Yet another week goes by and yet another step towards Hot Rocks completing 7 years on the Billboard 200. Now standing at 363 weeks - just one more week to go to reach the magic 364 week number to complete a 7 year chart lifespan.

I have no idea why this specific milestone has attained such importance for me. But it has. It may be because extended chart placings are almost non-existent in the life of the Rolling Stones. Even back in the 70s and 80's The Stones tended to sell new product heavily in the first few weeks and then drop off the charts relatively quickly. Quite a contrast to bands such as The Eagles, The Beatles, Creedence, Fleetwood Mac, Bob Marley, Journey, Queen - performers who might well appeal to the same types of customers that would buy Rolling Stones albums. All of these bands have moved way beyond the number of chart weeks achieved by The Stones.

Will Hot Rocks reach 364 next week? Probably not. The album has been moving steadily downwards for the last few weeks and had a sizeable fall this week from No. 136 to No. 187 - over 50 places. I have no idea what the actual sales would have needed to be to reach those positions. I understand it takes roughly 30,000 sales or streams to reach the Top Ten. So chart placings numbers below No. 100 must be differentiated by a couple of hundred sales at most. Maybe even just a few dozen units.

Hot Rocks will, of course, reach the 7 year milestone sometime soon. Sales will doubtlessly pick up again when the band begins to tour. And it is not inconceivable that it may, one day, reach the 400 week milestone. However it is almost certain that the band itself will, by then, have long since passed into history.

Probably of little or no interest to anyone else except myself, I still feel obligated to celebrate the 364th week on the Billboard Chart for Hot Rocks. Yes it has finally completed seven years in the Top 200. This week, after dropping out last week, it has re-entered at No,158. The album, the band, and sad nerd-like types such as myself, can let our hair down and celebrate tonight. Well, steady on! Perhaps not, but it's a sweet thought.

As mentioned before this achievement by The Stones shows how different they are to many other bands of their era. Never heavy sellers over an extended period they have always crammed their sales into a much shorter chart lifespan.

Here's to the next 52 weeks and getting all the way to an eight year chart-span.

I think the band's labels need to get their albums recertified. I'm sure Hot Rocks will go up a lot from it's current 12x platinum in the US.

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DGA35
I think the band's labels need to get their albums recertified. I'm sure Hot Rocks will go up a lot from it's current 12x platinum in the US.

Hot Rocks should be at 16-18x Platinum at least, the latest certification was almost 20 years ago and the album is a steady seller, about 250k each year.

Hey Georgelicks, any idea where some of their other big sellers should be currently? Recertifications would boost the band a lot higher on the overall album sales and leapfrog several other bands above them.

Hot Rocks was my introduction to the Rolling Stones. Regardless of how any times I've heard the songs it's a stunning array of music. Side 3 is the finest side of music ever waxed IMO. That said I'd rather hear the albums now but once in a while I'll still play HR and listen all the way through. No bad songs. It is the best greatest hits package in America. I actually like Rolled Gold better too but HR is dynamite.

For me Rolled Gold is a better album, but hey, they are BOTH excellent compilations.And there is no arguing with Hot Rocks achieving seven years on the Billboard 200.

Allen Klein will be laughing somewhere 'up there'. The original London/Decca material is STILL the most popular period within The Stones recordings. And ABKCO are still laughing all the way to the bank, having owned this priceless treasure trove of Stones music for over 50 years...