How much does CD need to sell for it to be considered a success?

[The New Fiona Apple]

What I'm asking in the thread is how do you think Chinese Democracy needs to sell for it to be considered a true sucess and not a bust and waste of millions of dollars.

In my opinion, I would have to see the break even point for the album to be considered a sucess among all involved is around 5 million copies.

I feel the bar has been set pretty high with how well the Velvet Revolver album and the shoddy Greatest Hits album has sold among the general public without having the name Guns N' Roses. I think a break even point would be not be something astronomically high, but something that shows that the public are attracted to the name and the anticipation more then the nostalgia for who is involved.

I do feel that it definately will sell that amount.? I feel that Geffen will not let the album go down in flames after the millions spent on it and the years that it was worked on. They will promote it likes it's their prime goods and will make sure they get their share.

[Eazy E]

5 million worldwide?  or 5 million in the U.S.?

The biggest selling album of last year was Mariah Carey (or maybe 50 Cent), which I think was around 5 million or so in the U.S..   So yeah, being the biggest selling record of the year would be considered a "success"... but I don't think selling 3 million copies would be, considering it's GN'R and the amount of time spent to get the album out.

[The New Fiona Apple]

5 million US.

[ShotgunBlues1978]

It depends on your definition of success.  They have spent a lot of money and time recording the album, but $13,000,000 is not unheard of.  Mariah Carey, Madonna, and Michael Jackson have all had albums that cost in the range of $20-30 million to make.  Worldwide this album will be profitable, I have little doubt of that.  It will sell at least 10 million worldwide and make back the money that was spent on it.

If you're talking about artistically successful, I think that yes it will be.  From what we've heard at least in my opinion it's better than any rock album that's come out in a while.  They have a wide range of songs and sounds and some great songs that have the classic GnR vibe like The Blues and TWAT and some great but more modern sounding songs like Better.  And the songs are anything but formulaic, they sound a lot different and more interesting than what's coming out.  None of the songs really sound alike

[Communist China]

I don't know, 13 mil is a lot of albums to sell, especially without a big single. A big first couple weeks from CD hype might be enough to get 5 mil US, but even with worldwide added in it still wouldn't be a success. The market for a GN'R album is fairly small, especially after the 02 VMA's, which still is the only performance most current rock fans define this incarnation of GN'R by.

I think CD will almost make the money the label spent back, and if there are subsequent releases definately yes.

[CDesigner]

personally, in order to deem CD a success, it has to sell exactly one copy, to me, and i must listen to it and love it. i couldn't care less if it sells 50 zillion or 500,000, as long as it's a great record. the only downside i can see to it commercially tanking if it truly is a great record would be that it would most likely spell the end to the current lineup and the only way another record would be released is if there were a reunion of a more original lineup. i just want axl to up and release the album already. all of the speculation on how many records it must sell to be a success is silly if it never sees the light of day. "fall, late fall..." where's the press release axl?

[Timmy]

personally, in order to deem CD a success, it has to sell exactly one copy, to me, and i must listen to it and love it. i couldn't care less if it sells 50 zillion or 500,000, as long as it's a great record. the only downside i can see to it commercially tanking if it truly is a great record would be that it would most likely spell the end to the current lineup and the only way another record would be released is if there were a reunion of a more original lineup. i just want axl to up and release the album already. all of the speculation on how many records it must sell to be a success is silly if it never sees the light of day. "fall, late fall..." where's the press release axl?

I was just about to post the same damn thing...

you've pretty much summed it all up for me

[slashisvr]

i think it HAS to sell an amount that would be the same as how much it took to make at least, axl has spent alot of money on this album and need to see break even before considering it a success, then i predict a slow rise of sales like appetite if you like, no where near the range appetite in terms of money but just the way it took off!!!but not as furious if that makes sense

[crofty]

I think forty billion. Yes, If an album was to sell forty billion copies, I'd certainly consider it successful. very successful in fact.

[Amish]

The problem is that a flavor of the week artist can sell 5 million copies nowadays. 

I think that this album isn't so much competing with the amount spent on it as it is actually competing with Appetite and Illusion.  If it doesn't sell huge, Axl and only Axl will be harshly criticised. 

[NicoRourke]

It needs to sell more than 10 million copies, worldwide.

With the high expectations, the years of waiting, etc. if it doesn't sell good I'm afraid it will be considered a fluke. I mean, we all know there's such a buzz around this album It has to be groundbreaking. Maybe it will help calm down the hard critics ...

[Axl4Prez2004]

No offense to "The New Fiona Apple," but this is a terrible question. ?Let me tell you why!

Assuming Axl and company have gone through $13 million...it's for 3 albums!!!!!
That's about $4.3 million per album which is not staggering by any stretch of the imagination. ?

Don't buy into the shitty "music headlines" which will portray this as a "$13 million album," because it just isn't!!!!!!!!!!!
 

I get sick and tired of all the fucking negativity. ?

[sandman]

No offense to "The New Fiona Apple," but this is a terrible question. ?Let me tell you why!

Assuming Axl and company have gone through $13 million...it's for 3 albums!!!!!
That's about $4.3 million per album which is not staggering by any stretch of the imagination. ?

Don't buy into the shitty "music headlines" which will portray this as a "$13 million album," because it just isn't!!!!!!!!!!!
 

I get sick and tired of all the fucking negativity. ?

is axl obligated contractually to release 3 albums? or even 1 album?

[requiem156]

In terms of the media's reaction, it is probably not possible for it to be viewed as a success. Whether the $13 million figure is accurate or not, it's going to be featured in every article about the album, and we may as well get used to that. Critically, there is almost no chance that it will be well-received. Hopefully, the fans will feel differently.

[jarmo]

It'll never be considered a success.

Too many people have already formed their opinion on the album. The reviews have already been written.

"It's not the same blah blah blah..."




/jarmo

[Nytunz]

as long as the GnR fans buy it.. it will be a success... + some future GnR fans... Fuck the rest.. They dont need more..

[RancidPunx]

It'll never be considered a success.

Too many people have already formed their opinion on the album. The reviews have already been written.

"It's not the same blah blah blah..."




/jarmo


I respectfully disagree, Jarmo. For example, Green Day were pretty much writte off after the Warning album sold "only" about a million copies here in the states. They came back four years later with American Idiot which has been a commercial and critical success. Granted they didn't take 10 years to make the album, or go through a drastic line-up change, but a great album by Guns should be a success all around.

[Communist China]

No offense to "The New Fiona Apple," but this is a terrible question. ?Let me tell you why!

Assuming Axl and company have gone through $13 million...it's for 3 albums!!!!!
That's about $4.3 million per album which is not staggering by any stretch of the imagination. ?

Don't buy into the shitty "music headlines" which will portray this as a "$13 million album," because it just isn't!!!!!!!!!!!
 

I get sick and tired of all the fucking negativity. ?

The goal was never to make three albums from this. At one point they were going to make two, CD and 2000 Intentions, but that felt through. Just because they have enough material for three albums doesn't mean they meant to make three albums. It means they had a lot of so-so stuff that they wasted time and money on.

[codenameninja]

while i am expecting CD to be a good album, i have doubts that it will appeal to many outside the Gn'R circle. I think Gn'R will always be know for AFD and AFD has sold 25+ million copies. At a guess i would expect CD to sell 7+ million copies although i doubt it will break through 10+ million copies.


List of best-selling albums worldwide
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_best-selling_albums_worldwide

Albums alleged to have sold at least 30 million copies:
Meat Loaf - Bat Out of Hell
Alanis Morissette - Jagged Little Pill _Never! 

[CAFC Nick]

I think however many it sells, it will always be looked at both as a success and a failure.

It will be a success because it is finally out and (hopefully) the music is great and speaks volumes about Axl

It will also be a failure though because the number one reason that the press love to slate Axl with is that there is no Slash, and they have gone through 8 guitarists and taken 15 years to release it.