Well, Rated R had Rude Boy, so that.

4 is a better album though.

Rated R was the more enjoyable album for me, although I love 4.

Also, Rude Boy- as much as I despise it- was a bigger hit than anything from 4.

Commercially, Rated R. Other than that, it's close. Not sure why, but my gut instinct is "vote for 4."

Edit: Never mind. They pretty much sold the same. But, still, one had a hit and black Friday release.

Plus, apparently the era isn't even over yet so we don't know if Beyoncé will score her own "Rude Boy" type of success.

Why is this a poll?

It is a biblical fact that Rated R was more successful.

4 will eventually outsell it, and it was even more critically acclaimed.
Nicole.

4. The fact that RR had a huge hit like RB and there #s are close says it all.

Because of Rude Boy? But that's what makes it interesting: 4 sold ~the same without hits. On the other hand, hits are what people remember...

I just can't make up my mind and vote for one or the other.

This.

And I don't get what is really risky about Rated R. It's basically a pop album.

If their #s are close, Rated R had a huge hit single so, RR.

Exactly. It's just darker lyrically and musically. But it's still pop.

Let's not forget that RR was a Black Friday, 4th quarter release and you could of purchased it for 99 cents, which should of boosted the sales.

Well 4 is basically a Pop album too but it still took risks.

How is 4 more successful?
Rated R had 3 hit singles, 4 had arguably 0.
Rated R sits comfortably ahead of 4's WW sales w\ a 1M gap and beyonce shows no signs of narrowing it.
All the videos released from 4 combined have less views than Rihanna's 3 top 10 singles from Rated R.

When did Rated R sell 3.4M?

UWC: Rated R- 2.75 million

4 did more for Beyonce's career and is a more respectable effort than Rated R. Bey was incredibly invested in the creative process and making an album that will allow for performances much later in her career. She set out to do something substantive, rather than bank on a highly-publicized event. It just seems more genuine, more artistically fluid, and of a higher quality (despite similar review scores). It's easy to say that 4 didn't have hits, but that isn't the only thing that makes an album memorable.

RR didn't sell 3.5m, people should stop inflating its sales. I'd say 3m max.

It isn't. It's r&b. Mainstream because of Bey, but not pop. Listen to Teenage Dream/BTW and then 4. 4 clearly isn't pop. Bey is popular but that doesn't make her pop.