Can 1st week sales of new Coldplay album (X&Y) match those of HTDAAB?

[edge3]

So looks like these figures at Mediatraffic are sales only (the top 40 add up to their overall sales figure of 3.25m).

If definitely true then X&Y's all time total should now be 8,053,000 (7.766m + 115k + 91k + 81k).

Yeah, but the all time chart does not reflect total sales for the bomb right? I mean, not even those tracked by mediatraffic.
Sales to consumers for the bomb are over 9 million while X&Y sales should be at 8,5 million right now.

Correct : 9,160,000 sales to consumers for Bomb vrs 8,536,000 for X&Y.

 

[fedeu2]

If U2 manage to get a few grammys I don´t see how X&Y can catch up with HTDAAB.

So looks like these figures at Mediatraffic are sales only (the top 40 add up to their overall sales figure of 3.25m).

X&Y's all time total should now be 8,053,000 (7.766m + 115k + 91k + 81k).



Correct : 9.2m sales to consumers for Bomb vrs 8.5m for X&Y.

 

[ybird3k]

If U2 manage to get a few grammys I don´t see how X&Y can catch up with HTDAAB.

if bomb wins album of the year, theres no chance

 

[fedeu2]

Yes, that´s what I meant. Album of the year is the one the bomb needs to win. Too bad it´s the toughest!!
The horrendous Mariah Carey looks like the favorite here.

if bomb wins album of the year, theres no chance

 

[cjboog]

I really hope Bomb wins album of the year but I don't think it will. However I think they will rack up a few Grammys. Unfortunately we have to realize by now that X&Y is going to pass the Bomb. I have been denying it for a long time, but it is only on its 3rd single and we have had 5 singles. Its true though that the album of the year Grammy would for sure put the Bomb out of X&Y's reach

 

[fedeu2]

No, I don´t think it is fair to say 5 singles have been released for bomb. OOTS has not been released worldwide yet. Only in the US as promo.
Honestly, I don´t see any other tracks from X&Y that could become a great success if released as single.
If U2 does not win album of the year, I agree, eventually, X&Y will catch up with bomb and maybe supersede it but not by a long shot anyway.
When all it is said and done, I don´t see X&Y achieving the commercial success of say Green day´s American Idiot.

I really hope Bomb wins album of the year but I don't think it will. However I think they will rack up a few Grammys. Unfortunately we have to realize by now that X&Y is going to pass the Bomb. I have been denying it for a long time, but it is only on its 3rd single and we have had 5 singles. Its true though that the album of the year Grammy would for sure put the Bomb out of X&Y's reach

 

[ybird3k]

bombs only had 4 singles (OOTS cant really be counted)
i think coldplays next single will be 'what if'
and theres no way x&y will reach the same sales as 'idiot'

 

[cjboog]

Oh yah, sorry i forgot OOTS wasn't an official single yet. As far as X&Y's next single, I think it will be...I don't really know! That album seems to follow such a set formula that it is hard to pick out a song that doesn't sound remarkably like all the others. And by the way, is OOTS going to be a full fledged single? It makes sense that they would realease it and along with the Grammy's give Bomb one last sales push.

 

[fedeu2]

What if? It´s such a lame, lame song.

bombs only had 4 singles (OOTS cant really be counted)
i think coldplays next single will be 'what if'
and theres no way x&y will reach the same sales as 'idiot'

 

[edge3]

Music Week have just done the top selling UK acts shipment figures for outside the UK for 2005 & X&Y is # 1 with 6.2m. Last year Bomb was also # 1 but with 7.5m. So :

Bomb vrs X&Y - total worldwide 1st year shipments :

Bomb : 7.5m outside UK + 1m in UK = 8.5m
X&Y : 6.2m outside UK + 2.1m in UK = 8.3m

Also - Bomb, surprisingly (imo), has no mention on the list this time so it seems it must have shipped less than 600k outside the UK in 2005. However we do know for sure that, during 2005, it shipped another 300k in UK + 100k in Spain + 100k Canada + 40k in Denmark. So i think we can, for sure, add another approx 540k to it's 2004 overall shipment figure of 8.5m. So that's 9.040m. Question is was there another 360k shipped outside the UK ? & if so where to ?

 

[phanan]

I don't see the fourth single from X&Y being strong enough to ultimately push the album past Bomb, whatever it ultimately ends up being. While there are songs I personally think are very good on it, I don't think any of them are single material.

By contrast, the four singles from AROBTTH were all very strong, which spurned on that album's sales to over $10 million. I don't see X&Y getting there without a strong fourth single.

 

[STING2]

Music Week have just done the top selling UK acts shipment figures for outside the UK for 2005 & X&Y is # 1 with 6.2m. Last year Bomb was also # 1 but with 7.5m. So :

Bomb vrs X&Y - total worldwide 1st year shipments :

Bomb : 7.5m outside UK + 1m in UK = 8.5m
X&Y : 6.2m outside UK + 2.1m in UK = 8.3m

Also - Bomb, surprisingly (imo), has no mention on the list this time so it seems it must have shipped less than 600k outside the UK in 2005. However we do know for sure that, during 2005, it shipped another 300k in UK + 100k in Spain + 100k Canada + 40k in Denmark. So i think we can, for sure, add another approx 540k to it's 2004 overall shipment figure of 8.5m. So that's 9.040m. Question is was there another 360k shipped outside the UK ? & if so where to ?

I think Ireland had shipments for another 60,000 in 2005 so that would put the figure at 9.1 million worldwide.

 

[cjboog]

Anyone have any updated estimates for Bomb, American Idiot, and X&Y?

 

[doctorwho]

I think Ireland had shipments for another 60,000 in 2005 so that would put the figure at 9.1 million worldwide.

You're doing your math wrong Sting2.

If shipments were at 8.5M, another 60,000 would mean only 8.56M, not 9.1M.

 

[Catman]

^^^ I think Sting is adding that 60,000 onto the 9.04 amount edge3 had in his post

 

[edge3]

^^^ I think Sting is adding that 60,000 onto the 9.04 amount edge3 had in his post

...

7.5m outside UK according to Musicweek as at Jan ' 05 + 100k since in Spain + 100k since in Canada + 70k (now) since in Ireland + 1.3m shipped in UK = 9,070,000 shipped that i know about.

Btw, 2wks ago the back page of Musicweek was a congratulation from Island records to U2 for the 5 grammy awards for Bomb & it's "8.5m in sales"... i'm sure that can't be an accurate summation of it's total sales though as total sales to consumers must now be at 9-9.2m.

 

[doctorwho]

What does Media Traffic have as total sales per the last report?

 

[edge3]

Mediatraffic total after 41 wks was 8,188,000... 25 wks later it hasn't returned to their top 40 chart so that total remains.

 

[STING2]

Well, X&Y has now officially hit 4 times platinum in Europe for 4 million in sales according to the IFPI which certifies album sales for Europe. BOMB was certified triple platinum by IFPI back in December 2004, but has not yet crossed the 4 times platinum mark although it is close.


One thing to consider though is that 60% of X&Ys sales in Europe came from just one country, the United Kingdom.

If you take the United Kingdom out of the picture, HTDAAB is the bigger seller in Europe.

 

[edge3]

Well, X&Y has now officially hit 4 times platinum in Europe for 4 million in sales according to the IFPI which certifies album sales for Europe. BOMB was certified triple platinum by IFPI back in December 2004, but has not yet crossed the 4 times platinum mark although it is close.


One thing to consider though is that 60% of X&Ys sales in Europe came from just one country, the United Kingdom.

If you take the United Kingdom out of the picture, HTDAAB is the bigger seller in Europe.

Yeah, & it's only done so well in the UK 'cos it's had the absolute hell promoted out of it : MASSIVE airplay (far more than the songs off Bomb) & its currently (still) available just about everywhere for just £6-8 - something Bomb's NEVER had.

... oh & they played some major UK arena gigs just before 'Xmas (so as well as the summer stadium shows then).

 

[edge3]

After 43 wks out, X&Y sold 75k at MediaTraffic this week at # 29. It's MT total is now 8,880,000 so i'd put it's total sales to consumers now at around 9,410,000. Unfortunately this means it's now, most probably, just ahead of HTDAAB, which i'd now put at around 9,350,000.

 

[fedeu2]

At this pace, X&Y will cross the 10 million mark in just a couple of months.
I wonder if it will continue selling so well though.

After 43 wks out, X&Y sold 75k at MediaTraffic this week at # 29. It's MT total is now 8,880,000 so i'd put it's total sales to consumers now at around 9,410,000. Unfortunately this means it's now, most probably, just ahead of HTDAAB, which i'd now put at around 9,350,000.

 

[edge3]

At this pace, X&Y will cross the 10 million mark in just a couple of months.
I wonder if it will continue selling so well though.

I don't think so. It's still now down at # 30 in UK / # 93 in US / # 29 at MT & i guess 'The Hardest Part' will most probably be the last single. So i think, yes, about another 8 more weeks at MT with about another 500-600k. Still, v.impressive though.

 

[edge3]

On closer inspection, i now estimate Bomb's sold around 220k in the last 9 wks so i actually now have Bomb at around 9,380,000.

This is without taking into real consideration S.American sales though, where it has recently been doing v.well again. I mean how much more would it have sold at # 4 then # 2 in Mexico ? # 15 then, now, # 13 in Brasil ? # 8 in Argentina ? etc etc... 50k ? To be honest, i don't know too much about S.American sales to be sure so i should probably just stick with 9,380,000.

So, in summary, total approx. sales of Bomb to date =

8,188,000 at MediaTraffic + approx. 492,000 (approx. 6% that MT doesn't cover) + approx. 700,000 (approx. sales in 31 wks Bomb's been off the MT top 40 chart) = 9,380,000

 

[cjboog]

Thanks edge3

Also, I think that X&Y is just about ready for its freefall, it was #93 in the US, although it has had an amazing run. I never would have expected it to outsell bomb.

 

[fedeu2]

Is Hardest part the new single?
Good choice in my opinion, a very radio friendly tune which has that REM style all over it.

I guess Coldplay´s marketing strategy (timing, single election, etc.) has been better than U2´s.

I don't think so. It's still now down at # 30 in UK / # 93 in US / # 29 at MT & i guess 'The Hardest Part' will most probably be the last single. So i think, yes, about another 8 more weeks at MT with about another 500-600k. Still, v.impressive though.

 

[ybird3k]

X&Y now #36 on mediatraffic. could be out of the top 40 next week.

 

[MJDangerous]

X&Y now #36 on mediatraffic. could be out of the top 40 next week.

Yes it is 'suffering' of poor sales in USA in comparaison to the rest. Fix You & Talk's effects are close to 0 in USA.
I don't think that the album is already dead, maybe they should reduce the price of the album in USA too now.

 

[edge3]

maybe they should reduce the price of the album in USA too now.

No !

 

[MJDangerous]

No !

lol. I speak for them... Personnaly, I don't care about their sales, it's a band that I don't love especially but I have nothing against them too.

It's very interesting to look at the all time mediatraffic chart taking in account only UK/Ireland acts. They are really A FEW !!

#10 Coldplay (#9 now)
#14 U2
#17 Coldplay (#18 now)
#25 James Blunt (#16 now)
#33 Robbie Williams
#37 Robbie Williams
#43 Gorillaz
#44 Keane
#49 Robbie Williams
#53 The Rolling Stones
#57 REM (not really an UK act)
#67 Enya
#70 Robbie Williams
#75 U2

Even bands like Franz Ferdinand have not achieve to enter in this list. They are clearly 2 kind of UK/Ireland acts : U2/Coldplay and the rest. The gap is massive between them and all the others which still in the marge 3-6 millions while U2/Coldplay sold this without a real difficulty.
More surprising is James Blunt who will outsold them both while he was totally unknow only 1 year ago. In 10 years even Robbie Williams has never broke many markets particularly USA this the performance of James Blunt (& also of Coldplay/U2 even if they have not broke the US market so quickly).