Streisand’s Record Sales: For the Record

In 2016, Streisand's album of Broadway duets—Encore: Movie Partners Sing Broadway—debuted on Billboard's charts at #1, which solidified her lead in the record books as the only artist to have a number one album in each of the last six decades—the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, and the 2010s! It was also her 11th #1 album.

Streisand's Albums

Updated 9/7/16

Barbra Streisand has recorded with Columbia Records since 1962 — That's a 54-year recording career! (as of 2016).

According to my count here at Barbra Archives .... as of 2016 there are 70 officially released Streisand albums, which break down into the following categories:

36 studio albums

9 live albums

14 soundtrack and cast albums

1 box set (Just For the Record, 1991)

7 “hits” albums of mostly previously released material (including her 2002 Duets album)

3 miscellaneous albums (the Harold Arlen album and Barbra's two “Highlights” albums).

Besides the Columbia Records albums mentioned above, there was a SonyBMG Special Markets "Super Hits" album of previously-released tracks, and a Sony Legacy Christmas compilation. Also: tracks featuring Streisand vocals have appeared on other artists' albums over the years, including duets albums by Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett, and most recently with Mary J. Blige. [I've compiled these albums on the Supplemental Discography page]

The Billboard 200 list, published weekly by Billboard Magazine, ranks the 200 highest-selling albums based solely on sales in the United States.

Here are a few impressive facts (* as of September 2016):

Top Ten Abums

Streisand has a total of 34 Top Ten albums to her credit since 1963.

to her credit since 1963. Barbra Streisand has had albums reach the Top 10 (or better) in every decade since the 1960s.

Streisand has the widest span (51 years) between first and latest Top 10 albums of any recording artist (The Barbra Streisand Album in 1963 and Encore in 2016).

recording artist (The Barbra Streisand Album in 1963 and Encore in 2016). Streisand's 10th No. 1 album extends her lead over Madonna as the female artist with the most No. 1 albums in chart history. (Madonna has eight).

Streisand, age 74 in 2016, will be the second-oldest artist ever to notch a No. 1 album. Tony Bennett was 85 when he topped the chart in October 2011 with Duets II.

Barbra's 34 Top Ten albums are: The Barbra Streisand Album, The Second Barbra Streisand Album, The Third Album, Funny Girl Broadway Cast, People, My Name is Barbra, My Name is Barbra Two, Color Me Barbra, Je m'appelle Barbra, Stoney End, The Way We Were, Funny Lady, A Star is Born, Superman, Greatest Hits 2, Wet, Guilty, Memories, Yentl, Broadway Album, One Voice, Till I Loved You, Back to Broadway, The Concert, Higher Ground, A Love Like Ours, The Movie Album, Guilty Pleasures, Live 2006, Love is the Answer, What Matters Most, Release Me, Partners, Encore.

Streisand's Number One Albums

Barbra Streisand has eleven number one albums.

It's also interesting to note that Streisand owns the unique distinction of having the longest span between number one albums—52 years.

Christmas/Holiday Album Chart

Billboard charts Holiday albums separately. In December 2013, Billboard updated its Top 10 Holiday Albums list using both RIAA certification information and actual point-of-sale data from Nielsen SoundScan. For albums released before SoundScan started in 1991, they used their RIAA certification to determine sales.

The top 10 Holiday albums of all time are:

Elvis Presley (Elvis' Christmas Album) 10 million units Kenny G (Miracles: The Holiday Album) 7.3 million units Nat King Cole (The Christmas Song) 6 million units Mannheim Steamroller (A Fresh Aire Christmas) 6 million units Mannheim Steamroller (Mannheim Steamroller Christmas) 6 million units Josh Groban (Noel) 5.7 million units Mariah Carey (Merry Christmas) 5.3 million units Celine Dion (These Are Special Times) 5.2 million units Barbra Streisand (A Christmas Album) 5 million units Johnny Mathis (Merry Christmas) 5 million units

Billboard confessed: “As for Streisand, her collection was first issued in 1967. It's likely that it has sold more than 5 million since its last certification in 1999, though a more exact figure is difficult to determine.”

Barbra's Number One Singles

Billboard Magazine tracks the top 100 singles in America weekly and bases its list on radio airplay and sales. Streisand has 5 number one singles in her career:

The Way We Were (Feb. 2, 16, 23, 1974)

Evergreen (March 5, 12, 19, 1977)

You Don't Bring Me Flowers (with Neil Diamond) (Dec. 2, 16, 1978)

No More Tears (with Donna Summer) (Nov. 24, Dec. 1, 1979)

Woman In Love (Oct. 25, Nov. 1, Nov. 8, 1980)

Recording Industry Association of America Figures

One cannot assess Streisand's sales and therefore her place in recording history, without considering the RIAA.

The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is the trade group that represents the U.S. recording industry. According to their website, “The RIAA Gold and Platinum Awards program was launched in 1958 in an effort to create a standard by which to measure sales of a sound recording.”

It should be noted that the RIAA requires the record label to “request certification and pay a fee to have the sales of the recording audited.”

Their site further explains that “the audit is conducted against net shipments after returns (most often an artist's royalty statement is used), which includes albums sold directly to retailers and one-stops, direct to consumer sales (music clubs and mail order) and other outlets.” (Another note: In 2004, the RIAA extended its Gold and Platinum awards designation to legitimate digital downloads from the Internet.)

RIAA Certification Criteria Gold ® Platinum ® Multi-Platinum ™ 500,000 units 1,000,000 units 2,000,000+ units

(The RIAA also certifies an album as Diamond—sales of 10 million units—but no Streisand album has sold at that level to date.)

Streisand's RIAA Album Tally Gold ® Platinum ® Multi-Platinum ™ 51 30 12

Streisand currently (Sept. 2016) appears at number 10 on the RIAA's list of Top Selling Artists:

RIAA's Top Selling Artists (April 2011) Artist Certified Units in Millions The Beatles 178 Garth Brooks 137 Elvis Presley 136 Led Zepplin 111.5 The Eagles 101 Billy Joel 82 Michael Jackson 79 Elton John 77 Pink Floyd 75 AC/DC 71.5 George Strait 69 Barbra Streisand 68.5

For the Record ... Summary

Barbra Archives hopes Streisand fans are impressed with Barbra's record-breaking sales. Barbra Streisand is one of America's most popular recording artists—ever.

Although Streisand often tells interviewers that she does not pay attention to awards and statistics about her career, that does not diminish what she has accomplished and sold throughout the years.

End.

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