EvolutionMonkey,
"50 Cent was a nobody about a year ago and yet can sell twice as much as U2 in the US. How do you account for this STING ?"
U2 sales of ATYCLB as of this time last year were at
4,117,000 albums sold to consumers according to Soundscan which tracks over 95% of all sales to consumers in the USA.
50 Cent's album has currently shipped 6 million copies to stores according to RIAA. I do not have the soundscan figure for sales to consumers, but its less than 6 million since a store can't sell something that has not been shipped to them.
So at best, 50 Cent has outsold U2's latest album by 33% to 50%, but no where near twice as much.
There is always a new artist, usually several artist, every year that are brand new multiplatinum smashes. Thats not unique or unusual at all. What is unique and unusual is a band like U2 to be delivering multiplatinum smashes like ATYCLB 15 years after the release of their largest selling album. 50 Cent may have had a hot selling album in 2003, but what will he be selling like in 2018? Or even 2008? Can't say for sure, but the Pop world is litered with "here today, gone tomorrow"
More on the Subject of 50 Cent and his album sales, notice that 50 Cent has only sold 1 million copies in Europe compared to ATYCLB sales of over 4.5 million there. ATYCLB has sold another 3-4 million copies in countries outside the USA and Europe.
And, equally as important, how many arena's and Stadiums has 50 Cent been able to sellout by himself? NONE At best he may have been able to sellout some 3,000 seat theaters. Talk about a HUGE difference between ones album sales and ticket sales.
"I think U2's marketing machine is just not that great at all, they have done a lot better for ATYCLB but before that they did almost no marketing in the states for POP except for the KMART thing which was pretty pathetic in itself."
ATYCLB sales show this idea to be false. ATYCLB is currently one of the top 15 selling albums worldwide in this new decade. Nearly 12 million albums sold and counting. POP sold only 6 million copies worldwide because the casual U2 fans and general public simply did not like the album. But the POPMART tour played to over 4 million people worldwide and GROSSED 171 million dollars in ticket sales. It still ranks today, on a worldwide basis, as the third highest Grossing tour of all time.
The Elevation tour in North America is currently the 3rd highest Grossing tour in North American history.
So no, U2's marketing machine, while not perfect, has done very well. The statistics speak for themselves and I have more to prove the point in need be.
"If they had the marketing power of some of these artists like Avril and Eminenm and 50 Cent then they would sell twice as many records in the States as they currently do. Heck even Norah Jones is an example of great marketing, she was an absolute nobody but sold more than U2's last album inthe States."
The artist you mention above, except Eminenm, are having large multiplatinum success in the USA based on a first album release. This type of thing happens every year or every other year. Next year or the year after, 3 or 4 people never heard of before will have huge successful debut albums. This is more of a case of being the "NEW THING" rather than some magic marketing strategy. Avril's new album has done as well as 50 Cent, 6 million copies shipped to stores in the USA. Yes a little better than the over 4 million sale of ATYCLB in the USA, but only a little.
But how much can these artist sale outside the USA and what about their concert ticket sales, just as important as album sales when determining popularity.
Norah Jones has had one successful album, but again, she can't sell enough tickets to even play Arena's. Eminenm has done well with album sales both in the USA and outside the USA, but has done very little when it comes to selling concert tickets.
Notice that in 2003, only 3 albums in the USA sold more than ATYCLB USA sales total. Just check out Billboards latest album chart.
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