Album certifications - United States

[Macfan4life]

This is discussed here often but this is officially from Fleetwood Mac. Its frustrating because Mystery To Me has not been updated since 1976 and they provided no information on Penguin or Heroes. These dates are so old and many preceed the Dance when Fleetwood Mac sold records again. Dear Fleetwood Mac, please update your certifications!

Fleetwood Mac US Album Certifications

Album Title Certification Label Certified Units Last Cert Date

Rumours 21x Platinum Warner Bros. 21 million July 19, 2023
Fleetwood Mac 7x Platinum Rhino 7 million Sept 11, 2018
The Very Best 4x Platinum Rhino 4 million Sept 11, 2018
Say You Will Gold Reprise 500,000 July 7, 2003
Future Games Gold Reprise 500,000 Oct 4, 2000
Tango In The Night 3x Platinum Warner Bros. 3 million Oct 3, 2000
Greatest Hits 8x Platinum Warner Bros. 8 million March 16, 2000
The Dance 5x Platinum Reprise 5 million March 16, 2000
Behind The Mask Gold Warner Bros. 500,000 July 19, 1990
Bare Trees Gold Reprise 500,000 Febr 9, 1988
Tusk 2x Platinum Warner Bros. 2 million Oct 22, 1984
Mirage 2x Platinum Warner Bros. 2 million Oct 22, 1984
Live Gold Warner Bros. 500,000 Feb 11, 1981
Mystery To Me Gold Reprise 500,000 Nov 9, 1976

[WalkAThinLine.]

Originally Posted by Macfan4life

This is discussed here often but this is officially from Fleetwood Mac. Its frustrating because Mystery To Me has not been updated since 1976 and they provided no information on Penguin or Heroes. These dates are so old and many preceed the Dance when Fleetwood Mac sold records again. Dear Fleetwood Mac, please update your certifications!

Fleetwood Mac US Album Certifications

Album Title Certification Label Certified Units Last Cert Date

Rumours 21x Platinum Warner Bros. 21 million July 19, 2023
Fleetwood Mac 7x Platinum Rhino 7 million Sept 11, 2018
The Very Best 4x Platinum Rhino 4 million Sept 11, 2018
Say You Will Gold Reprise 500,000 July 7, 2003
Future Games Gold Reprise 500,000 Oct 4, 2000
Tango In The Night 3x Platinum Warner Bros. 3 million Oct 3, 2000
Greatest Hits 8x Platinum Warner Bros. 8 million March 16, 2000
The Dance 5x Platinum Reprise 5 million March 16, 2000
Behind The Mask Gold Warner Bros. 500,000 July 19, 1990
Bare Trees Gold Reprise 500,000 Febr 9, 1988
Tusk 2x Platinum Warner Bros. 2 million Oct 22, 1984
Mirage 2x Platinum Warner Bros. 2 million Oct 22, 1984
Live Gold Warner Bros. 500,000 Feb 11, 1981
Mystery To Me Gold Reprise 500,000 Nov 9, 1976

To my understanding, certifications are not automatic and must be requested by the record label at a fee. It's pretty apparent that the only albums that are given any attention are the three albums listed at the top. Heroes and Penguin spent a similar amount of time in the Billboard 200 chart as the other Bob Welch era albums, so it's surprising that neither have them have been certified yet. On the other hand, the British Phonographic Industry updates Fleetwood Mac certifications on a consistent basis.

[Villavic]

In Wikipedia's List of best-selling albums, Rumours got 30.3 million albums world wide. I guess it must be complicated to obtain global sales statistics up to the same date. Anyway it is interesting how results are so different among countries. I'm sure Thriller is and will always be the top selling album around the world. I've read sometime Eagles GH is higher than Thriller in the US list, but I really doubt it will be ever higher than Thriller in the world sales list. Thriller was a phenomenon that doesn't just or always happen.

And in the same page expanding the Rumours statistic, the US number is 21 million. It doesn't specify what year is the data from, but the source is https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/ . I don't know how official is that webpage and info.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o...copies_or_more

[FuzzyPlum]

Greatest Hits, Very Best of, The Dance….huge numbers.
In the UK Don’t Stop has hit 5x platinum (don’t know what the numbers are in the US). Don’t bet against another oldies collection in some form in the next couple of years….if they can find an angle (one-off reunion concert release???).

[Macfan4life]

Originally Posted by FuzzyPlum

Greatest Hits, Very Best of, The Dance….huge numbers.
In the UK Don’t Stop has hit 5x platinum (don’t know what the numbers are in the US). Don’t bet against another oldies collection in some form in the next couple of years….if they can find an angle (one-off reunion concert release???).

I did not post the UK certifications. Behind the Mask platinum there.

[Villavic]

Originally Posted by FuzzyPlum

Don’t bet against another oldies collection in some form in the next couple of years….if they can find an angle (one-off reunion concert release???).

A concert of the Billy & Rick years could be interesting.

[FuzzyPlum]

Originally Posted by Macfan4life

I did not post the UK certifications. Behind the Mask platinum there.

Yep, I get that. I’m just pointing out that compilations sell huge numbers, so there’s always going to be a draw to that.
(I think the Chain sold pretty well in uk too)

[FuzzyPlum]

Originally Posted by Villavic

A concert of the Billy & Rick years could be interesting.

It might sell 150 copies

[Villavic]

Originally Posted by FuzzyPlum

It might sell 150 copies

Sure. And that's why it will never happen. But I said interesting, not a success.

[bwboy]

Originally Posted by FuzzyPlum

It might sell 150 copies

Fleetwood Mac Live only went Gold, just like BTM, and it got the Deluxe Edition. None of the FM albums before Lindsey and Stevie joined sold much, and they were rereleased, so anything’s possible. And I would love to know if there are any alternate versions of Love Shines or Heart of Stone in the vaults. The more Christine McVie material, the better. Besides, the casual fans aren’t buying those Deluxe Editions, just the major fans.

[DownOnRodeo]

Originally Posted by Macfan4life

Its frustrating because Mystery To Me has not been updated since 1976 and they provided no information on Penguin or Heroes.

You've got to pity them and try to understand that data on Heroes are hard to find.

[Macfan4life]

Originally Posted by FuzzyPlum

Yep, I get that. I’m just pointing out that compilations sell huge numbers, so there’s always going to be a draw to that.
(I think the Chain sold pretty well in uk too)

Absolutely. Timespace went platinum even with no new hit singles off it. It was sandwiched between 2 studio albums that only went gold (at the time).
I know Tango was really big in the UK but I am always surprised it only sold 3 million in the States. It was the peak of the MTV age with 4 hit singles and was a long anticipated album yet only did slightly better than Mirage. Mirage was #1 and #2 for many months. Tango only briefly hit #7.

[Villavic]

Originally Posted by Macfan4life

Timespace went platinum even with no new hit singles off it.

The market niche of compilations, Greatest Hits, etc. are those casual fans who usually don't buy albums just for 2 or 3 singles, even if they loved those songs when they were played on the radio. I assume their sales forecast is always achieved, obviously if it is not very ambitious. I've been within that segment during the 90s when I bought several GH CDs. I was excited about the new digital format, but the downside was that many songs were edited and shorter than the album version.

I remember I was outraged because in Queen's GH, at the end of Under Pressure they cut one "This is our last dance"; in the original version they sing it twice.

[kenzo]

Originally Posted by Villavic

The market niche of compilations, Greatest Hits, etc. are those casual fans who usually don't buy albums just for 2 or 3 singles, even if they loved those songs when they were played on the radio. I assume their sales forecast is always achieved, obviously if it is not very ambitious. I've been within that segment during the 90s when I bought several GH CDs. I was excited about the new digital format, but the downside was that many songs were edited and shorter than the album version.

I remember I was outraged because in Queen's GH, at the end of Under Pressure they cut one "This is our last dance"; in the original version they sing it twice.

Songs being shortened wouldn't have been due to the "digital format" as CDs can hold close to 80 minutes of audio, much more than a vinyl LP.

[Villavic]

Originally Posted by kenzo

Songs being shortened wouldn't have been due to the "digital format" as CDs can hold close to 80 minutes of audio, much more than a vinyl LP.

That's right, and that's why it bothered me more. I suppose it is for commercial reasons.