Shipments/Sales
*****ALBUMS*****
USA
RIAA certifications (year of certification) = shipments
Soundscan sales since 1991 = retail (data from January 2006 except where indicated) (courtesy of Hanboo and Keith Caulfield)
Albums released before Soundscan-Era
1978 - FOR YOU - NOT CERTIFIED - 88,000
1979 - PRINCE - 1,000,000 - (1980) - 183,000
1980 - DIRTY MIND - 500,000 - (1984) - 125,000
1981 - CONTROVERSY - 1,000,000 - (1985) - 200,000
1982 - 1999 - 4,000,000 - (1999) - 641,000
1984 - PURPLE RAIN - 13,000,000 - (1996) - 2,548,000 (September 2009)
1985 - AROUND THE WORLD IN A DAY - 2,000,000 - (1985) - 162,000
1986 - PARADE - 1,000,000 - (1986) - 230,000
1987 - SIGN OF THE TIMES (2xCD) - 1,000,000 - (1987) - 271,000
1988 - LOVESEXY - 500,000 - (1988) - 68,000
1989 - BATMAN - 2,000,000 - (1989) - 111,000
1990 - GRAFFITI BRIDGE - 500,000 - (1990) - 145,000
Albums released in the Soundscan-Era (Studio albums)
1991 - DIAMONDS & PEARLS - 2,000,000 - (1992) - 2,462,000 (September 2009)
1992 - SYMBOL - 1,000,000 - (1992) - 1,080,000 (September 2009)
1994 - COME - 500,000 - (1994) - 310,000
1994 - THE BEAUTIFUL EXPERIENCE (EP) - NOT CERTIFIED - 210,000
1994 - THE BLACK ALBUM - NOT CERTIFIED - 261,000
1995 - THE GOLD EXPERIENCE - 500,000 - (1995) - 492,000
1996 - CHAOS & DISORDER - NOT CERTIFIED - 131,000
1996 - EMANCIPATION (3xCD) - 667,000 - (1995) - 628,000
1998 - NEWPOWER SOUL - NOT CERTIFIED - 214,000
1999 - RAVE UN2 THE JOY FANTASTIC - 500,000 - (1999) - 487,000
2001 - THE RAINBOW CHILDREN - NOT CERTIFIED - 158,000
2003 - N.E.W.S. - NOT CERTIFIED - 30,000
2004 - MUSICOLOGY - 1,000,000 - 827,000 (retail sales only, full sales are 2,047,000 as Sep/2009)
2006 - 3121 - 500,000 - (2006) - 524,000 (Jul 2007)
2007 - PLANET EARTH - NOT CERTIFIED - 222,000
Albums released in the Soundscan-Era (Compilation albums)
1993 - THE HITS/THE B-SIDES (3xCD) - 334,000 - (1993) - 630,000
1993 - THE HITS 1 - 1,000,000 - (1995) - 1,433,000 (September 2009)
1993 - THE HITS 2 - 1,000,000 - (1995) - 1,715,000 (September 2009)
1998 - CRYSTAL BALL (4xCD) - Not certified - 113,000
1999 - THE VAULT - Not certified - 113,000
2001 - THE VERY BEST OF PRINCE - 1,000,000 - (2004) - 1,618,000 (September 2009)
2006 - ULTIMATE PRINCE - NOT CERTIFIED - 87,000 (February 2007)
Totals
(as March 2009)
RIAA = 36,500,000
RIAA (albums released 1978-1990) = 26,500,000
RIAA (albums released 1991-2006) = 10,000,000
Soundscan = 18,517,000 (above total) - full sales by September 2009 = 19.9 million
Soundscan (albums released 1978-1990) = 4,772,000
Soundscan (albums released 1991-2007) = 13,745,000
Certifications/Sales outside USA
UK certifications (BPI) / sales
Germany certifications
France certifications (SNEP)
The Netherlands certifications
Switzerland certifications
Austria certifications
1979 PRINCE
UK= 60,000 (Silver, 2004)
1981 CONTROVERSY
UK= 60,000 (Silver, 1989)
1982 1999
UK= 300,000 (Platinum, 2008)
1984 PURPLE RAIN
UK= 600,000 ( 2xPlatinum, 1990) + 146,000 ('97-'05)
Canada= 600,000 ( 6xPlatinum, 1984)
Germany= 500,000 (Platinum, 1993)
France= 300,000 (Platinum, 1993)
Japan= 197,000 (Oricon)
Australia= 140,000 ( 2xPlatinum, 1992)
Switzerland= 50,000 (Platinum, 1989)
1985 AROUND THE WORLD IN A DAY
UK= 100,000 (Gold, 1985)
Japan= 99,000 (Oricon)
1986 PARADE
UK= 300,000 (Platinum, 1992)
Germany= 250,000 (Gold, 1993)
France= 200,000 ( 2xGold, 2001)
The Netherlands= 100,000 (Platinum, 1992)
Japan= 82,000 (Oricon)
Austria= 15,000 (Gold, 1994)
1987 SIGN OF THE TIMES
UK= 300,000 (Platinum, 1990)
Germany= 250,000 (Gold, 1996)
France= 200,000 ( 2xGold, 2001)
The Netherlands= 100,000 (Platinum, 1988)
Japan= 50,000 (Oricon)
Australia= 35,000 (Gold, 1999)
1988 LOVESEXY
UK= 300,000 (Platinum, 1990)
Germany= 250,000 (Gold, 1996)
France= 200,000 ( 2xGold, 2001)
The Netherlands= 50,000 (Gold, 1988)
Japan= 40,000 (Oricon)
Switzerland= 25,000 (Gold, 1988)
Austria= 15,000 (Gold, 1994)
1989 BATMAN
UK= 300,000 (Platinum, 1989)
France= 300,000 (Platinum, 2001)
Germany= 250,000 (Gold, 1990)
Japan= 175,000 (Oricon)
The Netherlands= 50,000 (Gold, 1989)
Switzerland= 25,000 (Gold, 1989)
1990 GRAFFITI BRIDGE
UK= 100,000 (Gold, 1990)
France= 100,000 (Gold, 1990)
Japan= 75,000 (Oricon)
Canada= 50,000 (Gold, 1990)
Switzerland= 25,000 (Gold, 1990)
1991 DIAMONDS & PEARLS
UK= 900,000 ( 3xPlatinum, 2004)
France= 450,000 (sales, 1992)
Australia= 280,000 ( 4xPlatinum, 1996)
Germany= 250,000 (Gold, 1992)
Canada= 100,000 (Gold, 1991)
The Netherlands= 100,000 (Platinum, 1992)
Japan= 62,000 (Oricon)
Switzerland= 50,000 (Platinum, 1991)
Austria= 30,000 (Platinum, 1992)
1992 SYMBOL
UK= 300,000 (Platinum, 1992)
France= 100,000 (Gold, 1992)
Japan= 84,000 (Oricon)
Australia= 70,000 (Platinum, 1992)
Switzerland= 25,000 (Gold, 1992)
Austria= 15,000 (Gold, 1994)
1993 THE HITS/THE B-SIDES
Japan= 84,000 (Oricon)
Australia= 70,000 (Platinum, 2000)
UK= 60,000 (Silver, 1993)
1993 THE HITS 1
UK= 300,000 (Platinum, 1995)
1993 THE HITS 2
UK= 300,000 (Platinum, 1995)
1994 COME
UK= 100,000 (Gold, 1994)
France= 100,000 (Gold, 1994)
Japan= 82,000 (Oricon)
1994 THE BLACK ALBUM
Japan= 59,000 (Oricon)
1995 THE GOLD EXPERIENCE
UK= 100,000 (Gold, 1995)
Japan= 53,000 (Oricon)
1996 CHAOS & DISORDER
UK= 40,000 (sales)
Japan= 30,000 (Oricon)
1996 EMANCIPATION
Canada= 100,000 (Platinum, 1996)
Japan= 95,000 (Oricon)
UK= 81,000 (sales)
1999 RAVE UN2 THE JOY FANTASTIC
Japan= 27,000 (Oricon)
2001 THE VERY BEST OF PRINCE
UK= 300,000 (Platinum, 2004)
The Netherlands= 80,000 (Platinum, 2005)
Canada= 50,000 (Gold, 2002)
Australia= 35,000 (Gold, 2004)
2004 MUSICOLOGY
UK= 100,000 (Gold, 2004)
Japan= 60,000 (Oricon)
Canada= 50,000 (Gold, 2004)
The Netherlands= 40,000 (Gold, 2004)
Switzerland= 20,000 (Gold, 2004)
2006 3121
UK= 73,000 (sales)
Japan= 42,000 (Oricon)
Switzerland= 20,000 (Gold, 2006)
Worldwide
Worldwide sales (Entertainment Weekly, September 1992)
USA sales (Billboard, September 1992)
International (outside US) sales (Entertainment Weekly and Billboard, September 1992)
Minneapolis Star Tribune, September 1993
1978 For You 800,000
1979 Prince 1,750,000
1980 Dirty Mind 1,800,000
1981 Controversy 2,300,000
1982 1999 5,000,000
1984 Purple Rain 14,700,000 = 10,200,000 + 4,500,000
1985 Around The World In A Day 4,350,000 = 2,700,000 + 1,650,000
1986 Parade 3,750,000 = 1,900,000 + 1,850,000
1987 Sign Of The Times 3,500,000 = 1,600,000 + 1,900,000
1988 Lovesexy 2,650,000 = 900,000 + 1,750,000
1989 Batman (Soundtrack) 4,600,000
1990 Graffiti Bridge 2,000,000
1991 Diamonds & Pearls 5,800,000 = 2,500,000 + 3,300,000
1992 Symbol 2,450,000
*****SINGLES*****
USA
1979-1991
RIAA certification
Digital sales (Soundscan)
1979 - I WANNA BE YOUR LOVER - 1,000,000
1983 - LITTLE RED CORVETTE - NOT CERTIFIED - 61,000
1984 - WHEN DOVES CRY - 2,000,000 - 250,000
1984 - LET'S GO CRAZY - 1,000,000 - 161,000
1984 - PURPLE RAIN - 1,000,000 - 76,000
1986 - KISS - 1,000,000 - 210,000
1989 - BATDANCE - 1,000,000
1990 - THIEVES IN THE TEMPLE - 500,000
Soundscan Era
RIAA certification
Soundscan sales (courtesy of Hanboo)
1991 - GETT OFF - 500,000 - 551,000
1991 - CREAM - 500,000 - 491,000
1992 - DIAMONDS & PEARLS - NOT CERTIFIED - 429,000
1992 - INSATIABLE - NOT CERTIFIED - 124,000
1992 - MONEY DON'T MATTER 2NIGHT - NOT CERTIFIED - 100,000
1992 - MY NAME IS PRINCE - NOT CERTIFIED - 198,000
1992 - SEXY MF - NOT CERTIFIED - 117,000
1993 - 7 - 500,000 - 432,000
1993 - DAMN U - NOT CERTIFIED - 68,000
1993 - THE MORNING PAPERS - NOT CERTIFIED - 42,000
1993 - PINK CASHMERE - NOT CERTIFIED - 115,000
1993 - PEACH - NOT CERTIFIED - 43,000
1994 - THE MOST BEAUTIFUL GIRL IN THE WORLD - 500,000 - 805,000
1994 - LETITGO - NOT CERTIFIED - 155,000
1994 - SPACE - NOT CERTIFIED - 35,000
1995 - I HATE U - NOT CERTIFIED - 229,000
1995 - GOLD - NOT CERTIFIED - 32,000
1995 - PURPLE MEDLEY - NOT CERTIFIED - 81,000
1999 - 1999 (REISSUE) - NOT CERTIFIED - 203,000