To: The Institute Of 60’s Pop Culture

Sirs:

This document should satisfy your request for information about the Beatles album sales at their breakup in the early 70’s. Below is a spreadsheet for 1972 sales. By that point they had produced some 13 albums. While the popularity of any album may have been greater in some previous year, 1972 is the first year that meets both of your conditions

  • that all these albums are available
  • That the Beatles as a band no longer exist

As to the profit that Apple Corps received for each album sold. This firm, given it’s relationship with the band and the demand for this product, was able to set an agreement worldwide providing $3.76 profit that each album sold through the distributing stores.

In addition, promotional albums were available to the staff of the stores for $.88 apiece. Returns (and broken albums) were a charge against profits of $.55

Hopefully his answers the questions you have posed in a previous letter

Apple Corps Ltd

title / Continent / Distribution Locale / Albums Distributed / Promo Albums / Waatage/Returns
Please Please Me / North America / Western US & Mexico / 53589 / 4283 / 1785
The Beatles White Album / North America / Western US & Mexico / 53691 / 4288 / 187
With The Beatles / Japan / Asia / 7778 / 655 / 366
Let It Be / Europe / England / 19567 / 1546 / 549
The Beatles Rereleased / South America / South America / 46951 / 3741 / 621
Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Band / Japan / Asia / 6171 / 688 / 14
Rubber Soul / North America / Western US & Mexico / 18041 / 1438 / 884
Yellow Submarine / Europe / England / 96751 / 7725 / 3795
Please Please Me / South America / South America / 148474 / 14692 / 6629
Beatles For Sale / South America / South America / 35834 / 2852 / 592
Yellow Submarine / South America / South America / 11198 / 891 / 121
Beatles For Sale / Europe / Western Europe / 241784 / 23333 / 2780
With The Beatles / Europe / England / 33134 / 2641 / 768
A Hard Day's Night / Europe / England / 1611 / 111 / 56
A Hard Day's Night / Japan / Asia / 16099 / 1268 / 505
The Beatles Rereleased / North America / Western US & Mexico / 14728 / 1160 / 505
Help / North America / Western US & Mexico / 134220 / 13410 / 5823
Abby Road / North America / Eastern US / 112816 / 11015 / 369
Rubber Soul / Europe / Western Europe / 306968 / 30543 / 20156
Beatles For Sale / Africa / Asia / 97983 / 7838 / 2089
Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Band / Europe / Western Europe / 109734 / 10777 / 10238
The Beatles Rereleased / Africa / Asia / 32556 / 2601 / 864
Abby Road / South East Asia / Asia / 148247 / 3854 / 1411
Revolver / South East Asia / Asia / 24944 / 1985 / 112
Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Band / North America / Eastern US / 146080 / 13677 / 1679
With The Beatles / South America / South America / 22671 / 1790 / 492
A Hard Day's Night / Europe / Western Europe / 111049 / 1178 / 1129
Revolver / Africa / Asia / 50292 / 4019 / 1733
Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Band / North America / Western US & Mexico / 22131 / 1753 / 698
A Hard Day's Night / South East Asia / Asia / 14663 / 1172 / 454
Yellow Submarine / South East Asia / Asia / 96368 / 7708 / 3471
Revolver / South America / South America / 73787 / 5899 / 1306
Let It Be / Africa / Asia / 4375 / 326 / 132
Rubber Soul / Europe / England / 116660 / 11327 / 1498
Revolver / Japan / Asia / 50292 / 4019 / 1733
Abby Road / Europe / Western Europe / 145608 / 3638 / 1314
Rubber Soul / South America / South America / 16256 / 1289 / 260
A Hard Day's Night / North America / Eastern US / 7687 / 604 / 104
Let It Be / South East Asia / Asia / 99346 / 7941 / 3822
Help / South East Asia / Asia / 17316 / 1377 / 439
Yellow Submarine / North America / Western US & Mexico / 6202 / 491 / 198
The Beatles Rereleased / Europe / England / 25316 / 2020 / 697
Help / Africa / Asia / 87677 / 7006 / 1562
Rubber Soul / Africa / Asia / 13687 / 1076 / 269
Abby Road / Europe / England / 88963 / 7094 / 2192
Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Band / Africa / Asia / 6171 / 688 / 14
Rubber Soul / South East Asia / Asia / 4393 / 328 / 51
Yellow Submarine / Africa / Asia / 67294 / 5369 / 161
Abby Road / South America / South America / 12330 / 981 / 518
Please Please Me / Africa / Africa / 5096 / 187 / 59
Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Band / South East Asia / Asia / 24305 / 1931 / 584
Let It Be / Japan / Asia / 4375 / 326 / 132
Abby Road / Africa / Asia / 1038 / 482 / 392
Beatles For Sale / Europe / England / 66726 / 5325 / 2037
The Beatles Rereleased / North America / Eastern US / 245133 / 23589 / 21790
With The Beatles / North America / Western US & Mexico / 82638 / 6605 / 1617
Abby Road / Japan / Asia / 1038 / 482 / 392
Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Band / South America / South America / 38920 / 3100 / 899
The Beatles White Album / North America / Eastern US / 52958 / 4219 / 1366
Help / South America / South America / 144483 / 14282 / 2724
Yellow Submarine / Europe / Western Europe / 80099 / 6406 / 545
With The Beatles / Africa / Africa / 778 / 55 / 66
Revolver / North America / Eastern US / 151740 / 14124 / 11363
Abby Road / North America / Western US & Mexico / 77106 / 6145 / 968
The Beatles White Album / Europe / Western Europe / 94222 / 7529 / 2930
The Beatles White Album / South East Asia / Asia / 75457 / 6033 / 1089
Beatles For Sale / Japan / Asia / 97983 / 7838 / 2089
Help / Europe / England / 19499 / 1558 / 112
Please Please Me / Europe / England / 126430 / 12537 / 2127
Let It Be / North America / Western US & Mexico / 90437 / 7226 / 2317
Yellow Submarine / North America / Eastern US / 20159 / 1596 / 252
Beatles For Sale / North America / Eastern US / 91279 / 7289 / 610
Please Please Me / South East Asia / Asia / 147602 / 14676 / 3052
With The Beatles / North America / Eastern US / 24599 / 1964 / 506
The Beatles Rereleased / Europe / Western Europe / 248611 / 23882 / 2505
Let It Be / South America / South America / 23653 / 1876 / 1090
Help / Japan / Asia / 87677 / 7006 / 1562
Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Band / Europe / England / 509 / 26 / 5
Rubber Soul / North America / Eastern US / 114032 / 11109 / 1572
The Beatles White Album / Japan / Asia / 11982 / 949 / 379
Let It Be / Europe / Western Europe / 80739 / 6452 / 920
The Beatles Rereleased / South East Asia / Asia / 126014 / 12078 / 1561
A Hard Day's Night / South America / South America / 6884 / 537 / 104
Rubber Soul / Japan / Asia / 13687 / 1076 / 269
Please Please Me / Japan / Asia / 15096 / 1187 / 359
Help / Europe / Western Europe / 167712 / 16725 / 3685
Please Please Me / North America / Eastern US / 21600 / 1712 / 37
With The Beatles / Europe / Western Europe / 37779 / 3019 / 614
Revolver / Europe / England / 59313 / 4742 / 728
Beatles For Sale / South East Asia / Asia / 87850 / 7005 / 915
Please Please Me / Europe / Western Europe / 104089 / 10367 / 2713
Beatles For Sale / North America / Western US & Mexico / 140531 / 13232 / 1606
Revolver / Europe / Western Europe / 306610 / 30519 / 30144
The Beatles White Album / Africa / Asia / 11982 / 949 / 379
The Beatles White Album / Europe / England / 36737 / 2933 / 1075
The Beatles Rereleased / Japan / Asia / 32556 / 2601 / 864
Revolver / North America / Western US & Mexico / 99140 / 7917 / 2677
Let It Be / North America / Eastern US / 91378 / 7301 / 1803
A Hard Day's Night / North America / Western US & Mexico / 6958 / 547 / 221
The Beatles White Album / South America / South America / 27459 / 2190 / 544
A Hard Day's Night / Africa / Africa / 6099 / 268 / 5
Help / North America / Eastern US / 226556 / 22104 / 2458
Yellow Submarine / Japan / Asia / 67294 / 5369 / 161
With The Beatles / South East Asia / Asia / 2502 / 198 / 98