Chinese Democracy (Album) - Charting

[Jecoma]

Nothing happened.

Well, we got a really great, instantly classic album and to me that is in the end the most important thing.

Don't get me wrong: video's, interviews, etc. would definately be cool, but it wouldn't make the music any better.

[Dr. Blutarsky]

^ Good point, most importantly we have the music. All else is a bit secondary to that. Sure I'd like to see more from the band, Axl promoting it, video, etc. But Axl has a right to handle all that however he wants, it's his art. Nothing wrong with discussing/venting about the process here, but at the end of the day remember, we have some great music now......

[Jecoma]

^ Exactly. In the end I really don't care whether 10 people embrace this album or 10 million. The fact is that *I* honestly adore CD and think it's one of the greatest albums of all time. That makes me more than satisfied, because at one point I really thought that no album could live up to the expectations I had.

It did. And that puts a smile on my face 24/7. 

[grabaraxl]

most people have what they deserve. that's why the music industry has been treating music fans the way they did for the past, mmm, 15/20 years? it's like most people only care about instant sucess, 1st week sales, a music video to be played by a channel that isn't a real music channel anymore, press, etc...
most of my favorite albums weren't even top 10, and you can count by the fingers of a hand the ones that went straight to #1. Just look at the recent example of Gn'R's own "Greatest Hits", didn't go #1 and it's probably reaching the 5 million mark on the US alone.
We all know music sales dropped a lot, just look at the #1 this week, Kayne West, the predictions were for double of what it sold. Recession? Napster?
About the "press", ok Axl nor the band have done any interviews, but did they need it? ChiDem's release has been all over news, internet, tv, newspapers, etc.. reviews have been better than expected, everybody's talking about it, yahoo, cnn, bbc, mtv, etc... maybe it's all part of the strategy, the release itself was big news enough to have the album on the public eye.
about the tour, tell me a name of band that has been touring the world for 6 or 7 years under the name of an album that wasn't released yet. i'm sure they'll be on tour next year playing the shit out of this record and doing press and releasing more singles.
it's not like the sucess of a record has to be measured just by the 1st week sales, i'm sure that being the music on this record has good as it is, there'll be constant sales.

[faldor]

^ Exactly. In the end I really don't care whether 10 people embrace this album or 10 million. The fact is that *I* honestly adore CD and think it's one of the greatest albums of all time. That makes me more than satisfied, because at one point I really thought that no album could live up to the expectations I had.

It did. And that puts a smile on my face 24/7. 

That's a great point and something I think many of us forget sometimes.  It'd be one thing if the album wasn't quite as good as we thought it'd be, but for many of us it reached and even exceeded expectations.  It was a short 3 months ago that we were complaining/speculating on whether we'd ever have a release date.  Well, we got it, we got the album, we've got 14 fantastic songs to listen to.  Sure it'd be great if Axl was out there pumping the promotion train along and making the rest of the world aware of the albums greatness.  If that happens in due time, great.  If not, it's their loss.

[Jecoma]

And one more thing: I honestly don't know how Pink Floyd's Dark Side Of The Moon was promoted at its time. Or Bob Dylan's Highway 61 Revisited, Alice Cooper's Killer or the first The Doors album.

What I do know is that those are truly classic albums that are remembered first and foremost for their music. I'm sure those albums didn't sell "Kanye West-numbers" during their first week (or even year) of release. I'm sure there were no multi-million dollar videoclips and there was no internet.

But people talked about the music and the word-of-mouth turned them into a succes despite the lack of a promotional machine behind it.

The fact that I can easily rank Chinese Democracy at the same level as the best albums of Pink Floyd, Bob Dylan or The Rolling Stones is a phenomenal thing by itself. 

[estebanf]

#1 in Mexico.
MixUp is the biggest CD/DVD music store in Mexico.
http://www.mixup.com.mx/mixup/subdept_portada.asp?subdept_id=100

thanks to Feher.

[Jessica]

In france, music's biggest retailer has the best selling albums on the site and CHINDEM went from being n?34 two days ago to n?9 today. Two more and it beats ACDC.

[The Catcher]

Nor do I. But you know what? I see other big time rock bands like Metallica and ACDC release an album and give their fans a smooth ride. For once as a GNR fan I would like to enjoy that.

Lol, Jesus

You act like you're married to the guy or something

You people are going to look and feel so stupid when Axl makes his next appearance.

And for the record, he has the right to handle his own album just the way he wants.

[FunkyMonkey]

GUNS N' ROSES: 'Chinese Democracy' Tops Canadian Chart - Dec. 3, 2008

GUNS N' ROSES' "Chinese Democracy", sold 70,000 copies in Canada in its first week of release to debut at position No. 1 on the national album chart.

As previously reported, "Chinese Democracy" has topped the New Zealand chart in its first full week of release. The CD, which debuted at No. 2, has already been certified platinum in the country for sales in excess of 15,000 copies.

Blabbermouth.net

[Buddha_Master]

So there are rumours that this was an "forced release", more or less. What do you think, Y/N?

That would explain all the mistakes in the booklet and Axl doing 0 press.

Yes, poor Axl was just in the middle of fixing that massive technical error in Scraped when Geffen rushed in and nicked the tapes off him and tied him up and left him in the corner of the studio. They told him that if he tried to escape, they'd put him thanking Slash in the booklet. It's all coming together now.

Massive error? Fucking please. Does it really bother you? Really? That little fucking thing that might not even be an error at all but you wouldn't know because you are over analyzing something so amazingly insignificant. Jesus get help dude. 

[The Catcher]

You know, all this fuzzing about sales figures is ridicilous. I mean, we have the first Guns N' Roses album of new material in 17 years in our hands, for fuck's sake! Maybe you should care more about music and less about popularity based on sales?

And just for the record, Appetite took a couple of years to really start selling. Great music stands the test of time, you will see that with Chinese Democracy as well.

Finally, if you wanted this to be like AC/DC or Metallica, it would have been so awesome if Axl could have put out mediocre, forgettable albums in 1996, 1998, 2002, 2004 and soforth.

That's not him. Let Axl be Axl, that's what we love him for.

Peace.
'




Edit: The public has never known what the fuck good music is anyway, so why do you people get your panties in a bunch? I thought Guns N' Roses was all about saying fuck what others think and let's rock n' roll.

[Buddha_Master]

And one more thing: I honestly don't know how Pink Floyd's Dark Side Of The Moon was promoted at its time. Or Bob Dylan's Highway 61 Revisited, Alice Cooper's Killer or the first The Doors album.

What I do know is that those are truly classic albums that are remembered first and foremost for their music. I'm sure those albums didn't sell "Kanye West-numbers" during their first week (or even year) of release. I'm sure there were no multi-million dollar videoclips and there was no internet.

But people talked about the music and the word-of-mouth turned them into a succes despite the lack of a promotional machine behind it.

The fact that I can easily rank Chinese Democracy at the same level as the best albums of Pink Floyd, Bob Dylan or The Rolling Stones is a phenomenal thing by itself. 

My exact sentiments (though I would add a Zeppelin album to the list). Chinese Democracy is a remarkable achievement very rarely seen in music. It has been a long time since there has been such an album. I cannot wait to hear these songs performed live.

[beerman]

I think selling 261,000 albums in the first week is pretty good. In order to sell more you have to promote as a band, you have to be in everyone's face and honestly the band has not done this. This is not a one week race and over time with the proper band participation this album will continue to sell and grow.

Touring, television and radio appearances, are the only way to get more sales, it's not rocket science. The album is great, one of my favorites and over time it will become huge.

 

[The Catcher]

I think selling 261,000 albums in the first week is pretty good. In order to sell more you have to promote as a band, you have to be in everyone's face and honestly the band has not done this. This is not a one week race and over time with the proper band participation this album will continue to sell and grow.

Touring, television and radio appearances, are the only way to get more sales, it's not rocket science. The album is great, one of my favorites and over time it will become huge.

 

Good post but I think that in the end this is all about the music and the fact that Axl is letting the music do the talking, doing the opposite of what is expected of him and not selling himself out even if it costs him sales shows he is the last true on the planet, as well as one of the last celebrity musicians with real integrity.

[badobsession_r21]

as Axl sings in "Sorry" :

You know where to put your
"just shut up and sing"

[donaltduck313]

review and something else from Finland, Soundi-musicmagazine

http://www.soundi.fi/node/8481
http://www.soundi.fi/arvostelut?nid=8415

could someone with better english translate em mine english is sooo poor...

d.d.

[adman2374]

You can spin it any way you want but 255,000 albums (with a Sunday release and Black Friday) is going to look like a huge bomb in the eyes of the media and many fans. What caused this? Was it Best Buy, Axl/GNR's lack of interviews/appearances or a combination of the two?

Or a very bad lead single?

Couldn't agree more.  A lot of people judged the entire album on the title track and its the weakest song on the entire fucking album.  Now "Better" is getting less attention and the next single will get even less.  I don't like the way this is headed......

"Better" is getting increased airplay so far.  It's building.  Give it some time.  Most songs take time to move up the charts.

Ali

I hope you are right, but I disagree. Singles that are "hits" are on the charts quickly after a release and then fade quickly as times goes on. Singles do not have a better change of becoming "hits" as time moves on. Actually, it's the opposite. As time moves on after a single/album release, that product loses popularity quickly.

[kupirock]

review

http://www.soundi.fi/node/8481
http://www.soundi.fi/arvostelut?nid=8415

could someone with better english translate em mine english is sooo poor...

Not worth it, worst review ever written.

[Ali]

You can spin it any way you want but 255,000 albums (with a Sunday release and Black Friday) is going to look like a huge bomb in the eyes of the media and many fans. What caused this? Was it Best Buy, Axl/GNR's lack of interviews/appearances or a combination of the two?

Or a very bad lead single?

Couldn't agree more.  A lot of people judged the entire album on the title track and its the weakest song on the entire fucking album.  Now "Better" is getting less attention and the next single will get even less.  I don't like the way this is headed......

"Better" is getting increased airplay so far.  It's building.  Give it some time.  Most songs take time to move up the charts.

Ali

I hope you are right, but I disagree. Singles that are "hits" are on the charts quickly after a release and then fade quickly as times goes on. Singles do not have a better change of becoming "hits" as time moves on. Actually, it's the opposite. As time moves on after a single/album release, that product loses popularity quickly.

Not every station had the song for the first week.  Most songs do take a little time to move up the charts.  They do not just land at the top of the charts right away typically.

Ali