The Saints Are Coming in Billboard
- Thread starter Soldatti
- Start date
The friendliest place on the web for anyone that follows U2.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
down on Modern rock, but up on Mainstream. I think the interest of a U2/GD collab made this song take off like jet in it's first 2 or 3 wks of release but now I think after the interest of seeing how GD and U2 sound together died down, the song itself is going to tank.
BigMacPhisto
Rock n' Roll Doggie VIP PASS
- Joined
- Jul 12, 2002
- Messages
- 6,351
fna692002 said:
Pretty much. The song itself just isn't that great. Not that mainstream radio has so many other treats worth the airtime.
This week, the Nov 25 edition of BB, shows Saints stalling on Mainstream Rock and falling fast on Modern Rock. It enters the Adult Top 40 and the Hot Videoclip tracks chart, but don't look for much more time on Billboard.
For the ROW, though, Saints goes from #25 to #1 on the Billboard Eurochart Hot 100 Singles chart. It holds at #1 on the Billboard Euro Download chart, too. Between this and WITS, U2 should get a good amount of airplay for the next several months, which will likely help U218. I didn't give this compilation much of a chance, but unless everyone just goes after the two songs electronically, U218 will sell quite well I think. Haven't decided if I'll buy it just yet.
For the ROW, though, Saints goes from #25 to #1 on the Billboard Eurochart Hot 100 Singles chart. It holds at #1 on the Billboard Euro Download chart, too. Between this and WITS, U2 should get a good amount of airplay for the next several months, which will likely help U218. I didn't give this compilation much of a chance, but unless everyone just goes after the two songs electronically, U218 will sell quite well I think. Haven't decided if I'll buy it just yet.
Stranger things have happened
The version played on the radio is mostly the studio collaboration with a few exceptions. The one available for download is the live version from the Superdome, I think. I know the Rhapsody version with the whole medley, which also was made available for video download, didn't count towards official "single sales".
What will be interesting for this week, or next, depending on when the downloads could have the most impact, is if the version currently available on i-tunes will be counted together with the studio version's radio play. If so, the window of time for creating a real chart buzz may be over (actually OK with me for a change), as the song has dropped from 115 to 158 on Pop radio, just peaked on Mainstream Rock, and has fallen off rapidly on Alternative and AAA Rock. At it's peak for radio play, the song probably would have debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 IF it had been available for download as a single. That's assuming the live version and studio version would be combined for the Hot 100 calculation...don't know about that, so maybe it's a moot point.
I've said before that using this song, which is supposed to be for charity, to promote another Christmas time compilation was greedy. Strictly from the charity standpoint, though, IF all the various downloads strictly do result in money for the charity, then their strategy has probably worked as well as it could have...and I have read confirmation that the version doing well on i-tunes right now DOES have all proceeds going to Music Rising. As for the song in the R.O.W., it's quite a big hit, even giving Green Day it's highest charting single in the UK ever, as well as being the #1 single and download for all of Europe per Billboard. If ALL those proceeds are going to Music Rising, well, then maybe I can cut them some slack personally.
Also, by releasing a not-so-subtle video that shows what could have happened in the Gulf Region had all authorities acted sooner, it raised awareness of the plight still facing millions of people in and around New Orleans, which has resulted in an overall increase in charity activity for the areas affected. I don't care personally if they are taking a shot at the U.S. or State Government...at this point, anything that results in more money for Music Rising and/or other causes that help the Katrina victims still dealing with the aftermath is a positive.
Back to chart talk...Saints created enough of a media buzz that it probably helped Music Rising more than it will help U218 here in the U.S. As for the rest of the world, Saints is probably going to help the album sell a lot. It's almost as if the song's potential with respect to chart performance WAS NOT maximized in the U.S., and I for one hope that was on purpose. WITS is already doing way better on radio than Saints ever did, again only in the U.S., so that works for me. WITS will be a hit for the R.O.W., but here in the U.S., it's been released for radio only so far, so who knows. It seems to be standard practice today for U2 to go for album sales only here in the U.S., since they don't get enough airplay to have the much coveted "Number 1 Hit Single".
By delaying the R.O.W. release for WITS until January, they are going to ride Saints to help promote U218, and delay legal downloads until after the big Holiday Album Sales push. Then, after the big buying season is over, they will have their 2nd #1 single in Europe once WITS is released for download & CD single, thus likely stretching the rehashed Best Of's chart performance even longer. All this while doing a mini-tour. Strictly from a business standpoint, I really don't think U2 have a peer in the music industry these days. I think the singles strategy - or what seems like a lack of one in the U.S. - is executed perfectly to maximize album sales in the States. Since the R.O.W. does play U2 on the radio and the singles sales/downloads give them the publicity of having the big hit song, it makes perfect sense that they have very different strategies for different regions of the world. It's still based on doing what it takes to get maximum album - especially in CD/DVD formats - sales, which is where the real money is still at, even in this digital age.
Not sure where I'm going with this rant...guess I have mixed emotions about U2 doing so well financially and commercially. I admire the business model, but the music is waaaayyyy more important to me, and I'm not so sure anymore that it hasn't suffered even though their monetary incomes are probably at an all time high. At least Saints is not the song being used to give the album a big push here in the very country where it's being touted as a great charity cause. Several weeks ago when it took off on the radio and then the video went into rotation pretty heavy, I was actually rooting against it on the charts...for the first time ever. It may have just enough airplay to crack the Hot 100 when you factor in the downloads, but at least now the album is already out and WITS is what's really on the radio.
Billboard updates all-around coming Thursday...
fna692002 said:
The version played on the radio is mostly the studio collaboration with a few exceptions. The one available for download is the live version from the Superdome, I think. I know the Rhapsody version with the whole medley, which also was made available for video download, didn't count towards official "single sales".
What will be interesting for this week, or next, depending on when the downloads could have the most impact, is if the version currently available on i-tunes will be counted together with the studio version's radio play. If so, the window of time for creating a real chart buzz may be over (actually OK with me for a change), as the song has dropped from 115 to 158 on Pop radio, just peaked on Mainstream Rock, and has fallen off rapidly on Alternative and AAA Rock. At it's peak for radio play, the song probably would have debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 IF it had been available for download as a single. That's assuming the live version and studio version would be combined for the Hot 100 calculation...don't know about that, so maybe it's a moot point.
I've said before that using this song, which is supposed to be for charity, to promote another Christmas time compilation was greedy. Strictly from the charity standpoint, though, IF all the various downloads strictly do result in money for the charity, then their strategy has probably worked as well as it could have...and I have read confirmation that the version doing well on i-tunes right now DOES have all proceeds going to Music Rising. As for the song in the R.O.W., it's quite a big hit, even giving Green Day it's highest charting single in the UK ever, as well as being the #1 single and download for all of Europe per Billboard. If ALL those proceeds are going to Music Rising, well, then maybe I can cut them some slack personally.
Also, by releasing a not-so-subtle video that shows what could have happened in the Gulf Region had all authorities acted sooner, it raised awareness of the plight still facing millions of people in and around New Orleans, which has resulted in an overall increase in charity activity for the areas affected. I don't care personally if they are taking a shot at the U.S. or State Government...at this point, anything that results in more money for Music Rising and/or other causes that help the Katrina victims still dealing with the aftermath is a positive.
Back to chart talk...Saints created enough of a media buzz that it probably helped Music Rising more than it will help U218 here in the U.S. As for the rest of the world, Saints is probably going to help the album sell a lot. It's almost as if the song's potential with respect to chart performance WAS NOT maximized in the U.S., and I for one hope that was on purpose. WITS is already doing way better on radio than Saints ever did, again only in the U.S., so that works for me. WITS will be a hit for the R.O.W., but here in the U.S., it's been released for radio only so far, so who knows. It seems to be standard practice today for U2 to go for album sales only here in the U.S., since they don't get enough airplay to have the much coveted "Number 1 Hit Single".
By delaying the R.O.W. release for WITS until January, they are going to ride Saints to help promote U218, and delay legal downloads until after the big Holiday Album Sales push. Then, after the big buying season is over, they will have their 2nd #1 single in Europe once WITS is released for download & CD single, thus likely stretching the rehashed Best Of's chart performance even longer. All this while doing a mini-tour. Strictly from a business standpoint, I really don't think U2 have a peer in the music industry these days. I think the singles strategy - or what seems like a lack of one in the U.S. - is executed perfectly to maximize album sales in the States. Since the R.O.W. does play U2 on the radio and the singles sales/downloads give them the publicity of having the big hit song, it makes perfect sense that they have very different strategies for different regions of the world. It's still based on doing what it takes to get maximum album - especially in CD/DVD formats - sales, which is where the real money is still at, even in this digital age.
Not sure where I'm going with this rant...guess I have mixed emotions about U2 doing so well financially and commercially. I admire the business model, but the music is waaaayyyy more important to me, and I'm not so sure anymore that it hasn't suffered even though their monetary incomes are probably at an all time high. At least Saints is not the song being used to give the album a big push here in the very country where it's being touted as a great charity cause. Several weeks ago when it took off on the radio and then the video went into rotation pretty heavy, I was actually rooting against it on the charts...for the first time ever. It may have just enough airplay to crack the Hot 100 when you factor in the downloads, but at least now the album is already out and WITS is what's really on the radio.
Billboard updates all-around coming Thursday...
I think Saints started off as a charity single, than the higher up's more than likely said "wait! a GD U2 collab will draw lots of new fans and lots of MTV Vh1 airplay, lets make a video and use this as the interest grabber for the new hits lp". Can I say the plan failed? not at all, but I can't help but feel they tried to milk this song for all that it was worth. I would have been fine, if they released this as a single, did a new album in 07(which includes WITS) and than if they ever did a best of 00-10, by all means put it on there. Greedy? By all means yes. Bad marketing Idea? Not at all. Just my opinon.
In chart news Saints on US Itunes is now up to #23. For a live version I must say I am suprised at how well it's doing. granted the studio is not up for single downloading.
In chart news Saints on US Itunes is now up to #23. For a live version I must say I am suprised at how well it's doing. granted the studio is not up for single downloading.
Last edited:
sensnucksfan
The Fly
It's number 1 on Canadian Itunes
ybird3k
War Child
hows it taken so long for it to get going on the downloads?
Well it's not being promoted on the front page of the Itunes website. It's also the live superdome version, so with both of those stats, I must say it's pretty impressive it's even in the top 40. It's in the list with todays "hot" acts, so regardless if it makes #1, I'm happy to see U2 up there with todays trends even if it did take GD to help give them this boost. With this, and WITS taking off on radio, U2 is doing pretty well in staying on the charts in general. I'd expect Saint's to have mayby a week or two of life left in it, than WITS will probably fully take over... esp once the video comes out.
ybird3k
War Child
65 on hot 100, thats well good, whats the chances of an increase next week?
0
04072511
Guest
how did it jump so quicly to #65 from absolutely nowhere?
ybird3k
War Child
good stuff, top 50 maybe?
0
04072511
Guest
is it the studio or live version that has charted on the Hot 100?
