It was pretty much the same with 'Don't Cry Daddy'. Elvis Gold Records, Volume 4 (1968) Not quite a collection of hits from the then-cooling star only (Youre the) Devil in Disguise went top-ten in the U.S. this was the final Gold Records collection issued during his lifetime. Elvis Presley is second in the U.S., with 135 million sold. In the tracking week ending Aug. 4, the Elvis soundtrack sold 8,000 copies (up 1,466%), with 7,500 of that sum on CD. How can you sensibly compare a group of people to one especially when their music is as different as chalk and cheese? Spinout (1966) The older rock-and-roll tune Stop, Look and Listen that kicks off another Elvis race-car musical brings some heat that his last few soundtracks lacked, followed by an energetic but misogynistic song called Adam and Evil and a couple silken ballads like the self-doubting Am I Ready? that go down easy enough. The problem remains the sales of records outside the USA. Mahalo from Elvis" album Side 1 had previously unissued tracks recorded in Honolulu on January 14, 1973, for inclusion in the U.S.-version of the live concert TV special Aloha from Hawaii, side 2 were previously issued recordings from various movie soundtracks. Albums [ edit] Studio albums [ edit] Notes Let Yourself Go has an unconvincing psychedelic flavor, but might be the most fun thing here, along with Nancy Sinatras take on Lee Hazlewoods cynical Your Groovy Self. The existentialism-light of Who Are You (Who Am I? Elvis Presley was included in the History Channel's 10 Days that Unexpectedly Changed America video, and I believe that his effect on race relations and popular . Why was the 1982 claim ever made? For example little Denmark purchased an incredible 150,000 copies of a 1968 release entitled 'A Portrait in Music'; whilst in 1974 the double album '40 Greatest Hits' shattered every known speed sales record previously set in the UK. Largely consisting of leftovers from the golden Sun days, as well as some scattered soundtrack material, Elvis for Everyone! This is a moving document (and deconstruction) of Elviss unique embodiment of r&b, gospel, country, and rock and roll. This insane number is made of 23 pure studio albums, 17 original soundtracks, 23 Christmas-related releases, 39 box sets, 29 live efforts, 200 compilations and 10 records tagged as other which include interviews and spoken discs. This page lists albums, singles, and compilations by the musician Elvis Costello, distinguishing between United States and United Kingdom release dates and record labels. That's about as many records as Pink Floyd or Led Zeppelin have sold during their entire existence! (Okay, Night Rider and Fountain of Love are an awkwardly hilarious back-to-back pair, too.) Elvis Presley was one of the most popular musicians of the 20th century. 50. If you subtract 260 million from 500-600 million, that suggests Elvis Presley has sold anywhere from 240 to 360 million records after he was dead. The albums strong B side starts with the chilling Its Midnight, then makes a touching mantra of Your Loves Been a Long Time Coming. Promised Land is one of his better mid-70s records, though its laden with a pair of duds in Elviss plea to Mr. These are albums which were never sold on standard retailers but instead by mail order or at Christian book stores. 1. for 59 weeks and 4 No. Of note are the reissue series, Costello's back catalogue having undergone reissue three times by three different companies. Albums in order.com 2023. Elvis has sold a billion records. From Memphis to Vegas / From Vegas to Memphis, Elvis sings The Wonderful World of Christmas, From Elvis Presley Boulevard, Memphis, Tennessee, Im Gonna Sit Right Down and Cry (Over You), (Therell Be) Peace in the Valley (For Me), Ill Hold You in My Heart (Till I Can Hold You in My Arms), 11. how many albums did elvis sell. Album Certifications Total 146.5 Million. Loving You (1957) The mainly zippy soundtrack to Elviss first starring role (including a whole side of recent non-soundtrack cuts) transforms Elviss singing delivery man into something nicely cuddly on the albums best known and biggest hit, (Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear, with a mean woman getting him good and hot on the scorching opener Mean Woman Blues. The loping drama of the Western number Lonesome Cowboy is a highlight, and theres a solid take on Blueberry Hill and a couple of sweet Cole Porter and Ivory Joe Hunter ballads. Songman and his far-from-actualized Love Song of the Year.. In this scattered context of cutting-room scraps, even the most ridiculous stuff like Shes a Machine and Do the Vega contributes to an entertainingly cubist rendering of the King. The title track on Moody Blue is a would-be camp classic from Mark James, who also wrote Suspicious Minds, and the live half has a couple of enjoyably bouncy countrified versions of Olivia Newton-John hits in If You Love Me (Let Me Know) and Let Me Be There, as well as a goofy take on the doo-wop classic Little Darlin. Of the final studio cuts from October 76, Way Down is an up, and Pledging My Love is a strong-enough musical declaration. Elvis got to distance himself from the worn-out commercial decisions imposed by Colonel Parker and dig deep into meaningful material of his own choosing, capturing some of the earlier TV specials spontaneous sense of fun and inventiveness with spirited and unpredictable arrangements and performances, including a great rhythm section and backup singing that blows his mainstays, the often-stiff Jordanaires, out of the water. "It got to the point where I was driving in my car, and I thought: I just want to know if Stevie Nicks and Lindsey . From Elvis In Memphis (1969) Fresh off the success of his 68 comeback special, a reanimated Elvis recorded this album many fans favorite at a studio hed never before used, American Sound, getting its talented southern soul-style house band the Memphis Boys to back him rather than the usual gang. But whatever doubts I had about my conclusions have all but vanished with the passage of time. How many albums did Michael Jackson sell after his death? Copyright 2022 by www.elvis.com.au & www.elvispresley.com.au, https://www.elvis.com.au/presley/one-billion-record-sales.shtml. " Heartbreak Hotel" "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" Release date: Nov. 8. 46. The evidence is there - just not broken down to enable certification by individual title, correctly required under the RIAA rules. These cookies do not store any personal information. Elvis Presley Career Statistics Data Total number of certified albums sold by Elvis Presley worldwide 206,800,000 Total amount Elvis earned during his career $1,050,000,000 Amount Elvis was paid per week . 21. Hover to zoom. The hit Kiss Me Quick is a sly and sleazy keeper, and only the operatic ending of I Feel That Ive Known You Forever brings us closer to laughter than romance. The final step will consist in crossing the data from all indicators chart runs, certifications, Soundscan, external sales data to establish how many albums the rock n roll legend moved in his native country. A Date With Elvis (1959) Issued a few months after For LP Fans Only, this album was made with the same intention as its predecessor: to keep fans sated with Elvis material while he was off driving tanks in the Army. Elvis is the leading sales artist for both Solo Artist or Group. There is no easy way to know for sure without buying all of this albums, but it's around 710. Aretha Franklin's album "Amazing Grace" sold more than two million copies, becoming the . King Creole (1958) Elviss favorite movie role was as the new star of the King Creole nightclub, and the accompanying soundtrack album was also something strong. How many Elvis Presley albums have been sold? However the 1972/3 Elvis record sales in the US were particularly heavy because of the combined impact of Aloha, the 'On Tour' film, the Madison Square Garden concert, the first greatest hit package, and the number one single, 'Burning Love' and so for a time US sales bucked the trend, which had very clearly been heading in the direction of overseas markets for some time before that. He said his surgery was a success, but he needs time to heal before he can tour again. The standout ballad Tender Feeling wasnt in the film, but got tossed in here as a pot sweetener. # In several key overseas markets some sales were documented and certified - even as far back as the 1950s. If you do the math, thats 341 minus 101 equals 240 albums completely unaccounted for under Presleys RIAA tally. According to Forbes' list of top earning dead stars, he earned $27m (21m) in 2016 and sold one million albums. How Many Albums Did Elvis Sell. Combined with LOC-1037, this version sold more than 3,000,000 copies in the US. Sales of such albums as 'ELV1S 30 #1 Hits' (2002), 'If I Can Dream' ( 2015 ), 'The Wonder of You' (2016), 'Christmas with the RPO' (2017) and just recently 'Where No One Stands Alone' (2018) all underline my point. Elvis for Everyone! [1][2] Billboard ranks Presley as the 13th Greatest Artist of all Time. Fun in Acapulco (1963) Presley plays another romantically persistent boat worker in this movie, and we get another soundtrack of Elvis exotica. Or it could have been because he had to perform the rest of this familiar mishmash of pseudo-smooth (City by Night), pseudo-rocking (Long Legged Girl), and pseudo-polka (I Love Only One Girl) and release it on the same day as his supreme acolytes the Beatles released Sgt. Singer Presents Elvis Singing Flaming Star and Others (1968) This budget-priced compilation mostly consists of unreleased soundtrack recordings from the 60s, aside from a version of Chuck Berrys Too Much Monkey Business that was recorded as a warm-up and the sloppily energized Tiger Man, which is the most exciting thing here: a sneak peek of the upcoming comeback special. 41. Colonel Tom Parker, Elvis's manager from 1955 to his death in 1977, earned an estimated $50 million from the singer's estate. His Hand in Mine (1960) One long Halloween night session yielded Elviss first gospel quartet-style LP, a passion project featuring a few of the singers own arrangements of traditional material. RCA/Sony did once try to get their overseas outlets to send in their sales stats, but this request was misconstrued. 22. Until Now! Elvis has sold over 2.5 Billion Records Worldwide. Double Trouble (1967) Advertised as an adventure filled with dames, diamonds, discotheques, and danger, this movie featured a soundtrack for which the recording sessions once again got Elvis so mad that he stormed out of the studio. Elvis (1956) Elvis is great, if not as strong as Elvis Presley from half a year earlier. may be re-printed for public display without permission. Lets Be Friends (1970) Another budget-price compilation off-loading unused soundtrack material and a couple new ones. Im Comin Home attempts a rock-and-roll revival at the top of the B side and just about achieves it. That can only mean that the majority of these sales had been accrued from foreign parts. All this evidence seems to point towards an overall international sales figure, that at the very least is the equal of the domestic haul and almost certainly, I would suggest, much greater than that. Whereas Elvis' claim to musical prowess was based on the magnificent instrument that was his voice allied to the sheer scale of his vision and his extraordinary interpretative powers, that of the Beatles rests on their superb songwriting skills, craftsmanship and inventiveness. The ballads also fail to ignite, making the record a bit of a slog. Cant Help Falling in Love is the obvious peak, and even the silly calypso moment Ito Eats wiggles into its place. This is clearly demonstrated by the total global musical sales for the year 2005, which I continue to use, and with figures cast in billions of dollars, reads as follows: 1 USA 7.02 Japan 3.73 UK 2.24 Germany 1.45 France 1.26 ROW 5.3. He started to grow as a popular artist, and began to change both race relations and popular teen culture. Another frustration is the absence of information about non-traditional releases. "Where No One Stands Alone" reached number 1 on the Billboard Top Christian Albums and the Billboard Vinyl Albums charts. Kissin Cousins (1964) Elvis feudin, Elvis lovin, Elvis swingin as he joins his mountain kinfolk for a hey, hey, hayride to good ol mountain music reads the movie-poster copy. Included we see a live performance of the elusive Long Tall Sally seen here for the first time ever. The received wisdom regarding his albums which prizes theSun Sessions(which, had this ranking included compilation albums featuring no new or previously unreleased material, wouldve been a strong contender for the top-spot), Elviss first records for RCA, and his 68 comeback recordings overlooks some worthy stuff within the often indistinguishable heap making up the rest of his corpus. More than 500 million records were sold by the Beatles worldwide. Well it seems that around five years after Elvis died, a former Radio Luxembourg DJ, by the name of Don Wardell, took over from Joan Deary as the product manager in charge of the Elvis catalogue at RCA. This page was last edited on 4 March 2023, at 17:01. From Elvis Presley Boulevard, Memphis, Tennessee (1976) Its not a live concert album, but an album recorded live at a makeshift studio, and a powerful downer that gets us close to Elviss pain and far from rock and roll. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. 45. Terms of Service apply. The RIAA certify all sales of a disc including re-releases, whether or not there has been a change in the catalogue number, provided the inclusion of any additional tracks, does not bring the total to more than 17. (This album irked White Christmas originator Irving Berlin and other purists, but youd think they got over it.) All Rights Reserved. The following updated version has been considerably shortened, where possible, in the interests of brevity. You\'ll receive the next newsletter in your inbox. For everyone else, things get dicier. Did he really sell one billion records as has been frequently claimed? So, with a hip-swivel and a lip-curl, heres our ranking of every LP containing new or previously unreleased tracks put out by RCA during Elviss lifetime. 36. The Polynesian furniture was cleared out of Graceland to make room for a recording setup to capture performances from the waning singer in between his obsessive viewings of Charles Bronson in Death Wish. (1962) Poor Elvis doesnt get to finish his sandwich because, as he tells us on the title track, hes too busy desiring something small and sassy, which might make for a realistic glimpse of his inner state, but not quite a recording for all-time, and neither is this soundtrack to Elviss second Hawaiian flick. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Elvis' Christmas Album (also reissued as It's Christmas Time) is the third studio album and first Christmas album by American singer and musician Elvis Presley on RCA Victor, . The albums discography of Elvis Presley began in 1956 with the release of his self-titled debut album, Elvis Presley. During his career, the prolific actor inhabited an array of troubled characters. Somebody else in the old RCA backroom may have initially dreamt up the figures, but it was Don Wardell who publicised them and thus must bear the responsibility. var gcse = document.createElement('script'); Elvis sings The Wonderful World of Christmas (1971), It Wont Seem Like Christmas (Without You), Fools Rush In (Where Angels Fear to Tread), 19. This is definitely a rougher batch than the first two albums from these sessions, but theres something charming about the personnel worn out and flailing their way through these downcast ballads. In the studio, he makes the most of Percy Mayfields alienation on Stranger in My Own Home Town and a soft wet kiss from Neil Diamond on And the Grass Wont Pay No Mind. The live set is more fiery, starting with breakneck versions of classics like Johnny B. Goode and Blue Suede Shoes interspersed with the Kings laughter and self-mocking banter: He calls himself bigger now (size-wise). 56. Written and researched by Nick Keene with help from Ernst Jorgensen and source's at Sony Music for Elvis Australia. When I wrote my original article over a decade ago it was not without a degree of trepidation. The closing song If I Can Dream has a searing gospel intensity that his first couple of proper gospel LPs never quite captured. **It appears that immediately the 1973 royalty buyout came into force RCA stopped issuing either Elvis or the Colonel with sales figures, relating to any of his records released before 1/3/1973. He sold over 600 million records in his lifetime, making him one of the best-selling artists of all time. His work here is loose and gritty and inspired, with the opening medley of Trouble and Guitar Man leading to an extended hits medley, and his renewed sense of purpose is as irresistible now as it was to the fans present at the shows. Beginning in 1954, he recorded at Sun Records with producer Sam Phillips, who aimed to popularize African-American music. "Wonderful World of Christmas" reached number 1 on the Billboard Christmas Albums chart in 1972 and 1973. Though this is Elviss last LP, released a month before his death, its not as depressing as the album that came before it, From Elvis Presley Boulevard, Memphis, Tennessee, which was recorded entirely at Graceland in February 76. Elvis Presley 23 Studio albums, 8 Live albums, 13 Compilation albums, 29 EPs, 18 Soundtrack albums, 30 Box sets, 115 Posthumous compilations, and 11 Remix albums. This may have (even) confused Whitburns Billboard 200?This LP was also a huge C&W charted item, as a double entity. "If I Can Dream" reached number 1 on the Billboard Classical Albums and the Billboard Classical Crossover Albums charts. The rapid increase in demand for Presley product in the lucrative South East Asia, during the early seventies, was the main driving force behind the sponsorship of the initial live telecast of the 'Aloha' special in 1973. " Jailhouse Rock" Release date: Sept. 4. Since no global certification process common to all artists exists, that is all that can be done anyway, whoever we are talking about. (1965) After several so-so soundtrack albums in a row, Elvis returns to non-movie-related music, mostly, with a strong album released in celebration of the artists ten years with RCA. "Elvis Recorded Live on Stage in Memphis" reached number 1 on the Cash Box Country Albums chart. He overreaches on Peggy Lees Fever, but the album often achieves a mid-tempo grace, perfectly sprinkled with Elviss signature corn, and Reconsider Baby has a convincingly bitter blues vocal. An essential gateway to his late period, indulgences and all. As a reminder, Soundscan is the process which scans every sale at retailers since the start of 1991. When he croons, My eyes may grow dim, on I Believe in the Man in the Sky, youll believe him. ), to be consistent we need to treat these older releases the same way! A German-inspired release entitled 'Elvis Forever' and its successors swept Europe around 1975/6 and did exactly the same. Elvis Christmas Album (1957) The all-time best-selling Christmas album in America is rounded out by four beautifully drowsy non-holiday gospel numbers. It is estimated that more than one billion Elvis records have been sold worldwide, more than anyone in record industry history. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google ELVIS PRESLEY Vinyl LP LOT 50+ Album Collection Many Sealed VG~NM Condition. On the eccentric Im Yours, we have the rare experience of hearing Elvis close-harmonizing with himself over some weirdly isolated organ, providing a nicely unsettling hall-of-mirrors effect. On Stage (1970) Elviss second live album is mostly compiled from a few Vegas dates, collecting versions of hit songs associated with other people, like Neil Diamonds Sweet Caroline and Creedence Clearwater Revivals Proud Mary, and its fine though why not listen to Neil Diamond or CCR or the Beatles or Del Shannon or the Everly Brothers if you want to hear these songs? Read More. 20. (function() { Time-Life, alone, was responsible for some 20 extensively promoted national releases, all of which sold heavily. Though the record doesnt exactly make sense or leave an indelible mark, the song selection and singing are solid a cockily sensitive version of Buffy Sainte-Maries Until Its Time for You to Go, the rousing gospel of Put Your Hand in the Hand a major exception being the goofy history lesson in the final tune I Was Born About Ten Thousand Years Ago, which is no more vital here than it was when broken into snippets and sprinkled throughout Elvis Country. It seems that pretty well everybody in the business used to exaggerate the achievements of their clients if only because everyone else was doing the same. TikToks Favorite Celebrity Couple Is Kim Kardashian and Michael Cera. Published February 8, 2023, Your email address will not be published. Ten years ago I researched this subject in depth with help from Ernst Jorgensen and through him Sony BMG and compiled a comprehensive report, which was published on this site. Davis' album, Elephant, is by far the best . Elvis Sings The Wonderful World of Christmas (1971) Elviss second Christmas album isnt as rock and roll as his 50s go at a holiday recording, but its infused with his later-period showmanship (check the extravagant flourishes of Winter Wonderland) and deploys his bigger-band sound and powerhouse vocals to bolster a selection of overly familiar chestnuts. Roustabout (1964) Elviss slickster manager, a former carny who dubbed himself Colonel Tom Parker (formerly Dutch immigrant Andrea van Kuijk), got a picture made for his star which took place in Parkers old milieu, with Elvis playing the title fairground worker who could sing mellifluously while performing motorcycle stunts. Singles released since Elvis died have consistently done better overseas e.g. Speedway (1968) During the Summer of Love, Elvis was recording these iffy songs for his third onscreen appearance as a race-car driver, and it became his lowest seller yet it was also the last time he would release a full soundtrack album. ", "American certifications Presley, Elvis", "Canadian album certifications Elvis Presley", "British album certifications Elvis Presley", "French album certifications Presley, Elvis", "Elvis Presley Chart History: Billboard 200", "Elvis Presley Chart History: Top Country Albums", "ARIA Charts Accreditations 2008 Albums", Australian Recording Industry Association, "ARIA Charts Accreditations 1999 Albums", "ARIA Charts Accreditations 2002 Albums", "ARIA Charts Accreditations 2018 Albums", "Elvis Presley's Groundbreaking '68 NBC-TV Comeback Special Celebrated with Definitive 50th Anniversary Box Set Release", "Elvis Presley's Pivotal Year of 1969 Celebrated with 50th Anniversary Box Set at the International Hotel in Las Vegas: Live 1969, Available Physically & Digitally August 9th", "RCA/Legacy Recordings Celebrating 50th Anniversary of Elvis Presley's Legendary 1970 Studio B Marathon Sessions with the "Nashville Cats", "Kent Music Report No 453 28 February 1983 > Platinum Albums 1982 (Continued)", "ARIA Charts Accreditations 1996 Albums", "Chart Log UK* Rodney P. The Pussycat Dolls", "ARIA Charts Accreditations 2022 Albums", "ARIA Charts Accreditations 2001 Albums", "ARIA Charts Accreditations 2003 Albums", "ARIA Charts Accreditations 2006 Albums", "Chart Log UK* New Entries Update 29.06.2013 (wk25)", "Star-Studded Music Video For "If I Can Dream" by Elvis Presley, Post Malone, Shawn Mendes, Darius Rucker, Blake Shelton, and Carrie Underwood Premieres Today on Apple Music", "ARIA Charts Accreditations 2016 Albums", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Elvis_Presley_albums_discography&oldid=1142836866. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. 52. Almost in Love (1970) This budget-price collection of 45s and EP-only tracks, culled mainly from soundtracks, redundantly includes Stay Away, Joe, which was already included on other compilations. I dont see anywhere in the Elvis articles where its noted that RIAA certification of 1 million is units not copies shipped. Then, of course, there is Music Clubs, which used to be a significant actor of the music industry during the 90s and that is out of Soundscans panel. 13. So Glad Youre Mine, a great mocking Arthur Crudup song left over from an earlier session kicks off the second side, and when Elviss mournful desire peeks out on Hows the World Treating You, as elsewhere, the effect is spellbinding. "The Wonder of You" reached number 1 on the Billboard Classical Albums and the Billboard Classical Crossover Albums charts. Harum Scarum (1965) The film was billed as 1001 Swingin Nights and the plot involves Elvis bringing an enchanting princess back to Vegas from the Middle East. In fact, less than a third of his official US releases achieved a Gold award or better. Cotton Candy Land repositions Mr. Sandmans dream as a terrifying sugar high, and the saccharine How Would You Like to Be? is sung to a kid in the film to placate her, but frazzles every other listener; Happy Ending is another unhappy event. Some idea of the scale involved actually emerged through the 1977/8 interim and the final audited record company reports. Led Zeppelin IV, one of only three studio albums to sell more than . Elvis Presley recorded 18 albums from 1956 through 1977. There are a number of other points to be made at this juncture namely: Certification of record sales requires documentation not of any actual sales sheets, but of the shipping invoices sent to the distributor and the returns of unsold discs made to the supplier. * The RIAA only certify sales which reach defined levels and, therefore, sales below their radar screen and between one level and the next level - don't count in their statistics. So what happened? The best musical instrument is a love triangle. I Got a Feelin in My Body is especially okay church-revival funk, and lots of swelling gospel-group vocals and string arrangements get busy throughout this Stax Studiorecorded batch. Aloha From Hawaii Via Satellite (1973) On the same day as Super Bowl VII, Elvis attempted to outdo that extravaganza with his own super magic for the tube, as he put it, donning an American Eagle jumpsuit to appear in the most expensive televised live special thus far, broadcast to over a billion people worldwide. 17. Whats Next for Convicted Sex Criminals Harvey Weinstein and R. Kelly? Although the songs are mainly two or three minutes long, they feel like theyre taking their time without ever lagging, and the straight country material like Im Movin On benefits from elaborately funky interjections. Elvis Recorded Live on Stage in Memphis (1974) At this point, Elvis hadnt played his hometown in 13 years, so why not make a major commercial enterprise of the last show of a big tour? Over the last decade the media have put pressure on the record companies to provide more details of their various claims, with the result that some of them have been revised, only to be replaced by statistics that do not differentiate as between actual physical sales and downloads. To some extent, as I have said before, this continues to be a work in progress, but the likelihood of more information on the question of international sales outside the USA emerging after all these years are remote. Elvis Golden Records, Volume 2: 50,000,000 Elvis Fans Cant Be Wrong (1959) Colonel Parker got fans stoked for Elviss imminent release from German deployment with this collection of singles he released in 58 and 59 (thankfully, minus a pair of ho-hum tunes from King Creole), and this both rocks and allures, from the quick-change rhythms and doo-wop groans of come-hither I Need Your Love Tonight to pleading ballads like Dont and the verging-on-desperate drama of One Night and I Beg of You..