Sweet-Statistics please

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Sherman Tank

Sweet-Statistics please

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Posts: 3157

11/11/08 23:47:09

Hellraiser

It started off as a bit of office banter today. I always like to chip in to conversations on bands and music and add a few Sweet facts to enlighten some of my junior , less Sweet educated, colleagues about the best band in the world etc...
Anyway, there was a comment made along the lines of " Do you think Sweet are better than Aerosmith?"

Well I dismissed that outright. The word 'better' doesn't really figure when comparing bands (I like Aerosmith). Should you judge a band on chart success? If so, how would you do that? Most number ones?Number of weeks in the charts? International success? I did say something like they have probably been more succesful than Oasis

-meaning units of sales -I guess???? (I didn't push it-just in case I was wrong!

). I'm not keen on Oasis anyway

. I said it more for the shock factor!!

Has anybody got any facts or figures I can throw in to fight my corner on this???

We all know that the amount of singles the band sold back then to achieve their number 2's would far exceed what a 'number one would be getting now but I need hard evidence!!!

Please help.

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panasonicq

#1

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Posts: 2801

12/11/08 00:17:05

Moderator Chappie

Hey Sherm,
If you go to panasonicq and 'view my images' there is a nice record poll where Sweet came out top or in the top five up against the likes of Hendrix (5th) Andy Scott (4th)
It's image 32 I think?
You must know about some of the bands who've 'supported' the Sweet, that's always good for a mention.
I know for a fact that at the time of the U.S release of Desolation Boulevard they had sold in excess of 26 million records and recieved 28 gold and silver disc awards.
Any help!

I get better and better looking every day...... I cant wait for tomorrow!!

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Sherman Tank

#2

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Posts: 3157

12/11/08 00:22:23

Hellraiser

That'll do for starters. Thanks Pawl.

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waq20659

#3

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Posts: 1052

12/11/08 01:57:57

Burning

Funny thing is if you think about it, here in the U.S.A. I think that if you compare the top 40 U.S. hits of Aerosmith and Sweet in the 70's Sweet had the bigger hits

Aerosmith : Sweet Emotion reached #36 in 1975; Dream On re-issue reached #6 in 1976; Walk This Way reached #10 in 1976; Last Child reached #21 in 1976; Back In The Saddle reached #38 in 1977; and Come Together reached #23 in 1978.
Sweet : Little Willy reached #3 in 1973; Ballroom Blitz reached #5 in 1975; Fox On The Run reached #5 in 1975; Action reached #20 in 1976; and Love Is Like Oxygen reached #8 in 1978

But thats just singles and Aerosmith wasn't much of a singles band back in the 70's
It's like comparing apples and oranges here so what the heck........I thoroughly enjoy both bands

Last Edited By: waq20659 12/11/08 02:06:51. Edited 2 times.

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goldengreats

#4

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Posts: 1856

12/11/08 07:56:35

Hellraiser

Yes, chart positions and record sales should be something to measure. But then length of success might also be a factor to put into an equation. Charts were many and different in countries and changed over time. Charts were also manipulated with someone buying large quantities of record or paying for airtime. Record sales were secret and probably only estimated. This would allow record companies to manipulate both royalties and awards for records sold. I think we went through this before, and the trouble with finding the best selling artist in US back a few years back. Were one to count compilations and uncertain bootlegs. Most people thought that Elvis would be a sure winner, but how would one add up and also ensure a bit of fairness. Some wanted to count gold records, to eliminated record companies just boosting sales for the millennium count, but every method was heavily criticized and rightfully so. Albums vs. singles, downloads, CDs, the Far East and other factors have to be considered too.

My "Strung Up" is framed and still in some cardboard box, but I think that the inner sleeve already at that time reported Fox as having sold 3 millions, and Action having sold 1,75 million. Most reports have been around 50 millions, up till 80 million Sweet records sold.

With these and other figures, I've tried and get Sweet to enter different lists, but have not been successful. I think that a lot of people want to boost their favourites with or without good arguments and evidence.

Sweet is unfortunately NOT on this list. Oasis are ...
http://en.wikipedia.org/w...est-selling_music_artists

Last Edited By: goldengreats 12/11/08 07:58:59. Edited 1 time.

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hongkongmick

Sales

#5

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Posts: 1120

12/11/08 08:35:57

Hellraiser

I know Sweet apparently sold more than a million copies world-wide of Co-Co as I've seen the award disc in various photos and videos but how you'd ever even get close as to their true sales would be a guess even if RCA, Capitol, Polydor and Bell provided their figures. As GG says there's lots of reasons NOT to provide accurate data and more than one recor company has been sued for under remunerating their client based on the company's sales data. I'm sure Sweet sold tens of millions of singles and albums but...

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CyberSweet

#6

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Posts: 2142

12/11/08 09:35:39

Sweetlife

They sold more than 1000 units to me..... Some day I hope they will thank me...

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Sherman Tank

#7

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Posts: 3157

12/11/08 23:55:12

Hellraiser

Thanks guys . The debate at work still goes on.....I'm doing my best to convert them!

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LOOK OUT

#8

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Posts: 134

14/11/08 05:13:04

Action

No band was like Sweet, or anything like 'em. As much as I like a couple other bands, none of them got close to what Sweet did. The sensation is a totally different one, when listening to Sweet.

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hongkongmick

37 million and counting (1980)

#9

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Posts: 1120

14/11/08 11:03:55

Hellraiser

Sherm- according to an August 1980 Capitol Records press release I have just discovered for the release of VI (Water's Edge) they write, 'This globally-renowned rock outfit has sold over 37 million records...' Reckon they'd have a clue, so it may be our best info to date...Anyway, there it is for what it's worth.

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Sherman Tank

#10

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Posts: 3157

14/11/08 17:55:04

Hellraiser

Cheers HKM. That should make them sit up and listen!

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panasonicq

#11

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Posts: 2801

14/11/08 19:31:25

Moderator Chappie

I have a newspaper article (Daily Mail) from 6th March 1997 concerning Brian and his childhood with contributions from his step parents and his 'real' step brother. In the piece they say "Sweet sold in excess of 50 million records worldwide between 1970 and 1978"??

I get better and better looking every day...... I cant wait for tomorrow!!

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Sherman Tank

#12

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Posts: 3157

14/11/08 22:24:12

Hellraiser

Sounds good to me. Any advance on 50 million? Thanks Pawl.

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goldengreats

#13

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Posts: 1856

17/11/08 21:38:50

Hellraiser

http://www.musicianguide....ies/1608003454/Sweet.html
http://www.altpress.com/askthatguy/65.htm
http://findarticles.com/p.../is_19970211/ai_n14093040
http://www.independent.co...s/mick-tucker-729755.html

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panasonicq

#14

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Posts: 2801

17/11/08 22:03:24

Moderator Chappie

Good links there goldengreats, looks increasingly like 50 million was their record sales total up until 1978 ?

I get better and better looking every day...... I cant wait for tomorrow!!

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Sherman Tank

#15

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Posts: 3157

17/11/08 23:09:50

Hellraiser

Yes. More great Detective work. Thanks again.

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goldengreats

#16

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Posts: 1856

18/11/08 08:52:43

Hellraiser

Pawl, could you ask Andy about sales ? If anybody should be able to make a qualified guess these days, maybe Andy is the one !?

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goldengreats

#17

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Posts: 1856

21/11/08 08:28:16

Hellraiser

He he ... Bay City Rollers ? Well, at the time they were one of the biggest bands in the world. They sold an amazing 300 millions records ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLbRM8g0WC0

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Sherman Tank

#18

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Posts: 3157

22/11/08 00:26:58

Hellraiser

BCR-300 million??? Cannot be. Can it???

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hongkongmick

It's got bells on it...

#19

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Posts: 1120

22/11/08 04:41:30

Hellraiser

300 million for the dreaded Rollers. Someone's taking the urine Sherm. Seems that 70m is the 'accepted' figure- depends who's suing who for unpaid royalties as to whether that's inflated or not...http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bay_City_Rollers Their US album success seems marginally better than Sweet's but I doubt their impact in the UK or Germany was as sustained as Sweet's although it was perhaps more intense in 74-75. Anyway, if you accept Sweet at 37-50 million it would seem the Rollers outdid our boys by some 20-30 million which doesn't seem right much less fair!

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SGBrass

#20

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Posts: 635

22/11/08 19:32:30

Action

300 Million for the Bay City Rollers is absurd. Especially when you consider, that Pink Floyd ranks as one of the best selling bands ever with 150 million albums. And they are still selling a million each year.
The Bay City rollers may have sold more records than Sweet as they used to have a more fanatical fanbase of young girls, who would buy everything including the albums.

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