La Voix Du Rock : 200.000
- Moody Blue : 100.000
- Romantique : 100.000
- Solid Rocks 100.000
- The Essential Collection : 300.000
- The Legend Vol. 1 & 2 : 100.000
- Volume 2 : 100.000
Total of 2.3m albums sold according to certifications.
Any data is avalaible before 1968, Elvis was releasing albums since already 12 years. Despite this lost sales before 1968 are very low. In fact, Elvis was not huge in France until his death, he has any top 5 albums between 1968 and 1977, and the market was poor during the 50's/60's.
In the following chart of his death, "Elvis Forever" was #2, "Moody Blue" #5, "Disque D'Or n°3" #9, "Disque D'Or n°1" #15, "Disque D'Or n°2" #16.
"Elvis Forever" still even today his biggest selling album by far, reflecting the fact that he really sold in huge amount only in 77-78.
Studio albums from his early career hardly sold something, which is proved by his list of certifications, which contain only "hits" packages.
Between 1968 and 2005, Elvis sold 3.7m albums in France according to Infodisc. Adding pre-68 sales, he sold about 4.5m albums in France during his career.
Elvis In Germany
Certifications
- Elvis Forever : 500.000
- Elvis Love Songs : 250.000
- 30 #1 Hits : 450.000
An abysmal total of 1.2m albums sold according to certifications.
Between 1962 and 1998, Elvis has spend a total of 339 weeks charted in the German Top 100, only 27 more than Pink Floyd's Wish You Were Here alone. During those 36 years, 22 Elvis' albums have hit the top 100, less than Deep Purple or The Bee Gees. His strongest year was 1977 in which he has charted 4 albums.
The local hits package "Seine 40 größten Erfolge" (German version of "40 Greatest Hits") is one of his most successful albums with 17 weeks charted top 10, it was released in 1975 and sold hugely at his death. The same for "Elvis Forever", which is as in France his biggest album ever in Germany, spending 13 weeks charted top 10. "Love Songs" and "30 #1 Hits" spend both 6 weeks charted top 10, "A Portrait In Music" 2 weeks at his death.
This mean a total of only 44 weeks charted in the top 10 for all his albums together from 1962 until now. We should notice that any of those weeks was at #1, indeed Elvis has, as in France, never hit the #1 spot.
Years 1956-1961 are missing, but as we can see, any of his pre-death albums have hit the top 10, even US blockbusters like "Blue Hawaii", "Pot Luck", "Girls! Girls! Girls!", "Roustabout", "Elvis TV Special", "Aloha From Hawaii Via Satellite" have all missed it. Consequently, his sales between 1956-1961 are surely abysmal as well as his certifications.
Until the end of 2005, 28 albums from Elvis have been charted. Five of them are top 10 albums, selling together about 2m albums. Still 23 albums, which has spend at most 200 weeks charted, an average of less than 10 weeks per albums. An album charted 10 weeks peaking at #20 for example sold about 40k in Germany, so at most adding catalog, 1.5m sales for those albums together.
The total is 2 + 1.5 = 3.5m albums sold.
To be generous, we can estimate his sales in Germany with all his others albums at 4m albums sold.
Elvis In Canada
Certifications
30 #1 = 500.000 (updated in 2003)
Aloha From Hawaii = 100.000 (2002)
Elvis In Concert = 100.000 (2002)
Elvis’ Chritmas Album = 100.000 (2002)
Blue Hawaii = 50.000 (2002)
Elvis’ Golden Records = 100.000 (1997)
Pure Gold = 50.000 (2002)
The Essential Elvis = 50.000 (1995)
The Complete 50’s Masters = 20.000 (1992)
The Essential 60’s Masters = 10.000 (1993)
The Number Ones Hits = 50.000 (1993)
Blue Chirstmas = 300.000 (1985)
A Legendary Performer Vol 3 = 50.000 (1979)
A Canadian Tribute = 200.000 (1978)
Moody Blue = 200.000 (1978)
A total of 1.88m albums sold according to certifications.
As we can see in the above list, his certifications have been updated in the recent years in Canada as well as in USA. But his sales are nowhere as big as in USA even proportionaly speaking. Except the worldwide blockbuster "30 #1 Hits", the Chirstmas "Blue" album which is selling each year at the holiday season, and 2 hyped albums at his death, "A Canadian Tribute" and "Moody Blue", his biggest albums have sold barely 100k. Between 1978 at the end of the hype of his death, and 2002, the release of "30 #1 Hits" (3 weeks #1) Elvis' chart performances in Canada were just horrible, "The Essential Collection" was the one Elvis album to be charted in 24 years in the top 100, peaking at #45.
Usualy sales in Canada are 10% of the sales in USA. In the case of Elvis the % is much lower. This is proved by his strongest albums. "Aloha From Hawaii" sold 60 times more in USA than in Canada, "Elvis In Concert" 30, "Chritmas Album" 90, "Blue Hawaii" 60 and "Elvis’ Golden Records" sold also 60 times more in USA than in Canada. The average sales in Canada is around of 2% of the US sales.
Three albums sold much more than 2% of their US sales in Canada, "A Canadian Tribute", "30 #1 Hits" and "Blue Christmas". They sold together 5m copies in USA, and about 1.2m in Canada.
Counting 2% of his US sales for the rest of his catalog, this mean 130 x 0.02 = 2.6m, we add the sales of the 3 highest success in Canada, 3.8m albums sold.
We can round up at 4m albums sold in Canada for Elvis.
Elvis In Japan
Oricon Sales Since 1970
"Elvis That's The Way It Is" #66, 5weeks, 5,000
"Elvis In Person At International Hotel, Las Vegas" #20, 13weeks, 21,000
"How Great Thou Art" #73, 1week, 1,000
"On Stage February, 1970" #5, 57weeks, 103,000
"That's The Way It Is" #1, 68weeks, 287,000
"I Really Don't Want To Know" #35, 8weeks, 10,000
"Elvis In Person At International Hotel, Las Vegas" #9, 30weeks, 55,000
"Blue Hawaii" #51, 12weeks, 16,000
"Love Letters From Elvis" #37, 9weeks, 11,000
"ELVIS PRESLEY" #23, 25weeks, 33,000
"Elvis As Recorded At Madison Square Garden" #4, 28weeks, 65,000
"Burning Love" #28, 10weeks, 22,000
"Elvis On Tour" #6, 16weeks, 57,000
"Aloha From Hawaii Via Satellite" #1, 20weeks, 106,000
"Elvis-Gold30" #62, 6weeks, 9,000
"Elvis-A Legendary Performer,Vol.1" #81, 2weeks, 2,000
"Elvis Recorded Live on Stage in Memphis" #47, 6weeks, 11,000
"Promised Land" #71, 5weeks, 7,000
"Elvis-Special24" #18, 11weeks, 28,000
"Rock'n Roll" #28, 8weeks, 15,000
"Moody Blue" #25, 6weeks, 14,000
"Elvis in Concert" #68, 3weeks, 4,000
"King Of Rock'n Roll, The Complete 50's Masters" #71, 2weeks, 6,840
"Mega Elvis-Essential collection" #10, 8weeks, 145,000
"Elvis Ballads" #70, 3weeks, 40,900
"Junichiro Koizumi Presents My Favorites Elvis Songs" #8, 5weeks, 90,860
"Elvis: 30 #1 Hits" #10, 16weeks, 146,180
"2nd to None" #38, 6weeks, 14,420
Total of 1.326m albums sold since 1970 in Japan according to Oricon.
Elvis had big sales in Japan since 1970 especially thanks to his massive successful single from that year, "You Don't Have To Say You Love Me". He sold firstly Live albums in Japan, his studio albums hardly interesting the public. After the buzz of his death, it seems that he has lost a lot of his popularity, his recent stuff performing proportionaly to the rest of the world very poorly, and only 1 of his albums has more than 10 weeks in charts in the last 30 years.
Between 1970 and 2006, Elvis sold 1.3m (Oricon)+ sales of those albums when they were not charted + import sales + sales of not-charted albums. We can estimate this total at 3m+ albums sold.
In the 50's the market were almost inexistant in Japan and during the 60's it was only starting really to grow. A very generous estimate about Elvis overal album sales in Japan since 1956 is 5m albums sold.
Elvis In Italia
Data about Italia starts in 1965 thanks to their year end chart. In this year, 2 Beatles' albums were top 3 of the year, but any album of Elvis appear. And this is the same thing until 1977, the first time that an Elvis album achieves the year end chart, obviously thanks to his death, "Moody Blue" was #79 of the year peaking at #19.
In 1983, the local hits package "I grandi successi di Elvis Presley" was #85 of the year peaking at #18. The following album to be in the year end chart was "30 #1 Hits", peaking at #2 it was #47 of 2002.
If Elvis albums sales are not huge in Germany, they seem to be massive in comparison to his Italian sales looking at those facts. "30 #1 Hits" sold about 250k and is easily his best selling album in Italia. I grandi successi di Elvis Presley and Moody Blue have sold an estimated total of 150k together. A total of 400k for his only 3 honest sellers in Italia, it sold at most 1m albums in this country.
Elvis In Spain
Certifications
- The All Time Greatest Hits : 100.000 (1989)
- 20 Aniversario-sus Grandes Canciones : 100.000 (1998)
- 30 #1 Hits : 100.000 (2002)
Total of 0.3m albums sold according to certifications. Surprisingly, Elvis had some success before his death in Spain, but despite this only 2 albums have become real success in this country, "Sus 40 Mejores Exitos Originales" released in 1975 but not charted until his death when it topped the charts for 5 weeks, and "30 #1 Hits" which was #1 for 2 weeks.
The first is not certified, sales were low at this moment but it had clearly sold over 100k. A third album has hit the top 5, "On Stage", but it dropped quickly. The All Time Greatest Hits and 20 Aniversario-sus Grandes Canciones are both Platinum and have both peaked at #8 as well as "Elvis in Hawai" and "Elvis In Person" which are not certified, certainly due to low sales in the beginning of the 70's. All those albums together have sold 0.7-0.8m in Spain, charts start in 1969, overall Elvis album sales in Spain can be estimated at 1.5m.
Elvis In Netherland
Certifications
- 20 Fantastic Hits : 100.000 (1978)
- A Portrait In Music : 100.000 (1978)
- Forever : 100.000 (1978)
- Always Elvis : 100.000 (1997)
- 30 #1 Hits : 80.000 (2002)
Total of 0.48m albums sold according to certifications. The data starts here in 1969. Since this year, Elvis has 2 #1 albums : As usual 1 hits packages mostly thanks to his death ("Forever", which was previously #1 in 1974 one week and 4 more weeks in 1977 at his death) and the second "30 #1 Hits".
"Forever" was a great success, charted during 42 weeks during the 70's. "40 Greatest Hits" was #6 with 28 weeks charted, "Moody Blue" #6 too and 17 weeks charted, his first posthum hits package "20 Fantastic Hits" peaked at #7 and was charted for 12 weeks. "A Portrait In Music" peaked at #12 at his death too, charted 11 weeks, "In Concert" #13 (11)(in 1977 as well). His only album charted between 1970 and 1977 was "Almost In Love", it peaked only at #43 and was charted for 5 weeks. Clearly Elvis has benefit a lot of his death, he was performing very poorly until 1977.
During the 80's, Love Songs which peaked at #18 (12 weeks charted) was his biggest album with "Gospel",#12 (10). "Guitar Man" (#19(9)), "18 Classic Lovesongs" (#38(10)), "The Definitive Love Album" (#23(7)), "The Definitive Rock 'N Roll Album" (#31(7)), "Elvis In Hollywood" (#30(5)), "The Definitive Country Album" (#46(5)), "The Definitive Gospel Album" (#64(4)) have also been charted during the 80's.
"Always Elvis - The Dutch Album" was #2 in 1997 and "Artist Of The Century" #7 are his 2 top 10 albums from the 90's, "30 #1 Hits" is his last.
His 5 biggest albums albums are all certified, they should have sold about 0.7m together. Any of the rest of his albums have been certified, even Gold, and his pre-death albums do not seem to have sold well at all. At most Elvis sold 1.5m albums in Netherland.
Elvis In Switzerland
Certifications
- Gold, The Very Best Of The King : 25.000 (1996)
- 30 #1 Hits : 80.000 (2002)
- 2nd To None : 20.000 (2003)
Total of 0.125m certified. With all the data avalaible we can safely give a reliable estimation of Elvis sales in the previous countries, but about Switzerland this is much more hard as their data starts only in 1983. Until "old - The Very Best Of The King" in 1995 any of his albums have been charted. This one was #21 at his peak. "Forever In Love" #6 in 1997 (but only 7 weeks charted), "Elvis 2000" #68 in 2000, "30 #1 Hits" #1 (4 weeks) in 2002, 2nd To None #7 in 2003 (but again only 7 weeks charted), "Elvis By The Presleys" #62 in 2005 and "My Christmas #1" #99 in 2006 have been charted since this time. They have sold less than 0.2m together. Overall he has hardly sold more than 0.7m during his career in Switzerland.
Elvis In New Zealand
Certifications
- In Hollywood : 15.000
- Elvis Blue : 7.500
- All Time Greatest Hits : 15.000
- 50 Greatest Hits : 15.000
- 30 #1 Hits : 45.000
- 2nd To None : 7.500
Total of 0.105m albums sold according to certifications. Chart History starts in 1975 for New Zealand. Strangely, any Elvis album have been charted in 1977. "In Hollywood" was #4 in 1978 becoming Platinum. "Elvis Blue" and "All Time Greatest Hits" were respectivly #14 and #12, "50 Greatest Hits" and "30 #1 Hits" were both #1 and "2nd To None" peaked at #16. Any other album enter in charts since 1975. A non-conservative estimate for his overall sales in New-Zealand is 0.3m albums sold.
While summarizing, and while rounding very liberally each time:
France: 4.5m
Germany: 4m
Canada: 4m
Japan: 5m - Italy: 1m
Spain: 1.5m - Netherlands: 1.5m
Switzerland: 0.7m
New Zealand: 0.3m
One can add: 4m in Scandinavia and 1.5m in Australia.
That is to say 28 million while being really generous, really that would be rather towards the 25 million.- Elsewhere it n' almost sold anything jusqu' with " 30 #1 Hits". With sales of 25 million in all these markets major, one can estimate his sales in the world except USA/UK proportionally speaking at 30-40m, say 35 million.
On the whole, Elvis Presley thus sold:
- 134 d' million; albums in the USA.
- 18 d' million; albums in the U.K.
- 35 d' million; albums in the rest of the world.
World Total sales: 187.000.000 sold albums.
