Songs of Experience - Let The Chart Speculation Begin

[Wide Awake n AZ]

Given their percentage of the market, which is the only apples to apples comparison, and their age?

I would consider this to be respectable to good. It isn't the era of multiplatinum.

 

[CosmoKramer]

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www....at/8070594/u2-artist-100-chart-beyonce-top-10

It seems the only people disappointed with SOE sales are us...lol

The results in the US are being met with positive commentary. From the fact that they have had a number 1 album in 4 different decades to them just returning to the top spot. I haven't read any articles that reference disappointing opening week sales.

For me, I've been away from tracking album sales for a long time (2009) and didn't realize how decimated the album sales market has become. I mean, the holiday season used to be massive with each of the top 20-30 selling 100k+ every week between Thanksgiving and Christmas and the top 10 selling 200k+. In the current climate, the top 3 would be lucky to sell 100k.

 

[rennowba]

41 uk iTunes. Really interested to see if this BBC special Tuesday night in a prime time spot does anything to the sales here. If that doesn't do it then nothing will. No better promotion then an hours special on the leading network in a prime time spot

 

[KUEFC09U2]

41 uk iTunes. Really interested to see if this BBC special Tuesday night in a prime time spot does anything to the sales here. If that doesn't do it then nothing will. No better promotion then an hours special on the leading network in a prime time spot

Still not convinced, those with no interest at all just won't watch it, they need to be over here as well, surprise gig, chat shows etc

 

[womanfish]

It seems the only people disappointed with SOE sales are us...lol

The results in the US are being met with positive commentary. From the fact that they have had a number 1 album in 4 different decades to them just returning to the top spot. I haven't read any articles that reference disappointing opening week sales.

For me, I've been away from tracking album sales for a long time (2009) and didn't realize how decimated the album sales market has become. I mean, the holiday season used to be massive with each of the top 20-30 selling 100k+ every week between Thanksgiving and Christmas and the top 10 selling 200k+. In the current climate, the top 3 would be lucky to sell 100k.

Seriously, when you see bands like Weezer get 25k in their first week, the VERY popular Maroon 5 getting 50k, Beck getting like 20k i think... Those are scary numbers, and that's why when U2 gets 186, then they get rightfully applauded for it.

The crazy part to me is the worlwide charts. I mean France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Australia, etc... were just kind of surprising. I think the holidays played a large part in the chart position though.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

The US has ticket bundles. The rest of the world did not.

1+1=2

 

[womanfish]

The US has ticket bundles. The rest of the world did not.

1+1=2

I get that part. But i was fully expecting them to chart higher across Europe and South America than in the US. Ticket bundle or not.

 

[rennowba]

Number 20 uk

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

I get that part. But i was fully expecting them to chart higher across Europe and South America than in the US. Ticket bundle or not.

I'm not trying to be a dick here... but how? They were going to bring in tens of thousands of tickets on the bundle alone, if not a hundred thousand.

To think they would have done better in Europe in the charts is one thing... to think they would have done better in Europe than the US is just not taking the ticket bundles into account.

 

[Luzita]

I get that part. But i was fully expecting them to chart higher across Europe and South America than in the US. Ticket bundle or not.

You mention South America. I haven't seen any figures for how the album did there. Do you have some?

 

[dan_smee]

Looks like the BBC special will air on the 17th in Canada.

 

[rennowba]

Looks like the BBC special will air on the 17th in Canada.

It's gonna air in Canada before the uk ?

 

[Super Yo]

https://www.ctv.ca/U2-Live-in-London

 

[superchuk5]

It seems the only people disappointed with SOE sales are us...lol

The results in the US are being met with positive commentary. From the fact that they have had a number 1 album in 4 different decades to them just returning to the top spot. I haven't read any articles that reference disappointing opening week sales.

For me, I've been away from tracking album sales for a long time (2009) and didn't realize how decimated the album sales market has become. I mean, the holiday season used to be massive with each of the top 20-30 selling 100k+ every week between Thanksgiving and Christmas and the top 10 selling 200k+. In the current climate, the top 3 would be lucky to sell 100k.

The issue with US album sales is that they are polarized. If you're U2, Jay-Z, Coldplay, etc. then your ceiling is ~300K, but if you're Drake, Taylor Swift, or Adele then you clear 1 million units. Anyone else would be lucky to pull over 100K.

The only musicians I can think of who pull anywhere between 300K and 1 million are Beyonce and Kendrick Lamar. Otherwise, you're in one of those extremes. This polarization effect does result in lower volume, explaining how the album market has dropped.

 

[Super Yo]

Hits at 100%

http://m.hitsdailydouble.com/sales_plus_streaming

 

[doctorwho]

View attachment 11683

Hits at 100%

http://m.hitsdailydouble.com/sales_plus_streaming

Not surprising to see the big drop. Other artists have seen it too. And U2’s first single, while lingering on the radio, had yet to break out. Unlike GOYB, I think YTBT was a great first single. It’s just that radio is slowly responding. BD was a slow builder too, but once it crossed over to mainstream, it kept ATYCLB going strong for months. U2 needs that spark for the album to linger.

 

[prbiker15]

Anyone knows what’s been the biggest second week drop?

 

[CosmoKramer]

Anyone knows what’s been the biggest second week drop?

I think Taylor Swift fell 85% just a few weeks back.

 

[Flying FuManchu]

Of course they don’t, they are a rock band all in their late 50s.

If U2 is to matter again, THEY will need to make it happen. If these songs catch on with people, it will happen. If the songs don’t, then it won’t.

U2 can no longer live on their name alone. Long gone are they days that U2 release a song and it immediately goes to the top 10 only because it’s U2 like Discotheque did in the US or countless singles did in Canada and the UK for ATYCLB and Bomb.

If U2 wants to be relevant, they will need to write a relevant song.....we will find out.

If they want to be more relevant, they need write a relevant song AND do more legwork unfortunately.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

View attachment 11683

Hits at 100%

http://m.hitsdailydouble.com/sales_plus_streaming

What's worse is that DeVaul bought every copy

 

[The_acrobat]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billboard_200#Biggest_drops_from_number_one

No idea who Brand New is, but their album Science Fiction went from #1 - #97 in one week.

I'm quite surprised the Killers new album went from #1 - #59.

Makes U2's number seem good. I'm going to pick up the Deluxe CD at some point, so chalk me up for one more!

 

[CosmoKramer]

Eminem who's last album in 2014 sold 3.8 million and opened with 792k is expected to be number 1 next week with ~200k.

There could be a few factors at play here but I think the biggest one is the collapse of the music market.

How much do artists and labels make from steaming? Do they get a percentage of a subscription based on their % of total plays? That is to say, if it costs $10 a month to subscribe and 50% goes to the artists ($5) and U2 gets 1% of all streams, does that mean they get 1% of $5 (5 cents) for every subscription?

 

[dan_smee]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billboard_200#Biggest_drops_from_number_one

No idea who Brand New is, but their album Science Fiction went from #1 - #97 in one week.

I'm quite surprised the Killers new album went from #1 - #59.

Makes U2's number seem good. I'm going to pick up the Deluxe CD at some point, so chalk me up for one more!

Brand New!? Really? The Devil and God are Raging Inside Me is my favourite non-U2 album ever.

aaaaand then we learn the singer was grooming 15 year old girls on Facebook

 

[womanfish]

I believe the Foo Fighters had around a 92% drop on theirs. Katy Perry around 90%, it's just normal now with the way everything is front loaded.

 

[rennowba]

Dropped to number 13 in America.

 

[rennowba]

Number 62 on uk iTunes. Let's see how the BBC special effects that in 2 hours time

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

It's almost as if people don't buy physical albums anymore.

 

[TheFox]

It's almost as if people don't buy physical albums anymore.

It's almost as if people hate U2 now(unfairly).

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

It's almost as if people hate U2 now(unfairly).

That's a load of malarkey.

Olds love U2.

Youngs hate U2 because U2 keep trying to make Youngs love them.

Youngs would appreciate U2 more if they'd cut that shit out.

They still won't love them, though. Because U2 are Olds, and they are Youngs. And Youngs love other Youngs.

The Olds though... they fucking love this band.

 

[TheFox]

That's a load of malarkey.

Olds love U2.

Youngs hate U2 because U2 keep trying to make Youngs love them.

Youngs would appreciate U2 more if they'd cut that shit out.

They still won't love them, though. Because U2 are Olds, and they are Youngs. And Youngs love other Youngs.

The Olds though... they fucking love this band.

True, true.