Better yet for the Global Chart, Sometimes had a sales and airplay increase to rise two spots from 15 to 13. Vertigo still hanging in at 31 after six months! Having Sometimes in the Top 15 WORLDWIDE for 3 consecutive weeks makes it a hit, IMO. Also, on March 15, another version of Sometimes will be released as a "Maxi-single" in Japan & Asia, with this tracklist:
Track Listings
1. Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own
2. Fast Cars - Jacknife Lee Mix-
3. Vertigo - Trent Reznor Remix-
4. Vertigo - Redanka Power Mix-
5. Ave Maria
That makes the 4th version of this single released between February 7 and March 15. It goes for $21.49 at Amazon as an Import, though, so my brief consideration of placing an order was just that, brief.
However, this does give me some hope about an official release in the U.S. I mean, the only thing ever announced and pushed on U2.com was the Feb. 7 release in the UK, which was the release date for ABOY in the U.S. The press release said ABOY would be released in N.A. & S.A., while Sometimes was the next single for the R.O.W. However, they are definitely intentionally targeting specific release dates around the world, including Canada this week!
The video was simply premiered on U2.com, and it's now in heavy rotation on VH1. I feel confident it will chart on that format and make it to the top. So, next week in New York, U2 have the perfect opportunity to again play Sometimes in the U.S. and do an official release, even if it's just a download with some good b-sides. It will count towards U.S. Billboard charts, so it can only help. Perhaps there is a method behind this madness, and since ABOY was released in the U.S., the move towards Sometimes was delayed or at least not pushed too hard up front.
Also, ABOY was a hit in the U.S., just not the smash hit we all hoped for and certainly not the hit Vertigo was to lead off the album. I posted this in another forum after being sick and tired and the America Bashing pointed towards U2 fans - not meant toward anyone here and I apologized for it. I won't apologize for being a long-time member of Propaganda, although I certainly understand the many different emotions surrounding the presale fiasco, as well as the resentment towards the U.S. for having so many U2 tour stops. I'd feel the same way. However, it's not MY FAULT. Anyway, I digress. Here is the backup to why ABOY was, and still is, a moderate hit on U.S. radio.
****************************************************
Quote:
i can't understand all this hatred against ABOY...to me it's simply one of the best tune off HTDAAB and would be a perfect choice for a single. The fact that US audience didn't like it just confirms my theory: it's a great song.
Honestly i don't believe in the directions given by a market that pushed HTDAAB off the top 40 in less than 15 weeks while in the rest of the world it's still in the top 20 so i'm more likely to think that perhaps US don't deserve ABOY instead of considering ABOY a bad chioce.
****************************************************
My reply to the above post made unintentionally by lots of people outside the U.S. was this...forget my rant, but as you can see, ABOY did OK, but with no good b-sides for download, airplay was all they got.
You know, no one that I know hates ABOY. We have come to expect all U2 singles to be smash hits in the U.S., which is unrealistic. How well did ABOY do in the U.S.?
ABOY has spent 11 weeks on the Modern Rock Chart, where it peaked at #6. It has spent 11 weeks on Mainstream Rock Tracks where it is currently still #27. ABOY was never released as a single for sale on CD, which is what U2 does in Europe to get press for hitting #1 before the song disappears. Even Vertigo was only available for download in the U.S., which was not counted on the U.S. charts. Now that this is counted, Vertigo is well past Platinum (200,000 downloads) and was the most downloaded song in 2004. Today, 6 months after it's released, Vertigo is still #63 on the Hot 100 Airplay Chart in the U.S.
As for the other two songs released off of HTDAAB, Vertigo is at #23 on the Adult Rock Top 40 while SYCMIOYO is at #24. Sometimes just debuted at #39 on Modern Rock charts.
Now this is all from Billboard, which combines sales and airplay to come up with positions. The airplay charts show U2 much higher, and the Triple A format currently has Sometimes at #6 after 3 weeks, ABOY at #15 after 13 weeks, and Vertigo as the #4 "most played recurrent" after 25 weeks! ABOY peaked at #2 on the American Rock Radio for 3 consecutive weeks, missing #1 (Green Day) by a scant 13 radio plays for #1.
ABOY also did what no other U2 song has done in a long time. It cracked the MTV charts with an MTV jammed sponsored video. Also, while you and many others bash American Music tastes, take a look at the World Singles Chart. To take America out of the equation, look at the Eurochart Top 100 singles.
Please note: The #1 song is J.Lo, there is a country/rap duet at #2, and plenty of Jay-Z, Eminem, Snoop Dog, Maroon 5, etc. as you read on. Looks like music tastes around the world have sunk to a new low, huh? It's sickening to me, too, but I don't hate the UK 'cause I had to put up with the Spice Girls...
http://www.hart87.freeserve.co.uk/eurocharts.html
Now, I can't stand all the negativity here or at Zootopia. Prop fans get bashed for getting tickets, and from a number of people, Americans get bashed since U2 THEMSELVES decide to tour here quite a bit. If you don't like U2's decisions, blame U2. If you don't like America, then hate America, but leave U2 and U2 fans out of it. I NEVER post this kindof stuff, but I'm sick of seeing subtle or blunt posts about U2 fans in America not deserving of this or that. We don't make those decisions.
Are we really ONE, just not the same?
End of
I apologize in advance to those who I have offended.
to all U2 fans, wherever you were born or live now, it doesn't matter.
