Chinese Democracy (Album) - Charting

[wells]

I've palyed "This I Love" for a few girls. They hated it. said it sounded like nails on a chalkboard when he screams. I have to agree with that. There are really no cross over singles on this album. You need a catchy chourus or hook and they all lack that. I think "Better" is there best bet for a crossover or maybe "Street of Dreams". I would have to say though 300,000 to 400,000 copies in this day and age is pretty fucking impressive.  

well everyone has their own taste, but I really like this nails on a chalkboard screams... but I might not like those girls. so... but to each his own... and that 'screams' differentiate Axl from ie. Back Street Boys so it is a good thing  ... maybe those girls like Back Street Boys?

[Smoking Guns]

I've palyed "This I Love" for a few girls. They hated it. said it sounded like nails on a chalkboard when he screams. I have to agree with that. There are really no cross over singles on this album. You need a catchy chourus or hook and they all lack that. I think "Better" is there best bet for a crossover or maybe "Street of Dreams". I would have to say though 300,000 to 400,000 copies in this day and age is pretty fucking impressive.  

AC/DC did 784,000 just last month in their first week.  Now that is pretty fucking impressive.  Especially when the lead singer is 61 years old.

[Jim Bob]

I've palyed "This I Love" for a few girls. They hated it. said it sounded like nails on a chalkboard when he screams. I have to agree with that. There are really no cross over singles on this album. You need a catchy chourus or hook and they all lack that. I think "Better" is there best bet for a crossover or maybe "Street of Dreams". I would have to say though 300,000 to 400,000 copies in this day and age is pretty fucking impressive. 

AC/DC did 784,000 just last month in their first week.  Now that is pretty fucking impressive.  Especially when the lead singer is 61 years old.

I think that album sucks.. just more of the same from them, so predictable.    But to each his own.

[Smoking Guns]

I've palyed "This I Love" for a few girls. They hated it. said it sounded like nails on a chalkboard when he screams. I have to agree with that. There are really no cross over singles on this album. You need a catchy chourus or hook and they all lack that. I think "Better" is there best bet for a crossover or maybe "Street of Dreams". I would have to say though 300,000 to 400,000 copies in this day and age is pretty fucking impressive. 

AC/DC did 784,000 just last month in their first week.  Now that is pretty fucking impressive.  Especially when the lead singer is 61 years old.

I think that album sucks.. just more of the same from them, so predictable.    But to each his own.

Point is "Marketing Matters" as does a first single.  Rock N Roll Train is a song all AC/DC fans like.  If I was a major band, I would look into who handles AC/DC's albums and tours.  Their Tour is sold out and will be back in 09 with a Stadium tour.

[hooliganscomics]

I've palyed "This I Love" for a few girls. They hated it. said it sounded like nails on a chalkboard when he screams. I have to agree with that. There are really no cross over singles on this album. You need a catchy chourus or hook and they all lack that. I think "Better" is there best bet for a crossover or maybe "Street of Dreams". I would have to say though 300,000 to 400,000 copies in this day and age is pretty fucking impressive.  

AC/DC did 784,000 just last month in their first week.  Now that is pretty fucking impressive.  Especially when the lead singer is 61 years old.

No thats fucking amazing. But keep in mind AC/DC has done nothing to allienate their core audiance over the years. Say what you will but the majority of old school GnR fans don't agree that this is GnR like most of you.
AC/DC maybe more of the same but isn't that what you should be doing at their age. It's a little late in their careers to start changing their sound.

[D]

I dont think anyone is saying Black Ice is better than CD. But for them to sell damn 800k first week, that shows that maybe music isn't dead.

U have to be realistic though

AC/DC fans that love Back in Black etc etc Rock N Roll Train fits that vein so all AC/DC fans buy it

With GNR, u figure most casual fans like WTTJ, PC, SCOM etc etc

CD is sooooooooooooooooooo different than those songs that I'm sure casual fans heard it and thought "WTF"

CD is a great album, I put it right up there with any GNR album ever made BUT to casual fans it isn't going to sound anything like the Guns N Roses they know.

[Smoking Guns]

I dont think anyone is saying Black Ice is better than CD. But for them to sell damn 800k first week, that shows that maybe music isn't dead.

U have to be realistic though

AC/DC fans that love Back in Black etc etc Rock N Roll Train fits that vein so all AC/DC fans buy it

With GNR, u figure most casual fans like WTTJ, PC, SCOM etc etc

CD is sooooooooooooooooooo different than those songs that I'm sure casual fans heard it and thought "WTF"

CD is a great album, I put it right up there with any GNR album ever made BUT to casual fans it isn't going to sound anything like the Guns N Roses they know.

Correct, so why did people here say it would sell 2 million copies in the first week?  The record company thought they would get huge sales.  We even celebrate listens on myspace.....  All those listens, very weak sales comparatively.

[Jim Bob]

CD is a great album, I put it right up there with any GNR album ever made BUT to casual fans it isn't going to sound anything like the Guns N Roses they know.

I hope as time goes on, more people would give it more of a chance and not be so close minded just cuz it doesnt sound like AFD.   

[Shoco]

i think these positions are correct

Ireland - 3
Finland - 1
Netherlands - 4
Belgium - 4
Sweden - 4
Poland - 3
NZ - 2
UK-2
Norway - 5
Denmark - 7
Hungary - 4
Australi - 3
Japan - 2
Brazil - 1

[Smoking Guns]

CD is a great album, I put it right up there with any GNR album ever made BUT to casual fans it isn't going to sound anything like the Guns N Roses they know.

I hope as time goes on, more people would give it more of a chance and not be so close minded just cuz it doesnt sound like AFD.   

They will, but the record company won't be pushing it by that time.  Over time it will sell.  Just not anytime soon.

[ShotgunBlues1978]

I'm surprised AC/DC's album did so well, because in two weeks it had already sold more than either of their last two albums did in their entire run

That said, AC/DC's album was advertised much more heavily and is more widely available in physical form.  With fewer than 1200 Best Buys and over 4000 Wal-Marts, combined with Wal-Mart getting 100 million peoples worth of foot traffic every week, you can see why AC/DC sold more

And AC/DC is safe and relatively inoffensive.  They stick to what they know works and what their fans like.  They never walked around in Charles Manson shirts or said nigger, cunt and faggot in their music.  GnR is a controversial, polarizing group and Axl is a controversial, polarizing singer.  People don't get as emotionally worked up (positively or negatively) over the Youngs or Brian Johnson as they do about Axl

That said I would expect GnR to do quite well internationally.  Everything about GnR's release strategy has said they are looking at long-term sales more than maximizing the first week.  Still, they sold more in the UK in the first week than AC/DC did and probably will match or surpass AC/DC's sales in foreign countries aside from AC/DC's native Australia

[D]

Yeah, I think the biggest reasons are:

1. The best buy like Shotgun mentioned. only 1200 stores.

2. Promotion: With Walmart and 4000 stores, u wouldn't need much promotion because of the foot traffic whereas with Best Buy, the CD section is on the other end of the store away from the computers,tv's and various other electronics, so most people walking into best buy won't even see it.

3. first single: I said this a long time ago before the album came out. Singles mean everything in music today. You take Kid Rock for example. His Rock N Roll Jesus CD was dead in the water and pretty m uch a flop. "All Summer Long" comes out and now it has catapulted back into the top 20 for the last 2 and a half months and has pushed it way into platinum status.


Chinese Democracy was a bad choice for the first single. *that isnt saying the song is bad, the song is great* BUT the long intro, not a lot of people can relate to the lyrics and their aren't any big time hooks.

I think if they had a "Better' pun intended first single, hell even Shackler's, that would've contributed to more sales as well.

A lot rides on Better, First impressions are huge and CD didn't give a HORRIBLE first impression but Better has to save the day because I don't know if Better does bad, if they will get a lot of radio support for the third single.

[D]

We've all said it and it isn't to be negative, but you have to wonder how many more copies this would've sold with an Axl exclusive interview and cover on Rolling Stone, radio interviews, Jay Leno, Today Show etc etc etc, some sort of tie in with the NBA kick off or something.

[Death Cube K]

Exactly. Just where is he? The album is being released and he's not giving one interview. Nothing. The band doesn't do anything either. It's like a massive promo campaign with a hollow inside core.

Second, the album lacks the final big punch. You got some good songs and you got some pretty bad songs too, like all albums do, but it seriously lacks the pushing single that would introduce everyone to GNR. Instead they throw out that mediocre title track, a track Axl said wasn't considered a single in 2002. Just when did that change? But looking at the other songs, track listings...etc, it's the obvious choice because Bumblefoot updated the song enough to get some of that sleazy GNR feel to it and so in the end it ended up as the song closest to the old GNR. They could have done Scraped maybe, but Shacklers would have been a huge mistake. It's not good enough. I like the song, but it's not good enough.

[mrarkadin]

Exactly. Just where is he? The album is being released and he's not giving one interview. Nothing.

You have to figure Axl Rose knows what he's doing at this point. The guy has sold a ton of records. The first single did pretty well. The second one will do well also.

[lennonisgod]

I've palyed "This I Love" for a few girls. They hated it. said it sounded like nails on a chalkboard when he screams. I have to agree with that. There are really no cross over singles on this album. You need a catchy chourus or hook and they all lack that. I think "Better" is there best bet for a crossover or maybe "Street of Dreams". I would have to say though 300,000 to 400,000 copies in this day and age is pretty fucking impressive.  

Wow, the girls I played it for, who are not really into GN'R at all, thought Axl's voice sounded "Phenomenal," on This I Love. I would have to agree.

[wells]

@DCK

you just forgot to add IMHO at the end because there are many fans that wouldn't agree with you, I for one as I think there is no bad tracks on CD and that it doesn't need anything. and that is MHO.

[crow316]

Its all pretty much a moot point now.  As far as promoting and marketing is conserned, I feel  the ball has been dropped and is too heavy too pick up again. When the numbers come out, all the naysayers that gave the album a bad review will pounce on the news that it didnt sell as much as predicted, and call it a failure.  Which will further hurt sales.  All the build-up  died after Chinese Democracy(song) was released to a big "meh" by most rock radio. Of course it had a massive rotation when it was released, but thats gone now.  Hopefully another single will find an audience, but I dont really think it will.  This album had way too much baggage to begin with.  And with most of the songs being "growers", not many people are giving it a chance.  It is great though, and maybe over time it may become something.

[D]

They always say you only get one shot at a first impression which is why I was shocked they chose CD as the first single.

[WARose]

"ask yourself why i would choose to prostitute myself to live with fortune and shame"