Does anyone know how we can go back in the Oricon archives and look at the chart trajectory and yearly rankings of her VHS/DVD concerts and PV collections? I tried doing it w/ Google Translate, but u know how that goes! Anyone who knows how we can contact Oricon directly (some way by means of e-mail preferrably) and ask that way would be awesome too!

bluesfighter09 quote: I'd like to ask or e-mail someone at EMI or Oricon but they have no listed e-mail addresses to contact them anywhere. Post anything here that can help us with this and that!

Try Debra Geddes, Senior Director, Artist Publicity, EMI Music:

+44 20 7752 5551 / 5557.....

debra.geddes@emimusic.com

or Debra?s second in command:
Scott Steele............

scott.steele@emimusic.com

Yeah, we're getting a little closer to uncovering all the finer details; we just gotta be parient in the process getting there (-_-*pointing fingers at self for the time being*!)...

Everyone reading this (regardless of memebership but as long as your a Hikki fan) complete and encourage as many people as possible to do the two surveys at the links below; and then state whether or not you plan on pre-ordering or buying SCV2 online or in a store (if your based in Asia or where there's a nearby HMV store) sometime before year's end!

http://www.utadanet.com/modules/xoopspoll/index.php?poll_id=130

http://www.utadanet.com/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?topic_id=4920

Thank you for your enquiry.

The following videos were certified the Gold by RIAJ.

2003 COLORS
2003 ＵＨ　ＬＩＶＥ　ＳＴＲＥＡＭＩＮＧ　2003
2004 Utada Hikaru in Budokan 2004

So this is all the RIAJ was willing to cough up when I e-mailed them back in earlier October (their auto-mated message response was not to do so again unless I subscribed or something to them--great!)...If anybody can find out the specific SALES and DVD charts ranks (i.e. daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly ranks for the above and all of the followign below then we'll be on a roll. I think RIAJ Gold means that at least 100,000 units have been shipped/distributed in Japan at the least, but that doesn't mean a sack of potatoes as far as actual sales units go nowadays. I'd like to ask or e-mail someone at EMI or Oricon but they have no listed e-mail addresses to contact them anywhere. Post anything here that can help us with this and that!

1999: Utada Hikaru Single Clip Collection Vol.1
2000: Bohemian Summer 2000
2001: Utada Hikaru Unplugged
2001: Utada Hikaru Single Clip Collection Vol.2
2002: Utada Hikaru Single Clip Collection Vol.3+
2003: UH Live Streaming "20 Dai wa Ike Ike!"
2004: Utada Hikaru in Budokan 2004: Hikaru no 5
2006: Utada Hikaru Single Clip Collection Vol.4
2006: Utada United 2006

Wait & See: Risk - June 30, 2000
Traveling - January 30, 2002
Colors - March 12, 2003
Dareka no Negai ga Kanau Koro - July 28 2004
Easy Breezy - August 3, 2004

Everything else is so easy to find out about, i don't know why the figures on her videography is just so hush-hush as successful as they've been...

An example or litmus test of how difficult it is to get independently verified audited figures that make any sense can only be gleamed from EMI published performance information...

http://www.vernimmen.com/ftp/OC-EMI.pdf


Above is EMI 2003 September issue of US$243,343,000 Guaranteed Convertible Bonds that are due 2010.....

Page 2 shows Utada?s Deep River audited sales of 4.2 million this figure has to be to proven, as an income bond of this type must assure the investor that there will be agreed and thus guaranteed income with a payment structure that shows a set amount during the whole period of the investment, thus affording a guarantee that the capital will remain intact at the end.....

Move to page 76 ....and a breakdown of Hikki 3rd album is consolidated and reconciled.....

Bluesfighter09 calls for legit on line sources....

I will endeavour make a request for 10 years worth of EMI annual reports , that will highlight EMI artists success in hard numbers that have to be proven on the balance sheet, and show a consolidated cash flow statement, all available on request of communication to the Board.....

I agree it is frustrating that RIAJ certifications frankly draw sales returns from 26000 outlets, and physical CD sales only, although this is an electronic process we have to be aware that these sales are commiserate to 26000 outlets only.......

To build an official Sales/Certification report/database on Hikki's VHS/DVD etc. sales? (By Fans for the Fans) that that resembles any accuracy will take time ...

Search through google

some of her album sales record

http://forums.flopofthepops.com/showthread.php?t=1960

Albums released by Utada (sales in Japan only):

Japanese albums:

First love (1999): 8,53 million (estimated by RIAJ)
Distance (2001): 4,47 million
Deep River (2002): 3,6 million
Ultra Blue (2006): 1,082 million
Heart Station (2008): 1,35 million

Compilation Albums

Utada Hikaru Single Collection Vol. 1 (2004): 2,6 million


US albums:

Precious (1998): Japan: 702,000++ (failed to chart in the USA / no Soundscan information available)
Exodus (2004): Japan: 1,075 million / USA: #160 Soundscan: (55,000)
This Is the One (2009): Japan: 235,000 / USA: #69 [#19 US iTunes] Soundscan: (??? / estimation: 25,000-35,000)

Utada's achievements

Albums on Oricon's list of most successful albums ever:

First Love: #1 (8,53 million: Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) / 7,65 million (Oricon, no catalogue sales included)
Distance: #4 (4,47 million)
Deep River: #8 (3,6 million)
Utada Hikaru Single Collection Vol. 1: #35 (2,6 million)
Heart Station: #271 (1,35 million - the list has not been updated since early 2009.)
Exodus: #247 (1,075 million)

Some other Utada records/milestones:

Japanese Achievements:

1) She has released 4 million selling singles
2) She has achieved 12 #1s on the Oricon Weekly Singles chart
3) Her album "Distance" (2001) sold well over 3.000.000 during it's first week of release, more than any other album worldwide. In the US the fastest selling album is "No String Attached" by *NSync which sold 2,4 million copies during it's debut week in the USA only. It's worldwide sales during that week must be between 2,5 million - 2,6 million approximately. Thus, Utada's record as the fastest selling studio album worldwide still stands (with a margin of approximately 500,000 copies)
4) Utada's 2007 blockbuster #1 single sold about 651,000 physical copies. Nevertheless, EMI has announced total digital sales of over 8,180,000. Those sales were generated by iTunes and other Japanese music download sites, which have become staggeringly popular nowadays in Japan. Digital single and album sales are way higher than the respective US digital record sales nowadays, even though, the USA is expected to replace Japan as the #1 country in digital sales very soon.
5) Utada has released one 8 million selling digital single, two (almost) 3 million selling ones, two 2 million selling ones, and three more 1 million selling ones (of which one has sold 1,96 million and will soon have surpassed the 2 million mark). Generally, she must be one of the biggest digital selling artist ever.
6) According to Music Station Utada is the 9th best selling artist of all time in Japan. She is also the 4th most successful female artist according to the same source.
7) All of her Japanese albums have debuted at #1 on Oricons Weekly Album Chart with record-breaking sales.

International Achievements:
1) Utada has achieved several #1 and top 10 albums in Asian countries such as Korea, China, Singapore etc. Her album "First Love" has achieved worldwide sales of about 10-11 million copies (most of them sold in Asia).
2) Utada has achieved one #1 single, one #5 and one #24 single on the US Dance/Club Play ("Devil Inside" [2004], "Come back To Me" [2009] and "Exodus '04" [2005] respectively).
3) Her US single "Come Back to Me" (2009) hit #93 on the US Pop Charts. It also received substantial airplay peaking at #69 on the US Pop 100 Airplay and at #39 on the US Rhythmic 40 Airplay.
4) Utada has also achieved minor commercial success in the UK, with her 2005 single "You Make Me Want to Be a Man" hitting #227 on the UK Singles Chart


Utada has also released two albums that have failed to chart on the Oricon Weekly chart under the pseudonym U3, titled "Star" (1993) and "Are Kara 10 Nen Kinen Ban" (2003).


And other info about Utada,
http://www.hotexpress.co.jp/artist/337/all.html#review

I wanna see

don't see anything

let's see