different singles in different markets

[marik]

can someone explain to me the logic in the 'different singles in different markets' idea? i'm pretty sure the first time U2 did this on a large scale was for ATYCLB (walk on, stuck)-of course there was small things like One Tree Hill single for aussies.

i mean are americans and europeans SO different that they need their singles fed to them in a different order? i mean really, people have such a small attention span that they just judge a band's song on the song itself, not on how it relates to the band's last 2 or 3 songs. i don't think it would have mattered whether Walk On or Stuck was the 2nd single for ATYCLB.

so that rules out the whole idea od 'americans need to 2 fast paced punk-like sounding songs -vertigo, ABOY, and, the europeans need a ballad SYCMIOYO after vertigo.'

so it is just a security measure for their success in case a single fails. i mean, if they just released ABOY worldwide as the second single and it bombed, that would ruin the bands image to an extent. whereas , its less risky to bank on two different singles at one time, so that if one of them fails, the 'other' half of the world could be doing well with a sucessful single. does this show a lack of confidence in which singles to pick (not putting all the marbles on one choice)? just a thought. would love if someone could explain it to me, or direct me to a previous thread i may of missed on this topic.

 

[Flaming Friar Sr]

its probably to have hardcore fans spend more money. i admit im one of them

 

[chocky]

I do think the US / UK / Asian markets are different.

In Australia the charts are a blend of Aussie pop/rock, US R&B, British bubblegum pop and contestants of any Idol show.

Bands like U2 are more likely to chart with a ballad than straight rock. And certainly at Christmas time a ballad will be no.1 in Australia and UK.

Timing of tours will probably also have a say in which single is released. In my opinion, ABOY will be the US single for when they tour the States in March. It would make sense for UK/Europe to hold this back for the June/July European tour and release SYCMIOYO in March.

 

[marik]

if there was difference in markets, i'd MAYBE understand different songs as singles. but its the same songs, just in a different order! so you say that europeans or aussies, perfer a ballad like Sometimes, but then they will get the same single ABOY, but just later (like 4th single) So really, you can't say the markets are different cuz the same songs will all be eventually sold there, just in a different order. you say that a ballad will go to number 1 around x-mas time in UK or aust. . wouldn't it in the US as well? i can understand a rock single for the timing of a tour. but then again when the POPmart tour started in america the single was staring at the sun.