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Beatles top US end of decade chart
11:06 | Tuesday December 15, 2009
The Beatles have topped the Nielsen Soundscan Albums of the Decade chart – and are the only British act to feature in the top 50.
Based on sales from the period of January 2000 to November 29 2009 in the US, 1, the greatest hits compilation by the band, released in 2000, accrued sales of 11,515,000. The EMI release beat artists such as N*Sync, Norah Jones and Eminem - who has three releases within the top 50 – to the top spot.
British artists fared slightly better within the Top Artist by Album Sales of the Decade chart - which takes sales from all album releases into account - with appearances from the Beatles, Rod Stewart, Coldplay and Pink Floyd within the top 50.
The Beatles came second to Eminem, who achieved album sales of 32,241,000, while the Liverpudlian quartet garnered sales of 30,182,000.
Rod Stewart was 31st in the list with sales of 15,511,000 as Coldplay came in at 34 with 14,604,000 album sales. Pink Floyd beat artists such as Shania Twain, Ludacris and Enya to come in at 36 with 14,164,000 album sales over the last decade.
The figures released by Nielsen Soundscan also highlighted the effect that music piracy is having on the industry, with sales steadily decreasing from 2000 to 2009.
In 2000, 202 albums released in the US achieved sales of at least half a million – a figure that decreased to 49 this year. Similarly, 32 albums in 2002 sold 2m copies, while just two did in 2009.
The figures also showed the effect that digital downloads have had on music purchases. Pre 2004 and the digital music boom physical CD sales fluctuated between 712 million and 635.8 million.
Since then, physical CD sales have sunk to 249.1 million, while sales of digital tracks reached 1,069.6 million in 2008.
Readers' comments
The Beatles certainly do NOT deserve the No.2 position of the new decade. They are simply overrated and represent an era - the 1960's. It is definately not the quality of the music as it is mainly 'sing a long material' and very unoriginal. The Beatles have now released all the aces up their sleeve and the only way for them to go now is down and not before time in my opinion.
LOL @ Brian Quinn - It has nothing to do with deservedness - a band that broke up 40 years ago are STILL selling more albums than artists that are around now. If you look at how many remastered cd's they sold this year you'd realise they have not released all the aces up their sleeve. Ones opinion of them is irrelevant next to the amazing sales achieved and the facts speak for themselves.
I think Brian is talking out of his arse. The Beatles are regarded as the most innovative, original and popular band in history, There was NOTHING like them before. They had a blank canvas and created so many different styels and sounds in popular music. That is why each new generation loves them. They still sound fresh and compared to many bands today, their songs are still exciting and inspirational. If it was just down to popularity then I would understand Brians comments. But the Beatles are loved by music critics and musicians all over the planet and from all categories of music. Sorry Brian, but your voice will always be in the minority on this subject.
I LOVE EMINEM
Agree wholeheartedly with Mark. They are properly and universally acknowledged as the best ever and the sales mark forty years after the break up furthers this fact. They represent very clearly, all eras as demonstrated by the Pew Trust survey that shows them as the ONLY musicians rated in the top 4 in popularity among all age groups from 15 to 65.
Just like Mozart the Beatles music will live on forever even after we are long gone! The Fab Four are a class act and no other artist or group will ever surpass them. They have brought people together, professed love and peace and never lost their sense of dignity. They are universal and have transcended the decades. Eminem will never, never reach the same esteem that the world holds for the Beatles.