I don't know if I'd call it expected. Yes they love U2, but you're talking about the US having 5 times the population of France and they may DOUBLE the sales of the U.S.
their 22k figure is only 3 days. So they may sell another 25k next week.
#6 in the UK albums chart.
I don't know if I'd call it expected. Yes they love U2, but you're talking about the US having 5 times the population of France and they may DOUBLE the sales of the U.S.
their 22k figure is only 3 days. So they may sell another 25k next week.
#6 in the UK - Not bad though I was hoping they would at least beat Jesse J...
In fairness though, when you see the top 5 you really get an idea of the horrible state of the music industry. When inane, record company marketing department manufactured dross like Ed Sheeran, Sam Smith and George Ezra is camped at the top of the album charts for months on end it's hard to see where real talent will ever break through again.
#6 in the UK - Not bad though I was hoping they would at least beat Jesse J...
In fairness though, when you see the top 5 you really get an idea of the horrible state of the music industry. When inane, record company marketing department manufactured dross like Ed Sheeran, Sam Smith and George Ezra is camped at the top of the album charts for months on end it's hard to see where real talent will ever break through again.
There's no doubt there have been changes, but shit music has always dominated. Have a look at the charts around Achtung in 1991/92. Ed Sheeran and Sam Smith, or you'd prefer Michael Bolton and Vanilla Ice?
or you'd prefer Michael Bolton and Vanilla Ice?
lol, George Esra etc. Are insanely talented compared to whats on the dutch charts sometimes..
I agree that they are quite talented guys, it's just I find the music they are releasing to be rather calculated and lacking in real personality. Ed Sheeran's "X" - 3 out of 12 songs actually written solely by him. Sam Smith's "In the Lonely Hour" - 2 out of 10... Songs written by committee to meet the current trends and they really sound like it. I'm not sure if Ezra's album is the same but he's definitely on that post - Mumford & Sons lightweight folky bandwagon which I just find so calculated and boring.
They definitely beat the hell out of Vanilla Ice and Michael bolton though LOL... Point taken!
Do you have a link for the 22k in 3 days French figure? I found this link for the chart position, but I don't see the actual number. Thanks! Meilleures ventes d'Albums en France (Top Albums)
France had better sales than the US. Fairly Insane
75 dates in both The Netherlands and France
That's it, no tour in the US.
75 dates in both The Netherlands and France
Apart from the US result, this will have exceeded all of their expectations.
Sent from my iPhone using U2 Interference
That U2 didn't register their 10th number one studio album - and sixth in a row - with Songs Of Innocence is largely their own fault. The album debuts at number six on sales of just 15,998 copies, having been available for more than a month as a free download from iTunes before being released physically and in expanded download form on Monday. Its first week little more than a tenth of the 157,928 copies that last album, No Line On The Horizon sold on its chart-topping debut in 2009. It is also noticeable that Songs Of Innocence's digital sales for last week were a mere 3.57% of its overall tally, less than a tenth of last week's market average for artist albums of 38.52%. Unless Songs Of Innocence rallies, it will be U2's lowest charting studio album in the UK since second album October peaked at number 11 in 1981.
Great to see SOI number one in my country! (Netherlands).
What is new in Netherlands for U2 (as far as I know) is that they have been actively promoting the new album last week. Lots of advertisement in the commercial breaks on the main radio stations and many posters about the new album and it's release date on the streets everywhere. They will have to sell many albums to earn these investments back?
I don't think they'll have to sell many albums to earn these investments back as I think this was already paid for with Apple's money. My theory now is that U2 and their record company (Island/Universal) got at least as much money as U2's record advance is. Wasn't that rumoured to be around 20 million or so? Thus, the Apple move has made U2/Universal already enough money to break even on the album release. With such an advance they'd usually have to sell 4 to 5 million copies worldwide. Some years ago (when U2's current contract was signed) they could move that many units. Nowadays, an artist is already very successful if he/she moves 2-3 million units worldwide. So with the current market conditions U2 would never end in the black, unless they had a superhit on their hands. But now the Apple deal took care of that. All remaining sales is just bonus.
I am confused. is SOI available on iTunes right now? if so is it still available for free or is it actually for sale?
In regards the reported $100M from the Apple deal, I still do not understand if this is cash money for Universal/U2 or more likely as seems to have been reported it is the value of advertisement Apple will give to the band?... So Apple will spend $100M promoting SOI.... but whats the use in advertising something which has been given away for free and therefore will not generate any meaningful financial returns! Otherwise are Apple going to spend the money advertising something else for U2, e.g. back catalog, a future album or the upcoming tour? but again, why bother when albums no longer sell and the tour is a guaranteed sell out anyway whether promoted or not? :S
Is it available for sale. It is not free anymore.
However, the only version of SOI available on iTunes at this moment is just the regular album, not the deluxe version/bonus disc. That one will be released on iTunes on November 18. Though I believe that if you preorder the bonus disc (called Songs Of Innocence +) that you will already have the acoustic songs.
I am confused. is SOI available on iTunes right now? if so is it still available for free or is it actually for sale?