How many copies Chinese Democracy really sold?

[plonker88]

I'm interested to see how sales did around the areas the band toured this time around.

[loko]

http://www.bravewords.com/news/124382

here. calculate for each country what does Platinum stands for and what does Gold stand for...

as I did back then..

now I don't feel like it.

It's also not correct... they writing in Poland ChD received only Gold when it's Platinum...

[axl666]

http://www.bravewords.com/news/124382

here. calculate for each country what does Platinum stands for and what does Gold stand for...

as I did back then..

now I don't feel like it.

but yes! it sold good, considering the long wait,

that GNR were out of the spot light for so much time!

that there were no major interviews of the band around it's release,

NO VIDEO! NO TV APPEARANCE!

so it did more than good in considering all above!

Again this comes back to albums shipped versus albums sold.

In this list it says the county's that CD has reached platinum in. In this list it mentions the U.S.

Platinum in the U.S. means one million units shipped, not sold. CD has sold about 600k in the U.S. as far as we know.

If you apply this to the other country's in this list CD could have sold less than people think (though shipped a lot

more than it sold).

NOW! It's not inconceivable that it could have sold more than 4 million. However there are. no. figures. to. back.

this. up. (as of yet).

People are extrapolating from data without sources; their own personal opinions; or mixing up shipped with sold.

[Blunoze]

No real official number other than that one we got from Billboard that said something like 5.6 million.

If that really is the case I fail to see how anyone can call it a "flop". Even by it's lofty standards...

That's exactly why I created this thread. I don't see how anyone can call Chinese Democracy a flop.

Best Buy paid all the costs, the rest is profit!

The logic behind it very simple, it is all relative. My band sold 750 copies of our first album. To us, that was a huge success. Guns N Roses are one of the top bands of all time. With AFD, the bar was set. The illusions followed that up, and stayed in the charts for years, resulting in an industry record breaking tour in stadiums wolrdwide to millions of people.

Democracy fell out of the charts without a whimper. The subsequent tour yielded the lowest attendance figures of any GNR tour, in the smallest venues of any GNR tour since pre-AFD.

By industry standards, the album did ok, and made a profit. 3-6 million is nothing to get excited about. By GNR standards, it was the poorest original material album ever made. If you accept that GNR did ok by industry standards, then thats fine. But some of us remember a band that was at the top of the charts, and always in the news and magazines.Tours were sold out, with new dates constantly added to satisfy demand. By GNR's own high standards, Democracy was a flop.

[phaeryen]

I don't understand why people are stating it like the sales have ended.

As long as there is activity with the group and the shows are as succesful as they've been, the album will keep shifting copies.

Its 1990's thinking to just look at the initial bust of record sales and chart positionings.

[Nintari]

I'm not investing my energy in this NEVER ENDING FUCKING DEBATE again....but I will say this....CD was a flop in the US. Outside of the United States, it did good.

Take that anyway you want.

Edited November 26, 2010 by Nintari

[Cdlove]

I'm not investing my energy in this NEVER ENDING FUCKING DEBATE again....but I will say this....CD was a flop in the US. Outside of the United States, it did good.

Take that anyway you want.

You know, you used to be one of the most annoying; repetitive posters here.....now you really seemed to have matured.....what happened?

[star]

don't forget the people who picked up more than 1 copy (10 in some cases). I picked up 2 copies, 1x CD, 1x Record. The Record has never been played, so it might be worth something, some day.

Edited November 26, 2010 by star

[Duke Nukem]

I don't know anyone in the real world who liked this album. Wish Axl would reunite the real GNR.

[Cdlove]

I don't know anyone in the real world who liked this album. Wish Axl would reunite the real GNR.

Dude, shut the fuck up.

[STARABOSTES]

I don't know anyone in the real world who liked this album. Wish Axl would reunite the real GNR.

Dude, shut the fuck up.

here here!

[moreblack]

I don't know anyone in the real world who liked this album. Wish Axl would reunite the real GNR.

Dude, shut the fuck up.

let him vent, this place is like therapy for all, much cheaper too.

[STARABOSTES]

I don't know anyone in the real world who liked this album. Wish Axl would reunite the real GNR.

Dude, shut the fuck up.

let him vent, this place is like therapy for all, much cheaper too.

pretty cool... and yes it's true.

[Cdlove]

I don't know anyone in the real world who liked this album. Wish Axl would reunite the real GNR.

Dude, shut the fuck up.

let him vent, this place is like therapy for all, much cheaper too.

I get that, and I really dont bitch when it come to something like this. But this dude just doesnt stop, he likes hearing himself type.

[Duke Nukem]

I don't know anyone in the real world who liked this album. Wish Axl would reunite the real GNR.

Dude, shut the fuck up.

let him vent, this place is like therapy for all, much cheaper too.

I get that, and I really dont bitch when it come to something like this. But this dude just doesnt stop, he likes hearing himself type.

I'm sorry. I don't mean to bitch. It just hurts me that Axl destroyed my favorite band and makes his fans settle for this farce instead.

[plonker88]

I don't know anyone in the real world who liked this album. Wish Axl would reunite the real GNR.

Dude, shut the fuck up.

let him vent, this place is like therapy for all, much cheaper too.

I get that, and I really dont bitch when it come to something like this. But this dude just doesnt stop, he likes hearing himself type.

I'm sorry. I don't mean to bitch. It just hurts me that Axl destroyed my favorite band and makes his fans settle for this farce instead.

I think you should get a grip on your priorities.

[moreblack]

I'm sorry. I don't mean to bitch. It just hurts me that Axl destroyed my favorite band and makes his fans settle for this farce instead.

I think you should get a grip on your priorities.

A lot of people throughout all the generations take their music very seriously...

Metalheads for example are very passionate.

[plonker88]

I'm sorry. I don't mean to bitch. It just hurts me that Axl destroyed my favorite band and makes his fans settle for this farce instead.

I think you should get a grip on your priorities.

A lot of people throughout all the generations take their music very seriously...

Metalheads for example are very passionate.

I just find it wierd getting emotionaly invested in a band, get invested in the music and leave all the other stuff to one side. Maybe some people can't seperate the two. Will I be bummed out if this band breaks up, of course I will, but I will always have the music.

And Duke, it has been over 15 years.....

[Nintari]

I don't know anyone in the real world who liked this album. Wish Axl would reunite the real GNR.

Dude, shut the fuck up.

let him vent, this place is like therapy for all, much cheaper too.

I get that, and I really dont bitch when it come to something like this. But this dude just doesnt stop, he likes hearing himself type.

I'm sorry. I don't mean to bitch. It just hurts me that Axl destroyed my favorite band and makes his fans settle for this farce instead.

I don't think Axl destroyed it...but he has prevented it from returning for a few years now.

I'm not investing my energy in this NEVER ENDING FUCKING DEBATE again....but I will say this....CD was a flop in the US. Outside of the United States, it did good.

Take that anyway you want.

You know, you used to be one of the most annoying; repetitive posters here.....now you really seemed to have matured.....what happened?

Everything I've ever said, I meant to say. It's just, you know...at some point you realize certain things you do or say may not really be having the impact you want them to. If what I say is going to be blindly ignored because certain people's hearts are wrapped tightly around something, then in the end, all I'm doing is hurting those people. I'm not a cupcake, and I personally think cupcakes have some sort of mental disorder. I don't like tearing at people until they fall apart, even if I know I'm right. If what I say could create thought and awareness or possibly lead to a new point of view? I'd say what's on my mind around here all the time but that's never going to happen. In the end, you're just beating a dead horse,upsetting otherwise innocent people and causing genuinely bad vibes all around. I'm not into that....I'd rather people be happy and enjoy what they enjoy....even if they don't think the way I do.

Edited November 26, 2010 by Nintari

[AxlSlashedIzzy]

At the most 3 million or so worldwide which for the MOST ANTICIPATED ALBUM OF ALL TIME! is a letdown. Unless you have stock in Universal/Black Frog/GN'R then I don't see why people waste time arguing over this.

Edited November 26, 2010 by AxlSlashedIzzy

[Blunoze]

No real official number other than that one we got from Billboard that said something like 5.6 million.

If that really is the case I fail to see how anyone can call it a "flop". Even by it's lofty standards...

That's exactly why I created this thread. I don't see how anyone can call Chinese Democracy a flop.

Best Buy paid all the costs, the rest is profit!

The logic behind it very simple, it is all relative. My band sold 750 copies of our first album. To us, that was a huge success. Guns N Roses are one of the top bands of all time. With AFD, the bar was set. The illusions followed that up, and stayed in the charts for years, resulting in an industry record breaking tour in stadiums wolrdwide to millions of people.

Democracy fell out of the charts without a whimper. The subsequent tour yielded the lowest attendance figures of any GNR tour, in the smallest venues of any GNR tour since pre-AFD.

By industry standards, the album did ok, and made a profit. 3-6 million is nothing to get excited about. By GNR standards, it was the poorest original material album ever made. If you accept that GNR did ok by industry standards, then thats fine. But some of us remember a band that was at the top of the charts, and always in the news and magazines.Tours were sold out, with new dates constantly added to satisfy demand. By GNR's own high standards, Democracy was a flop.

So for a band to be great they have to be at the top of the charts? With that logic I better go buy myself some Justin Beiber and Lady Gaga albums!

The question wasn't are GNR great, it was whether or not Democracy was a flop. Try reading things before posting childish comments.

[SunnyDRE]

You don't spend $20 to make $21.

[Skulls]

According to Nielsen SoundScan, Chinese Democracy has sold less than a million copies in the US. Regardless, "Best Buy will continue to look for opportunities within the music industry, especially those that allow both the artist and the retailer to mutually benefit from an integrated approach."

The album was not a flop. It was not a hit either. It was just ... meh.

[ManetsBR]

You don't spend $20 to make $21.

That's not a flop. You don't spend $20 to make $19.

[dalsh327]

If GNR didn't go the exclusive route with CD at Best Buy, it would've sold more. No online sales of the songs for a year. In hindsight, Target would've been the better choice, they don't censor, but Best Buy prob. had the bigger paycheck. Wal Mart also would've been good, but then they'd have to "sanitize" the music.

Best Buy's music selection has become considerably small if you've been in the stores lately.

But with the US tour approaching, if GNR are still contacted with them, they might be the concert sponsor for this tour, and give credit card holders first crack at tickets. That's what happened with The Police reunion tour. They had first dibs on the good seats, then American Express card holders, the Sting fan club (those in the LA area got to see them at a club when they did the announcement and played some songs) then everyone else. I don't know how ticket distribution will work, with Azoff and Axl still taking things to court.

I don't remember what the story was with the mom and pop stores, whether they were selling it or just the vinyl versions.

I think for the money spent on recording it, and the return they made from it, you could blame the economy (and didn't Axl mention that might have had an affect on sales? Who was going to Best Buy 2 years ago buying TVs if they were worried that they were going to have a job tomorrow?) but it didn't make much of a dent. Howard Stern discussed it on the show, but even the Stern show reaches out to a limited audience. Eddie Trunk's "That Metal Show" had him discussing the album, and was giving favorable reviews, but how many people actually watch it.

All I know is we're in an era Robert Plant, Roger Waters and the Rolling Stones are going on Jimmy Fallon, and Slayer is going on Jimmy Kimmel. Odds are more people are going to DVR a GNR appearance on there, than if they went on some 3 hour award show. I think the only reason GNR would do Letterman is to play the Ed Sullivan Theater, because that's where The Beatles first played on TV.

By the time CD came out, people were ready to bash it without hearing it. By 2008, it wasn't the "most anticipated album of all time". People just wanted to hear what the BFD about it taking 15 years was.

So.... they put the ENTIRE ALBUM on My Space??? Why buy it? All people needed to do was convert the streams to MP3 and they had a "good enough" copy. All it was useful for was gauging the most popular songs. Should've been a 24 hour only streaming, and after it was released. Some people still do listening parties where you have to go somewhere to hear it for the first time. And GNR should've done a special show on or right before the release date.

It never should've been more than 4 songs, and 30 second samples of everything else.

The sign of a true flop is when you see the CD for sale for pennies, when used CD stores are turning down copies because so many people are getting rid of it. Odds are that people who bought it, like it and held on to it, and if they're selling it, they're prob. selling their CD collection.