N.A. Radio Play by Format, Billboard, & Video charts for Week 24

[beLIEve]

Last Friday morning at about 1:30 AM I got through on a random ticketmaster search for 1 ticket, row 1 section 217, for Friday, May 7. So, I packed up a few things, filled up with gas, and left for Chicago (coming from near Asheville, NC). I don't care what some newspaper critic with a 20 year hate for U2 says, the concert was awesome, Bono's voice is in GREAT form, and Adam has turned into much more of the "jazz man of the band". The only thing I noticed that was troubling is that The Edge didn't seem to be himself. He played GREAT, but it was his face and body language. I swear that during Miracle Drug Bono sang about half the song looking right at Edge, and Edge teared up. I hope everything is OK or that maybe Edge just didn't feel good or something. Anyway, I digress, so here is some N.A. radio play, video play, and chart information:

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mediabase.com radio play monitoring charts (Only shows Top 30)

Hot AC
Sometimes rises 1 to 16 w/bullet and big turnaround in +plays

Rock
Sometimes holds at 23 w/slight decrease in plays but +3-day trend

Triple A
Sometimes gives up #1 to Coldplay but is still a solid #2
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mediaguide.com radio play monitoring charts (Top 20 to Top 50)

AC
Sometimes holds at 44 w/bullet

Hot AC
Sometimes reverses it's decline and is up 1 to 21 with bullet
Vertigo holds steady at 42 for 2nd week after re-entry last month

Mainstream Rock
Vertigo holds at 34 for 2nd straight week
ABOY is at 48 two weeks after getting back into the Top 50 (?)

Triple A
Sometimes reverses it's trend and rises from 3 to 2 w/bullet
Vertigo up 2 spots to 48 w/bullet two weeks after re-entry

With the Mediaguide format showing the Top 50 for some formats even for non-members, we get a better picture of a modest increase in airplay across several radio formats for all U2 singles released from HTDAAB. These two monitoring services both support that trend...it's just more obvious when you can see the
Top 50. It will be interesting to see what Radio and Records shows later this week. I suspect that U2 got heavy radio play in the major market of Chicago & the upper Midwest last week in anticipation of the tour that started Saturday and runs through Thursday of this week. This alone may have been enough for the bounce in U2 radioplay. I know that on Friday, as I got closer to Chicago, I heard more and more U2, including stations that were playing nearly 100% U2.

Also, COBL is getting good airplay in Boston, NY, Buffalo, and other Northeastern cities. In fact, it's in the Top 10 on several radio station playlists. If COBL can get some good national exposure before the end of May, and U2 continues to get modest increases in overall radio play, then we should see an Album sales bounce starting next week and lasting through the first week in June. I don't expect the album to rocket back into the Top 20, but it may get back to 40 or so before the 1st leg is up. Then it's up to COBL to carry the album through the summer in N.A.
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MGB Top 40 Music Chart (Midwest Radio Play)
Sometimes up 3 spots to #23 on Mainstream Radio Formats

TW LW 2W Single by Artist {Weeks Top 40, Top 10, @ #1} Peak
28. 22. 26. Disco Inferno - 50 Cent {18, 3} #8
27. 20. 15. Goin' Crazy - Natalie {11, 4} #8
26. 36. --- Don't Phunk With My Heart - Black Eyed Peas {2} #26
25. 17. 17. Cold - Crossfade {12} #17
24. 30. --- We Belong Together - Mariah Carey {2} #24
23. 26. 29. Sometimes You Can't Make It...- U2 {6} #23
22. 13. 13. Hold You Down - Jennifer Lopez f/Fat Joe {9} #13
21. 23. 23. Scars - Papa Roach {7} #21

MGB also tracks the "Top 10 Videos", and for the first time since I've started looking at this chart, we have a U2 video debuting in the Top 10 this week:

VIDEO CHART
May 8 - 14, 2005
CHART WEEK #28 of 2005

EXPLANATION: Only those Video's which are from charted singles, album\cd's or current movie soundtrack recordings will be considered for inclusion on this chart.

TW LW 2W "Video" by Artist {Weeks Top 10, @ #1} Clip Peak

10. --- --- "Sometimes You Can't Make It..."by U2 {debut} 10
9. --- --- "Hold You Down" by Jennifer Lopez f/Fat Joe {debut} 9
8. 5. 5. "It's Like That" by Mariah Carey {6} 5

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Net Music Countdown

Alternative
Sometimes drops 2 spots to 10

Hot AC
Sometimes holds steady at 10

Album Sales
HTDAAB down 1 to 7 sales

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Rick Dee's Weekly Top 40 (Adult Radio Mix Hits)
May 6 - May 12, 2005

LW TW ARTIST TITLE

1 1 ROB THOMAS LONELY NO MORE

2 2 KELLY CLARKSON SINCE U BEEN GONE

4 3 3 DOORS DOWN LET ME GO

3 4 GREEN DAY BOULEVARD OF BROKEN DREAMS

5 5 LIFEHOUSE YOU AND ME

7 6 ANNA NALICK BREATHE (2 AM)

6 7 HOWIE DAY COLLIDE

10 8 JET LOOK WHAT YOU'VE DONE

11 9 GAVIN DEGRAW CHARIOT

9 10 MAROON 5 SUNDAY MORNING

12 11 JESSE MCCARTNEY BEAUTIFUL SOUL

8 12 GOO GOO DOLLS GIVE A LITTLE BIT

13 13 THE KILLERS MR. BRIGHTSIDE

14 14 DURAN DURAN WHAT HAPPENS TOMORROW

18 15 DAVE MATTHEWS BAND AMERICAN BABY

16 16 GWEN STEFANI F/ EVE RICH GIRL

17 17 U2 SOMETIMES YOU CAN'T MAKE IT ON YOUR OWN

15 18 KELLY CLARKSON BREAKAWAY

19 19 BOWLING FOR SOUP ALMOST

20 20 JACK JOHNSON SITTING, WAITING, WISHING

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VIDEO CHARTS

VH1 TOP 20 COUNTDOWN
Sometimes holds at 15

MTV TOP 20 COUNTDOWN
Sometimes is at 9

MUCH MUSIC TOP 20 COUNTDOWN
Sometimes is up to 10

MUCH MORE MUSIC TOP 20 COUNTDOWN
Sometimes up 2 to the 8 spot

____________________________________________________

 

[beLIEve]

HTDAAB Video Success

U2 usually has better success on VH1 with their videos, especially with ballads like “Sometimes”. However, the video has done well on all the major Music Video channels, peaking at #7 on VH1 and still rising on Much Music & MMM. MTV finally updated their Top 20 for last week this morning, and “Sometimes” is hanging in their at #10. It’s chart run on MTV has been 5-5-8-9-9-10. They added the song to their play-list several weeks after the other channels, but it debuted at #5 after just two weeks of airtime.

When you look at the rest of the MTV Top 20 (see below), it looks somewhat similar to the Top 20 songs on Billboard’s Hot 100. I’m no fan of MTV, but U2 has broken through on MTV (all Music Video charts for that matter) with all three of their singles so far from HTDAAB. COBL should do very well, too, and regardless of what you think of MTV or other Video channels, getting good video play helps expose U2’s music to new and younger fans, and it also helps the song itself on several different types of music charts – including media traffic’s Global Charts.

MTV Top 20 Video Countdown For the week 05.02 - 05.09

1 Mariah Carey "We Belong Together"
2 The Game 50 Cent "Hate It Or Love It"
3 The Killers "Mr. Brightside"
4 Black Eyed Peas "Don't Phunk With My Heart"
5 Ciara Ciara featuring Ludacris "Oh (Feat. Ludacris)"
6 Ludacris "Number One Spot/The Potion"
7 Nelly "Errtime"
8 System of a Down "B.Y.O.B."
9 T.I. "You Don't Know Me"
10 U2 "Sometimes You Can't Make it on Your Own"
11 Gwen Stefani "Hollaback Girl"
12 Weezer "Beverly Hills"
13 Green Day "Holiday"
14 Bobby Valentino "Slow Down"
15 Backstreet Boys "Incomplete"
16 Audioslave "Be Yourself"
17 Will Smith "Switch"
18 Cassidy "I'm A Hustla"
19 Amerie Eve "1 Thing (Remix) (Feat. Eve)"
20 Ying Yang Twins "Wait (The Whisper Song)"

 

[04072511]

Hopefully it can break into the ARC Top 20 this week. It wood be a great achievement. We'll find out tomorrow. U2's performance on these video charts is clearly the difference between its performance on the ARC and its performance on the Hot 100.

 

[Soldatti]

Soundscan
Issue Date: May 21, 2005

Position/Artist/Album/This Week/Last Week/Total
66 U2 HOW TO DISMANTLE AN ATOMIC BOM 17,601 17,013 2,705,873

 

[STING2]

Soundscan
Issue Date: May 21, 2005

Position/Artist/Album/This Week/Last Week/Total
66 U2 HOW TO DISMANTLE AN ATOMIC BOM 17,601 17,013 2,705,873

Thanks SOLDATTI!!!!!

Great to see the album pass the 2.7 million mark in the USA. The album increases in sales this week by 600 copies, but falls 9 positions on the chart to #66!

There was only one U2 show during this recent sales week. It was the first Chicago show on Saturday. Looks like Chicago is having a little effect on the sales situation.

 

[beLIEve]

Radio play still pretty good for Sometimes...

The American Radio Chart has updated, and Sometimes cracks the Top 20 at 20, up two spots. Vertigo peaked at 18 on this chart, and ABOY did not make the Top 40.

Records and Radio has updated their airplay charts.

Hot AC Format
Sometimes up 1 w/bullet to 16

Rock Format
Sometimes stays at 26

Pop Format
Sometimes rises to 48 w/bullet

Triple A Format
Sometimes stays at 1

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For R&R Canada

Hot AC Format

Sometimes stays at 5

Rock Format

Sometimes stays at 10

AC Format

Sometimes falls 1 to 22

On the Canada Hot 100 Airplay Chart, Sometimes holds steady at #4 this week. Even if the song has peaked on the charts, it has had a great run in Canada.

 

[04072511]

Great to see sometimes climb into the top 20. It becomes U2's 16th US Top 20 hit on the ARC. Hopefully it can surpass Vertigo. That would be something.

 

[04072511]

I am convinced now that had the BB Hot 100 kept its original format (i.e. before downloads were counted), sometimes would have cracked the Top 40. Because of the lack of download sales, its chart position on the Hot 100 hasn't been good. However it is set to possibly out-perform Vertigo on the ARC. So while the inclusion of downloads WOULD have helped Vertigo make the Top 10, possibly Top 5, it has stopped Sometimes from doing well on it. Thats why I am more inclined to look at the ARC, as it shows that Sometimes has been a big hit in the US.

 

[STING2]

The HOT 100 has an Airplay only chart, 75 positions, that is used to make the official HOT 100. I wonder if Sometimes is on that at all?

 

[04072511]

Billboard says "Airplay only songs are not eligible for the Hot 100 until they reach the top 75 of the Hot 100 Airplay chart". Therefore as sometimes wasn't released it must have cracked this chart. However i am not sure. If it hasn't then Sometimes must have had far more Video play than Vertigo in order for it to nearly match its performance on the ARC. We mustn't loose sight of the fact that Sometimes has done very well.

 

[beLIEve]

Billboard for U.S. and Canada

BB Top 200 Albums (Comprehensive)
HTDAAB down 9 to 66
Best of 80's down 14 to 199

Pop Catalog Albums
Best of 80's down 6 to 25

Top Internet Album Sales
HTDAAB down 2 to 20

Hot 100 Singles
No Sometimes, but it's interesting to see Coldplay's 3 week run after a #8 debut - 8-14-27. It's behind Sometimes on almost all of the radio play charts...which shows the power of downloads with respect to the BB Hot 100 chart positions. Speed of Sound did debut at 75 on the Hot 100 Airplay chart this week.

Billboard Pop 100
Sometimes re-enters at #98 with a bullet! (Chart is based on Sales and Airplay, so Sometimes enters on airplay alone. Unfortunately, the BB Pop 100 Airplay chart is only showing the Top 50. However, Radio and Records has Sometimes at #48 on their Pop Radio Airplay only chart, which makes more sense now).

One other thing...Sometimes is one of just 4 songs out of 100 that actually has a Gold background. I suspect this means that the song saw a major increase in radio play on Pop/Mainstream Radio, as it certainly didn't see a gain in sales. It will be interesting to see if this is a trend with some momentum or if the song has just been on the fringe of the Pop 100 for a while now.

If anyone actually gets the BB magazine, it would be nice to know where Sometimes is charting on the Pop 100 Airplay only chart. If the chart expands online I'll provide an update, as I usually see at least the Top 75.

Adult Top 40
Sometimes rises 1 spot to 16 w/bullet

Adult Top 40 recurrents (Top 20 only shown)
Vertigo is still on the chart at 19

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Canada Albums Chart from Billboard

HTDAAB slide 4 spots to 25...thought the tour stop might boost sales, but we can't ask much more from Canada in terms of U2 support...

Canada Singles Sales Chart from Billboard
Sometimes at 2
ABOY at 4
Vertigo Maxi Single at 6
Vertigo Single at 10
Sometimes import at 15

 

[doctorwho]

You know, beLIEve, every week you post the charts showing how "Sometimes..." is increasing and increasing in radio play on the big formats. It may have slipped on the Modern Rock type stations, but those represent a fairly small audience. However, the song has gained quite a bit on Adult Radio stations and even Top 40 radio! Those are the two big markets. Despite the huge gains there, "Sometimes..." barely made a dent in the Hot 100.

Then, compare this to Coldplay's latest. I haven't heard it once on the radio. Yet, it's a Top 10 hit.

I appreciate Billboard finally getting around to adding legal downloads as part of a song's success (even if it was too late to help "Vertigo"), but it seems that their formula still isn't quite right. Suddenly, it appears that they are giving too much to the downloads and not enough to airplay. For there's no way all your radio charts - which show "Sometimes..." doing great - equals a lowly #98 on the Hot 100.

While I'm ranting, I really think that each time Billboard changes their formula for the Hot 100, they should add a break in the charts. That is, can one really say all the #1 hits the Beatles had in the 60's are equal to the #1 songs an artist has today? In the 50's, Billboard counted jukebox plays! Clearly that means nothing today, but downloads do. However, I'm sure quite a few songs - like "Vertigo" - could have charted higher had downloads been included earlier. U2 could have had another Top 10 hit if Billboard moved faster. But let's hypthesize for a moment that Billboard had counted downloads when "Vertigo" was released - and let's pretend the song soared to #1 because of them. Does the fact that "Vertigo" hit #1 have the same impact as "With or Without You" hitting the top? Can the charts be compared at all? I say NO! And I really think Billboard should make a bigger distinction here.

 

[beLIEve]

You are correct

You know, beLIEve, every week you post the charts showing how "Sometimes..." is increasing and increasing in radio play on the big formats. It may have slipped on the Modern Rock type stations, but those represent a fairly small audience. However, the song has gained quite a bit on Adult Radio stations and even Top 40 radio! Those are the two big markets. Despite the huge gains there, "Sometimes..." barely made a dent in the Hot 100.

Then, compare this to Coldplay's latest. I haven't heard it once on the radio. Yet, it's a Top 10 hit.

I appreciate Billboard finally getting around to adding legal downloads as part of a song's success (even if it was too late to help "Vertigo"), but it seems that their formula still isn't quite right. Suddenly, it appears that they are giving too much to the downloads and not enough to airplay. For there's no way all your radio charts - which show "Sometimes..." doing great - equals a lowly #98 on the Hot 100.

While I'm ranting, I really think that each time Billboard changes their formula for the Hot 100, they should add a break in the charts. That is, can one really say all the #1 hits the Beatles had in the 60's are equal to the #1 songs an artist has today? In the 50's, Billboard counted jukebox plays! Clearly that means nothing today, but downloads do. However, I'm sure quite a few songs - like "Vertigo" - could have charted higher had downloads been included earlier. U2 could have had another Top 10 hit if Billboard moved faster. But let's hypthesize for a moment that Billboard had counted downloads when "Vertigo" was released - and let's pretend the song soared to #1 because of them. Does the fact that "Vertigo" hit #1 have the same impact as "With or Without You" hitting the top? Can the charts be compared at all? I say NO! And I really think Billboard should make a bigger distinction here.

Dr. Who,

You are correct. With the addition of downloads to BB Hot 100, you have songs like Speed of Sound debuting at #8, and it has declined steadily every week since it's downloads have trailed off. I don't know what the formula is, but CD single sales are anemic...so before downloads, I would agree that songs on the Hot 100 were probably ranked wherever based largely on airplay. That may have been the case simply because the CD singles market is nearly dead. Then downloads come along...Vertigo tops 200,000 in the U.S. in 2004 alone. I am thinking that BB is counting these downloads just as they would CD sales, which all of the sudden skews the equation big-time. Speed of Sound had nearly 50,000 downloads for the week when it debuted at #8. It was #2 on the download chart for 2 weeks. Gwen Stefani was at 11 on the BB Hot 100 when here single became available for download the same week as Coldplay's, and she topped their downloads by about 500, and it shot her single straight to #1. Coldplay is now at #9 on the download chart, and it's dropped to 27 on the Hot 100 in it's 3rd week.

Right now, the BB Hot 100 is the not a very good indicator of Airplay. Neither is the Pop 100, but at least it's based on a specific format, while the Hot 100 is supposed to be the cumulative total of all airplay on all formats PLUS sales.

One other thing...Modern Rock on BB encompasses a bigger audience than I ever thought. When Sometimes fell off of the Hot 100 it was due to it's freefall on Modern Rock.

Right now, Sometimes is a Top 40 hit on several radio formats if you measure radio play only, but these formats don't match up exactly with Billboard's formats.

I agree that today's BB Hot 100 is NOTHING like it was just 6 months ago, and it surely is NOTHING like it was when U2 dominated the charts in the late 80's. I still think that on top of changing measurement factors, that BB is manipulated as well. Radio plays don't lie - it's actual, factual data and has nothing to do with sales, votes, etc. That's why I post a more comprehensive look at the music "charts", since I think that's the best way to get a true picture of a song's popularity.

The week that Speed of Sound debuted at #8 on the Hot 100, Sometimes actually had more total cumulative radio spins, and it fell out of the Hot 100. It has now passed Sometimes in radio play (barely), but it's free-falling off of the Hot 100.

While the airplay only BB charts may have some credibility, the BB Hot 100 is useless. Also, I'm sure you are familiar with Kasey Casem's Weekly Top 40...well, when you click on the chart link on his website, it takes you straight to Radio and Records Pop Top 40 chart, but the chart actually shows the Top 50 positions, and Sometimes is at 48 on that chart this week.

I share your frustration, but at least by looking at several different chart sources, it is evident that U2 is being played on the radio much more often than Billboard would suggest.

 

[04072511]

That is the reason, as i stated above, why i tend to look at the ARC Weekly Top 40 as it is a better indicator of a songs popularity. Sometimes is currently at an impressive #20.

 

[beLIEve]

Last post for week 24 and sales summary

Video charts as of today for Sometimes:

Much Music 8
Much More Music 4
MTV 10
VH1 15

The song is rising on Much Music Charts, while it peaked at 5 on MTV and 7 on VH1. Regardless, as soon as the COBL video is released, it will displace Sometimes quickly on these channels, with Much Music being most likely to play both videos for some period of time.

In North America, Vertigo, ABOY, and Sometimes were all big-time hits when it comes to the video charts. I think it's deserved, as U2's videos for HTDAAB have been much better than ATYCLB in my opinion. Of course, as I've said before, I think U2 was by far the video king during AB days, with Even Better, Mysterious Ways, The Fly being cutting edge at the time.

I look forward to COBL just because it was a great concert song from both a audio and visual performance standpoint. Nothing innovative here, except that the concert performance itself is pretty dazzling. I think it will do very well as a video, and the song will be the album version I would think...no reason to edit videos. The two times I've heard COBL on the radio it was the album version as well. I downloaded the radio edit and it wasn't as bad as I expected, but the song does have a beautiful intro which won't be heard on radio if the edit version is what most stations play, which will likely be the case for Top 40 formats.

Album sales will be a big challenge for HTDAAB as piracy just becomes more and more prevalent...it's now estimated at 30% minimum for the industry, with U2 being ranked at the very top of the list of "most pirated artists" from most sources, including BB. Album sales would be even lower without the tour, but as far as the band is concerned, the tour is probably just the other half of the business equation, and a very lucrative one at that. I am starting to think that in "official" sales, HTDAAB may not blow away ATYCLB. "Unofficially", I think HTDAAB will do about 15M in "sales" by the time we get past 2006 Grammy awards. Shipments are now at about 10M for HTDAAB, with sales to consumers around 8.3M based on Media Traffic's admission that they capture at most 95% of legitimate sales. I have no idea how the tour will affect album sales in Europe this summer, but unless COBL becomes a smash hit, U.S. sales will drop off significantly. The return to the U.S. for the 3rd leg, coupled with the Christmas selling season and potential Grammy nominations, should give HTDAAB one last sales push in the U.S., but I don't expect anything like the ATYCLB "2nd wind", which was due in part to 9/11 and the new meaning Walk On took as an anthem for many Americans at that time.

I think we will get OOTS or Miracle Drug as a single to coincide with the 3rd leg & Christmas push, and I think either song has potential for being a hit single. Enough rambling. On to Week 25! I finally go back to work tomorrow after 7 months and 2 back surgeries...I'll keep posting chart data, though, as after all this time to surf the net, it's easy now to update all the radio play and BB stuff for N.A. and even the lesser known around the world charts.

P.S. Still wanting to know if any chart watchers plan to go to the 5/22 Philly show or the 5/28 Boston show. I can't afford another show financially or physically, but after making it to Chicago, it's worth every penny and every bit of back pain to see the boys live and in their prime.

 

[edge3]

Re: Last post for week 24 and sales summary

"Unofficially", I think HTDAAB will do about 15M in "sales" by the time we get past 2006 Grammy awards.

Yep, I think you could be right here but it'll surely have to at least match the 'official' sales of ATYCLB (about 12M).

....also :

P.S. Still wanting to know if any chart watchers plan to go to the 5/22 Philly show or the 5/28 Boston show. I can't afford another show financially or physically, but after making it to Chicago, it's worth every penny and every bit of back pain to see the boys live and in their prime.

I'd love to go to these shows but I'm stuck here in rainy England (UK), my passport isn't up to date & the shows are probabbly sold out. I s'pose it is theoretically possible to go but I think I'll have to wait for the shows in Europe.

Also, I think that, like in US, the European shows will at least help to sustain sales of HTDAAB if not increase them. In fact, as I've already posted in week 24 & 25 threads, I think this is already happening : the good increases, this week, in France, Spain & Ireland may be partly responsible for just the 1 spot drop on European album chart this week - & the tour is still 1 month away!!

BTW - Did you like my population stats in week 24 thread?

 

[beLIEve]

Very intersting...

BTW - Did you like my population stats in week 24 thread?

Yeah, I did, and some of the other responses just prove the theory that it's not just China where Piracy rules at nearly 100%...Even in the smallest of countries where U2 has sales...piracy accounting for 90-95% of music sales is astounding. I posted a story about the Piracy problems in China, and how that the landscape of the music industry will change so much in the next 5 years the NO artist will be able to make money off of Album sales, instead, just touring and ENDORSEMENTS. There are relatively few bands who can get rich touring, so that leaves endorsements for the primary income for artists. UUGGGHHHH!

I didn't do the calculations, but it's obvious that U2 is more popular in Europe than anywhere else. The U.S. market is so big, and even though U2 are HUGE here in the states, the potential for growth is very big here. As for why U2 tours here, I do think it comes down to the financial advantage...in a relatively small land mass, there are 20,000 seat arenas all across the landscape, with great logistics and thus relatively low expenses. In addition, I think it's a challenge to the band to get back to the top in America. Essentially, they have "conquered" this country twice...once in 1987...then the 1st backlash...but they did it again in 1993 with Zoo TV and Achtung Baby. Then the 2nd backlash - much worse than the 1st. I think they took it personally, as they pushed and promoted ATYCLB more than ever, appearing on SNL, Letterman, Leno, the Irving Plaza gig...and they had conquered America again. But still, no number 1 album despite it's biggest opening ever here at the time for a U2 album. 7 grammy awards later and U2 were the biggest band in the world again (maybe they always were)...but other than BD, no way near the chart success of JT and AB.

Strong promotion for HTDAAB did get them back to #1 on the charts, helped by the I-pod thing and another genuine hit single with Vertigo, among other things. Ticket demand for the tour was also astounding. But, for all these accomplishments, U2 still are not the clear cut "favorite" band in the U.S., like they are in much of the rest of the world. Their popularity is almost back to levels seen around AB and Zoo TV, but not quite. This is something that U2 does care about, IMO, and it's part of their relentless assault on the U.S. on tour besides the logistics advantage I mentioned.

U2 could play 1/2 the dates here in the U.S. and hit stadiums in the major markets, but personally, I'm glad they don't. The energy I see and hear from the stadium shows in Europe is amazing, and the U2-crowd connection is what makes their live shows so special. I've seen U2 in stadiums in the U.S. during the height of their popularity, and I personally have never seen 80,000 people respond with even 10% of the enthusiasm seen at Slane Castle for example. In arenas, though, I HAVE seen and felt that magic here in the U.S., so I'd take arenas over stadiums any day. I think U2 knows this, too, and so they play arenas all over the U.S., where they can also charge more per ticket and just about guarantee sell outs in just about any market.

Anyway, on a per capita basis, the U.S. is way down the list. The market size is huge, though, and they have had to work hard to regain their status in the U.S. I think they may take their popularity in many other countries for granted compared to the U.S., but the 2nd leg will have way more concert attendees than the first two combined, and if they do a 4th leg and cover most of the R.O.W., they will again hit big stadiums, and the attendance for the entire tour could end up being 4 to 1 for the R.O.W to the U.S.

I can understand the resentment, though, from other countries where U2 is clearly more popular that may get a few shows or none at all, where the U.S. may get 60, and there are fans who will see 10 shows easy. Some fans here follow them all over the country. It's hard even for me to read some of the concert reviews from the recent Chicago shows. I drove 12 hours by myself in serious pain to see them on 5/7, and I was thrilled and thought the concert was awesome. Then I read reviews knocking the show, which is everyone's right, I know. But even worse, some guy who lives in Chicago writes that around 8:00 PM on the night of the last Chicago shows he decides to drop by the United Center and pick up a GA ticket for $50, and then writes how glad he did as the show was great, unlike the 5/7 show. UUUGGGGHHHHH! If I lived within 4 hours of Chicago, I would have been up there for all 4 concerts! So, even living in the U.S., I am jealous of people in the big cities like Chicago or NY where they can see U2 as much as they want it seems, and I go to great expense to see them once or twice per tour. Then I think of Australian fans and realize that I should be grateful for seeing them 11 times since 1984, even though some U.S. fans will see them 11 times or more on this tour alone.

Despite what you see on this website, with some folks in the U.S. showing some 10+ shows on their signatures - and some in Europe having that same luxury - we are a very small minority of die-hard U.S. fans. The reality is, wherever most of us live, the vast majority of U2 fans will see one or two shows at most on any given tour. Maybe that makes most fans appreciate the shows that much more...or maybe if we all lived in NY we'd go see them 8 times in a row.

 

[edge3]

Wow! I love your essays beLIEve!

Great read - thanks a lot

 

[STING2]

Week 24 in the USA comparison between ATYCLB and BOMB:

ATYCLB:

#45 39,000 copies sold TOTAL: 2,364,000


HTDAAB:


#66 17,601 copies sold TOTAL: 2,705,873

 

[STING2]

I actually think U2 is the clear cut favorite here in the USA given the sales of ATYCLB and BOMB. I think they have been the clear cut favorite here since 2001/2002. I can't think of another artist that has the same strong album sales + the same strong demand to see them on the road here in the USA. The only artist who could clearly do better on the road in the USA is the Stones, but they are so far behind as an album selling act (of current product) here in the USA that they are not even competitive. Eminem, 50 Cent, and Green Day's new albums may have sold more than BOMB in the USA, but U2 concert selling ability would crush all three of these artist.

Worldwide, U2 have been the most popular band in the world since 1987. But in the USA, they were the most popular band from 1987-1993 and did not get back on top in the USA until 2001.

 

[beLIEve]

Your right on...

Worldwide, U2 have been the most popular band in the world since 1987. But in the USA, they were the most popular band from 1987-1993 and did not get back on top in the USA until 2001.

STING2,

Yep, I think your're right on. By coincidence I just posted an analysis of U2's popularity and consistency in the N.A. week 25 thread. I'll ask the same question again:

It's a safe bet to say U2 have sold 65M albums since 1997. Has any other band, or artist, sold more in that same time frame? One other question looking at the other half of the equation...With Popmart, Elevation, and now Vertigo, has any other band or artist had the concert success of U2 since 1997? I can't think of one. Thoughts?

 

[edge3]

I've just done a bit of maths (or math) and if we take 'official' sales figures of U2's albums then U2 are actually more popular on a per capita basis in the US than Europe - here are the stats :

Approx. Population of 44 countries in Europe = 728M
Approx. 'official' sales of Bomb in Europe 3.7M
Therefore 1 in 196 people has 'officially' brought a copy of Bomb in Europe.

Approx. Population of US = 293M
Approx. 'official' sales of Bomb in US = 2.7M
Therefore 1 in 108 people has 'officially' brought a copy of Bomb in US.

This is also probably true of U2's overall 'official' album sales :

293M / 56M sold in US = 1 in 5.23 people has 'officially' brought an album by U2 in US.

This means U2 would have had to have sold 139M 'official' albums in Europe to have the same per capita rate as US (728M / 139M = 5.23). But this can't be right!! I reckon U2 have sold about 50-60M 'official' albums in Europe - which is not only the same as US but also over TWICE as low as the US per capita rate (1 in 12 - 14 people).

....also :

Week 24 in the USA comparison between ATYCLB and BOMB:

ATYCLB:

#45 39,000 copies sold TOTAL: 2,364,000


HTDAAB:


#66 17,601 copies sold TOTAL: 2,705,873

It is amazing how much weekly album sales in US have fallen since ATYCLB was in the chart : with the same chart from that period as today I'm sure Bomb would now have sold over 3M in US.

 

[beLIEve]

MGB charts (Midwest radio & video play) already updated

OOPS. See Week 25 N.A. Thread.

 

[04072511]

Approx. Population of 44 countries in Europe = 728M
Approx. 'official' sales of Bomb in Europe 3.7M
Therefore 1 in 196 people has 'officially' brought a copy of Bomb in Europe.

However most Album sales in Europe are in the EU states(not including the new states) and a few other countries like Switzerland. So about 90% of U2's European sales are from a population of about 380 Million.

0.9 x 3.7 = 3.33 Million

This would equal about 1 in 114 people. So U2's popularity in Europe and the US are roughly the same.

 

[STING2]

However most Album sales in Europe are in the EU states(not including the new states) and a few other countries like Switzerland. So about 90% of U2's European sales are from a population of about 380 Million.

0.9 x 3.7 = 3.33 Million

This would equal about 1 in 114 people. So U2's popularity in Europe and the US are roughly the same.

This is correct. We have to remember that much of Eastern Europe and Russia are not developed economically enough on the level of Western Europe or the United States to do a comparison like this. Even new EU States like Poland, Czech, and Hungary still have some distance to go before they catch up.

A more accurate comparison would be album sales in Western Europe VS album sales in the USA. I think its clear that U2 is more popular in Europe than the USA especially when you consider the concert attendence and gross figures. Notice that all 32 stadium shows in Europe soldout quickly at an average of $90 a ticket with an average attendance per show of 55,000 to 60,000. The band is clearly underplaying Europe this year.

 

[STING2]

Re: Your right on...

STING2,

Yep, I think your're right on. By coincidence I just posted an analysis of U2's popularity and consistency in the N.A. week 25 thread. I'll ask the same question again:

It's a safe bet to say U2 have sold 65M albums since 1997. Has any other band, or artist, sold more in that same time frame? One other question looking at the other half of the equation...With Popmart, Elevation, and now Vertigo, has any other band or artist had the concert success of U2 since 1997? I can't think of one. Thoughts?

I estimate U2's total global album sales as of May 2005 are 148 million worldwide. I know about the often reported 130 million figure, but I think it is an under estimate of total sales.

Before the release of POP in March 1997, I estimate U2 had sold about 88 million albums worldwide. This would mean that since that time they have sold another 60 million albums worldwide.

There may be a few artist who have sold more albums than U2 since 1997, but I'm not sure and I'll have to research that more. The Rolling Stones are the only artist that has had more concert success than U2 since 1997. But, no artist has had as much concert success and album sales combined as U2 since March 1997.

 

[edge3]

However most Album sales in Europe are in the EU states(not including the new states) and a few other countries like Switzerland. So about 90% of U2's European sales are from a population of about 380 Million.

0.9 x 3.7 = 3.33 Million

This would equal about 1 in 114 people. So U2's popularity in Europe and the US are roughly the same.

This is correct. We have to remember that much of Eastern Europe and Russia are not developed economically enough on the level of Western Europe or the United States to do a comparison like this. Even new EU States like Poland, Czech, and Hungary still have some distance to go before they catch up.

A more accurate comparison would be album sales in Western Europe VS album sales in the USA. I think its clear that U2 is more popular in Europe than the USA especially when you consider the concert attendence and gross figures. Notice that all 32 stadium shows in Europe soldout quickly at an average of $90 a ticket with an average attendance per show of 55,000 to 60,000. The band is clearly underplaying Europe this year.

I see what you're both saying about album sales in US v Western Europe v Eastern Europe....v.interesting. Still, I wonder how many albums U2 have 'unofficially' sold in whole of Europe including all these Eastern European countries where piracy is/has been so common - 100M+?

 

[roy keane]

Counting all Eastern European countries the piracy absolute champion is Bulgaria.They have large hidden factories and until recently they have delivered their "production" to all sused countries.Later the Serbs realised they can make their own CD copies,took the crown and everything went to hell.For instance,U2 has 14 different best of edititions,Stones more then 20.But it seems things are going much better now becauseBulgaria will become EU member in 2007 and therefore they need to do something about piracy(that is one of conditions to join EU).Serbia is not going to become EU member soon but our goverment has finaly realised that because of the piracy not only the artists but the state also is a big looser for not gaining taxes and decided to put some order.Before 2005 streets of Belgrade were full of people sellig illegal music albums and software ad was a tourist attraction for people from Western countries who were coming only to buy cheep software programs.After 2005 for 5 months I had only 3 or 4 times seen those sellers and they were looking left and right fearing from the police.Now,I am not saying that the problem is solved,but it is a good start.