Sales-Week Ending 8/3/08

1. Sugarland "Love On The Inside"

Sales this week: 171,383
Percentage change: -45
Weeks on: 2
Cume: 485,117

You could say this is the power of a number one single, the positively inane "All I Want To Do".

You could say that country fans haven’t learned how to download.

You could say that this is the power of the Nashville barons over their format.

I’ll say it’s the power of rock and roll.

Sugarland is a real band, with real songs. Not manufactured by some men behind the curtain, pulling the strings. One thinks of Fleetwood Mac… A bunch of journeymen who finally found the right formula. Christine McVie wasn’t the best-looking girl on the block, but her understated emotionality got under your skin and made you want to get closer to her, not to fuck her, but to be her boyfriend. Similarly, there’s something about Jennifer Nettles that give you the impression she’s been rode hard and put up wet. But it’s just those miles that intrigue us. She’s had to use more than her looks to get by, her feminine wiles.

People want songs played by real musicians that they can sing along with. Never forget that. Everything else is a fad.

2. Miley Cyrus "Breakout"

Sales this week: 162,773
Percentage change: -56
Weeks on: 2
Cume: 534,433

Can you hear the sound of Miley jumping the shark?

That’s what happens when you grow up, go from being innocent through puberty, when the opposite sex is more interesting than anything else. Miley has somehow lost her clean-scrubbed appeal. And it’s not only the "Vanity Fair" cover, check out the online backlash.

Eventually her fans will go through puberty too, and forget her.

4. Kid Rock "Rock N Roll Jesus"

Sales this week: 95,745
Percentage change: +3
Weeks on: 43
Cume: 1,425,881

The single even went to number one in England…

Amazing that the public is so ignorant, that we live in such a singles-dominated world, that this track could sit buried on Bob’s record for a year with no one discovering it. Used to be all the best songs from your record were played immediately on the radio and then you had to go back into the studio to cut another album, within a year. Things were much better then, we felt the acts were feeding our addiction, that it wasn’t only about marketing.

Meanwhile, Bob’s playing Sturgis. Playing golf in overalls. He’s the guy the educated class wants to decry. Yet, he made this mainstream single.

You have two choices… Either Bob is brilliant, or it’s luck.

I’m not thinking it’s luck…

6. Third Day "Revelation"

Sales this week: 75,388
Debut

For the uniformed, this is Christian Rock. The band’s 11th studio album, in fact. What kind of crazy fucked up world do we live in where the religious music business knows better than the mainstream? This is artist development. There’s been no scorched earth marketing, no desire to reach Buddhists and Muslims, just a focus on the core. Third Day has a career. Whereas those on Top Forty radio are only as good as their last single.

14. Jonas Brothers

Sales this week: 30,881
Percentage change: +12
Weeks on: 52
Cume: 1,478,189

The new Hanson or the new Beatles?

Don’t hate the Jonas Brothers, they can actually play, they’ve got a hand in writing their own material, this is much more real than Miley Cyrus, and has a better chance at longevity. But why is it all our pop stars are young ‘uns sold into music slavery by their supposedly God-fearing parents?

15. Katy Perry "One Of The Boys"

Sales this week: 29,991
Percentage change: +6
Weeks on: 7
Cume: 235,152

Novelty singles don’t sell albums. Especially not in an era where you can buy just the single online, or even steal it.

20. Duffy "Rockferry"

Sales this week: 21,208
Percentage change: +6
Weeks on: 12
Cume: 374,027

The U.S. is not the U.K. Most people in America still have no idea who Duffy is.

In today’s world, where it’s impossible to get traction, I’d shoot lower. Go on the road. Let the audience build your career. All that top down marketing just can’t reach everybody, because most people are not paying attention.

22. John Mellencamp "Life Death Love and Freedom:

Sales this week: 18,885
Percentage change: -30
Weeks on: 3
Cume: 102,219

Why does he look twelve on the cover?

Act your age. Unless you think you’re really gonna get Top Forty airplay and the little kids will understand. You want to be PART of your audience, not miles away. Mellencamp should be showing every line in his face, his history, just like his audience.

If your career is based on credibility, and Mellencamp’s was, don’t do a commercial. It undercuts your cred.

The star here is T-Bone Burnett. He should have his own label.

25. John Mayer "Where The Light Is: John Mayer Live In Los Angeles"

Sales this week: 17,581
Percentage change: +3
Weeks on: 5
Cume: 166,828

I heard his cover of "Free Fallin’" on the radio today, and all I could think about was this was a nineteen year old track. John was barely out of short pants when it hit originally, he didn’t need to shave yet. It’s old enough to be an oldie. But so weird his oldies are our oldies. Because we weren’t listening to our parents’ music growing up.

You think he’s doing a good job on the track, but then it goes nowhere.

Is John Mayer a musician, a pretty boy or a blogger? I find it impossible to take his music seriously since he lives online, in words more than music. They say he’s a great guitar player, but all I know is listening to his records it would be impossible for me to fuck, my dick would be limp.

26. Toby Keith "35 Biggest Hits"

Sales this week: 15,844
Percentage change: +3
Weeks on: 13
Cume: 376,460

We northerners, we’re supposed to hate Toby Keith. For crimes against humanity, supporting the war and its perpetrators.

Mr. Keith may argue with that, but that’s the perception, and in 2008, the truth is irrelevant, perception RULES!

But Mr. Keith’s rendition of "She’s A Hottie" was one of the most real performances on the ACM Awards show. He performed in his jean jacket, he didn’t sing to tape, you felt like he was playing in the honky tonk where country music is supposed to live. I’d love to point you to the clip online, but the powers-that-be have killed it.

Never have your material taken down from the Web… Even if you look bad, your flaws make you lovable.

And there is something lovable about Mr. Keith. "Love Me If You Can", another recent hit, is a winner too.

27. Beck "Modern Guilt"

Sales this week: 15,676
Percentage change: -20
Weeks on: 4
Cume: 148,834

If reviews sold records, this would be at least gold.

Alas, it’ll never make that milestone.

And you wonder why people have abandoned newspapers. They were fawning over this guy that they just don’t care about.

40. Nine Inch Nails "Slip"

Sales this week: 11,220
Percentage change: -61
Weeks on: 2
Cume: 40,805

This is the same album Trent Reznor gave away for free online weeks ago! Turns out free and sold can coexist. And make sense when you’re going on the road and want to sell tickets and you’re your own record company.

44. Motley Crue "Saints Of Los Angeles"

Sales this week: 10,915
Percentage change: +4
Weeks on: 6
Cume: 185,246

If these guys are saints, I’m God.

They sucked back then, they still suck today. But are truly laughable, what with Tommy Lee and Vince’s reality TV stints and Vince’s plastic surgery.

Just because Gen X needed its own hard rock music and middle-aged mothers want to relive their youth that doesn’t mean the music is or ever was GOOD!

45. "Dark Knight"

Sales this week: 10,860
Percentage change: -46
Weeks on: 3
Cume: 55,859

You know what the right advance for a soundtrack album is? ZERO!

50. Weezer

Sales this week: 10,202
Percentage change: -6
Weeks on: 9
Cume: 292,984

Soon, Rivers’ backup musicians will be eating pork and beans.

I just don’t get it. And neither do most other people.

And that’s fine by me, but why do we keep having to HEAR ABOUT IT! (Same deal with Beck above…)

65. Al Green "Lay It Down"

Sales this week: 8,390
Percentage change: +29
Weeks on: 10
Cume: 123,943

Quick, Al, get ahold of Clive before he dies! He’s the only guy who can truly bring you back. You can sell your soul, record Mr. Davis’ hand-picked tunes and go on that victory lap. Take my advice…

71. Jewel "Perfectly Clear"

Sales this week: 7,827
Percentage change: -2
Weeks on: 9
Cume: 145,997

Yes it is. It’s official, you’re a has-been.

73. O.A.R. "All Sides"

Sales this week: 7,656
Percentage change: -29
Weeks on: 3
Cume: 51,771

Jam bands don’t sell records. And don’t belong on major labels.

74. Randy Travis "Around The Bend"

Sales this week: 7,621
Percentage change: -36
Weeks on: 3
Cume: 48,623

Where his career resides.

79. Alvin & the Chipmunks

Sales this week: 7,400
Percentage change: -19
Weeks on: 35
Cume: 839,612

These varmints just won’t die. Which is probably why they signed with Irving, he’s going to leverage their popularity, use them as an inroad into the younger generation.

"Chipmunks: The Duets", will be sold exclusively at Wal-Mart. The album will drop on the day before Thanksgiving. Already slated to sing with Alvin, Theodore and Simon are Christina Aguilera, Jimmy Buffett and Steven Tyler. The rendition of "Please Come Home For Christmas" with Don Henley is already in the can.

Rapino has made an offer for the tour, but Irving’s loyalty to AEG seems to be winning out.

The album of the season. And you can only get on it if you’re signed with Irving. So, Mariah is out, but Usher’s mother can still make a deal with Front Line and get him included.

82. Vanessa Hudgens "Identified"

Sales this week: 7,124
Percentage change: -16
Weeks on: 5
Cume: 59,183

Little boys want to jack off to her picture, but they don’t want to buy her album.

Who’s the star? The show or the actor?

"High School Musical" is the property, not Ms. Hudgens… And HSM is already long in the tooth.

95. Madonna "Hard Candy"

Sales this week: 6,326
Percentage change: -13
Weeks on: 14
Cume: 612,159

You can deny plastic surgery all you want, but pictures don’t lie.

Read this article: "The New New Face"

112. The Hold Steady "Stay Positive"

Sales this week: 5,657
Percentage change: -31
Weeks on: 3
Cume: 38,047

Used to be, before the Internet, print press meant something. Now the writers have been revealed to be geeks out of touch with the public. They want people who look like them to succeed. But without A+ material, they can’t.

I don’t hate the Hold Steady, I hate their fans.

159. Sheryl Crow "Detours"

Sales this week: 3,951
Percentage change: +8
Weeks on: 3
Cume: 355,167

Sheryl stood on stage in NYC and told the audience to steal her music. She wanted it heard. That comes first, before the money. For your career to continue, people have to be exposed to your music. They’re not going to buy it without hearing it, better to allow them to sample it online and become a fan. Or not.

By: bob | 2008/08/07 | Music Business | Trackback | Comments [RSS 2.0]

2 Responses to Sales-Week Ending 8/3/08 »»

Comments

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John Mellencamp

Comment by John Mellencamp | 2008/08/07 at 17:51:39

I thought that you were a fan of music. Seems that a man of your age would have learned not to judge a book by the cover. Listen to the music, it shows every line and every scar.

As far as credibility goes, 23 albums, millions sold, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, etc. etc. etc…..35 years in the business. and for commercials, you mean no "cred" like Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, & U2?

You choose to sit behind your computer and have the illusion that you have an answer….leave your house sometime and get in the real world, the world of struggle, survival and longevity. Nothing is as it seems.

You are either for music or against it. So much negativity, how is that helping?

In the words of the great rock journalist, Timothy White "in the accomplishments of anyone there is real promise for everyone."

PS The one thing you have gotten right is that T Bone Burnett is a wonderful producer and gentleman.

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Elaine Mellencamp

Comment by Elaine Mellencamp | 2008/08/07 at 21:17:21

You must think that you are a photo critic now too…

I guess that you have become the proverbial cranky old man, hurling insults at the people who are out trying to live while you just sit and criticize.

Obviously you don’t have a wife, because if you did, she would have pointed out that when you have absolutely nothing nice to say, EVER, people stop listening.

As you seem overly eager to judge, with no regard to actual facts, I will also address your dig at John’s licensing his song for a commercial. John had had numerous opportunities for decades, and has been offered fortunes, to sell one of his songs. So after 35 years of being his songwriter, who are you to judge what he feels is appropriate for his own music or words? Bottom line, there is no longer a correlation to songs used in commercials and the credibility of the artist. Johnny Cash, no cred? Elvis Costello, no cred? Sting, no cred? Wake up to a new day, blame record company execs if you must, for putting the music industry where it is, but lambasting artists for taking matters into their own hands is just plain short sighted. My husband, I’m sure, pines for the old days sometime himself, but they are gone. We are all looking for a new way. When you write your own song then you can decide its fate.

Elaine Mellencamp

PS I took that photo of John that you mentioned, and he does look rather handsome doesn’t he? So nice of you to mention it.

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John Mellencamp

Comment by John Mellencamp | 2008/08/07 at 17:51:39

I thought that you were a fan of music. Seems that a man of your age would have learned not to judge a book by the cover. Listen to the music, it shows every line and every scar.

As far as credibility goes, 23 albums, millions sold, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, etc. etc. etc…..35 years in the business. and for commercials, you mean no "cred" like Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, & U2?

You choose to sit behind your computer and have the illusion that you have an answer….leave your house sometime and get in the real world, the world of struggle, survival and longevity. Nothing is as it seems.

You are either for music or against it. So much negativity, how is that helping?

In the words of the great rock journalist, Timothy White "in the accomplishments of anyone there is real promise for everyone."

PS The one thing you have gotten right is that T Bone Burnett is a wonderful producer and gentleman.

", $comment->comment_content) || ereg("", $comment->comment_content)) { ?>

Trackbacks & Pingbacks »»

Elaine Mellencamp

Comment by Elaine Mellencamp | 2008/08/07 at 21:17:21

You must think that you are a photo critic now too…

I guess that you have become the proverbial cranky old man, hurling insults at the people who are out trying to live while you just sit and criticize.

Obviously you don’t have a wife, because if you did, she would have pointed out that when you have absolutely nothing nice to say, EVER, people stop listening.

As you seem overly eager to judge, with no regard to actual facts, I will also address your dig at John’s licensing his song for a commercial. John had had numerous opportunities for decades, and has been offered fortunes, to sell one of his songs. So after 35 years of being his songwriter, who are you to judge what he feels is appropriate for his own music or words? Bottom line, there is no longer a correlation to songs used in commercials and the credibility of the artist. Johnny Cash, no cred? Elvis Costello, no cred? Sting, no cred? Wake up to a new day, blame record company execs if you must, for putting the music industry where it is, but lambasting artists for taking matters into their own hands is just plain short sighted. My husband, I’m sure, pines for the old days sometime himself, but they are gone. We are all looking for a new way. When you write your own song then you can decide its fate.

Elaine Mellencamp

PS I took that photo of John that you mentioned, and he does look rather handsome doesn’t he? So nice of you to mention it.