# Question about album/record sales & Billboard charts

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-album-record-sales-billboard-charts/125871>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [August 28, 2002, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-album-record-sales-billboard-charts/125871 "2002-08-28T02:14:11Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![WSLer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a6a055/32.png) [@WSLer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WSLer)\
**Post date:** [August 28, 2002, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-album-record-sales-billboard-charts/125871/1 "2002-08-28T02:14:11Z")

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Do they base the top-selling albums in Billboard magazine on actual album **sales** or the number of albums **shipped**?

I’ve never figured that one out.

thanks in advance.

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**Author:** ![pldennison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9fc29f/32.png) [@pldennison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pldennison)\
**Post date:** [August 28, 2002, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-album-record-sales-billboard-charts/125871/2 "2002-08-28T02:18:34Z")

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Since they started working from the SoundScan system in 1991, Billboard charts have been based on actual units sold, rather than units shipped. Prior to that, they relied on retailers’ reports, which were . . . less than honest. See [http://ask.yahoo.com/ask/20020215.html](http://ask.yahoo.com/ask/20020215.html) for details on the SoundScan system.

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**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 28, 2002, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-album-record-sales-billboard-charts/125871/3 "2002-08-28T02:24:30Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by pldennison \*  
> \*\*Prior to that, they relied on retailers’ reports, which were . . . less than honest. \*\*

Which explains how the KISS solo albums SHIPPED platinum. Tons of them were shipped back and ended up in cutout bins the country over.

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**Author:** ![Max\_Harvey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac8455/32.png) [@Max\_Harvey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Harvey)\
**Post date:** [August 28, 2002, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-album-record-sales-billboard-charts/125871/4 "2002-08-28T02:33:39Z")

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Straight from the [source](http://www.billboard.com/billboard/charts/bb200.jsp):

> [@](#):
>
> Compiled from a national sample of retail store sales reports collected, compiled, and provided by Nielsen SoundScan.  
> Entries with gold backgrounds and italicized numbers for current position are albums with the greatest **sales gains** this week.  
> Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certification for **sales** of 500,000 album units (Gold).  
> RIAA certification for **shipment** of 1 million units (Platinum).  
> RIAA certification for **net shipment** of 10 million units (Diamond).  
> Certification for **new shipment** of 100,000 units (Oro).  
> Certification of 200,000 units (Platino). (clear triangle symbol with 2) Certification of 400,000 units (Multi-Platino).
> 
> - Asterisk indicates LP is available.  
> Numeral following Platinum or Diamond symbol indicates album’s multi-million level. For boxed sets, and double albums with a running time that exceeds 100 minutes or more, the RIAA multiplies **shipments** by the number of discs and/or tapes. Greatest Gainer shows chart’s largest unit increase. Pacesetter indicates biggest percentage growth. Heatseeker Impact shows albums removed from Heatseekers this week.

Looks to me like it’s both sales (gold) and shipment (platinum, diamond etc).