# How many of the RIAA best selling albums do you own? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 26, 2005, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-of-the-riaa-best-selling-albums-do-you-own/318652 "2005-08-26T00:06:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2005, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-of-the-riaa-best-selling-albums-do-you-own/318652/61 "2005-08-26T14:40:47Z")
> [@Biffy the Elephant Shrew](#): > > I wasn’t referring to that one. The list includes the first four Zeppelin albums, all with Roman numerals, _and_ includes a fifth album just listed as _Led Zeppelin_. To me _Led Zeppelin_ should refer to the first album, but I’m guessing that here it’s supposed to be the first LZ box set (which I thought was called “Box Set,” but that may be just an informal title, like “Runes,” “Zoso” or “IV” for the fourth). I think it is referring to the box set. FTR, the “duh” was not directed at you. Also on that list, The Beatles “White Album” is referred to as “The Beatles” (which is the correct title). “Led Zeppelin IV” is not the correct title of “Led Zeppelin”. They should have used parentheses on those three albums, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Goob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c77e96/32.png) [@Mr.Goob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Goob)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2005, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-of-the-riaa-best-selling-albums-do-you-own/318652/62 "2005-08-26T14:42:54Z")
87, wow. Most I haven’t listened to in ages. I could go a lot higher if I include duplicates of different formats. For instance I have \*Dark Side of the Moon \* on vinyl, cassette, CD and found an 8 track at a garage sale to complete the set! ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2005, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-of-the-riaa-best-selling-albums-do-you-own/318652/63 "2005-08-26T14:46:02Z")
> [@Mr. Goob](#): > > 87, wow. Most I haven’t listened to in ages. > > I could go a lot higher if I include duplicates of different formats. For instance I have \*Dark Side of the Moon \* on vinyl, cassette, CD and found an 8 track at a garage sale to complete the set! Like the previous law concerning “Boston”, anybody over the age of 35 is required to own at least one copy of DSOTM. I have the album, the regular CD, the gold CD, and the 30th anniversary CD. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2005, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-of-the-riaa-best-selling-albums-do-you-own/318652/64 "2005-08-26T15:42:26Z")
I have 80 of them. Wow. ---
**Author:** ![42fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/4/b487fb/32.png) [@42fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/42fish)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2005, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-of-the-riaa-best-selling-albums-do-you-own/318652/65 "2005-08-26T16:04:03Z")
1. So close to being the first to break into triple figures. ---
**Author:** ![Governor\_Quinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@Governor\_Quinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Governor_Quinn)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2005, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-of-the-riaa-best-selling-albums-do-you-own/318652/66 "2005-08-26T16:56:50Z")
1. ---
**Author:** ![kelly5078](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6f9a4e/32.png) [@kelly5078](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kelly5078)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2005, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-of-the-riaa-best-selling-albums-do-you-own/318652/67 "2005-08-26T17:01:30Z")
1. About half of them I still think are pretty good albums, although the Led Zeppelin albums are the only ones I listen to with any regularity. Is anyone else surprised at how few Rolling Stones albums are on the list? And nothing by The Who? ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2005, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-of-the-riaa-best-selling-albums-do-you-own/318652/68 "2005-08-26T17:06:19Z")
> [@kelly5078](#): > > And nothing by The Who? Those are US figures. Another source shows the biggest sellinh Who album, _Who’s Next_, only sold about 3 million copies. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2005, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-of-the-riaa-best-selling-albums-do-you-own/318652/69 "2005-08-26T17:43:39Z")
> [@kelly5078](#): > > Is anyone else surprised at how few Rolling Stones albums are on the list? Yeah, that really surprised me. On the other hand, I had _no_ idea that Whitesnake sold so many records. Another eyebrow-raiser was the Beatles’ _Anthology Vol. One_ being ranked higher than most of the “real” Beatles albums. Yes, it was enormously hyped by the “reunion” single and the tie-in to the TV special, but I would expect it for just that reason to have been one of those albums that sells hugely at the time of release and then disappears. I wonder how many buyers have been fooled by the title into thinking they were buying a greatest hits collection. ---
**Author:** ![Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a9a28c/32.png) [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oslo_Ostragoth)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2005, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-of-the-riaa-best-selling-albums-do-you-own/318652/70 "2005-08-26T17:44:08Z")
Count me in at about 55. Wow. No Garth or other country, rap/hip hop, or Barbra/Celine/etc. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2005, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-of-the-riaa-best-selling-albums-do-you-own/318652/71 "2005-08-26T17:51:56Z")
69 out of the top 100. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2005, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-of-the-riaa-best-selling-albums-do-you-own/318652/72 "2005-08-26T17:53:30Z")
> [@Oslo Ostragoth](#): > > Count me in at about 55. Wow. No Garth or other country, rap/hip hop, or Barbra/Celine/etc. If by Garth, you mean Brooks, he has 9 albums there. Alan Jackson has 3. Shania Twain has 3. Celine has 3. ---
**Author:** ![Labdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Labdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labdad)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2005, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-of-the-riaa-best-selling-albums-do-you-own/318652/73 "2005-08-26T17:59:10Z")
I own 43 of those albums, 4 of which are in the top ten (Thriller, Led Zeppelin IV, The Beatles (which I assume is the “White Album”) and Rumours. ---
**Author:** ![Labdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Labdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labdad)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2005, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-of-the-riaa-best-selling-albums-do-you-own/318652/74 "2005-08-26T18:03:24Z")
Oh! Forgot to mention that most of the 43 I own are on vinyl. Some (like “The Beatles”) I own on CD AND vinyl. ---
**Author:** ![ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chockfullofheadygoodness/32/511_2.png) [@ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2005, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-of-the-riaa-best-selling-albums-do-you-own/318652/75 "2005-08-26T18:20:35Z")
39, all but 5 on casette. (4 CDs, 1 vinyl) Only 2 from the top 10, “The Wall” and “Back In Black”. I never realized how well “Van Halen II” sold. ---
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2005, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-of-the-riaa-best-selling-albums-do-you-own/318652/76 "2005-08-26T18:53:37Z")
Whod’a thunk it? Between my wife and I, we own, or have owned, 95 of those recoeds - yow! George ---
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2005, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-of-the-riaa-best-selling-albums-do-you-own/318652/77 "2005-08-26T18:56:33Z")
> [@Labdad](#): > > Oh! Forgot to mention that most of the 43 I own are on vinyl. Some (like “The Beatles”) I own on CD AND vinyl. Oh, you’re SO above it all, aren’t you? George ---
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2005, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-of-the-riaa-best-selling-albums-do-you-own/318652/78 "2005-08-26T18:57:38Z")
> [@wheresgeorge04](#): > > Oh, you’re SO above it all, aren’t you? > > George Oops… Repiled to the wrong post - boy, are my sails without wind… George ---
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2005, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-of-the-riaa-best-selling-albums-do-you-own/318652/79 "2005-08-26T18:58:51Z")
> [@SlyFrog](#): > > I’m amazed that I own even one, but that was given to me by a nephew that I’ve since shot and killed for being so pedestrian. OK, This is the one… Oh, you’re just so above it all, aren’t you? George ---
**Author:** ![fishbicycle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aeb1de/32.png) [@fishbicycle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fishbicycle)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2005, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-of-the-riaa-best-selling-albums-do-you-own/318652/80 "2005-08-26T19:14:49Z")
I wonder how the sales points may be skewed by people who join the Columbia House or BMG CD Clubs and don’t see a lot of choices they would like to make - so they end up with The Eagles’ Greatest Hits 1971-1975 as one of their 12 free selections. I’ve seen an awful lot of the same CDs at peoples’ houses that came from one of the clubs. Even though I have one of the largest numbers of records on the list in this survey, none of them are country or MOR or teenybopper bands, or were recorded after 1986. I’ve got records by approximately 10,000 other artists who never made the list. But you know, if you’re going to be a DJ, you have to buy records that people want to hear. That’s why I have a large number of records that I never listen to anymore. I’m a collector and a completist, but I also was an entertainer. The thing is, I can’t bear to get rid of any of my records. I just cannot part with them. Sorry! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-of-the-riaa-best-selling-albums-do-you-own/318652.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-of-the-riaa-best-selling-albums-do-you-own/318652.md?page=5)