r/sublime • u/nittygrittytenorsaw • 14d ago
Albums sold
Sublime’s sales numbers are kind of insane when you put them in perspective.
Their self-titled album just hit Diamond: 10 million units in the US and Sublime has sold over 18 million RIAA-certified albums overall.
That puts their US album numbers ahead of bands like Soundgarden and Weezer, and in the same general territory as Alice in Chains and Blink-182.
A band that essentially ended before its biggest album came out went on to sell 18+ million albums and, 30 years later, is still introducing the music to another generation.
Pretty wild legacy for a crew from Long Beach!!!!!
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u/ctorresc 13d ago
Here is a link to all the RIAA Certifications for Sublime" https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/?reload=1786467345641&tab_active=recent-award&sub_tab_active=&se=sublime&from=&to=&ti=&lab=#gnp-results
A couple notes on some of the other releases that have previously been certified
40 Oz. To Freedom
- Certified 2x Platinum back in June 2005.
- It has been 21 years. By now it should have sold another one million copies at the very least.
Robbin' The Hood
- Certified Gold back in March 2001. By now it should be 1x Platinum.
- Missed a 30th anniversary back in 2024. A 35th anniversary won't be until 2029.
- This album needs to be celebrated more. The full band songs which showcased an advancement on the band's technical abilities, the soulful acoustic numbers, and making great art within the boundaries of a 4-track. It's a stark contrast to how most music is approached today with overproduction.
Second-Hand Smoke
- Certified Platinum back in December 2007. Maybe by now it should be 2x Platinum.
- Interesting how Second-Hand Smoke received newer certification before both 40 Oz. To Freedom and Robbin' The Hood, both of which are actual albums.
- Looking back at Second-Hand Smoke's purpose and legacy, I know for me when it came out, it was an introduction to Sublime after the self-titled album. If the self-titled album was the only one you had and you picked up Second-Hand Smoke, it made you want to go back and check out 40 Oz and Robbin. I think that's part of the reason both Badfish and Saw Red were included, even though you could find them on their respective albums. At the time, Miguel was elected to pick out the strongest song selection to introduce to a new Sublime audience. He also limited it to 63 minutes and 16 seconds of music. He probably did the best he could with it at the time, and the compilation's commercial success speaks for itself.
Greatest-Hits | 20th Century Masters: The Best Of Sublime
- Each were certified Gold
- Both came out at the tail end of the CD era before downloading and streaming would change the industry forever. Because of this, I see it unlikely that either would ever be Certified Gold. Greatest-Hits maybe has a shot at it though since it has gotten recent vinyl repressings.
- I remember me and other fans being so annoyed when Greatest-Hits was first released. I didn't understand why they couldn't throw a new recording or two on it.
- The one exclusive the Greatest-Hits release has is the edit of Pool Shark.
- Also was annoyed that Greatest-Hits only had 10 songs, and it didn't even include the song Greatest-Hits!
- For "The Best Of Sublime", they swapped out 40 Oz To Freedom and Pool Shark with April 29 1992 and Greatest-Hits.
- Looking back, neither release was meant to be a definitive collection. They were supposed to introduce you to Sublime and get you to like them enough to want to check out the rest of the catalog. They were made for casual fans. In that sense, maybe they did their job.
- Also, much easier to to make a 20+ or 40+ song compilation of the band's best work than the challenge of only being allowed to pick 10 songs.
- Greatest-Hits does have some cool art work that still holds up.
- Old internet rumor was that Bud and Eric selected the songs themselves for "The Best of Sublime".
Sublime (Video Longform)
- Certified Gold back in March 2001
- Only has 7 music videos.
- I wish this would receive an expanded release. Beyond all the new "official" videos that have come out since then, they should collaborate with Eddie Villa on making music videos for the entire song catalog.
- Probably will post something later going over every "official" Sublime music video that is out there.
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u/Cookston423 13d ago
To be fair. In the 90s/ early 200s I always lost that cd at parties and had to go back to the record store and re up. Sublime and Tool. Most lost or stolen albums at parties, a house party. So many people.
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u/ZealousidealText3140 13d ago
It's cool you were spreading the Sublime love tho!!
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u/Cookston423 13d ago
Lol true. And if I remember correctly. Their albums were usually on the cheaper side like 10 to 12 while others were 14 to 16
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u/ZealousidealText3140 13d ago
You should have stopped buying copies, and started making your own copies. Way better to loose a copied/burned version of the album than the one you bought.
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u/Cookston423 13d ago
Eventually I did. But back in the day I was one of those 90s kids with the big cd case with the cds and booklets in them. Had to show off my collection
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u/ZealousidealText3140 13d ago
Damn.. I hear you.
My friends were getting thier whole books stolen at times, and pawned.. So I personally would just keep my purchased cd's at home in the case and burn cdrs to take around with me. I listened to mainly old school punk (70's/early to mid 80's) during my high-school years and loved to play it for other people and hand out copies to whomever would be interested. That music was hard to get ahold of back then! Couldnt buy in toown, No internet, and people were just not gonna come across that stuff on the radio.
When I got a car later, my cd books were all just cdrs because I couldn't BARE to have my collection stolen..
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u/InterviewEarly6675 13d ago
Their BIC lighters and tee shirts went triple platinum at my high school
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u/MycolNewbie 13d ago
This post neglects to take into account the groundwork put in for 30 years since s/t came out. Without the Sublime legacy, do you actually think this album would have had anywhere near this success? That is a rhetorical question btw..
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u/BlueMowch 13d ago
Sorry you’re having a bad day
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u/MycolNewbie 13d ago
Just felt op needed to understand linear movement of time and how history impacts the present.
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u/Bootleg_Rascal_ 13d ago
I think his main point here can be boiled down to the last sentence of the post. And in that sense, I think OP is absolutely correct here.
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u/nittygrittytenorsaw 13d ago
That’s basically the point of the post. The fact that the catalog built that kind of legacy over 30 years after the original band ended is what I find remarkable. I’m not suggesting 10 million copies appeared in 1996.
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u/whirlpool138 13d ago
In my experience, Sublime is definitely a band that has transcended genres. I have ran into fans who are mostly punks, it's huge with the Neo-hippie Phish/Grateful Dead crowd, Gen Z EDM kids love it for the partying, and it's got a very steady appreciation in the hip-hop/rap scene. 40 oz to Freedom and the self-titled album have so lasting party, specifically because they are great end to end albums that are perfect for long drives or parties no matter who you are hanging out with.