COBL's last chance in the U.S.

[beLIEve]

Believe it or not, COBL did get a decent amount of airplay on both the Triple A and Mainstream Rock formats, reaching #3 on Triple A and cracking the Top 10 on Mainstream Rock. For reasons already discussed, neither of these factors helped the song on Billboard.

Sometimes had a similar path, except that it was ALSO picked up by the Alternative Rock format, which correlates with Billboard's Modern Rock. It briefly crossed over to Pop Radio, and the combination of those two factors resulted in the song having a short run on the BB Hot 100.

Sometimes went on to become a staple on Hot AC, or Billboard's Adult Top 40, staying at #15 to #17 for quite some time. It was also #1 on Triple A Rock for 11 weeks, which doesn't yet get picked up by Billboard. Overall, it was a modest radio hit on 2 or 3 radio formats.

COBL is done on all formats except for Adult Top 40, where it has been "bubbling under" for a few weeks now. In looking at today's PM mediabase.com charts, the song has moved up from "Taking off" to the "Jump" chart, with an increase of 85 spins on 13 stations, most of which just played the song last week for the first time.

This is a large radio format in the U.S., and if COBL has any staying power, it might crack Billboard's Adult Top 40 chart. IF that happens, COBL would need to crack the Top 5 to get on the BB Hot 100. This is a longshot, but it's worth watching over the next few weeks.

As Dr. Who states, Interscope has completely bungled the single releases from HTDAAB. OOTS sounds very good live with a 20 piece orchestra, which I just heard for the first time. Perhaps we at Interference can make a difference with a BIG TIME radio campaign. It's really easy now, as Radio and Records shows the list of monitored stations, in every format, including all their websites. Requests can be made with just a few clicks.

Anyone up for trying this for OOTS? I did push for a campaign with Sometimes, but I'm not sure how many people participated. The difference this time is that I can provide all the links to the monitored radio stations. For that matter, should we try to give COBL a push on Adult Top 40? Thoughts?

 

[ybird3k]

ye, lets give it a go,
you got the links?

 

[beLIEve]

Bring on OOTS

Bring on OOTS! Dr. Who, have you heard the live version from Milan II? Anyone else? IF this is how the single version is going to sound, it HAS to be a hit. Edge's guitar is featured much more than on the album version, and the orchestra adds to the song without overwhelming it.

Seriously, I think this song will break through, even in the U.S., despite the title, our screwed up formats, etc. It sounds THAT good to me, and I'm just on my 3rd listen.

I think people here at Interference will respond positively to one radio campaign, and since COBL is really a longshot, I'd like to put all of our eggs into the OOTS basket. I know we can make a difference, and this song is where our resources should go, I'm convinced.

And, Dr. Who, this version, if it is in fact a hint at what the single will be like, is different enough from the album version to warrant download marketing in the U.S., with a live version and another b-side available. In fact, this is also a perfect opportunity to do another "POPHEART" type of single/EP. The download, and even CD sales, would put this song on BB's Hot 100 right after it's release. I wish the folks at Interscope would read this forum and get this song right, just once.

With the 3rd leg being here this fall, U2 needs a hit single here in the U.S. to go along with the awards season and Holiday sales push. OOTS will be that song if it's pushed on I-tunes with some good marketing. In fact, OOTS could be enough of a hit to separate it from the rest of the singles from HTDAAB, which could help with potential Grammy nominations for song or record of the year. If they don't get another hit at least on the scale of Vertigo, U2 could end up with a couple of songs nominated in the same category, thus canceling each other out in the voting.

If anyone wants to hear this song, send me a request with your e-mail at mvru2@yahoo.com. I'd like to get some other opinions on this "potential" single version of OOTS. I may be getting way ahead of myself, as U2 does a lot with their songs as they evolve on tour, and even if this is a hint of what's to come, what I think sounds great may actually suck to most people.

I'm betting that this is what the single version will sound like, though. As soon as we get a release date, I'll post the radio station links here, and then ask Neutral to pin the message at the top of the EYKIW forum.

 

[Soldatti]

I have a question:
I see that the new Stones' song is #1 on the Taking Off and Jump! menu on AAA and Mainstream Rock, and #14 & #10 overall.
COBL didn't reach the Mainstream Rock Tracks with more plays during weeks but according to Billboard the Stones' song will debut at #30-#35 on next week's Mainstream Rock chart with amost the same airplay (620 spins between AAA, Mainstream Rock and Active Rock) that COBL.
How is this possible?

 

[beLIEve]

Billboard is out of touch

I have a question:
I see that the new Stones' song is #1 on the Taking Off and Jump! menu on AAA and Mainstream Rock, and #14 & #10 overall.
COBL didn't reach the Mainstream Rock Tracks with more plays during weeks but according to Billboard the Stones' song will debut at #30-#35 on next week's Mainstream Rock chart with amost the same airplay (620 spins between AAA, Mainstream Rock and Active Rock) that COBL.
How is this possible?

Perfect example of how messed up BB is, as COBL was as high as #3 on Triple A when it was around #14 on Mainstream Rock. At this time, it had about 390 spins on Triple A and 250 plays on Mainstream Rock. So COBL had a total of about 630 plays on those two formats at it's peak. Even right now, COBL has 328 plays on Triple A Rock and 189 spins on Mainstream Rock. So it has 517 plays between those two formats right now.

Now the Stones have jumped from 51 to 10 on Mainstream Rock in the last 7 days, which is by far the fastest jump I've seen on this format this year. It now stands at #10 with 301 plays. Even more impressive is the Stones jump from #79 to 14# on Triple A rock on the last 7 days, with 275 spins currently. This gives them 576 plays between the two formats right now. This is likely to grow to over 600 by tomorrow, just under the number of U2's peak on these two formats of 630.

The problem here is that Billboard DOES NOT capture Triple A Rock in any of it's charts. Included in just about every radio play monitoring organization, Rock is usually broken out into the 4 formats you see at mediabase:

ROCK OVERALL
FORMATS:
Mainstream Rock
Triple A
Active Rock
Alternative

Billboard, however, combines the play of Mainstream Rock (3rd biggest format with the #1 song having 854 spins) with Active Rock (2nd biggest format with the #1 song having 2162 spins) into their own "MAINSTREAM ROCK" FORMAT. They also use the Alternative Rock (Biggest format with the #1 song having 3036 plays) to determine their Modern Rock Chart.

Now, while Triple A is a growing format with stations in the Top 50 radio markets in the U.S., it's still the smallest format under the "Rock" genre, with 575 plays for the #1 song. Still, if it was included as a part of Billboard's own Mainstream Rock chart, COBL would have cracked the chart, barely, when it peaked at 630 plays on Triple A and Mainstream Rock. Instead, it never showed up on the chart, as without the Triple A numbers, it peaked with just 250 plays on BB's Mainstream Rock Chart, which is made up of Mainstream and Active Rock. COBL never showed up at all on Active (Harder) rock. As a result, COBL has yet to crack any BB charts, but it still has a chance on the Adult Top 40 Chart.

Now, the Stones new single has moved from "Taking Off" to "Jump" Status on Active Rock. I think there is a minimum number of plays that gets a song "upgraded", like maybe 100 spins or so. Regardless, with the Jump chart being the extension of the Regular Top 30, I'd estimate that the Stones song has about 134 plays in total, placing it around 45 on the Active Rock Chart. Active Rock is bigger than Mainstream Rock, so it makes sense that a 45 position (estimated) on Active Rock combined with a 10 position on Mainstream Rock could result in a #35 position on Billboard's Mainstream Rock.

This is also why Vertigo and ABOY charted on BB's Mainstream Rock - they both got airplay on BOTH the Active and Mainstream Rock formats, and BB combines these two formats to come up with the one Mainstream Rock Chart. Also, both songs charted on the Alternative Rock format, resulting in them both showing up on BB's Modern Rock Track chart, too. Even Sometimes made it up to #28 at one time on the Alternative Radio Format, and I believe it reached 29 or 30 on the BB Modern Rock Chart as a result. Sometimes also ruled Triple A Rock for nearly 3 months, but again, BB doesn't pick that up that format in any of their charts.

If the Stones single really gets going on Active Rock formats as well as the Mainstrem Rock format, which appears likely, it could do very well on BB's Mainstream Rock Tracks. At this time, though, their new single shows NO signs of airplay on the Alternative Rock format, unlike Vertigo and ABOY.

That is a very long answer to your relatively short question. Sorry for that...I had way too much time on my hands after back surgery not long ago, turning me into a chart junkie.

 

[Catman]

Do you by any chance have a link to the OOTS orchestrated live version? My e-mail is filmfanatic@gmail.com ...it's my favorite from HTDAAB I think it'd make an excellent next single

But as for City of Blinding Lights... I really don't understand what went wrong. Most every reviewer claims the song to be one of, if not THE best song on the album... I really thought it'd make much more of an impact on the rock charts than it did

 

[Soldatti]

Thanks so much for the explanation, Believe.

 

[innocent_eyes]

So beLIEve....if you provided the links, etc... ciould we start a campaign for City of Blinding lights???

One last puch could bring this tune up a notch....

...and help with the upcomming single, OOTS!

 

[ybird3k]

Thanks BeLIEve!

but to be honest i dont see a lot of diffrence to the album version. though i do prefer the guitar on this new version, maybe my opinion will change when i hear the actual studio version.

also i don't think this will have any better success in the US than sometimes and COBL, unless the 3rd leg of tour helps and there MUST be some decent promotion for the single, with download available.

but of course OOTS will be another massive hit across the rest of the world, europe in particular, possibly another UK #1?

though i'd still favour Miracle Drug for the next single. but as OOTS IMO sounds diffrent to anything U2 has ever done, it may appeal to people who are not U2 fans.

 

[beLIEve]

I think it's like Please

I've had too many listen's to OOTS from Milan II now, but I still think it's better than the album version. It really does just boil down to Edge's guitar chiming over the strings...that's it. I liken it to the "Please" Album version and then the Please single version. Edge enhanced that single, too.

I am going to hold off on a radio campaign for COBL, as it's nearly dead in the U.S. I do think we can get a campaign for OOTS, and if enough people paricipate, it will make a difference. We can pinpoint stations that aren't playing the song using Radio & Records station playlists...and hopefully Interscope will make it availabe for download as well.

 

[doctorwho]

I've heard the orchestrated OOTS from Milan. On my computer, it doesn't sound that different - but that could just be my system. I'm sure in the studio, a re-edited orchestrated version of this song would sound fantastic.

It would be great if U2 did an EP for this song, with an actual CD release - combined with iTunes, of course. Offer something extra on the CD for fans, while simultaneously offering something extra on iTunes (like the 2 for 1 that I've mentioned several times). Put U2's new song on the front page of iTunes (like "Vertigo" was) and that'll spark tons of interest. Get the interest in sales, and suddenly that might mean interest at radio.

The Stones song is doing well now because it's the first song from their new album. But the poor Stones, like U2, will most likely have a tough time seeing future songs chart at all. I'm not even sure Coldplay will have success with future songs - especially if the Stones and Coldplay rely solely on just releasing songs to radio and "hoping for the best". This might have worked with Green Day and their second single, but that's more of a rarity than the rule. The timing was right for Green Day to have a second break-out album.

U2 need to do something because it's a real shame these outstanding songs aren't hits.

The good news is that even though I rarely listen to radio, I did hear CoBL in a coworker's car the other day. So it is getting played!

 

[Catman]

The good news is that even though I rarely listen to radio, I did hear CoBL in a coworker's car the other day. So it is getting played!

Yeah, I'd say I've heard it about 3 times on the radio myself. Not bad (moreso than "All Because of You" and slightly less than "SYCMIOYO")

And thanks again for the link, beLIEve



on a side note: The single version of "Please" =

 

[Sleep Over Jack]

Could someone upload the OOTS live version to please? I'm very interested to hear it now after seeing these comments.

Thanks.

 

[sue4u2]

Anyone up for trying this for OOTS? I did push for a campaign with Sometimes, but I'm not sure how many people participated. The difference this time is that I can provide all the links to the monitored radio stations. For that matter, should we try to give COBL a push on Adult Top 40? Thoughts?

Count me in!!

 

[04072511]

Anyone up for trying this for OOTS? I did push for a campaign with Sometimes, but I'm not sure how many people participated. The difference this time is that I can provide all the links to the monitored radio stations. For that matter, should we try to give COBL a push on Adult Top 40? Thoughts?

Im definitely in. Anything to help U2 have a hit in the US. Although,my not living anywhere near the US may be a problem.

Also, if anybody knows anyone in anyway connected to U2 (whether this is the marketing team or not), give them these ideas about how to promote the next single, and tell them to pass them on to people who can implement these excellent ideas.

 

[04072511]

Also guys, everyone should go to www.interscope.com and click on contact and email them all these ideas that BeLIEve and doctorwho and others have come up with. It would probably be best to copy and paste these ideas to the email rather than just providing them with a link as they probably wont read it if thats the case. If enough of us do this, this may put a bit of pressure on them to act.

Just an idea.

 

[STING2]

I do not know if this has been posted before, but the HBO TV show "Entourage" has characters on the show go to a U2 concert and you see U2 perform all of COBL and then go into Vertigo. The credits for this particular episode of "Entourage" start to come on as U2 start playing Vertigo. I do not know which show on the tour it was.

So, I guess that counts as a little COBL/Hollywood hookup for promotion.

 

[Catman]

^^^ Did that episode just come on? 'Cause if not, I'd love to catch it... or perhaps a rerun, maybe??

 

[STING2]

^^^ Did that episode just come on? 'Cause if not, I'd love to catch it... or perhaps a rerun, maybe??

Just saw it tonight. It might be on at different times later this week.

 

[BigMacPhisto]

^ It was so freakin' hilarious. One of the best episodes yet. I definitely think it is a nice bit of promotion and may possibly have more people seeing it than the video clip that's airing on VH1......

 

[unosdostres14]

Can someone post a YSI link of OOTS at milan

 

[U2WaTCher]

U2 need to promote this song its going to disapear and not be anything to remember other then a song on this album. This is rediculous how much they dont even try to promote there singles unless there the first single.