Good and interesting article. As a compulsive record collector, I've always been aware that a lot of the numbers are whipped up by publicists, and that even the holy "Billboard Charts" tended to be smoke and mirrors.

Neil Bogart, master mind behind the famous/notorious Casablanca disco label, was the one who popularized the technique of printing and shipping a million records, knowing that most would be returned, in order to run the "sales" up to Platinum. The appearance of success was more important than actual success. That is scary.   It's a bit reassuring to know that now, at least, there is realiable information out there.