Songs of Innocence downloaded 26 million times, 81 million 'experienced' songs

[dan_smee]

After the iTunes release I have this no chance of breaking the top ten. If it gets to 1 - how is that for your relevance?


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[stray dog]

After the iTunes release I have this no chance of breaking the top ten. If it gets to 1 - how is that for your relevance?


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It's not about relevance with them. It's about them. If it is successful than it will be "see I told you they sold out"! If it doesn't do as well it will be "see they can't sell"! But I am enjoying U2 right now so I don't give a rat's ass either way hehe.

 

[womanfish]

This is interesting. Hard to tell if they mean 70k for strictly pre orders, and anything after 10-14 would be additional. Or do they mean the are projecting 70k total by chart time based off current numbers...

 

[dan_smee]

It's not about relevance with them. It's about them. If it is successful than it will be "see I told you they sold out"! If it doesn't do as well it will be "see they can't sell"! But I am enjoying U2 right now so I don't give a rat's ass either way hehe.

U2 won't expect much from the physical release, but they will be encouraged and feel relevant if it goes to number 1 anyway.


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[Hawkmoon269]

After the iTunes release I have this no chance of breaking the top ten. If it gets to 1 - how is that for your relevance?


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Don't think it can be #1 in the US, a country group that is releasing the same week is expected to sell ~200k

 

[stray dog]

U2 won't expect much from the physical release, but they will be encouraged and feel relevant if it goes to number 1 anyway.


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The them I was talking about wasn't U2. It was their critics...sorry I wasn't clear. But yes if it does well that would be like a big well deserved FU.

 

[dan_smee]

Don't think it can be #1 in the US, a country group that is releasing the same week is expected to sell ~200k

US isn't the only market they care about.


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[Hawkmoon269]

Sorry ! I thought that you were talking about the 70k number from billboard

 

[BigMacPhisto]

It will certainly be an uphill climb to reach 500,000 copies. Anybody that purchases CDs but has a smart phone will have acquired the album for free, so they're therefore mostly going to be selling these deluxe sets and vinyls to the hardcore fan base. Those that don't feel the need to own everything U2 will have already acquired the goods for free and therefore have no need to actually make a purchase.

I think first week sales will be a little over 100K, but drop off immensely after that. Tour will likely get it over about 400K. Worldwide, probably about one-and-a-half million sold thanks to the band having a lot of fans everywhere and areas where people aren't as big on downloads will probably still buy the CD (think South America).

Songs of Experience will likely outsell SOI by a considerable margin if it doesn't have an instantaneous free release. It may have one in order for Apple to showcase the new technology though. Otherwise, it should be able to sell at a much better clip. I mean, if 26,000,000 have legally downloaded the first release, that's a lot of interested in ears in obtaining the followup.

 

[BVS]

Don't think it can be #1 in the US, a country group that is releasing the same week is expected to sell ~200k

Who?


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[Hawkmoon269]

Florida Georgia line... According to this page

HITS Daily Double: Rumor Mill

YOUR TOP 15: Jason Aldean will debut at #1 with only the sixth album this year to sell over 200k in a single week, and will in all probability become the third-highest-debuting set of 2014. Three of those 200k+ albums are from Country Acts, the other two being Eric Church (288k) and Brantley Gilbert (211k). Another Country act will likely join this group next week, as Republic Nashville’s Florida Georgia Line is expected to sell well north of 200k.

 

[corianderstem]

Don't think it can be #1 in the US, a country group that is releasing the same week is expected to sell ~200k

Who?

Florida Georgia line.

.... who??????????

 

[BVS]

Florida Georgia line... According to this page

HITS Daily Double: Rumor Mill

Interesting... haven't even heard of them.


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[Hawkmoon269]

I've never heard of them either.... Not a country fan at all

 

[Hawkmoon269]

album sales in general are so sad these days

 

[BigMacPhisto]

What's really sad is that Pink Floyd's latest adult contemporary hogwash will likely be one of the year's best sellers, surely outselling U2's latest adult active rock hogwash.

 

[zoocarolina]

70,000 is just for deluxe, that doesn't include the basic version I would guess. They should have no problem getting over 100k the first week.


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[DomCobb]

Shit forgot Pink Floyd has a new album. And AC/DC too. Damn U2 overshadowing everyone else.

 

[womanfish]

Jessie J is also gonna be released on the 14th. And while she may not get huge numbers, she has a hit single and opened the MTV video awards, so there may be stiff competition for
The number 2 slot.

 

[stray dog]

Shit forgot Pink Floyd has a new album. And AC/DC too. Damn U2 overshadowing everyone else.

Well they aren't really Pink Floyd or AC/DC anymore.

 

[Moser]

album sales in general are so sad these days

It's god awful. RIP music industry.

 

[lazarus]

We're overlooking the important point here: the band essentially "sacrificed" this album by giving it away, likely because they've been gone for so long and had to reintroduce themselves. This is basically a downpayment on Songs Of Experience, which is going to be tied into a new interactive media which they hope people will buy.

They're obviously hoping enough people like this album (as well as the subsequent tour) and will be curious enough about what they do next, which will be coming in a shorter time frame.

I honestly don't think they expect this to do well, or care. This was a transitional/experimental period release-wise, and it's all about where things go next.

 

[stray dog]

We're overlooking the important point here: the band essentially "sacrificed" this album by giving it away, likely because they've been gone for so long and had to reintroduce themselves. This is basically a downpayment on Songs Of Experience, which is going to be tied into a new interactive media which they hope people will buy.

They're obviously hoping enough people like this album (as well as the subsequent tour) and will be curious enough about what they do next, which will be coming in a shorter time frame.

I honestly don't think they expect this to do well, or care. This was a transitional/experimental period release-wise, and it's all about where things go next.

U2 has enough money. They just wanted to be heard. And they have been heard.

 

[DomCobb]

Well they aren't really Pink Floyd or AC/DC anymore.

Yeah of course. Though the Pink Floyd album supposedly has older, unreleased material in it. Anyway, it just reminds me why I love U2 so much - all the other great rock bands have lost it, but U2 has not.

 

[BigMacPhisto]

The problem with the whole "down payment" scenario is that SOE isn't finished and likely won't be out until late 2016 at the earliest given how long U2 tends to tour and basically not record anything. If they go the usual take forever route with finishing up that next album, the general public will have likely forgotten about them once again.

 

[Popmartijn]

I do believe they will....standard, deluxe and vinyl.

they are estimating 70k in pre orders in the US alone. The question is, how many albums will they sell the week of release?

Nope. I interpret this Billboard article as estimating U2 to sell a total of 70,000 in their debut week. Pre-orders are less than 70,000 plus the prediction of albums sold during the first week of release will make it a total of 70,000.

We will know the final number in about two weeks...

 

[rennowba]

"Based on pre-orders alone, sources suggest to Billboard the physical deluxe edition will move an additional 70,000 copies in the U.S."

Thats the exact quote from billboard.

Id say the 70,000 is just the deluxe edition and thats what its expected to sell in the first week. That dosent include the standard release or the vinyl

 

[Axver]

The problem with the whole "down payment" scenario is that SOE isn't finished and likely won't be out until late 2016 at the earliest given how long U2 tends to tour and basically not record anything. If they go the usual take forever route with finishing up that next album, the general public will have likely forgotten about them once again.

Yeah, this. I'll be honestly impressed if we see Songs of Experience - or if it even has that title - within three years.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

It will certainly be an uphill climb to reach 500,000 copies. Anybody that purchases CDs but has a smart phone will have acquired the album for free, so they're therefore mostly going to be selling these deluxe sets and vinyls to the hardcore fan base. Those that don't feel the need to own everything U2 will have already acquired the goods for free and therefore have no need to actually make a purchase.

70% of the world actually own smart phones not made by Apple. So that's a lot of people left.

 

[dan_smee]

70% of the world actually own smart phones not made by Apple. So that's a lot of people left.

Agreed, but I also think people who wouldn't have illegally downloaded something would ease their conscience on this one given it was notionally free. That and it would be interesting to see how many new iTunes accounts were created since September 9.