Born This Way, Loud and Teenage Dream sold the same. 100k more or less doesn't really make a difference when most people who have the album have it illegally anyway. Album sales don't really represent much anymore unless they are millions of copies apart (like ARTPOP and Prism).
So the same sales, but WAY more memorable smashes that allow that act to become a much bigger touring force isn't a negative thing

This ATRL non-logic of album sales without hits being the ultimate thing
