Latest Lists - As an author, how many books would you have to sell to get on the New York Times best seller list?

As an author, how many books would you have to sell to get on the New York Times best seller list?

Is it like selling a million record albums and achieving platinum status? I'm looking for numbers, does anyone know?

I think it depends on your writing skills and story. And how many people buys your book. Not sure.
It is based on the weekly sales from a selected sample of bookstores - so you may not have to sell the most books that week, it just depends on the sample of bookstores used. According to wikipedia the exact methodology is considered a "trade secret." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_Times_Best_Seller_list Add: You are not going to find an answer to that - there are no set numbers. It is based on the top sales for any given week.