'Cher News' has already delivered to you the order and the sales figures of Cher's best-selling solo singles in the past – plus the best-selling Sonny & Cher singles, and albums. So now, there's just one thing left to to – reveal the sales figures of Cher's best-selling solo albums.
Of course, these sales figures are the result of my year-long research into Cher's record sales. But quickly moving on, there's her top five best-selling albums listedhere – in order, with the all-important best-seller first up. What is Cher's best-selling solo album? You must know – it's 'Believe'!
1. 'Believe'
Released in 1998, sold 11,033,739 copies
By far, Cher's best-selling album is 1998's 'Believe' – in fact, it is one of the best-selling albums of all-time. It includes the mega-selling title-track – which, fittingly, is one of the best-selling singles of all-time. The album and its singles brought Cher back to a high after the low of ex-husband Sonny Bono's recent death. As well as the title-track, the album – which has an impressive array of globe-spanning certifications – also features the hits 'Strong Enough (another million-seller), 'All or Nothing' and 'Dov'รจ L'amore'.
2. Heart of Stone
Released in 1989, sold 4,680,206 copies
Selling a whopping four-and-a-half million copies is Cher's 1989 pop-rock abum 'Heart of Stone', which boasts an impressive list of hits singles along the likes of 'If I Could Turn Back Time', 'After All' and 'Just Like Jesse James' – all of which reached the US top ten. The album's supporting tour brought Cher back to the stage after numerous years of not touring – as she was concentrating on her successful movie career.
3. The Very Best of Cher
Released in 2003, sold 3,195,803 copies
Boasting over 35 years of classic Cher tracks is her 2003 successful compilation album 'The Very Best of Cher'. The album – which is available in a few different versions – takes us all the way back to her sixties folk-rock roots with her debut hit 'All I Really Want To Do – whilst also showcasing the singer's modern dance sound with the likes of 'Song For The Lonely'. Sales of its 'Special Edition' version brings the album's total sales up to 3,421,009!
4. The Greatest Hits
Released in 1999, sold 2,593,940 copies
Cher has a tremendous back-catalogue of hits – and this is clearly proven as her next best-selling album is also a hits collection. Hot on the heels of her mega-selling 'Believe' album was the release of her 1999 'The Greatest Hits' package. Whilst North America were treated to a separate 'Greatest Hits' package – the rest of the world rushed to stores to buy this one (some countries were able to bag both albums!).
5. Love Hurts
Released in 1991, sold 2,330,680 copies
The follow-up to 1989's 'Heart of Stone' was destined to be a hit – and a hit it was. Although less-successful than its predecessor in territories such as North America and Australasia – the album was a bigger hit than 'Heart of Stone' elsewhere. The album was a tremendous success in Europe, especially in the UK, where it debuted at number one and spent six weeks there. Whilst the European version sported the bonus track of Cher's recent UK number one hit 'The Shoop Shoop Song (It's In His Kiss)', owners of the North American version had to settle for the album's trio of hits, 'Save Up All Your Tears', 'Love Hurts' and 'Could've Been You'.
While "Believe" sales have often been estimated at 11 millions, I'm sure your estimations for the other albums are way too low (she's always been a big act in markets like UK, Germany or Australia).
ReplyDelete- "Heart of Stone" has sold around 3.5 millions in US only and it's almost a million seller in UK... total sales should be over 6 millions.
- "The Very Best of Cher" has sold almost 3 millions in US only, with an estimated total of 4 millions worlwide.
- "The greatest hits" has sold over 3 millions (it's been a huge seller in Europe).
- "Love Hurts" also is way over 3 millions (it sold one million in UK and over half million in US).
I agree, seems the figures are low for worldwide sales? Even in Sweden Cher was big with all these albums...
ReplyDeleteBut Cher's music sales in Sweden have never been that high. I think people are overestimating Cher's music sales.
DeleteI followed Cher a lot in those days and the press here in Sweden never writes positively about her, but what I enjoyed then was her chartpostions which were in the top for a long time. But maybe that wasn't as much as it looked like. I've tried to find data about it here, but can't find though.
DeleteNo, overall I think those estimates are pretty good, I think the Believe album is quite overestimated, and maybe Love Hurts needs about 500,000 more, but Heart of Stone, The Very Best Of Cher, and The Greatest Hits sounds fine to me. Stefano, Love Hurts has not sold over 3 million, neither has The Greatest Hits. Also, Heart Of Stone has sold a maximum of 550,000 in the UK, it is not almost at a million sales, if it was, it would have been certified as 3x Platinum.
ReplyDelete- "Heart of Stone" has sold 500.000 copies in Canada and over 300.000 in Australia only. In UK old albums are often undercertified, and you have to consider "Heart of Stone" is a great catalog-seller, keeping selling through the years (I think it sold at least 800.000 in UK). According to many estimations, in Europe the album has sold more than one and half million copies, so the total should be over 6 millions.
ReplyDelete- "Love Hurts" has sold over 2 millions in Europe (one million in UK and 500.000 in Germany only) and 700.000 copies in the US, so worldwide sales should likely be over 3 millions.
- "The Greatest Hits" has been certified 2xPlatinum in Europe, where it has sold more than two and a half million copies (700.000 in UK and over 500.000 in Germany), plus it sold at least another half million in other foreign markets.
- "The Very Best of Cher" is almost at 3 millions in US (one or two years ago Billboard said it had sold 2.8 millions), plus 200.000 in Canada, 100.000 in Australia and around 600.000 in Europe. Total sales should be near 4 millions at this point.
"It's a Man's World" and "Living Proof" have sold only one million each worldwide, while 1987's "Cher" should have sold around 1.7-1.8 millions (over one million in the US).
No sorry but some of the sales you're saying are wrong. How can Heart of Stone have sold 1.5 million in Europe, when it's biggest market was the UK (where the estimate is at 550,000). If it had sold 800,000, it would have been certified as 2x platinum. The album probably sold between 50-75k in Germany only which was the 2nd biggest European market for HOS. So, no the most HOS sold in Europe is 800,000. Plus, it sold 400,000 in Canada, not 500,000. The estimate for HOS is most probably right.
DeletePlus, It's A Man's World sold around 400,000 worldwide and Living Proof is between 850,000-900,000 worldwide. I know you want the sales to be higher, but they're not, sorry. The only one that should be higher is Love Hurts, which should be between 2.7-2.8 million.
http://www.chartsinfrance.net/communaute/index.php?/topic/6523-phase-3-reajustement-ventes-de-tous-les-artistes-a-plus-de-30m/page__st__915
DeleteAt this link you'd find some estimations about Cher's career sales (and many other artists). Although they are just estimations (and in some cases they're probably a little too high), this site turns out to be a very good indicator of album sales for a lot of artists.
About the certifications: they are not automatic, it's the label who has to require them and in many many cases they're not updated to reflect the real sales (especially after many years). "Heart of Stone" was certified 4xPlatinum in Canada in June 1990... since then, it probably sold other 100.000 copies and more. Same for other markets: in UK, it was certified Platinum after six months, but then it's become a big catalog seller (especially after "Believe" came out), so now UK sales should be around 700.000 or 800.000.
If you consider at least 3,5 million sales in US (and it was around 60% of her market at the time), it's probably the album sold around 2,5 million in the rest of the world.
About "Living Proof": it sold 600.000 copies in US, plus at least 300.000 copies in Europe only and something esle in the rest of the world. Altough it was a flop, it still managed to sell at least one million.
About "It's a Man's World": it sold 250.000 copies in US (Soundscan sales were at 200.000 ten years ago, and in the 1990s Soundscan didn't cover 100% of US sales) and around half million in Europe, so its total should be close to one million (800.000-900.000 I suppose).
There must be some correct figures rather than guessing from all of us?
ReplyDeleteThe sales of Heart of Stone and Love Hurts are higher than that!
ReplyDeleteCher solo has sold 50 million albums + 33 million singles + 20 million with Sonny = 100 million records worldwide!
Reuters places her solo album/singles sales at 100 Million and 40 million as Sonny & Cher (As of 2008, which skips the Burlesque soundtrack/You Haven't Seen the Last of Me) though like so many older artists, we can only track down about a third of those units so those numbers may be higher, or perhaps lower.
ReplyDeleteWith all her music since 1965,she has done some many styles and has music fans all over the music spectrum. I myself like early Cher, the Imperial years. Pop, Rock, Soul, Disco, Techno, etc. What a woman of tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteCher has always been Fashion Forward. Cannot wait any longer for the new album. I think we are going to hear about title, release dates, publicity any day now.
ReplyDeleteCher will come roarin' back. We are more than ready.
Thanks for your comments. These aren't quick estimations that I've done, these aren't simple "well, that could've sold around 100,000 here and probably 500,000 there" but are the result of a year's worth of long hard research. I looked at sales figures, chart runs, chart patterns, certifications, etc from over 55 countries!
ReplyDeleteHi Daniel, in terms of Believe, can you confirm what the actual sales are, is it 11,033,739 or 11,933,739 as you put on the Cher Yuku forum? It'd be great if you could clear that up :)
ReplyDeleteIn terms of Love Hurts though, I think the sales need to be a bit higher, maybe 2.7 million. Look, here are the sales based on the certifications and sales that we know:
UK 900,000
US 598,000
Germany 500,000
Canada 100,000
Sweden 100,000
Australia 70,000
Austria 50,000
Switzerland 50,000
New Zealand 30,000
So that's already 2,398,000 copies, and doesn't include sales from France, Italy, Ireland, Spain and other countries in Europe. But I think your sales for Heart of Stone, Greatest Hits and Very Best of Cher are correct though, well done on your hard work!
Thanks!
It's definitely 11,033,739 - I must've mis-typed it on Cher.yuku, but I hadn't noticed, so thanks for pointing that out! I'm very thorough on here but not on there, so if there's ever a mistake, it will be there and not on here.
DeleteThose sales above, clearly bar the US one, are all based on certifications if I'm correct (I'm on my phone, so I can't check for myself), but I know that you know that nearly all certifications are based on shipments, and not sales. My figures are all sales, not shipments. So, I'm just putting that out there. I can't check for examples at this very moment, but with many of Cher's certifications, sales didn't reach the certification quantity, and this may be the case with many of the ones for Love Hurts. Believe me, if I could've found more sales for Love Hurts, I would've - as her three Geffen albums are my favorite, and I would've liked them to have sold more. I'm always trying to be helpful, so, when I'm on my computer, I'll do a check of the sales for Love Hurts to see if I could've at all missed anything out, but I must say that it's not hugely likely as I was extremely thorough with her sales.
Here is the Billboard magazine add stating ''The Greatest Hits'' 1999 has sold more than 3 million copies by January of 2000.
ReplyDeletehttp://books.google.fi/books?id=sA0EAAAAMBAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=billboard+magazine+Cher&hl=en&sa=X&ei=J7rHUJSWGcmH4gSS7YCoBg&redir_esc=y
So by now it should definitely stand at 3.5 at least!
Tornado
The Worldwide Sales For Love Hurts Is 14 Million I Read It In One Of Her Books!
ReplyDelete