jick
Refugee
Alleged chart experts in this forum have always said that the sales would pick up in the holidays and after the release of Gangs of New York. Now both events have happened, the smoke has cleared, and nothing has still happened to U2's Best Of 1990-2000.
After only 9 weeks in the Billboard Charts, it is all the way down to #94, down from 88 a week ago. After 9 weeks, it has failed to reach gold in the USA. I cannot remember the last time U2 had an album fail to reach gold after 9 weeks (maybe the last time was two decades ago in the early 80's).
In chart rankings, while Sweetest Thing in the 1980-1990 release made somewhat of a cameo appearance on the Billboard Hot 100, Electrical Storm has even failed to make its presence felt in the Modern Rock Charts.
So much for the quantifiable and objective items like chart positions and record sales. Even in the subjective standpoint, based on my own experiences (and naturally my own biases), Electrical Storm is hardly played in MTV, if it is even played at all. Unlike Sweetest Thing which was played much during its time.
I think U2 failed with the song selection which was much more arbitrary. They had too many non-singles, and the new mixes confused the public as to why there needed to be new mixes. Also, the fact that the 90's were so recent and that most fans had the song in CD made the demand less, whereas most of the early 80's U2 fans had their respective albums in cassette or vinyl, so the Best Of 1980-1990 created more of a demand to upgrade their versions.
Well, just about every magazine write-up has described the 90's as a troubled and turbulent period for U2. Living up to its source, the Best Of 1990-2000 represents a troubled direction for U2. Coming of the heels of a commercially successful album and tour, U2 follow it up with a not-so-successful compilation and singles that did not quite stir up the public.
So now after all the smoke has cleared, is it already ripe to declare that the Best Of 1990-2000 will never match is predecessor and that it is a mild failure considering U2's lofty standards and expectations?
I just hope this minor setback will not be aggravated by a commercially unappealing follow-up studio album to ATYCLB. U2 should always aim for commercial success because that is what Bono's ego feeds on. And as he said in Larry King, it's two crap albums and you're out. I don't want U2 to leave the ballgame anytime soon yet.
Cheers,
J
The King Of POP
After only 9 weeks in the Billboard Charts, it is all the way down to #94, down from 88 a week ago. After 9 weeks, it has failed to reach gold in the USA. I cannot remember the last time U2 had an album fail to reach gold after 9 weeks (maybe the last time was two decades ago in the early 80's).
In chart rankings, while Sweetest Thing in the 1980-1990 release made somewhat of a cameo appearance on the Billboard Hot 100, Electrical Storm has even failed to make its presence felt in the Modern Rock Charts.
So much for the quantifiable and objective items like chart positions and record sales. Even in the subjective standpoint, based on my own experiences (and naturally my own biases), Electrical Storm is hardly played in MTV, if it is even played at all. Unlike Sweetest Thing which was played much during its time.
I think U2 failed with the song selection which was much more arbitrary. They had too many non-singles, and the new mixes confused the public as to why there needed to be new mixes. Also, the fact that the 90's were so recent and that most fans had the song in CD made the demand less, whereas most of the early 80's U2 fans had their respective albums in cassette or vinyl, so the Best Of 1980-1990 created more of a demand to upgrade their versions.
Well, just about every magazine write-up has described the 90's as a troubled and turbulent period for U2. Living up to its source, the Best Of 1990-2000 represents a troubled direction for U2. Coming of the heels of a commercially successful album and tour, U2 follow it up with a not-so-successful compilation and singles that did not quite stir up the public.
So now after all the smoke has cleared, is it already ripe to declare that the Best Of 1990-2000 will never match is predecessor and that it is a mild failure considering U2's lofty standards and expectations?
I just hope this minor setback will not be aggravated by a commercially unappealing follow-up studio album to ATYCLB. U2 should always aim for commercial success because that is what Bono's ego feeds on. And as he said in Larry King, it's two crap albums and you're out. I don't want U2 to leave the ballgame anytime soon yet.
Cheers,
J
The King Of POP