The Beatles record sales, worldwide charts

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The following is a list of The Beatles' record sales and worldwide chart figures:

Contents

[edit] Record sales

  • During the week of April 4, 1964 The Beatles occupied the first five slots of the Billboard Hot 100, #1 - "Can't Buy Me Love," #2 - "Twist and Shout," #3 - "She Loves You," #4 - "I Want to Hold Your Hand" and #5 - "Please Please Me," the only group in rock and roll history to achieve this feat. That same week they also had another seven charting records in the Hot 100: "I Saw Her Standing There", 31; "From Me to You", 41; "Do You Want to Know a Secret?", 46; "All My Loving", 58; "You Can't Do That", 65; "Roll Over Beethoven", 68. The Beatles had twelve songs on the charts that week, a feat never matched before or since.
  • In 1964, the Beatles had the never-matched total of 15 American million-selling records (9 singles and 6 LPs), representing US sales of over 25 million in 1964 alone.
  • "I Want To Hold Your Hand" sold nearly 5 million records in the US by 1968, making it the best selling single of the 1960s (from a Capitol Records Press release, September 9, 1968).
  • When "Can’t Buy Me Love" was released in the US on March 16, 1964, it sold 940,225 copies on the first day, shattering all previous sales records. The single went on to sell over 3 million by the end of the year (Spizer, Bruce, 2000: The Beatles’ Story on Capitol Records, Part One: Beatlemania & The Singles, p. 36).
  • The motion picture soundtrack "A Hard Day’s Night" sold 1 million copies in the first four days of its US release making it one of the fastest selling LPs of the 1960s (Billboard article, July 11, 1964).
  • By August 1964, the Beatles had sold approximately 80 million records globally (Variety 235, August 12, 1964).
  • By February 1965, their global sales had moved beyond 100 million records (Variety 237, February 3, 1965).
  • Rubber Soul sold 1.2 million copies in the US during the first 9 days of its release (Billboard article, January 1, 1966).
  • By August 1966, the Beatles had sold 150 million records worldwide (Variety 243, August 3, 1966).
  • By May 1967, the Beatles’ global gross stood at $98 million (Variety 246, May 19, 1967).
  • The "Hey Jude" single had sold over 3 million copies in America in its first 2 months of release, and 3.7 million by mid-January 1969. It eventually sold over 4 million copies and was the fourth best-selling single of the 1960s (Spizer, Bruce, 2003: The Beatles on Apple Records, p. 32).
  • Although it carried a list price of $11.79, their double album The Beatles sold 1.1 million units during its first two weeks on sale; a record for any double album up to that point in time (Spizer, Bruce, 2003: The Beatles on Apple Records, p. 102).
  • "Abbey Road" sold over 3 million copies in the US in a little over a month, making it one of the best-selling LPs of the 1960s despite having been on sale for only the last three months of the decade (Spizer, Bruce, 2003: The Beatles on Apple Records, p. 164).
  • According to the Guinness Book of Records, the Beatles had topped worldwide sales of 300 million units by 1969.
  • The "Let It Be" LP reportedly shipped 3.2 million copies in 13 days representing a gross retail value of nearly $26 million (Billboard article, June 6, 1970).
  • By October 1972, the Beatles’ worldwide sales total stood at 545 million units.

[edit] Worldwide charts

[edit] Coverart of The Beatles´s Number One Singles in the United World Chart

1966
Yellow Submarine [1]
8 weeks

1967
Penny Lane [2]
1 week so far

It should be noted that the UWC only has charts available from 1966-1967, 1976-1977, 1986-1987, and 1996-present. [3]][4][5][6]

[edit] Britain

  • Most no. 1 albums in the British albums charts (15 no. 1s).
    • Please Please Me (1963, 30 weeks), With the Beatles (1963, 21 weeks), A Hard Day's Night (1964, 21 weeks), Beatles for Sale (1964, 10 weeks), Help! (1965, 9 weeks), Rubber Soul (1965, 9 weeks), Revolver (1966, 7 weeks), Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967, 27 weeks), The Beatles (The White Album) (1968, 8 weeks), Abbey Road (1969, 17 weeks), Let It Be (1970, 3 weeks), The Beatles at the Hollywood Bowl (1977, 1 week), Live at the BBC (1994, 1 week), Anthology 2 (1996, 1 week), 1 (2000, 9 weeks)
  • Group with most no. 1 hits in the British singles chart (17 no. 1 hits).
    • "From Me to You" (1963, 7 weeks), "She Loves You" (1963, 6 weeks), "I Want to Hold Your Hand" (1963, 5 weeks), "Can't Buy Me Love" (1964, 3 weeks), "A Hard Day's Night" (1964, 3 weeks), "I Feel Fine" (1964, 5 weeks), "Ticket to Ride" (1965, 3 weeks), "Help!" (1965, 3 weeks), "We Can Work It Out"/"Day Tripper" (1965, 5 weeks), "Paperback Writer" (1966, 2 weeks), "Yellow Submarine"/"Eleanor Rigby" (1966, 4 weeks), "All You Need Is Love" (1967, 3 weeks), "Hello, Goodbye" (1967, 7 weeks), "Lady Madonna" (1968, 2 weeks), "Hey Jude" (1968, 2 weeks), "Get Back" (1969, 6 weeks), "The Ballad of John and Yoko" (1969, 3 weeks)
  • Group with most weeks in the British singles chart (456 weeks).
  • Group with most weeks at no. 1 in the British singles chart (69 weeks).
  • Group with most top 10 hits in the British singles chart (28 top 10 hits).
    • "Please Please Me" (1963, #2), "Penny Lane"/"Strawberry Fields Forever" (1967, #2), Magical Mystery Tour EP (1967, #2), "Something"/"Come Together" (1969, #4), "Let It Be" (1970, #2), "Yesterday" (1976, #8), "The Beatles Movie Medley" (1982, #10), "Love Me Do" [re-entry] (1982, #4), "Baby It's You" (1995, #7), "Free as a Bird" (1995, #2), "Real Love" (1996, #4)
  • Most weeks at no. 1 in the British albums chart (174 weeks at no. 1).
  • Most consecutive weeks spent at no. 1 in the UK albums chart (51 weeks from May 11, 1963 to May 2, 1964 – this excludes soundtrack albums).
  • Most consecutive no. 1 hits in the British singles chart (11 consecutive no. 1 hits, excludes re-issues of old singles).
  • Most consecutive top 5 hits in the British singles chart (22 consecutive top 5 hits from 1963 to 1970).
  • Most complete ever domination of the British charts by occupying the first two positions in the singles chart and the albums chart as well as the top 3 positions in the EP chart (Extended Play) from December 12 to December 26, 1963.
  • Most weeks at no. 1 in the British albums chart within a calendar year (40 weeks at no. 1, 1964).
  • Most no. 1 albums in the British albums chart within a calendar year (3 no. 1 albums, 1965).
  • Most simultaneous weeks at no. 1 in the British singles and albums chart (45 weeks).
  • First act to replace itself at the no. 1 position in the British singles charts (December 12, 1963).
  • First act to replace itself at the no. 1 position in the British albums chart (December 7, 1963).
  • The Beatles’ Please Please Me album spent more weeks at no. 1 in the British album charts than any other album by a group (30 weeks at no. 1, this excludes albums by duos and soundtracks).
  • Most debuts at no. 1 in the British albums chart (8 no. 1 debuts, record shared with David Bowie)
  • Group with the most consecutive weeks inside the British singles chart (105 consecutive weeks, from October 11, 1962 to October 15, 1964).
  • Group with most single hits charted in the British singles chart simultaneously (6 hits on April 17, 1976).
  • Biggest ever jump within the British albums chart (94 positions jumped by Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band from no. 97 to no. 3 in 1987).
  • Most consecutive weeks inside the top 10 of the British albums chart (171 consecutive weeks from 1963 to 1966).

[edit] America

  • Most no. 1 singles in the Billboard Hot 100 charts (20 no.1s).
    • "I Want to Hold Your Hand" (1964, 7 weeks), "She Loves You" (1964, 2 weeks), "Can't Buy Me Love" (1964, 5 weeks), "Love Me Do" (1964, 1 week), "A Hard Day's Night" (1964, 2 weeks), "I Feel Fine" (1964, 3 weeks), "Eight Days a Week" (1965, 2 weeks), "Ticket to Ride" (1965, 1 week), "Help!" (1965, 3 weeks), "Yesterday" (1965, 4 weeks), "We Can Work It Out" (1965, 3 weeks), "Paperback Writer" (1966, 2 weeks), "Penny Lane" (1967, 1 week), "All You Need Is Love" (1967, 1 week), "Hello, Goodbye" (1967, 3 weeks), "Hey Jude" (1968, 9 weeks), "Get Back" (1969, 5 weeks), "Come Together"/"Something" (1969, 1 week), "Let It Be" (1970, 2 weeks), "The Long and Winding Road" (1970, 2 weeks)
  • Most no. 1 albums in the Billboard Top 200 albums charts (19 no.1 albums).
    • Meet the Beatles! (1964, 11 weeks), The Beatles' Second Album (1964, 5 weeks), A Hard Day's Night (1964, 14 weeks), Beatles '65 (1965, 9 weeks), Beatles VI (1965, 6 weeks), Help! (1965, 9 weeks), Rubber Soul (1965, 6 weeks), Yesterday...and Today (1966, 5 weeks), Revolver (1966, 6 weeks), Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967, 15 weeks), Magical Mystery Tour (1967, 8 weeks), The Beatles (The White Album) (1969, 9 weeks), Abbey Road (1969, 11 weeks), Let It Be (1970, 4 weeks), 1967-1970 (The Blue Album) (1973, 1 week), Anthology 1 (1995, 3 weeks), Anthology 2 (1996, 1 week), Anthology 3 (1996, 1 week), 1 (2000, 8 weeks)
  • Most 2-sided charted singles in the Billboard Hot 100 charts (26 singles, including two double-sided #1 hits, although "For You Blue" (B-side of "The Long And Winding Road") accompanied its A-side and did not chart on its own)
  • Most weeks at no. 1 in the Billboard albums chart (132 weeks at no. 1).
  • Group with most weeks in the Billboard albums chart (2,184 weeks, second only to Frank Sinatra with 2,211 weeks).
  • Group with most weeks in the Billboard Hot 100 chart (609 weeks).
  • Group with most weeks at no. 1 in the Billboard Hot 100 chart (59 weeks at no. 1).
  • Most songs inside the Billboard Hot 100 at the same time (14 songs on April 11, 1964).
  • Most songs inside the Billboard Top 40 at the same time (7 songs on April 11 and 25, 1964).
  • Most songs in the Billboard Top 10 at the same time (5 songs on April 4, 1964).
  • Most songs in the Billboard Top 5 at the same time (5 songs on April 4, 1964).
  • Most chart entries in the Billboard Hot 100 within a calendar year (30 charted songs in 1964)
  • The only group to replace themselves at no. 1 in the Billboard Hot 100 twice (March 21 and April 4, 1964). It would be forty years later when Usher would tie the record.
  • Most complete ever domination of the Billboard Hot 100 singles and albums chart by occupying the first 5 positions in the Hot 100 as well as the first two in the albums chart simultaneously (April 4, 1964).
  • Most consecutive no. 1 albums in the Billboard albums chart (8 consecutive no. 1 albums from 1965 to 1968).
  • Most consecutive top 5 albums in the Billboard albums chart (16 consecutive top 5 albums from 1965 to 1977).
  • Group with the longest span of no. 1 albums in the Billboard albums chart (36 years and 51 weeks, 1964 to 2001).
  • Group with most consecutive no. 1 hits in the Billboard Hot 100 (6 consecutive no. 1 hits, record shared with the Bee Gees).
  • Most no. 1 albums in the Billboard albums chart in a calendar year (3 no. 1 albums in 1964, repeated in 1965 and 1966).
  • Most no. 1 singles in the Billboard Hot 100 in a calendar year (6 no. 1 singles in 1964)
  • The only act to have held the no. 1 and no. 2 position in the Billboard albums chart for 9 straight weeks on two separate occasions (March 2 to April 27 and August 29 to October 24, 1964).
  • Most top 3 albums in the Billboard albums chart (27 top 3 albums).
  • Most transatlantic no. 1 hit singles (13 songs reached no. 1 in both the U.S. and Britain).
    • "She Loves You," "I Want to Hold Your Hand," "Can't Buy Me Love," "A Hard Day's Night," "I Feel Fine," "Ticket to Ride," "Help!," "We Can Work It Out," "Paperback Writer," "All You Need Is Love," "Hello, Goodbye," "Hey Jude," "Get Back"
  • Group with most consecutive top 5 hits in the Billboard Hot 100 chart (17 consecutive top 5 hits from 1964 to 1969).
  • Group with most consecutive top 10 hits in the Billboard Hot 100 chart (24 consecutive top 10 hits from 1964 to 1976).
  • Group with most consecutive top 20 hits in the Billboard Hot 100 chart (27 consecutive top 20 hits from 1964 to 1976).
  • On April 4, 1964, the Beatles occupied the first 5 positions in the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, the top 2 in the Billboard albums chart, the no. 1 position in the British singles chart, the first two positions in the British albums chart and the no. 1 position in the British EP chart, making this the most complete ever domination of the British and American charts in history.
  • Most no. 1 singles in the Cash Box Top 100 charts (22 no.1s).
  • Most no. 1 albums in the Cash Box albums charts (15 no.1 albums).
  • Most weeks at no. 1 in the Cash Box albums chart (127 weeks at no. 1).
  • Group with most weeks in the Cash Box albums chart (722 weeks up to 1974).
  • Group with most weeks in the Cash Box singles chart (601 weeks up to 1986).
  • Group with most weeks in the Record World albums chart (849 weeks up to 1982).
  • Group with most weeks in the Record World singles chart (520 weeks up to 1980).
  • Most no. 1 singles in the Record World Top 100 charts (23 no.1s).
  • Most no. 1 albums in the Record World albums charts (17 no.1 albums).
  • Most weeks at no. 1 in the Record World albums chart (123 weeks at no. 1).

[edit] Other countries

  • Most no. 1 hits in the German singles chart (12 no. 1s).
    • "I Want to Hold Your Hand" (1964), "Paperback Writer" (1966), "Yellow Submarine"/"Eleanor Rigby" (1966), "Penny Lane"/"Strawberry Fields Forever" (1967), "All You Need Is Love" (1967), "Hello, Goodbye" (1967), "Hey Jude" (1968), "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" (1969), "Get Back" (1969), "The Ballad of John and Yoko" (1969), "Something"/"Come Together" (1969), "Let It Be" (1970)
  • Most no. 1 hits in the Australian singles chart (23 no. 1s).
    • "I Want to Hold Your Hand" (1963), "I Saw Her Standing There" (1964), All My Loving EP (1964), "Can't Buy Me Love" (1964), "A Hard Day's Night" (1964), "I Should Have Known Better" (1964), "I Feel Fine" (1964), "Rock and Roll Music" (1965), "Ticket to Ride" (1965), "Help!" (1965), "We Can Work It Out"/"Day Tripper" (1965), "Nowhere Man" (1966), "Yellow Submarine"/"Eleanor Rigby" (1966), "Penny Lane"/"Strawberry Fields Forever" (1967), "All You Need Is Love" (1967), "Hello, Goodbye" (1967), "Lady Madonna" (1968), "Hey Jude" (1968), "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" (1969), "Get Back" (1969), "The Ballad of John and Yoko" (1969), "Something"/"Come Together" (1969), "Let It Be" (1970)
  • Most no. 1 hits in the Dutch singles chart (21 no. 1s).
    • "I Want to Hold Your Hand' (1964), "Can't Buy Me Love" (1964), Long Tall Sally EP (1964), "A Hard Day's Night" (1964), "I Should Have Known Better" (1964), "I Feel Fine" (1964), "Rock and Roll Music" (1965), "Ticket to Ride" (1965), "Help!" (1965), "Yesterday" (1965), "We Can Work It Out/Day Tripper" (1965), "Michelle" (1966), "Paperback Writer" (1966), "Yellow Submarine"/"Eleanor Rigby" (1966), "Penny Lane"/"Strawberry Fields Forever" (1967), "All You Need Is Love" (1967), "Hello, Goodbye" (1967), "Hey Jude" (1968), "Get Back" (1969), "The Ballad of John and Yoko" (1969), "Let It Be" (1970)
  • Most no. 1 hits in the Swedish singles chart (18 no. 1s).
  • Most no. 1 hits in the Canadian singles chart (22 no. 1s, CHUM chart).
  • Most no. 1 hits in the Norwegian singles chart (21 no. 1s).
  • Most hits in the German singles chart within a calendar year (16 hits, 1964).
  • Most consecutive top 10 hits in the German singles chart (17, from 1965 to 1970).
  • Most no. 1 hits in the German singles chart within a calendar year (4 no. 1 hits in 1969, record shared with ABBA).
  • Group with most top 10 hits in the German singles chart (29 top 10 hits).
  • Group with most weeks in the German singles chart (589 weeks).
  • Most weeks at no. 1 in the German albums chart (113 weeks at no. 1).
  • Group with most weeks in the German albums chart (1,180 weeks up to 2000).
  • Group with most no. 1 albums in the German albums chart (11 no. 1 albums).
  • The double album The Beatles/1962-1966 spent more weeks in the German album charts top 10 than any other artist album (124 weeks, only beaten by soundtracks My Fair Lady and West Side Story).
  • Most weeks at no. 1 in the German albums chart within a calendar year (36 weeks at no. 1 in 1964, excludes soundtracks).
  • Group with most albums in the German albums chart within a calendar year (6 albums in 1964).
  • Most weeks at no. 1 in the Dutch singles chart (67 weeks at no. 1).
  • Most weeks at no. 1 in the Dutch singles chart within a calendar year (29 weeks, 1965).
  • Most top 10 hits in the Dutch singles chart (35 top 10 hits).
  • Most consecutive no. 1 hits in the Dutch singles chart (6 consecutive no. 1 hits).
  • Group with most weeks in the Dutch singles chart (523 weeks).
  • Only act to debut at no. 1 in the Dutch singles chart (3 times).
  • Most no. 1 albums in the Norwegian albums chart (12 no. 1 albums).
  • Most weeks at no. 1 in the Norwegian singles chart (97 weeks at no. 1).
  • Most weeks at no. 1 in the Norwegian albums chart (182 weeks at no. 1).
  • With The Beatles spent more weeks at no. 1 in the Norwegian albums chart than any other artist album (31 weeks at no. 1, second only to soundtrack The Sound of Music).
  • Most weeks at no. 1 in the Norwegian singles chart within a calendar year (25 weeks at no. 1 in 1966).
  • Most weeks at no. 1 in the Norwegian albums chart within a calendar year (48 weeks at no. 1 in 1964).
  • Most consecutive no. 1 singles in the Norwegian singles chart (8 consecutive no. 1 singles from 1965 to 1967).
  • Most hit singles within a calendar year in the Norwegian singles chart (10 hit singles in 1964).
  • Most no. 1 hit singles within a calendar year in the Norwegian singles chart (6 no. 1 hits in 1964).
  • Most consecutive no. 1 hits in the Swiss singles chart (5 consecutive no. 1 hits from 1968 to 1970, chart only started in 1968).
  • Group with most weeks in the Australian singles chart (604 weeks).
  • Group with most weeks in the Finnish singles chart (437 weeks).
  • Group with most top 10 hits in the Austrian singles chart (25 top 10 hits).
  • Group with most top 10 hits in the Danish singles chart (33 top 10 hits).
  • 23 no. 1 hits in Australia (101 weeks at no. 1).
  • 23 no. 1 hits in Canada (74 weeks at no. 1).
  • 21 no. 1 hits in The Netherlands (67 weeks at no. 1).
  • 21 no. 1 hits in Norway (97 weeks at no. 1).
  • 21 no. 1 hits in Sweden.
  • 20 no. 1 hits in America (59 weeks at no. 1).
  • 17 no. 1 hits in Britain (69 weeks at no. 1).
  • 15 no. 1 hits in New Zealand (27 weeks at no. 1).
  • 14 no. 1 hits in Denmark (71 weeks at no. 1).
  • 13 no. 1 hits in Ireland (48 weeks at no. 1).
  • 12 no. 1 hits in Germany (32 weeks at no. 1).
  • 8 no. 1 hits in Zimbabwe (29 weeks at no. 1).
  • 7 no. 1 hits in Hong Kong.
  • 6 no. 1 hits in Austria (38 weeks at no. 1).
  • 6 no. 1 hits in Belgium (20 weeks at no. 1).
  • 5 no. 1 hits in Finland.
  • 5 no. 1 hits in Malaysia.
  • 5 no. 1 hits in Switzerland (29 weeks at no. 1).
  • 4 no. 1 hits in Italy (11 weeks at no. 1).
  • 4 no. 1 hits in Spain (12 weeks at no. 1).
  • 2 no. 1 hits in Ethiopia (98 weeks at no. 1)

[edit] References

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

 v • d • e The Beatles
John Lennon • Paul McCartney • George Harrison • Ringo Starr
Pete Best • Stuart Sutcliffe
Management
Allan Williams • Brian Epstein • Allen Klein • Lee Eastman • Neil Aspinall • Mal Evans • Alistair Taylor • Apple Records
Production
George Martin • Geoff Emerick • Norman Smith • Phil Spector • Jeff Lynne • Abbey Road Studios
Official studio albums
Please Please Me (1963) • With the Beatles (1963) • A Hard Day's Night (1964) • Beatles for Sale (1964) • Help! (1965) • Rubber Soul (1965) • Revolver (1966) • Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967) • Magical Mystery Tour (U.S.-1967/UK-1976) • The Beatles (The White Album) (1968) • Yellow Submarine (1969) • Abbey Road (1969) • Let It Be (1970)
Past Masters compilations
Past Masters, Volume One (1988) • Past Masters, Volume Two (1988)
Filmography
A Hard Day's Night (1964) • Help! (1965) • Magical Mystery Tour (1967) • Yellow Submarine (1968) • Let It Be (1970)
Related articles
Line-ups • Bootlegs • Discography • Love (Cirque du Soleil) • Lennon/McCartney • Anthology • Influence • The Quarrymen • Breakup of the Beatles • London • Beatlemania • Fifth Beatle • Paul is dead • British Invasion • Apple Corps • Northern Songs • Yoko Ono • Billy Preston • Tony Sheridan • Chas Newby • Andy White • Jimmy Nicol • Astrid Kirchherr • Klaus Voormann
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