So What Are the Best-Selling Box Sets of All-Time?

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Roland Stone, Apr 6, 2003.

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  1. Roland Stone

    Roland Stone Offending Member Thread Starter

    While recommending the various artists Motown antholgy, HITSVILLE U.S.A., I got to wondering what were the best-selling box sets of all time? You may remember that sales of Eric Clapton's CROSSROADS box took the labels by surprise, and they happily rushed in to reissue bestselling catalog artists to eager fans one more time.

    (For my purposes, a "box set" would be at least three CDs of anthologized material, which would exclude, say, Neil Young's DECADE, Universal's DELUXE EDITION reissues, or some of the individual concert recordings from Phish or The Grateful Dead, etc.)

    So what were the bestsellers? I can't find a good web page anywhere. My guesses would include, in rough order:

    Bruce Springsteen - LIVE 1975 - 1985
    Led Zeppelin - LED ZEPPELIN
    Bob Dylan - BIOGRAPH
    Bob Marley - SONGS OF FREEDOM
    Bob Dylan - BOOTLEG SERIES VOLS 1 -3
    Rod Stewart - STORYTELLER
    Elton John - TO BE CONTINUED

    Anyone got a list or link?
     
  2. KeithH

    KeithH Success With Honor...then and now

    Location:
    Beaver Stadium
    I would be interested to see such a list. I think the Springsteen live set is an excellent guess. When this set came out in '85, I distinctly remember it being all the rage. Now, I lived in Jersey at the time, so that could very well explain the popularity I observed for this set.
     
  3. Roland Stone

    Roland Stone Offending Member Thread Starter

    Even in Washington, D.C., there were TV news stories about fans lining up to buy the box. I remember people buying the CD version and then buying a CD player.

    The Springsteen box briefly monopolized the relatively small worldwide CD manufacturing capacity, delaying CD releases for other artists.
     
  4. Michael

    Michael I LOVE WIDE S-T-E-R-E-O!

    Pink Floyd-Shine On Box...
     
  5. KBanya

    KBanya Active Member

    Location:
    CT
    I would have to assume Clapton's 'Crossraods' box is way up there. Apparently I need to read the first post again...ooops :)
     
  6. KeithH

    KeithH Success With Honor...then and now

    Location:
    Beaver Stadium
    Ron, I remember being 15 when the Springsteen box came out and people thinking they were so cool when they got it. Admittedly, I got it on vinyl and cassette back then and finally got it on CD a few years ago.
     
  7. CM Wolff

    CM Wolff Senior Member

    Location:
    Motown
    The Springsteen box is still in the top 40 selling albums of all time, and is definitely the highest selling box, at 13 million and counting....
     
  8. CM Wolff

    CM Wolff Senior Member

    Location:
    Motown
    To put Springsteen's box's achievement in perspective, Clapton's Crossroads was considered the first historical box to go multi-platinum, and it is at 2 million sold. Dylan's Biograph is at 1 million. Hitsville was certified gold, but is not yet platinum. I don't think anyone will ever come close to touching Bruce.
     
  9. CM Wolff

    CM Wolff Senior Member

    Location:
    Motown
  10. Jimbo

    Jimbo Forum Hall Of Fame

    Location:
    Zero/Zero Island
    Please remember that multiplatinum certification for box sets is different than regular albums. The number sold is a multiple of the number of discs in the box. Therefore, for the Springsteen, the number of actual boxes sold is closer to 4 million--nothing to sneeze at, for sure, and still the far and away leader.
     
  11. Roland Stone

    Roland Stone Offending Member Thread Starter

    Well, here's a preliminary gander at some high-profile box sets from the RIAA website. I'll edit the post as I think of more to look up, so check back:

    13,000,000+
    Bruce Springsteen - LIVE 1975 - 1985

    12,000,000+
    Metallica - BINGE & PURGE

    10,000,000+
    Led Zeppelin - LED ZEPPELIN

    7,000,000+
    George Strait - STRAIT OUT OF THE BOX

    3,000,000+
    Garth Brooks - COLLECTION

    2,000,000+
    Eric Clapton - CROSSROADS
    Led Zeppelin - COMPLETE STUDIO RECORDINGS
    Led Zeppelin - REMASTERS
    Bob Marley - DREAMS OF FREEDOM
    Elvis Presley - KING OF ROCK N ROLL
    Rod Stewart - STORYTELLER

    1,000,000+
    AC/DC - BONFIRE
    Aerosmith - PANDORA'S BOX
    Jimmy Buffett - BOATS BEACHES BARS & BALLADS
    Bob Dylan - BIOGRAPHY
    Robert Johnson - COMPLETE RECORDINGS*
    Pink Floyd - SHINE ON
    Police - MESSAGE IN A BOX
    Rolling Stones - SINGLES COLLECTION
    Bruce Springsteen - TRACKS

    GOLD
    Aerosmith - BOX OF FIRE
    Bob Dylan - BOOTLEG SERIES VOLS 1 - 3
    Elton John - TO BE CONTINUED
    John Lennon - ANTHOLOGY
    Lynyrd Skynyrd - BOXED SET
    Barry Manilow - COMPLETE COLLECTION
    Elvis Presley - FROM NASHVILLE TO MEMPHIS
    Elvis Presley - PLATINUM
    Elvis Presley - WALK A MILE IN MY SHOES
    Steely Dan - CITIZEN STEELY DAN
    Various Artists - HITSVILLE USA VOLUME ONE
    The Who - 30 YEARS OF MAXIMUM ROCK N ROLL

    no certified box sets:
    Abba, Allman Brothers Band, James Brown, The Clash, Mile Davis, Marvin Gaye, Hank Williams, Sr.

    * - doesn't meet three-disc minimum, but meets other criteria too well to exclude.
     
  12. Kevin W

    Kevin W Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Cincinnati,Oh
    George Straits box set sold very well too. I thought I heard it sold about 4 Million copies.
     
  13. Roland Stone

    Roland Stone Offending Member Thread Starter

    Wow! How about 7,000,000? Good suggestion -- any other country artists with big boxes you can think of?
     
  14. CM Wolff

    CM Wolff Senior Member

    Location:
    Motown
    I assume Garth's box that collected his albums into one box sold well at the discount prices it went for...Garth definitely knows what it takes to move product.

    Thanks for doing the homework on the RIAA site and putting this info together...
     
  15. CM Wolff

    CM Wolff Senior Member

    Location:
    Motown
    oops, I see that you already included Garth above. Wait, now I realize you are editing in real time. Got it. Felt like I was losing it there for a second, without even having had a drink this evening...
     
  16. Roland Stone

    Roland Stone Offending Member Thread Starter

    Nope, that was your suggestion. I thought it would be better to keep adding to the same post as long as I can, rather than force readers to plow through a long thread. Maybe when I'm done I'll make a new thread with finished results.

    If anyone has suggestions, please name the artist and the title of the box set, if possible.
     
  17. BradOlson

    BradOlson Country/Christian Music Maven

    The name of the Garth boxed set is "The Limited Series." The Garth Brooks "Collection" is a compilation of his favorite album tracks that he wishes were hits that was available through McDonalds.
     
  18. John Carsell

    John Carsell Forum Resident

    Location:
    Northwest Illinois
    Had a feeling that Jimmy Buffett's Boats, Beaches, Bars and Ballads would be one of them. Lotta Parrotheads out there. Myself included.
     
  19. BradOlson

    BradOlson Country/Christian Music Maven

    Gordon Lightfoot's boxed set "Songbook" and the Bee Gees's "Tales From The Brothers Gibb" have no RIAA certified number of copies sold and the same goes with "The Buck Owens Collection" boxed set.
     
  20. BradOlson

    BradOlson Country/Christian Music Maven

    The Patsy Cline boxed set "The Patsy Cline Collection" is certified at 1 million.
     
  21. Ken_McAlinden

    Ken_McAlinden MichiGort Staff

    Location:
    Livonia, MI
    In the liner notes for the Rhino "Peek-a-boo - The Best of NRBQ" 2-disc set, there was a picture of the band members all standing in line with a copy of the Springsteen 1975-1985 set under their arms. :)

    BTW, how did the James Brown "Star Time" Box Set do? That received a lot of favorable press at the time of its release (as did The Byrds box set, come to think of it).

    Addendum: Whoops! Now I see it. Nothing listed.

    Regards,
     
  22. SamS

    SamS Forum Legend

    Location:
    Texas
    Way to go Metallica!!

    Really though, I don't think it meets the original requirement, as the Binge & Purge Box was three live CDs of one concert (Mexico City) and three VHS (now DVD) of two other shows.

    Still, it was very expensive box at its release, at around $75+, so it's still an amazing feat to move that many units.
     
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