Linkin Park started incredibly strong with back-to-back smash albums Hybrid Theory and Meteora. It seems they have been slowly but surely losing ground ever since, what we will be able to verify today. It is no secret their last 2014 album The Hunting Party bombed, question is then how is their back catalog going today despite the more difficult times the band is facing?
As a reminder for users who are not yet familiar with the CSPC idea you do not need to worry, it is quite simple as it only consists in merging every format sales an artist has been getting and attributing them to respective studio albums. We will start by focusing on raw data, setting how much each album sold. Then, we will check sales of each track from those albums on each format – physical, digital and streaming – and weight them to value those figures on a par with album sales. To complete the study, we will study sales of the all compilations, live albums and music videos they dropped. Once all the raw data is set, we will only need to apply appropriate weighting to get the overall picture of Linkin Park career results.
Hybrid Theory (2000)
America
US – 11,700,000
Canada – 800,000
Argentina – 60,000
Brazil – 350,000
Mexico – 250,000
Asia
Japan – 600,000
Oceania
Australia – 415,000
New Zealand – 100,000
Europe – 4,770,000
UK – 1,625,000
France – 505,000
Germany – 850,000
Italy – 300,000
Spain – 145,000
Sweden – 150,000
Netherland – 125,000
Switzerland – 125,000
Austria – 90,000
Finland – 65,000
World – 20,000,000
Meteora (2003)
America
US – 6,500,000
Canada – 575,000
Argentina – 45,000
Brazil – 300,000
Mexico – 150,000
Asia
Japan – 500,000
Oceania
Australia – 350,000
New Zealand – 70,000
Europe – 3,710,000
UK – 875,000
France – 550,000
Germany – 725,000
Italy – 265,000
Spain – 185,000
Sweden – 70,000
Netherland – 75,000
Switzerland – 80,000
Austria – 65,000
Finland – 20,000
World – 13,100,000
Minutes To Midnight (2007)
America
US – 3,500,000
Canada – 375,000
Argentina – 30,000
Brazil – 95,000
Mexico – 50,000
Asia
Japan – 475,000
Oceania
Australia – 210,000
New Zealand – 45,000
Europe – 2,450,000
UK – 580,000
France – 280,000
Germany – 650,000
Italy – 235,000
Spain – 50,000
Sweden – 30,000
Netherland – 35,000
Switzerland – 65,000
Austria – 50,000
Finland – 20,000
World – 7,900,000
A Thousand Suns (2010)
America
US – 1,000,000
Canada – 100,000
Argentina – N/A
Brazil – 40,000
Mexico – 20,000
Asia
Japan – 220,000
Oceania
Australia – 80,000
New Zealand – 15,000
Europe – 1,010,000
UK – 240,000
France – 90,000
Germany – 325,000
Italy – 55,000
Spain – 20,000
Sweden – 10,000
Netherland – 15,000
Switzerland – 30,000
Austria – 20,000
Finland – 15,000
World – 2,800,000
Living Things (2012)
America
US – 775,000
Canada – 75,000
Argentina – N/A
Brazil – 35,000
Mexico – N/A
Asia
Japan – 175,000
Oceania
Australia – 55,000
New Zealand – 10,000
Europe – 1,030,000
UK – 155,000
France – 110,000
Germany – 410,000
Italy – 50,000
Spain – 15,000
Sweden – 5,000
Netherland – 15,000
Switzerland – 25,000
Austria – 25,000
Finland – 15,000
World – 2,400,000
The Hunting Party (2014)
America
US – 350,000
Canada – 45,000
Argentina – N/A
Brazil – 10,000
Mexico – N/A
Asia
Japan – 100,000
Oceania
Australia – 25,000
New Zealand – 5,000
Europe – 530,000
UK – 80,000
France – 50,000
Germany – 225,000
Italy – 20,000
Spain – 5,000
Sweden – N/A
Netherland – 10,000
Switzerland – 15,000
Austria – 15,000
Finland – N/A
World – 1,250,000
With their three 00s albums moving a combined 41 million units, there is no wonder why Linkin Park was one of the biggest acts of the decade. Although sales decreased album after album, those albums, Minutes To Midnight included, were among the very top selling albums of their respective years. In fact, with Hybrid Theory #1 of 2001, Meteora #3 of 2003 and Minutes To Midnight at #6 they all easily made the Global Top 10 of the year as published by the IFPI.
Times got harder from the 10s still. The band last three albums sold a combined 6,45 million, more than 6 times less than their predecessors. If the market notably decreased in the meantime, that doesn’t fully explain such a difference. Worst, their sales never rebounded. Except Living Things, all albums sold 65% or less of its immediate predecessor. A Thousand Suns was the most abrupt fall, selling barely 35% of Minutes To Minutes. In the other side, selling 1,25 million in 2014 is not that bad so while the band profile undoubtedly decreased, they are still a relevant act.
As a reminder for users who are not yet familiar with the CSPC idea you do not need to worry, it is quite simple as it only consists in merging every format sales an artist has been getting and attributing them to respective studio albums. We will start by focusing on raw data, setting how much each album sold. Then, we will check sales of each track from those albums on each format – physical, digital and streaming – and weight them to value those figures on a par with album sales. To complete the study, we will study sales of the all compilations, live albums and music videos they dropped. Once all the raw data is set, we will only need to apply appropriate weighting to get the overall picture of Linkin Park career results.
Hybrid Theory (2000)
America
US – 11,700,000
Canada – 800,000
Argentina – 60,000
Brazil – 350,000
Mexico – 250,000
Asia
Japan – 600,000
Oceania
Australia – 415,000
New Zealand – 100,000
Europe – 4,770,000
UK – 1,625,000
France – 505,000
Germany – 850,000
Italy – 300,000
Spain – 145,000
Sweden – 150,000
Netherland – 125,000
Switzerland – 125,000
Austria – 90,000
Finland – 65,000
World – 20,000,000
Meteora (2003)
America
US – 6,500,000
Canada – 575,000
Argentina – 45,000
Brazil – 300,000
Mexico – 150,000
Asia
Japan – 500,000
Oceania
Australia – 350,000
New Zealand – 70,000
Europe – 3,710,000
UK – 875,000
France – 550,000
Germany – 725,000
Italy – 265,000
Spain – 185,000
Sweden – 70,000
Netherland – 75,000
Switzerland – 80,000
Austria – 65,000
Finland – 20,000
World – 13,100,000
Minutes To Midnight (2007)
America
US – 3,500,000
Canada – 375,000
Argentina – 30,000
Brazil – 95,000
Mexico – 50,000
Asia
Japan – 475,000
Oceania
Australia – 210,000
New Zealand – 45,000
Europe – 2,450,000
UK – 580,000
France – 280,000
Germany – 650,000
Italy – 235,000
Spain – 50,000
Sweden – 30,000
Netherland – 35,000
Switzerland – 65,000
Austria – 50,000
Finland – 20,000
World – 7,900,000
A Thousand Suns (2010)
America
US – 1,000,000
Canada – 100,000
Argentina – N/A
Brazil – 40,000
Mexico – 20,000
Asia
Japan – 220,000
Oceania
Australia – 80,000
New Zealand – 15,000
Europe – 1,010,000
UK – 240,000
France – 90,000
Germany – 325,000
Italy – 55,000
Spain – 20,000
Sweden – 10,000
Netherland – 15,000
Switzerland – 30,000
Austria – 20,000
Finland – 15,000
World – 2,800,000
Living Things (2012)
America
US – 775,000
Canada – 75,000
Argentina – N/A
Brazil – 35,000
Mexico – N/A
Asia
Japan – 175,000
Oceania
Australia – 55,000
New Zealand – 10,000
Europe – 1,030,000
UK – 155,000
France – 110,000
Germany – 410,000
Italy – 50,000
Spain – 15,000
Sweden – 5,000
Netherland – 15,000
Switzerland – 25,000
Austria – 25,000
Finland – 15,000
World – 2,400,000
The Hunting Party (2014)
America
US – 350,000
Canada – 45,000
Argentina – N/A
Brazil – 10,000
Mexico – N/A
Asia
Japan – 100,000
Oceania
Australia – 25,000
New Zealand – 5,000
Europe – 530,000
UK – 80,000
France – 50,000
Germany – 225,000
Italy – 20,000
Spain – 5,000
Sweden – N/A
Netherland – 10,000
Switzerland – 15,000
Austria – 15,000
Finland – N/A
World – 1,250,000
With their three 00s albums moving a combined 41 million units, there is no wonder why Linkin Park was one of the biggest acts of the decade. Although sales decreased album after album, those albums, Minutes To Midnight included, were among the very top selling albums of their respective years. In fact, with Hybrid Theory #1 of 2001, Meteora #3 of 2003 and Minutes To Midnight at #6 they all easily made the Global Top 10 of the year as published by the IFPI.
Times got harder from the 10s still. The band last three albums sold a combined 6,45 million, more than 6 times less than their predecessors. If the market notably decreased in the meantime, that doesn’t fully explain such a difference. Worst, their sales never rebounded. Except Living Things, all albums sold 65% or less of its immediate predecessor. A Thousand Suns was the most abrupt fall, selling barely 35% of Minutes To Minutes. In the other side, selling 1,25 million in 2014 is not that bad so while the band profile undoubtedly decreased, they are still a relevant act.
