U2 Unorganized on the Horizon / The U2 Machinery

[stealthboy]

Boots looks like it will be out of the itunes charts tomorrow, after only one week on sale. Looks like this is gonna be a flop in the US for them...maybe they will go with a second single before the album release, otherwise...

Well, someone screwed up and put two different Boots singles (one from the normal release, one from the Deluxe release). In my humble opinion, that is what messed it all up.

Anyways, if that Kelly Clarkson crap "I suck because I like you" or whatever is in the top position, I feel better with Get On Your Boots *not* on the same list, to tell you the truth.

 

[Irishteen]

Well, someone screwed up and put two different Boots singles (one from the normal release, one from the Deluxe release). In my humble opinion, that is what messed it all up.

Anyways, if that Kelly Clarkson crap "I suck because I like you" or whatever is in the top position, I feel better with Get On Your Boots *not* on the same list, to tell you the truth.

That would of gotten it into the Top ten at its peak but it's fallen fast since then

USA: 16/37 - 22/55 - 37/85 - 45/*Out* - 63 - 85, that's been the chart run over the last few days. Unless it gets some massive promo it'll be gone by tomorrow

 

[digitize]

If it had hit top 10 on iTunes, it would have gotten a major boost from being listed on that front page list.

 

[stealthboy]

That would of gotten it into the Top ten at its peak but it's fallen fast since then

But there is something else that happens when you're in the top ten - people see it in the "top ten" list and then buy it. I'm sure someone at Apple has done the research, but I bet there is a huge difference between 100-11 and 10-1 just because of the exposure of being in the top ten list. A lot of friends of mine who are casual U2 fans didn't know the single was available to buy, so if it had been in the top ten list at all I bet it would have shot up to to the top three at least. Just my opinion...

 

[Irishteen]

If it had hit top 10 on iTunes, it would have gotten a major boost from being listed on that front page list.

But there is something else that happens when you're in the top ten - people see it in the "top ten" list and then buy it. I'm sure someone at Apple has done the research, but I bet there is a huge difference between 100-11 and 10-1 just because of the exposure of being in the top ten list. A lot of friends of mine who are casual U2 fans didn't know the single was available to buy, so if it had been in the top ten list at all I bet it would have shot up to to the top three at least. Just my opinion...

It has an ad on the front page though, so I don't think it would of made that much difference really.

I mean it's already on the front page for all to see

 

[bathiu]

There's no video yet, I think youtube will play major role promoting Boots, remember how popular U2/Green Day video was? ... and then two veeery popular videos for WITS?

 

[santiago]

Well, the publicity campaign has been quite minimal so far. Only the die-hard fans have heard about it.

Once the video is out and the publicity machine grinds slowly into gear, we will see what happens.

I agree it has been a disorganised start to the campaign, but it's still early days.

 

[Earnie Shavers]

So with Discothèque U2 were maybe surprised by the unintended success of the single (and subsequent backlash against the album).

Why do you think the success of Discotheque was unintended? It was U2’s first big-very-commercially-friendly pop-rock single. Discotheque was absolutely the father of Beautiful Day, Vertigo and now Boots. Each one to Vertigo getting a little more shallow, a little dumber, a little more obvious in it’s intention, to now we have Boots almost – almost – circling back around again to a Discothèque type place. (If they really wanted to shock and play up to a ‘new/experiment/leftfield’ image, in the vein of releasing the Fly and Numb first up, they would have gone with Mofo first).

I think the failure of the album would have definitely surprised them. Maybe the had an idea it could go a bit wrong, with them knowing it’s not complete and all, but they released what was up until then easily their most commercially viable rock record only to have it flop in the US based on everyone calling it a ‘dance/techno’ album.

 

[LyricalDrug]

I think it's meant to be a word-of-mouth, bottom-up, grass-roots marketing campaign. Guerilla-style marketing, very underground. Taking advantage of how quickly good music spreads like wildfire online. We haven't seen the traditional, top-down marketing (band press conferences, MTV appearances, radio shows, etc.) AT ALL so far, which seems unusual for U2, to me.

 

[BWU2Buffs]

good points...though I might disagree with you a little about not caring about sales this time....they do..and Universal Music certainly does

I can say almost without reservation that they will be in the U.S doing some sort of promo tour when the album drops...it worked for them with HTDAAB and that album sold 840,000 copies for them in the first week of release in the U.S.

Someone asked "what's this thread about" -- it was about the unorganized and error-prone first few days of GOYB -- multiple versions of the song on iTunes, not available on iTunes UK, lots of album cover mystery blah blah blah and it has been bad. Very bad IMO. Heck, I did not even realize the "two versions" on iTunes US.

Bottom line for me, didn't Bono say something about wanting to "make 2009 our year" -- if true, he certainly cares about albums sales and results, as does Universal Music and IMO no matter how you slice it or who you hold ultimately accountable, this is a pretty dysfunctional and bad start for a band that wants to be "the band" and challenges other bands to higher aspirations and wants to own 2009.

Get On Your Boots? Get Your Shit Together!

 

[Gilead12]

I really want an unbelievable smash hit #2 single so NLOTH will outsell Lil' Wayne's The Carter III in the first week (over a million). I will let it depress me otherwise.

 

[Chill Mike D]

I just remembered this, but some promotion has started already. I live in New York, and last night I was walking on 23rd street and saw a poster that just said "U2 March 3". It was black, and the "U2" part was in the same design as the GOYB cover art.

 

[stealthboy]

I really want an unbelievable smash hit #2 single so NLOTH will outsell Lil' Wayne's The Carter III in the first week (over a million). I will let it depress me otherwise.

You have way too much faith in humanity. People are stupid - I mean, honestly, they buy rap and think it's music.

 

[GibsonExplorer]

I really want an unbelievable smash hit #2 single so NLOTH will outsell Lil' Wayne's The Carter III in the first week (over a million). I will let it depress me otherwise.

For your own sake, you better lower your expectations in a hurry.

 

[ajcro]

Why do you think the success of Discotheque was unintended? It was U2’s first big-very-commercially-friendly pop-rock single. Discotheque was absolutely the father of Beautiful Day, Vertigo and now Boots. Each one to Vertigo getting a little more shallow, a little dumber, a little more obvious in it’s intention, to now we have Boots almost – almost – circling back around again to a Discothèque type place. (If they really wanted to shock and play up to a ‘new/experiment/leftfield’ image, in the vein of releasing the Fly and Numb first up, they would have gone with Mofo first).

- Ernie, the single "Discotheque" was not a success. It was a flop, at least here in the US. It played a large part in shaping negative momentum against the album and the tour.

 

[GibsonExplorer]

- Ernie, the single "Discotheque" was not a success. It was a flop, at least here in the US. It played a large part in shaping negative momentum against the album and the tour.

ajcro is right. It was #21 (I think) the first week and dropped out fast.

 

[zoopop]

Who really cares if GYBO blows up? I'm glad U2 has gone the out fashion route to distribute the new single. U2 would have taken alot of crap from the diehards (us) & media if they put out another commercial style campaign for the new single like "Vertigo". These guys don't like repeating themselves. Another thing, this song is very different from whats played on Top 40 radio. "GYBO" has no business being played next to Nickelwhack or Shitty Spears.

Thing to consider everyone. Real rock n roll music has a hard time busting through the mainstream these days. If its not manufactured or commercial rap it won't make it big in the US. I mean some people think American Idol is real music.

The album will be big and just wait for the tour. U2 will be huge for the right reason and not the commercial ones.

 

[MMP]

ajcro is right. It was #21 (I think) the first week and dropped out fast.

Actually that was BD, Disco debuted at #10.

 

[LyricalDrug]

This is just a wild conspiracy theory based on no facts, but does anyone else wonder if the almost-zero-marketing so far could be due to a dispute between U2 and their record company? I'm imagining a scenario where the record company, eager to find another "Vertigo," insists that GOYB is the first single. U2, wanting a different, more experimental single, decides to do minimal promotional work for GOYB as a result, and is keeping their powder dry for the next single / album release?

It's hard for me to imagine U2 in an inferior bargaining position with their label, given how great Paul McGuinness is at getting things done on U2's terms. But something just doesn't feel right, otherwise...

 

[Mountain Dew Ma]

This is just a wild conspiracy theory

indeed.

 

[bathiu]

This is just a wild conspiracy theory based on no facts, but does anyone else wonder if the almost-zero-marketing so far could be due to a dispute between U2 and their record company? I'm imagining a scenario where the record company, eager to find another "Vertigo," insists that GOYB is the first single. U2, wanting a different, more experimental single, decides to do minimal promotional work for GOYB as a result, and is keeping their powder dry for the next single / album release?

It's hard for me to imagine U2 in an inferior bargaining position with their label, given how great Paul McGuinness is at getting things done on U2's terms. But something just doesn't feel right, otherwise...

GOYB is not up for a Grammy (at least this year's Grammy), so maybe they don't feel the song needs as much marketing as BD and Vertigo... it could be as simple as this

 

[Irishteen]

Boots is down to 99 on the US itunes, hope they start promoting soon. If it keeps falling radio will start dropping it and it will fall faster...

 

[Mountain Dew Ma]

Boots is down to 99 on the US itunes, hope they start promoting soon. If it keeps falling radio will start dropping it and it will fall faster...

wait...so radio bases what they play off itunes? lol.

 

[Irishteen]

wait...so radio bases what they play off itunes? lol.

Itunes shows what people are buying, if people aren't buying the song they don't want to hear it so they'll drop the song in favour of what's more popular, why play a song people aren't interested in hearing?

 

[Mountain Dew Ma]

Itunes shows what people are buying, if people aren't buying the song they don't want to hear it so they'll drop the song in favour of what's more popular, why play a song people aren't interested in hearing?

so the DJ's go and look at iTunes charts and say, i must play this song! I'm glad you know how every DJ Operates.

 

[Utoo]

Honestly, none of this matters. GOYB will get much more airplay in two to three weeks once the album gets closer.

Question this not. It simply will.

 

[Axver]

Ernie, the single "Discotheque" was not a success. It was a flop, at least here in the US. It played a large part in shaping negative momentum against the album and the tour.

U2's last single to reach the US top ten was a flop? Ha, then what does that make Beautiful Day and Vertigo? Unmitigated chart failures?

This revisionist history is hilarious. Yes, Discotheque had a rather sudden decline, but that doesn't change the fact that no subsequent U2 song has been capable of cracking the US top ten.

 

[BoyOnTheHorizon]

I said several days before, Boots is not going to be a hit; it's not a good song for a hit, maybe for fans like us it's a interesting sound, but it's not going to get as much airplay as Vertigo, BD, Stuck or Elevation...
Maybe this low profile album release so far is an indication that even the band was aware of it and it's preparing something else when the album comes out.

 

[BoyOnTheHorizon]

U2's last single to reach the US top ten was a flop? Ha, then what does that make Beautiful Day and Vertigo? Unmitigated chart failures?

This revisionist history is hilarious. Yes, Discotheque had a rather sudden decline, but that doesn't change the fact that no subsequent U2 song has been capable of cracking the US top ten.

Maybe the Hot 100 is not the only indication for a song to become a big hit. Discotheque is just another U2 song, at the same time BD became a worldwide anthem that was played on movies, tv ads and so on.

 

[Utoo]

This revisionist history is hilarious. Yes, Discotheque had a rather sudden decline, but that doesn't change the fact that no subsequent U2 song has been capable of cracking the US top ten.

Which is why the iTunes charts are pointless. People who like U2 buy U2 albums. Fact. The iTunes top 10 & top 100 consist of individual songs purchased teenyboppers and people who wish to fill up their collection of individual one-hit wonder or big hits. Can anyone really explain away the fact that "Eye of the Tiger" is on that list in any other way?

If U2 and Britney Spears released an album the same week, U2 may potentially hold a higher spot for a week or two, but Britney would probably smack U2 in staying power--especially in terms of singles. Big deal.