Whew - long headline, right? For the record, this line-up and Top 10 list is more quirky than anything. When you consider how much Kendrick Lamar, Post Malone, Cardi B and Travis Scott run the music biz, it’s no question they’re iconic. So knowing their presence and contributions to the culture, geek out knowing they actually made the Top 10 list of artists having sold the least amount of physical copies.

Digital era, Physical era - what’s the difference

Low-key and high-key? I ditched physical albums nearly 10 years ago and have gone the digital route ever since. So it’s no surprise the majority of people around the globe have followed suit. But looking at data provider Oppizi, the report is pretty wild and crazy - all things considered.

One of the most surprising comebacks of the digital age is the rising number of Vinyl LP sales. According to Luminate, 43.5 million LPs were sold in the U.S. last year. 

Despite this, 82.1 million Americans are paid subscribers to on-demand music streaming. 

Therefore, the question remains as to whether it is still a good idea to release physical music. 

A brand-new study released by Offline Marketing Company, Oppizi reveals the 10 US artists who have sold the least physical copies of their music. 

The research analyzes the most recent data from Chart Masters, which takes the top US music artists of all time and calculates the number of physical single sales units sold.* 

Kendrick Lamar and Charlie Puth ranked as the top two US artists who have only sold 10,000 physical singles.  

In 2011, Kendrick Lamar independently released his debut studio album, Section.80.  

Meanwhile, streaming services only saw a significant pace of growth in the mid-2010s, which could have seen the rapper's music appeal more to the digital audience. 

Charlie Puth released his debut single ‘Marvin Gaye’ in 2015, which was the year all parts of the streaming music market grew, with revenues exceeding $2 billion for the first time ever. 

Cardi B followed in second, selling 20,000 physical singles, she made her music video debut in December 2015, with the song "Cheap Ass Weave". 

Amongst the Disney crowd is Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato, who are now two of the most successful female artists of their generation. 

Selena Gomez, who began her music career on Disney Channel, including singing the theme song for Wizards of Waverly Place, has sold 80,000 physical singles. 

Since then, she has come a long way, after being crowned the most followed celebrity on Instagram- after recently surpassing Kylie Jenner with a whopping 390 million followers. 

Whilst Demi Lovato has sold only 50,000 physical singles, she has sold 2.7 million albums and had 23.8 million song downloads in 2021. 

Rounding out the top ten are Imagine Dragons, Post Malone, Billie Eilish, Macklemore and Travis Scott. 

A spokesperson from Offline Marketing Company, Oppizi, says  

“The rise in LP sales is fascinating to witness, as physical copies of music make a comeback. It appears physical goods still hold value for many people, even in the digital age. 

“Of all the music formats, vinyl has the most value. Today, Vinyl records could sell for ten times its original price 20 years from now. 

“Often, music lovers feel like digital downloads make them lose out on any sort of physical interaction with the music they are listening to. More people want to experience purchasing, which is why going to a record store and buying a vinyl is more appealing today. 

“People today are also attracted to buying vinyl records for the album’s art and exclusive copies can be bought and worth a fortune. 

“Therefore, for music artists looking for ways to promote their music, pushing physical copies could be a great way to give fans that desired nostalgic purchasing experience.”   

Methodology: 

*The research analyzes the most recent data from Chart Masters. Taking the top US music artists of all time, the physical single sales units have been calculated by adding them to CSPC total with a ratio 3:10 for 2-tracks and 5:10 for EPs and Maxis. 

Source: ChartMasters