Chinese Democracy (Album) - Charting

[leatherebel]

The "no promotion" by the band is probably as a result of the unpreparedness (yet) also evident from the no tour possibility for this year. It is becoming pretty clear that the album was released before the band was completely ready and together to promote/tour it. That maybe due to:
1) BestBuy might have demanded a release on Thanksgiving week
2) GN'R didn't want to deprive every American from a Dr Pepper can that was promised

I wouldn't dramatize on the first week sales numbers too much. When Axl is ready and wants to start a promotion blitz along with a full blown tour, then the sales numbers could easily jump up and surpass first week's as if the album was just released. Wait and see....even if that means March 2009 (for example).

We have the album. It's damn good. It's the best thing that's been put out there by anybody in probably a decade. Be happy, grateful, and enjoy what you have.

[eggers]

This doesn't bode well for future albums.


Look at the numbers on Myspace now, this thing didn't really need that much promo, the Dr pepper thing told everyone it was coming and a LOT of people checked it out. Sadly they just didn't buy it.

[GeraldFord]

This doesn't bode well for future albums.


Look at the numbers on Myspace now, this thing didn't really need that much promo, the Dr pepper thing told everyone it was coming and a LOT of people checked it out. Sadly they just didn't buy it.

If in two months it's off the top 200 and sold only 400k then yeah, but this album has been out one Damn week! The second single was only released today!

[faldor]

Not sure how up to the minute this is, but this has GNR at #4.

http://chinese-democracy.blogspot.com/2008/12/gnr-at-4.html

[Allman]

From Bob Lefsetz blog, not yet on his homepage:

"Exclusives

Only seem to work at Wal-Mart.

You can rail on and on about the economy, but if that were a factor, how come the AC/DC album sold 90,000 to Guns N' Roses 257,000?  Even though "Black Ice" has already been in the marketplace for six weeks?  As for Christina Aguilera, last week, her second, she sold fewer than half her first week total, for an anemic cume of 104,000.

In other words, Best Buy and Target are not Wal-Mart.  And Wal-Mart is shrinking its floorspace and its two biggest winners, the Eagles and AC/DC, were beneficiaries of incredible positioning, and in the case of the Eagles, incredible pricing.

I hope Irving got big checks from Best Buy and Target.  Because he ended up with anemic sales.

I think we're about done with this exclusive retailer gambit.  I think we're going straight to sponsored music.  Or should be.  Sure, the newspapers are in terrible shape, but there's got to be a major corporation that's willing to give away free CDs/music for the foot traffic/eyeballs.

"Chinese Democracy" should have been given away at GM dealerships.  Or even Toyota, that company's sales were off by a third in November.

Corporations have the money, musicians have the goods.  There would be a stampede to the outlet if the music was free.  And, with the new music in so many hands, touring revenue would shoot up.  Assuming the album were good.

With all the Britney hype, why didn't she make a deal with a mental health company?  Everybody comes in for a free screening!  Or a consortium of plastic surgeons.  You come in for a Britney CD and get a free consultation.

It's come to this.  The big boxes, that put the indie retailers out of business, other than Wal-Mart, can't move the product anymore.  The iTunes Store sells a fraction of the physical product, because consumers are allowed to pick and choose exactly what they want and only buy singles.  You've got to sell everybody a bucket of tracks for a low price to meet your numbers.  Oops, that was the Napster model, from almost a DECADE AGO!

Congratulations major labels...  You've marginalized yourselves!  Wanting everybody to pay for music, suddenly few are.  And all the money is on the road.  And why should an act give you a share of its road money, you're not agents, you don't know how to do it, you only want to skim the cream from the top.  Or try to get the act on terrestrial radio and television, neither of which move tonnage like the old days.

So, do you want the money or the career?

Turns out taking the money isn't so great for your career.  Axl Rose is gonna have the stink of the failure of "Chinese Democracy" on his back forevermore.  His only option will be to reunite with the old gang and play the twenty year old material.

Hell, no one's really interested in the new music of old acts.  So, either sell your records and get out...on the road, like Neil Diamond...  Or figure out a way not to move the product so much as get it exposed, get people to actually hear it.  So they listen intently and applaud when you play these newly-minted numbers live, as opposed to going to the bathroom"

Don't agree with everything he wrote, I think he has a point with the Wallmart vs Best Buy/Target comparison.

[RancidPunx]

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?

We might think this is the best album in the world but it is a shame more people didn't getit. For the majority of albums it is downhill after week 1. Metallica and Ac/Dc both peaked with 1st week sales, do you really think GNR is going to sell 300,000 copies in a future week?

I just hope these numbers don't prevent GnR from touring soon and/or releasing more new music.

What these numbers show is that outside of hardcore GNR fans, nobody cared about this album.
No music video.
No interviews.
No TV performances.
Nothing.

There is no way to spin it but an album biiled as the Most Anticipated Album Of All Time, selling that many copies is a letdown.

[audjon]

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?

[circusboy666]

they gotta get more promo out there. i fn hate mtv but for god sakes they could play a major role if they really wanted. get a damn video out there, i dont care if its live footage or what. if you really want to sell this album you need to promote to the youth.(10-18). if you dont care $$$ and are just glad the album is out like me, fine. who really cares about sales. but some people cant let go of the less than anticipated sales have to realize that gnr would have to plaster themselves all over the place to really get going...basically pimp themselves to the music industry.

[evergreen_layne]

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......

[RancidPunx]

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......

Youtube is where it is at for music videos. An officially released video would draw millions of views.

[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

[audjon]

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

Ali

Hopefully

[King Axl]

I'm not concerned.

All it takes is a RADIO-FRIENDLY single, and GN'R will be able to pull off what Kid Rock has done with his last two records.

There are two big hits on Chinese Democracy waiting to be heard. The first is "Street Of Dreams". The second, which has massive potential, is "This I Love".

As I recall, "November Rain" helped put Use Your Illusion I back into the top 10 in the summer of 1992.

There's no way one of these ballads doesn't get released as a single.

[GeraldFord]

Keep in mind Manson's The Golden Age of Grotesque had a number one debut and went only Gold, while Van Halen's self-titled debut never made the top 10 and sold ten million copies in the U.S. alone. Not saying CD will do that, but I woudn't say it's DOA jsut yet.

[*Timothy*]

Keep in mind Manson's The Golden Age of Grotesque had a number one debut and went only Gold, while Van Halen's self-titled debut never made the top 10 and sold ten million copies in the U.S. alone. Not saying CD will do that, but I woudn't say it's DOA jsut yet.

those two albums come out in way different times.

 

 

[demo23nz]

Keep in mind Manson's The Golden Age of Grotesque had a number one debut and went only Gold, while Van Halen's self-titled debut never made the top 10 and sold ten million copies in the U.S. alone.

I get what you're saying, but the difference in scenario between a new band's debut and the post 1st week sales of an established act is so great that statement really means nothing.

Virtually no new band is going to be front-end loaded on sales, but virtually every older band is unless they're lucky enough to have a second/third single hit.

Also, a lot of Van Halen 1's sales came down the line as their career continued to flourish.

[Buddha_Master]

Wasn't Better suppose to be officially released as the second single today? WTF happened?

But you know what? I am almost off work now and can't wait to get back in my car and blast the fuck out of CD on my way home. FUck I love this album. I LOVE IT!!!

[makane]

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.

[*Timothy*]

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.

I'm starting to think that yes is the answer.

[Tyson]

I don't sense this album dropping to obscurity.  There are over 250,000 people now to do lots of word of mouth marketing, most importantly to those that don't even know it's out.  I also feel that there is some stuff on the album good enough to really generate some momentum.  Also, if 'Better' can pick up some steam and get the radio plays that it deserves, the future can be quite promising.