This book goes by the total American Sales TP,as certified by the RIAA,so total amount of platinum and multi-platinum awards (each platinum representing at least 1,000,000 units),you're quite right in that it includes sales up to the present day (2004).To quote from the book "The lists in this book are based on US album sales.The British Phonographic Industry (BPI) certification scheme only dates back to 1973 and was for much of the decade fairly haphazard,multiple-platinum awards were not created until the mid-1980's.UK panel sales-figures based on sales to a very limited number of outlets-date back to 1969,but the multiplier used to convert these into national figures changed frequently and records of the changes are not always available.The record companies themselves did not always release sales figures and where figures do exist they are rarely up-to-date."And no,compilations are not included,the highest rated Beatles album(and their only entry) was in fact Let It Be at No.64 with 4,000,000 sales(although there are 25 albums in total with 4,000,000 sales also;).There are quite a few surprises,although it would differ quite a bit i would imagine if it could have/were to have been based on UK sales instead.Interesting read though.
These figures must mean the best-selling albums to date, which were released in the 70s. "The Wall" for example, couldn't have sold that many copies in 1979 alone. That being so, I'm surprised the Beatles' red and blue albums don't feature in the top 10. (Or are they excluding comps?)
The top 10 best-selling albums of the 70's (American sales)(correction;)according to the book were :
01/ Pink Floyd - The Wall - 1979 - Sales 23,000,000
02/ Led Zeppelin IV (Four Symbols) - 1971 - Sales 22,000,000
03/ Fleetwood Mac - Rumours - 1977 - Sales 19,000,000
04/ Boston - Boston - 1977 - Sales 17,000,000
05/ Various - Saturday Night Fever - 1977 - Sales 15,000,000
06/ Eagles - Hotel California - 1976 - Sales 15,000,000
07/ Led Zeppelin - Physical Graffiti - 1975 - Sales 15,000,000
08/ Pink Floyd - D.S.O.T.M. - 1973 - Sales 15,000,000
09/ Meatloaf - Bat Out Of Hell - 1977 - Sales 14,000,000
10/ Led Zeppelin - Houses Of The Holy - 1973 - Sales 11,000,000
(correction added)
(up to and including the publishing date of 2004)