Presley, the ‘King,’ Cracks 100 Million in Sales
Fans around the world may take a moment of silence to observe the 25th anniversary of the death of Elvis Presley this week, but the roar of cash registers to mark the occasion will be deafening.
Demonstrating that the King’s selling power is now hotter than ever, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on Monday announced the sales total of the “King of Rock ‘n Roll” recently reached 100 million albums in the United States, up from 80 million at its last count.
The new tally puts him behind only the Beatles who have sold 165 million units in the United States, and veteran rockers Led Zeppelin and country star Garth Brooks, who have each sold 105 million units.
With only days to go before the Aug. 16 anniversary of Presley’s passing, the “Elvis-mania” marketing machine has gone full tilt, with various posthumous tributes being planned all week near his home at Graceland in Memphis, as well as around the world and on the Internet.
A newly released remix of a 1960s Presley song “A Little Less Conversation,” recently climbed the pop charts in both the United Kingdom and the United States, and Bertelsmann AG’s RCA in September plans to release “Elvis 30 No 1 Hits,” a compilation of chart-topping songs, which industry experts say could sell millions of copies.
“Reaching this milestone now is a perfect tribute to the legendary career of Elvis Presley,” said RIAA Chairman and chief executive officer Hilary Rosen, referring to the 100 million unit sales total.
“He was and will always be a cultural, musical and an American icon. We have long known that due to scattered sales data from the early years of Elvis’ career, the true volume and scope of his sales have not been reflected,” she said.
Presley holds the record for the most chart hits, the most top-10 singles and most weeks at No. 1, according to music trade magazine Billboard Magazine.
The RIAA said it will continue to work closely with RCA, Presley’s label, to keep track of his sales.
Among Presley’s best-selling albums are “Heart and Soul,” “The Rock ‘n’ Roll Era,” “It’s Christmas Time,” “Platinum: A Life In Music,” and “The Legend Lives On.”
In all, Presley has received 88 Gold Records (selling at least 500,000 units), 45 of which have gone on to be certified Platinum (selling at least one million units) and 22 have gone on to multi-Platinum status, selling two million units or higher, the RIAA said.
His highest certified album is “Elvis’ Christmas Album” which has been certified for the sale of more than seven million copies, the RIAA said.
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