Soundscan/RIAA Certifications
Thanks to kglee for the 10/03 figures (from the KO BBS) and HEH from the Sludge boards for the 3/06 figures. Math errors by the author. Note, the first numerical column is a representation of the currently recognized RIAA certifications for each KISS album. These are hotly contested, particularly in the case of "Alive!" which is only currently recognized as having attained Gold status (500,000). One should also note that RIAA awards are based on shipment units.
In the USA 500,000 = Gold, 1,000,000 = Platinum, etc. The third column represents the SoundScan figure for the reporting period 5/1991 through 10/2003, or other date indicated within the first set of brackets. The fourth number is the accumulated SoundScan figure 5/1991 through 03/2006, thus for albums that had the majority of their sales prior to 1991 those figures are not reflected. The fifth column is the SoundScan figure from February 2007. The final column represents the rough number of units scanned in the period 10/2003 through 2/2007. Totals for each can be found at the bottom of the table.
Nielsen SoundScan(tm) "is an information system that tracks sales of music and music video products throughout the United States and Canada. Sales data from point-of-sale cash registers is collected weekly from over 14,000 retail, mass merchant and non-traditional (on-line stores, venues, etc.) outlets. Weekly data is compiled and made available every Wednesday. Nielsen SoundScan is the sales source for the Billboard music charts" (Nielsen SoundScan PR). It is NOT all-inclusive so it should be remembered that not all sales "scans" are reported to the SoundScan system as only reporting member's can be counted.
Remember the old quote about statistics and lies? Well, take this data with a grain of salt. It is anything but all inclusive or "carved in stone," and should be considered roughly illustrative at best. Best selling "Originals" album, 2003-7 = "Destroyer" (49,114) Best selling non-makeup album, 2003-7 = "Smashes Thrashes, & Hits" (31,866). Ace still leading the solo album race...
OK, What does this mean? In reality, not a bloody thing. However, it is obvious that there will be more KISS compilations as they're still selling. The "Very Best Of KISS" has sold a respectable 433,000 copies in the four year period noted (it probably *would* have attained Gold status, but was deleted from Universal's catalog for a while before being re-released win a new UPC). Even the "Millennium Collection Volume I" has shifted 311,000 units, a figure better than "Alive IV." The sad reality for those who complain about compilation is that they sell. And serve a purpose.
Title
RIAA
NSS 10/03
NSS 03/06
NSS 02/07
NSS 2009+
NSS 03/12
KISS
500,000
163,593
172,000
174,000
189,000
217,000
Hotter Than Hell
500,000
145,680
152,000
153,000
164,000
185,000
Dressed To Kill
500,000
156,410
164,000
166,000
179,000
214,000
Alive!
500,000
235,643
254,000
258,000
?
274,000
Destroyer
2,000,000
530,886
568,000
580,000
623,000
726,000
Rock And Roll Over
1,000,000
172,373
181,000
183,000
198,000
227,000
Love Gun
1,000,000
182,359
191,000
193,000
208,000
229,000
Alive II
2,000,000
281,796
292,000
295,000
?
304,000
Double Platinum
1,000,000
481,613
506,000
510,000
?
522,000
Gene Simmons
1,000,000
28,160
no data
31,000
?
93,000
Ace Frehley
1,000,000
37,542
no data
46,000
?
142,000
Peter Criss
1,000,000
19,863
no data
23,000
?
71,000
Paul Stanley
1,000,000
27,163
no data
33,000
?
89,000
Dynasty
1,000,000
148,487
156,000
157,000
?
167,000
Unmasked
500,000
166,836
170,000
171,000
?
177,000
Music From "The Elder"
n/a
105,836
109,000
110,000
?
116,000
Kiss Killers
n/a
n/a
10,000
n/a
?
15,000
Creatures Of The Night
500,000
140,452
147,000
148,000
?
161,000
Lick It Up
1,000,000
85,856
90,000
92,000
?
101,000
Animalize
1,000,000
85,999
92,000
93,000
?
103,000
Asylum
500,000
75,845
80,000
81,000
?
88,000
Crazy Nights
1,000,000
87,433
93,000
104,000
?
110,000
Smashes, Thrashes, & Hits
2,000,000
778,134
804,000
810,000
?
830,000
Hot In The Shade
500,000
108,915
111,000
112,000
?
116,000
Revenge
500,000
591,586
595,000
596,000
?
602,000
Alive III
500,000
538,180
550,000
552,000
?
588,000
KISS My Ass
500,000
n/a
n/a
n/a
?
324,000
MTV Unplugged
500,000
296,625
299,000
300,000
?
305,000
You Wanted The Best
500,000
328,197
329,000
329,000
?
330,000
Greatest KISS
n/a
388,512
392,000
394,000
?
413,000
Carnival Of Souls
n/a
165,384
172,000
175,000
?
181,000
Psycho Circus
500,000
475,141
479,000
479,000
?
481,000
Detroit Rock City OST
n/a
74,691
n/a
n/a
?
?
Box Set
500,000
121,383
139,000
141,000
?
145,000
The Very Best Of KISS
500,000
208,179
394,000
433,000
644,000
739,000
Symphony - Alive IV
n/a
102,819
133,000
134,000
?
137,000
Millennium Best Of Vol. 1
500,000
22,694
193,000
311,000
330,000
397,000
Symphony - Alive IV SDE
n/a
n/a
17,000
n/a
?
19,000
Millennium Best Of Vol. 2
n/a
n/a
64,000
n/a
?
97,000
KISS Gold (Sound+Vision)
n/a
n/a
?
?
?
11,000
KISS Gold (1974-82)
n/a
n/a
66,000
100,500
?
149,000
KISS Chronicles
n/a
n/a
?
?
?
10,000
Millennium Best Of Vol. 3
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
11,000
Kiss Alive 1974-2000
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
49,000
Kiss Plus
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
23,000
Kiss Playlist Your Way
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
13,000
Kiss Ikons
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
13,000
Sonic Boom
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
237,627
294,000
Icon
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
76,000
Totals:
24,500,000
7,561,051
8,164,000
8,467,500
915,926
10,684,000
| Title | RIAA | NSS 10/03 | NSS 03/06 | NSS 02/07 | NSS 2009+ | NSS 03/12 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KISS | 500,000 | 163,593 | 172,000 | 174,000 | 189,000 | 217,000 |
| Hotter Than Hell | 500,000 | 145,680 | 152,000 | 153,000 | 164,000 | 185,000 |
| Dressed To Kill | 500,000 | 156,410 | 164,000 | 166,000 | 179,000 | 214,000 |
| Alive! | 500,000 | 235,643 | 254,000 | 258,000 | ? | 274,000 |
| Destroyer | 2,000,000 | 530,886 | 568,000 | 580,000 | 623,000 | 726,000 |
| Rock And Roll Over | 1,000,000 | 172,373 | 181,000 | 183,000 | 198,000 | 227,000 |
| Love Gun | 1,000,000 | 182,359 | 191,000 | 193,000 | 208,000 | 229,000 |
| Alive II | 2,000,000 | 281,796 | 292,000 | 295,000 | ? | 304,000 |
| Double Platinum | 1,000,000 | 481,613 | 506,000 | 510,000 | ? | 522,000 |
| Gene Simmons | 1,000,000 | 28,160 | no data | 31,000 | ? | 93,000 |
| Ace Frehley | 1,000,000 | 37,542 | no data | 46,000 | ? | 142,000 |
| Peter Criss | 1,000,000 | 19,863 | no data | 23,000 | ? | 71,000 |
| Paul Stanley | 1,000,000 | 27,163 | no data | 33,000 | ? | 89,000 |
| Dynasty | 1,000,000 | 148,487 | 156,000 | 157,000 | ? | 167,000 |
| Unmasked | 500,000 | 166,836 | 170,000 | 171,000 | ? | 177,000 |
| Music From "The Elder" | n/a | 105,836 | 109,000 | 110,000 | ? | 116,000 |
| Kiss Killers | n/a | n/a | 10,000 | n/a | ? | 15,000 |
| Creatures Of The Night | 500,000 | 140,452 | 147,000 | 148,000 | ? | 161,000 |
| Lick It Up | 1,000,000 | 85,856 | 90,000 | 92,000 | ? | 101,000 |
| Animalize | 1,000,000 | 85,999 | 92,000 | 93,000 | ? | 103,000 |
| Asylum | 500,000 | 75,845 | 80,000 | 81,000 | ? | 88,000 |
| Crazy Nights | 1,000,000 | 87,433 | 93,000 | 104,000 | ? | 110,000 |
| Smashes, Thrashes, & Hits | 2,000,000 | 778,134 | 804,000 | 810,000 | ? | 830,000 |
| Hot In The Shade | 500,000 | 108,915 | 111,000 | 112,000 | ? | 116,000 |
| Revenge | 500,000 | 591,586 | 595,000 | 596,000 | ? | 602,000 |
| Alive III | 500,000 | 538,180 | 550,000 | 552,000 | ? | 588,000 |
| KISS My Ass | 500,000 | n/a | n/a | n/a | ? | 324,000 |
| MTV Unplugged | 500,000 | 296,625 | 299,000 | 300,000 | ? | 305,000 |
| You Wanted The Best | 500,000 | 328,197 | 329,000 | 329,000 | ? | 330,000 |
| Greatest KISS | n/a | 388,512 | 392,000 | 394,000 | ? | 413,000 |
| Carnival Of Souls | n/a | 165,384 | 172,000 | 175,000 | ? | 181,000 |
| Psycho Circus | 500,000 | 475,141 | 479,000 | 479,000 | ? | 481,000 |
| Detroit Rock City OST | n/a | 74,691 | n/a | n/a | ? | ? |
| Box Set | 500,000 | 121,383 | 139,000 | 141,000 | ? | 145,000 |
| The Very Best Of KISS | 500,000 | 208,179 | 394,000 | 433,000 | 644,000 | 739,000 |
| Symphony - Alive IV | n/a | 102,819 | 133,000 | 134,000 | ? | 137,000 |
| Millennium Best Of Vol. 1 | 500,000 | 22,694 | 193,000 | 311,000 | 330,000 | 397,000 |
| Symphony - Alive IV SDE | n/a | n/a | 17,000 | n/a | ? | 19,000 |
| Millennium Best Of Vol. 2 | n/a | n/a | 64,000 | n/a | ? | 97,000 |
| KISS Gold (Sound+Vision) | n/a | n/a | ? | ? | ? | 11,000 |
| KISS Gold (1974-82) | n/a | n/a | 66,000 | 100,500 | ? | 149,000 |
| KISS Chronicles | n/a | n/a | ? | ? | ? | 10,000 |
| Millennium Best Of Vol. 3 | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | 11,000 |
| Kiss Alive 1974-2000 | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | 49,000 |
| Kiss Plus | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | 23,000 |
| Kiss Playlist Your Way | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | 13,000 |
| Kiss Ikons | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | 13,000 |
| Sonic Boom | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | 237,627 | 294,000 |
| Icon | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | 76,000 |
| Totals: | 24,500,000 | 7,561,051 | 8,164,000 | 8,467,500 | 915,926 | 10,684,000 |
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