Chinese Democracy (Album) - Charting

[jarmo]

it's a greatest hits album; of course it sold less than GnR

Why is that so obvious?

Do you know why they often release those in time for Christmas?

Because people buy them!

Why do you see compilation albums on the charts? People buy them!

I think everyone knows the album is out... No doubt.  That is all I am saying.  It was pretty big news.

How come I've talked to many people in the USA in the past two weeks who didn't know....

It all depends on what you read/watch/listen to.

If you never watch Saturday Night Live or Monday Night Football, you might've missed the TV spots. For example.



/jarmo

[Smoking Guns]

it's a greatest hits album; of course it sold less than GnR

Why is that so obvious?

Do you know why they often release those in time for Christmas?

Because people buy them!

Why do you see compilation albums on the charts? People buy them!

I think everyone knows the album is out... No doubt.  That is all I am saying.  It was pretty big news.

How come I've talked to many people in the USA in the past two weeks who didn't know....

It all depends on what you read/watch/listen to.

If you never watch Saturday Night Live or Monday Night Football, you might've missed the TV spots. For example.



/jarmo

Soooooooooooooooooooooooooo, where do we go now?

[The Catcher]

it's a greatest hits album; of course it sold less than GnR

Why is that so obvious?

Do you know why they often release those in time for Christmas?

Because people buy them!

Why do you see compilation albums on the charts? People buy them!

I think everyone knows the album is out... No doubt.  That is all I am saying.  It was pretty big news.

How come I've talked to many people in the USA in the past two weeks who didn't know....

It all depends on what you read/watch/listen to.

If you never watch Saturday Night Live or Monday Night Football, you might've missed the TV spots. For example.



/jarmo

Soooooooooooooooooooooooooo, where do we go now?

what the fuck

[killingvector]

Christina Aguilera's last album was a greatest hits package with some new songs released exclusively through Target in November.  It barely hit 100K its first week and was out of the top 50 in its third week of release.

Puts things in perspective.

She was on the AMAs performing, the album has been advertised on TV, she makes all kinds of appearances, appears in those gossip magazines etc and still sells less than GN'R.....





/jarmo

Jarmo, GNR promoted this as the most anticipated album EVER.... A lil different than Christina's "Greatest Hits"...

True but with little advertising on GNR's part

Little advertising?

Rock Band 2 - Shacklers Reveng
Movie soundtrack for If the World
Huge Free Promo from Dr. Pepper
Myspace Record for Listens
Radio Stations all over world played entire album on radio
Great Reviews from every huge major magazine
Two World Tours promoting this album (2002 and 2006)
Commercials on TV
Youtube Commercials

There was plenty of promotion for this album.

You include a two and four year old tour with the promotion? Wow

I don't see a video, interview, or current band performance in that list. Or mention the lackluster push by Best Buy, a few knockdown displays, many of which were torn down after a week.

[oldgunsfan]

i find it surprising people are as surprised as they are that CD is not selling more; i always felt that given the delays, past behavior on tours, lineup changes, etc this album might not do as well and it's proven to be the case.  Now that all the diehards have it, they have to get the casual fan interesed in and thats where interviews, tours, video's, etc come in handy.

personally i like the album more than I ever thought i would but friends of mine that were fans of the original lineup, and were sceptical f the current lineup, to those I played it for just really weren't into it

[Thinizzy]

Stop worrying people! the album has done fine givin the circumstances, i really like the post some pages back on how CD is like a fine wine and gets better with age......
 just for fun, how pissed would you be if scott weilands solo album outsold CD? 

[Jbat81]

 Guns N' Roses / Guns N' Roses / Re: There is no competition  on: September 04, 2006, 11:36:22 AM 
Quote from: mikegiuliana on September 04, 2006, 11:10:09 AM
Quote
It is time to release Chinese Democracy. The road is open for a massive musical and commercial success.

I think many of you are really going to be let down with album sales.. You really think the world is sitting around waiting for a 44 year old man in braides to turn the rock world upside down... The next big musical revolution happens with young people hungry to make it, people the youth can understand... Not from a guy who wears a new suit every night and lives in a mansion...

When I was a teenager I didn't look at people in their 40's as cool... We're talking mainstream here...

I agree wit u Mike... Alot of people think that Chinese Democracy will debut at number 1 and etc.... I think it'll break the top 10 but that may be it.. Trust me, i want this to be as big or bigger then the "old" GNR but, thats far from the truth...
Jbat

The words in bold & italic is one of the 1st comments i wrote here, not that ive written many, bak in Sept. 2006...it was a thread talking about sales for Chinese Democracy...... So I expected these "sales" bak then...I dont understand how some people are "surprised"? I know u all want GNR to GREAT just like I do, but just bcuz it hasnt done great it doesnt mean it wont... or that the Album is NOT great. Its Great!!!   I kno that 'maybe', if CD doesnt sell "well", 'maybe' we wont c the rest... But I think we will either way

[Ali]

Christina Aguilera's last album was a greatest hits package with some new songs released exclusively through Target in November.  It barely hit 100K its first week and was out of the top 50 in its third week of release.

Puts things in perspective.

She was on the AMAs performing, the album has been advertised on TV, she makes all kinds of appearances, appears in those gossip magazines etc and still sells less than GN'R.....





/jarmo

Jarmo, GNR promoted this as the most anticipated album EVER.... A lil different than Christina's "Greatest Hits"...

No, GN'R did not promote this as the most anticipated album ever.  GN'R hasn't really done any promotional work themselves.  It was everyone else that promoted the album as such. 

Another thing is that Christina is far more "hip" these days and has been active in recent years, as opposed to GN'R.  There's different things going on working in favor and against both.  Nonetheless, Christina's record was expected to sell more, too.

Ali

ummmmmmmmmmmmmm, did you not see the promo in Best Buy?  Do you think that Best Buy made all that up and just threw GNR's logo on it?  On the Poster in Best Buy "The most Anticipated Album EVER", did anyone else see this poster?

Of course I did.  But you answered your own question - it was Best Buy that said that, not GN'R themselves.  That was Best Buy trying to sell records.

Ali

[demo23nz]

Billboard - Dec 13

1 SPEARS*BRITNEY CIRCUS 505,073 999 496 505,694
2 SWIFT*TAYLOR FEARLESS 193,495 -28 267,371 1,270,536
3 BEYONCE I AM...SASHA FIERCE 152,816 -41 257,377 893,370
4 WEST*KANYE 808S & HEARTBREAK 141,678 -69 450,145 593,073
5 NICKELBACK DARK HORSE 133,373 -25 177,767 637,852
6 TWILIGHT SOUNDTRACK 133,180 -18 161,687 691,636
7 AKON FREEDOM 110,560 999 297 110,861
8 HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL 3: SENIOR SOUNDTRACK 90,518 -7 97,274 936,627
9 VARIOUS NOW 29 89,658 -38 145,347 522,689
10 COOK*DAVID DAVID COOK 87,069 -22 111,623 478,504
11 AC/DC BLACK ICE 84,320 -5 88,487 1,565,470
12 IL DIVO PROMISE 66,891 -21 84,525 313,254
13 HILL*FAITH JOY TO THE WORLD 66,293 -10 73,829 269,302
14 ENYA WINTER CAME 65,840 -1 66,349 307,857
15 LUDACRIS THEATER OF THE MIND 65,295 -69 213,493 279,421
16 KILLERS DAY & AGE 60,537 -69 193,421 255,344
17 PRESLEY*ELVIS ELVIS PRESLEY CHRISTMAS DUETS 57,105 37 41,814 170,263
18 GUNS 'N ROSES CHINESE DEMOCRACY 56,576 -78 261,191 317,767
19 ARCHULETA*DAVID DAVID ARCHULETA 55,699 -16 66,175 371,415
20 CONNICK*HARRY JR. WHAT A NIGHT! A CHRISTMAS ALBU 47,658 35 35,192 130,750
21 P!NK FUNHOUSE 46,538 -23 60,756 455,319
22 JONAS BROTHERS LITTLE BIT LONGER 44,340 3 43,193 1,211,514
23 CYRUS*MILEY BREAKOUT 43,456 -6 46,305 1,133,110
24 SCARFACE EMERITUS 42,023 999 190 42,214
25 CASTING CROWNS PEACE ON EARTH 40,755 -7 43,843 61,510

26 RASCAL FLATTS VOL. 1-GREATEST HITS 39,211 2 38,446 276,521
27 T.I. PAPER TRAIL 38,932 -48 74,792 1,342,766
28 BENNETT*TONY SWINGIN' CHRISTMAS 38,741 4 37,342 116,254
29 MA*YO-YO SONGS OF JOY & PEACE 38,128 14 33,517 173,897
30 NOW ESSENTIAL CHRIST ESSENTIAL NOW THAT'S WHAT I CA 37,718 19 31,711 120,649
31 KID ROCK ROCK N ROLL JESUS 37,659 -20 46,810 2,493,135
32 SWIFT*TAYLOR TAYLOR SWIFT 37,267 -6 39,577 3,660,296
33 BOCELLI*ANDREA INCANTO 34,682 28 27,112 195,629
34 SUGARLAND LOVE ON THE INSIDE 33,224 -22 42,399 1,134,297
35 COLDPLAY VIVA LA VIDA 30,652 -28 42,532 1,997,583
36 METALLICA DEATH MAGNETIC 30,614 -11 34,346 1,406,500
37 RIHANNA GOOD GIRL GONE BAD 30,179 -14 35,090 2,087,550
38 T-PAIN THR33 RINGZ 29,077 -40 48,679 307,395
39 MAMMA MIA SOUNDTRACK 28,076 8 26,072 1,196,036
40 YOUNG*NEIL SUGAR MOUNTAIN-LIVE AT CANTERB 26,373 999 478 26,851
41 GRANT*AMY CHRISTMAS COLLECTIONS 26,021 47 17,676 65,756
42 CHESNEY*KENNY LUCKY OLD SUN 24,978 -16 29,902 446,641
43 VARIOUS ALL WRAPPED UP 24,451 11 21,951 97,105
44 PERRY*KATY ONE OF THE BOYS 24,122 -17 29,117 609,715
45 MRAZ*JASON WE SING WE DANCE WE STEAL THIN 23,502 -11 26,316 662,070
46 HOUGH*JULIANNE SOUNDS OF THE SEASON 23,440 35 17,320 81,963
47 LIL WAYNE THA CARTER III 23,358 -27 31,920 2,749,947
48 MANNHEIM STEAMROLLER CHRISTMASVILLE 23,294 50 15,581 90,025
49 SEAL SOUL 22,691 9 20,907 113,476
50 LEGEND*JOHN EVOLVER 22,453 -33 33,318 352,792

[Layne Staley's Sunglasses]

I live in a country that lacks taste in music.

But for the few that do have great taste...

[RoCoKiN]

This album is too good...it deserves better that the shitty way it's being treated.  There is NO fucking reason why this album shouldn't have stayed in the top 10 for the next 10 weeks or so....absolutely none.  BULLSHIT!

[FanSince87]

Ouch. Outsold by a dead man's Xmas duets...

Let's be realistic. if you live in the US and listen to rock music or were ever a GnR fan, you know that CD is out. There were full page ads in multiple newspapers and magazines, it was in BB newspaper inserts, myspace, etc. There have been articles written about it by the AP and picked up in nearly every major US newspaper, articles in every music mag, mentions on all rock stations, mentions on AMAs, airplay on MNF, WWE tie-in, Dr. Pepper stuff, full album plays on all major US rock stations, etc.  No the band didn't promote it but nearly anyone not living under  a rock knew it was finally released.  Problem is, many old fans moved on, got older, etc. And they were not replaced with many new fans.  It's hard to gain millions of new fans when your band is in permanent flux, has no new material and has been out of the public eye for 15 years.   This album got far more promotion than most of the 17 albums that are now ahead of it on the US chart.

Let's be glad we have it. We love the music. It rocks and hopefully there are more releases down the pike. 

[Jecoma]

Dude, Chinese Democracy and Madagascar are great songs too. 

[Bitch Slap Rappin]

Ahhhhhh G&R fans I wouldn't get uptight right now. Enjoy the new cd. Forget about the charts and ridiculious reviews. Remember that Axl has a new management team. I'm sure they have a plan sitting on the desk in regards to the next step for C.D. Remember it's 'get in the ring time'. The most important part of releasing a cd is the up and coming tour. That in itself will be the promotional tool for C.D. (Yeah I see Britney at slot number one. I'm scratching my head wondering if she's going to actually sing this time around or perhaps send in a look alike to lip sync to her songs!!!  )

Someone wrote that Appetite took about a year before it exploded. I'm sure G&R performing in their tour back than helped allot. You've got to remember half the people buy cds based on seeing the artist perform live on stage.

If anything else I'm glad I have a copy of some new songs of G&R.  That was the highlight for this year for me as far as a new release. (I still have to get the new AC/DC and Metallica) Other than that................my ears are still waiting for something else!!!!!!!!!

[oldgunsfan]

Ahhhhhh G&R fans I wouldn't get uptight right now. Enjoy the new cd. Forget about the charts and ridiculious reviews. Remember that Axl has a new management team. I'm sure they have a plan sitting on the desk in regards to the next step for C.D. Remember it's 'get in the ring time'. The most important part of releasing a cd is the up and coming tour. That in itself will be the promotional tool for C.D. (Yeah I see Britney at slot number one. I'm scratching my head wondering if she's going to actually sing this time around or perhaps send in a look alike to lip sync to her songs!!!  )

Someone wrote that Appetite took about a year before it exploded. I'm sure G&R performing in their tour back than helped allot. You've got to remember half the people buy cds based on seeing the artist perform live on stage.

If anything else I'm glad I have a copy of some new songs of G&R.  That was the highlight for this year for me as far as a new release. (I still have to get the new AC/DC and Metallica) Other than that................my ears are still waiting for something else!!!!!!!!!

with AFD they were touring well before the album came out and were touring before the Illusion albums came out as well; and I don't mean 2 and 6 years before the album came out ; I'm talking leading up to it

[ShotgunBlues1978]

You can't compare CD to AFD, because GnR were nobodies at the time, nobody even knew who they were so how could they know they had an album?  The Sweet Child hit and the rest as they say is history

But, a valid and relevant comparison would be the latest Kid Rock album.  Kid Rock's a big name and has been a big star for a long time.  It looked like his album was going to maybe hit gold and that'd be it but then he had a string of hit singles.  Beyond the first week hype sales it's pretty much all about hit singles and word of mouth.  So we'll see what happens.  There are a number of songs that could catch on in various radio formats so we'll see what happens.  This I Love, Street of Dreams and If The World could definitely cross over to top 40 radio.  Scraped, Sorry, and IRS could be solid rock radio hits.  Unfortunately nowadays the music business is viewed as a sprint, not a marathon like it used to be.  But once in a while there are still albums that have serious legs.  Maybe this will be one but they need to get some hits for that to happen

[damnthehaters]

It will slowely climb people...it will all be ok!!

[faldor]

You can't compare CD to AFD, because GnR were nobodies at the time, nobody even knew who they were so how could they know they had an album?  The Sweet Child hit and the rest as they say is history

But, a valid and relevant comparison would be the latest Kid Rock album.  Kid Rock's a big name and has been a big star for a long time.  It looked like his album was going to maybe hit gold and that'd be it but then he had a string of hit singles.  Beyond the first week hype sales it's pretty much all about hit singles and word of mouth.  So we'll see what happens.  There are a number of songs that could catch on in various radio formats so we'll see what happens.  This I Love, Street of Dreams and If The World could definitely cross over to top 40 radio.  Scraped, Sorry, and IRS could be solid rock radio hits.  Unfortunately nowadays the music business is viewed as a sprint, not a marathon like it used to be.  But once in a while there are still albums that have serious legs.  Maybe this will be one but they need to get some hits for that to happen

You're right about GNR not being nobodies anymore, BUT, to a lot of people this ISN'T GNR.  So in a sense, it IS a new band.  So people are skeptical about what they'll hear.  But you are right, they did have a built in fanbase this time around.  I'm assuming all the die hards got their copies in week 1, so I'd also assume the 56k they sold in week 2 were from "new" fans or people that were on the fence that decided they liked what they heard or they'd give it a try.  We'll see what the response is from here on out.  If "Better" starts to win some people over, or if it takes another song.  I can see them pretty much releasing almost all of the songs as singles, or at least till something really sticks.  I thought "Street Of Dreams" would be a big crossover hit back in 2001 when I first heard it live.  So even though it's 7 years later, I'm gonna stick with that.

[The Catcher]

You're right about GNR not being nobodies anymore, BUT, to a lot of people this ISN'T GNR.  So in a sense, it IS a new band.

Exactly the point I've been trying to make.

[R.B. Huckleberry]

You're right about GNR not being nobodies anymore, BUT, to a lot of people this ISN'T GNR.  So in a sense, it IS a new band.

Exactly the point I've been trying to make.

I agree. All good things in time. We'll see a gold record for this one in the U.S., and that's nothing to sneeze at.

Different players=different game.