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Post by abbaprofessor on Aug 14, 2019 11:39:30 GMT
They had an incredible 12 number one hit singles in Ireland. But I have never come across how their studio albums sold there. What were the highest chart positions they had and how much did they sell ?
Also, during the Abba era how was the Singles chart composed in Ireland. Was it sales only, radio play only or a combination of both ?
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Post by foreverfan on Aug 14, 2019 17:00:37 GMT
I may be wrong and I’m sure someone will know for sure..
However I remember reading somewhere that the charts at the time , of ABBA at their peak , were basically made up, a popular vote each week. As for sales they would be small, as only a population of around 5 million( now) sales must have been at best 10s of thousands if that.
Id imagine Gold as in many places is the best selling album, but doubt it’s much over 100, 000 but I am guessing here..
Today Ireland has an official Top 100 Albums and Singles chart. So over to the experts, as I’d like to know numbers as well...
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Post by gary on Aug 14, 2019 17:03:32 GMT
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Post by Alan on Aug 14, 2019 17:45:25 GMT
Wikipedia does include Ireland in its ABBA singles discography, but not albums. As CBS-Epic’s license was for both the UK and Ireland, releases in Ireland exactly mirror those of the UK:
Waterloo 1
SOS 4
Mamma Mia 1
Fernando 1
Dancing Queen 1
Money Money Money 2
Knowing Me Knowing You 1
The Name of The Game 2
Take A Chance on Me 1
Summer Night City 1
Chiquitita 1
Does Your Mother Know 3
Angeleyes/Voulez-Vous 3
Gimme Gimme Gimme 1
I Have A Dream 2
The Winner Takes It All 1
Super Trouper 1
Lay All Your Love On Me 8
One of Us 1
Head Over Heels 14
The Day Before You Came 12
Under Attack 11
Thank You For The Music 17
Interestingly, while chart positions are broadly similar to the UK up until One of Us, they are a marked improvement from Head Over Heels onwards. The UK’s big ABBA switch-off didn’t appear to affect Ireland too much.
No chart positions for Ring Ring (original or remix), So Long or I Do, so these presumably didn’t chart at all there.
(I know singles chart positions are not what was asked for, but I thought it was interesting enough to include!)
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Post by gazman on Aug 14, 2019 20:03:00 GMT
Interesting topic. I have no idea about ABBA's album sales in Ireland, but would imagine that, in terms of success/rankings, they adhere quite consistently to those of the UK.
However, CBS/Epic had their own office in Ireland, I believe, which is probably why there was some slightly different promotion for albums, especially some 'samplers' for 'Greatest Hits' and 'Arrival', which I have only heard about but never physically seen.
ABBA never did any separate TV appearances in Ireland, only visiting as a group for the one concert they performed in Dublin.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 15, 2019 0:11:40 GMT
I believe that 'ABBA Gold' was an Irish No.1 in 1992, 1999 and 2008. However, only its 2008 No.1 placing is known - 1 Week. The 'Official' Irish Charts began in 1992. There were Album Charts in Ireland before then, but they are not regarded as being very accurate. Also, the 1992 to 2002 Irish No.1 Albums seem not to have been saved by anyone, Wikipedia only show Irish No.1 Albums from 2003 onwards. Although you can see the Annual Best Selling Irish Albums for 2001 and 2002... ABBA were a huge Singles Act in Ireland, so their Albums would also have been huge, had Album Charts existed at the time... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_Albums_Chart The Acts with the 'Most Irish No.1 Singles' are shown here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_Singles_Chart As you can see, the Irish often put Irish Acts at No.1 - U2, (21 No.1's), and Westlife, (13 No.1's). ABBA are 4th in the List - 12 No.1's, which is 3 more than they managed in the UK. It is also the 2nd Most No.1 Singles, that any Country gave ABBA. Belgium is 1st - 14 No.1's in one Chart and 16 No.1's in another Chart... On 31st May, The Official UK Charts Company did a big Article detailing the Irish No.1 Singles of the Acts with the 'Most No.1 Singles' there... www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/acts-with-the-most-number-1-singles-in-ireland__23468/ |
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Post by Alan on Aug 18, 2019 10:38:50 GMT
Just read on an Irish charts website: Pre-1992 Before the introduction of over-the-counter sales tracking, the Irish Charts were compiled from record company ship-out statistics. In other words, the charts were based on the supply to retail rather than the sale to the consumer. From www.irishcharts.ie/charts_history/charts_history.htm (Although the header claims “Irish Charts - all there is to know” it actually doesn’t have that much info at all). |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 20, 2019 0:17:25 GMT
The fact that 'Angel Eyes' / 'Voulez-Vous' reached different Peaks in the varied UK Charts, (at the time),
has given me an idea for an ABBA 'Project'. I'll create a Thread for it - here - as soon as I finish it. The
idea is for it to be a sort of 'counter-balance' to any 'Negative' Posts that some Fans may feel I've been
adding to the 'Can It Be True?' Thread.
Just as there were no 'Official' Irish Album Charts, when ABBA were together, so too there were no 'Official'
Switzerland Album Charts, when ABBA were together. The 'Official' Swiss Album Charts only started on the
W/E 17th November 1983. Just in time for 'I Love ABBA' to enter - and Peak - at No.14. It only had 3 Weeks
in the Swiss Top 100. The 'Official' Swiss Singles Chart was also a late starter - W/E 2nd January 1968. If the
UK Singles Chart had started that late, The Beatles would have only had 4 of their 17 UK No.1 Singles...
Unlike the Irish Album Charts, there are detailed Swiss Album Charts from before November 1983. They cover
all of ABBA's Career. There was more than one Swiss Album Chart at the time. ABBA did very well indeed in
those Swiss Album Charts. Switzerland was one of their best Charting Countries...I'll add the Swiss ABBA
Album Positions, (Pre-November 1983), to this Site ASAP...
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Post by gazman on Sept 16, 2019 14:13:01 GMT
Interestingly, while chart positions are broadly similar to the UK up until One of Us, they are a marked improvement from Head Over Heels onwards. The UK’s big ABBA switch-off didn’t appear to affect Ireland too much. There could be a bit more to that fact than meets the eye, though, Alan. From what I have been able to find out, while UK charts were based on 'over the counter' sales in the UK at that time (and still are, albeit the media has largely changed), Irish charts were more likely to be based on the numbers of records ordered in by the retailer, without necessarily recording how many singles then crossed over the counter. That might possibly explain the difference (i.e. anticipated demand rather than actual...) It is an area I am still researching, though... |
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