U2 Worldwide Singles Success since 1999

[beLIEve]

Well, I certainly was wrong about BD being the only song that charted Globally off of ATYCLB. It's easy to criticize U2's singles strategy, but from a worldwide standpoint, they have done quite well, actually, and they are certainly a Global Band with a Global audience to consider. The Global Chart from media traffic only has album archives for 2004 and 2005, but they have singles archives from 1998-2005.

Vertigo has been U2's most successful single during this time period on the charts, but BD is probably the most accessible and recognizable single from this same time period (maybe ever). Here is how the singles have done since 1998:

^ = Over 2,000,000 points amassed on Global Chart scoring system based on sales and airplay around the world.

Best of 1980 – 1990 – the single

Sweetest Thing (1998 data missing) ^
Week 51 – 1998: Sweetest Thing was @ #6 on Global Singles Chart, no prior data
Known Global Chart Run: 6*-7**-8-9-11-15-15-23-34-40-out (Week 9 – Mar 6, 1999)
18 weeks in the Global Top 40; *already 8 weeks in Top 40; **Week 52 of 1998

Million Dollar Hotel & All that you can’t leave behind – the singles

The Ground beneath Her Feet (Million Dollar Hotel; ATYCLB bonus track)
Week 17 – April 29, 2000: The Ground beneath Her Feet debuts at #38
Chart Run: 38-37-38-out (Week 20 – May 20, 2000)
3 weeks in the Global Top 40

All that you can’t leave behind – the singles

Beautiful Day ^
Week 40 - Oct 7, 2000: BD debuts at #39
Chart Run: 39-24-21-2-2-2-3-4-4-4-8-8*-8-10-13-17-19-27-37-out (Week 8 – Feb 24, 2001); 19 weeks in the Global Top 40; *Week 52 of 2000
2000 Top 40: BD at #23 with 3,627,000 points; Peak position #2 for three weeks

Stuck in a Moment ^
Week 4 – Jan 27, 2001: Stuck debuts at #37
Chart Run: 37-30-23-9-9-9-9-10-10-13-13-16-24-27-32-out (Week 19 – May 12, 2001)
15 weeks in the Global Top 40

Elevation
Week 29 – July 21, 2001: Elevation debuts at #40
Chart Run: 40-21-8-7-9-9-12-9-10-18-21-37-out (Week 41 – Oct 13, 2001)
12 weeks in the Global Top 40

Walk On
Week 49 – Dec 8, 2001: Walk On debuts at #35
Chart Run: 35-27-25-30*28-27-27-24-23-26-26-32-out (Week 9 – Mar 2, 2002)
12 weeks in the Global Top 40; *Week 52 of 2001


Best of 1990 – 2000 – the singles

Electrical Storm
Week 42 – Oct 10, 2002: Electrical Storm debuts at #35
Chart Run: 40-24-17-6-6-6-8-10-10-13-17*-21-21-24-40-out (Week 5 – Feb 1, 2003)
18 weeks in the Global Top 40; *already 8 weeks in Top 40; **Week 52 of 1998

How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb – the singles

Vertigo ^ ^
Week 43 - Oct 23, 2004: Vertigo debuts at #36
Chart Run: 36-27-28-13-10-2-3-3-2-2-2*-2-2-2-4-7-6-10-14-20-25-31-36
23 weeks in the Global Top 40; *Week 53 of 2004
2004 Top 40: Vertigo at #22 with 3,126,000 points; Peak position #2 for seven weeks

Sometimes you can’t make it on your own
Week 8 – Feb 26, 2005: Sometimes debuts at #26
Chart Run: 26-15-15-13-11

 

[fitz]

Thanks beLIEve. What is your source for this figures?

 

[beLIEve]

Media traffic

It's all located at the media traffic website, which is what we've been using here for Global tracking since ATYCLB. The website address is http://www.mediatraffic.de/.

I only wish they had good archive data going back before 1999 for singles and more than 2 years of album data. BB has that information, I know, but not so easily summed up in a truly worldwide analysis.

 

[BigMacPhisto]

Putting these in order.......

#2 - Vertigo (Seven Weeks)
#2 - Beautiful Day (Three Weeks)
#6 - Sweetest Thing
#7 - Elevation
#9 - Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of

#11 - Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own

#23 - Walk On

#37 - The Ground Beneath Her Feet

Pretty successful tracks in a worldwide sense, although a lot of these didn't make a huge impact on the Billboard 100 here in the United States.........note that all four ATYCLB hit #1 on the Canadian singles chart............the US is really the only market where the band has a hard time putting out hits....