Idol Sales News – Week Ending 11/02/09
Sales numbers for the Billboard Release Date 11/15/2009 after the jump.
Download Numbers
31 Kelly Clarkson “Already Gone” 42,926 (-8%; lw 46,824) Total: 616,505 (31)
33 Carrie Underwood “Cowboy Casanova” 38,488 (-12%; lw 43,727) Total: 368,677 (24)
46 Carrie Underwood “Undo It” 28,412 (NEW) Total: 28,412 (NEW)
Jordin Sparks “Battlefield” 18K (-24%) Total: 1.112M
Adam Lambert “Time For Miracles” 12k (-74%) Total: 59K
Kris Allen “Live Like We’re Dying” 10K (3%) Total: 83K
Daughtry “No Surprise” 9K (-18%) Total: 872K
Carrie Underwood “Temporary Home” 7K (-72%) Total: 31K
Please post the numbers as you find them.
Posted in 200 Responses to “Idol Sales News – Week Ending 11/02/09”
I know that radio matters, you are preaching to the choir in regards to that, that’s why I didn’t understand why Adam fans harped so much on gossip sites that focused on Adam and his boyfriend, or magazines that did pages and pages on Adam, but not once did they mention his music.
That being said, there’s a big difference between djs mentioning someones name, and actually playing someone’s music. BTW, I think another thing that people have been confused about is how much people really care about the name dropping in relation to Adam. BTW, a dj being located in LA still makes him a random dj, especially since that market is still just one market. LLWD is being played on 90 stations, but that’s still just a drop in the bucket. There are many states, cities, and markets where the song isn’t being played, so saying that a dj in LA said something isn’t the same thing as saying that Adam is interviewed in a national magazine, and not once do they talk about his music.
On the topic of djs talking about Adam during rush time and his music etc., I have to say, and this is just my personal experience, when I’m driving, I don’t really pay much attention to the djs unless their talking about something I really want to know about. Obviously, if they mentioned Adam, I would listen because I’m pre-disposed to. If I wasn’t and Idol aholic, I don’t know that I would give it a second thought.
I do think that interviews with the artists draw attention more than casual conversations between djs. JMO.
HDD one-day predictions are in and it looks like Carrie will be the champion again. They are predicting that she’ll move between 300-350K. Wow!
The kids from Glee are expected to sell between 100-125K. Now 32 which has a bunch of Idols on it (including Kat), is expected to sell 80-100K
Here are the people that have sold greater than 300K in a week this year (from Pulse):
U2
Em
Maxwell
Whitney
JayZ
Michael Jackson
BEP
Dave Matthews Band
Rascal Flatts
First week for previous Carrie albums:
“Carnival Ride” Carrie Underwood 527,101 #1 10/07
“Some Hearts” Carrie Underwood 314,549 #2 12/3/05
I wouldn’t say he’s in regular rotation on 90 stations. 90 stations may be playing him but many of them could only be around 10 spins a week, which is a little more than one spin a day. Take into account the time of day that the song is played and depending on that you also have a higher or lower chance of actually being heard. It’s all chance. If you listen to the radio for two or three hours, chances are you won’t be hearing LLWD, unless your station spins the hell out of it. I don’t know many people who listen to radio for longer than that.
Like I said last week, his sales are increasing. The 10,000 people who bought the song are not buying it this week. This time around, a new set of 10,000 people bought it. The digital singles chart isn’t cumulative. On Monday morning at 12:00 AM all songs are reset back to zero for their download totals for the week. Whatever they accrue over the next seven days is their new total. He has seen steady increases for the past couple weeks now, increases that are in line with his radio increases. He’s only just now reaching top 40 on the CHR chart.
So, since Adam’s not getting promotion with regard to his music, only his personality and TFM isn’t getting spins or radio exposure and the video didn’t end up showing before This Is It, I guess 12,000 sold this week isn’t bad. Cool!
LA’s a huge market. And like I said, shows like Ryan’s are syndicated nationally. And having pop stations in big markets mention Adam news about his music isn’t OMG everything, but it DOES position him better than 99% of the other new artists, Idols included, who don’t get the benefit of such radio station interest. I understand you’re complaining that there’s been a lot of media on Adam not focused on the music, but there’s media on the music too, and I don’t quite get the complaints that oh noes, the media coverage isn’t ALL about the music, when the fact that there is any good media about the music is already a huge bonus.
Tremendous projections for Carrie. With the momentum she’ll have going into the holiday season, she’ll be unstoppable.
I expect 19/RCA to make aggressive use of TV, online and print to promote Adam. Radio airplay has been very hard for openly gay artists to get in the US — Adam could be an exception because of Idol but I will believe it when I hear him on the radio in Tupelo, MS — where Bravo and LOGO are not available on Comcast Cable because they actively promote “gay lifestyles” — but we get a lot of 19/Idol music. And I think that will make sure there is a broad promo mix to support Adam’s album launch. [I am so glad that Project Runway moved to Lifetime!]
Those numbers for carrie are very good considering the economy. If I recollect correctly, her first week sales for her previous 2 albums were similar in number so its very good. Taylor Swift, however, moved over 700,000 albums her first week. Her label did a great marketing strategy by having her album the first week on ITunes for 3.99. Im sure that sold a slew of albums for that major discounted price.
The “Rivers Cuomo” thing is a perfect example of crappy PR. River *who*? The lead singer of a 90s band with a novelty video from a decade ago, and one *really* annoying minor recent hit?
On another front, ENUFF with all this “Doctor Luke, Max Martin, Ryan Tedder” stuff!, Music Industry! How many freaking releases and items have been run on this sort of stuff for all three of this year’s Idols?
Sure, in the studio, the producers and songwriters are key–but the public doesn’t know or care who they are! Six million people bought Daughtry’s album, they don’t know who Howard Benson is.
The listening audience cares knows artists through songs (see Glee), not through songwriters and producers.
If you want to set up the relationship that “if you like Lady GaGa and Katy Perry and One Republic, you might like Adam Lambert”, grab a video cam and a mike and do a low tech video of them singing together!
It could be the 19E offices or the cubicles at Rolling Stone or EW or a bar, it doesn’t have to cost anything. Then put it on YouTube. How come there’s a video with kabillion of hits with Daughtry singing PokerFace & not something like that for the GaGanian Heir Apparent?
Get some of these top acts you want to mentally link in consumers minds to the new guy or girl to invite them onstage for a number (Like the Cook thing at GMA) and thousands more people will view it then read another press release that “(So and so) really loves working with our new singer.”
Yeah, it would be a cover, so what, the idea for now is establish “if you like this singer, you may love that singer” and that’s one you have to establish through music.
These are singers, godammit, promote them through music not more words! Siiiiiiiing!!!!!!
No, it’s not. But, it does show that those 12,000 units sold didn’t have a lot to do with the song, and probably had more to do with Adam being on AI and his hardcore AI fanbase. Just like the Davids’ 100,000+ plus sales had more to do with AI than their radio spins, and connection to none AI fans, and the same for Kris and the 30,000+ that he sold during a similar time frame.
The low figure does throw into question all the talk about Adam already being a star, having a large fan base, and already having connected with those who don’t watch AI.
Radio airplay has been very hard for openly gay artists to get in the US ԠAdam could be an exception because of Idol but I will believe it when I hear him on the radio in Tupelo, MS
Do those places not play Elton John, George Michael, R.E.M., Queen, Melissa Etheridge?
I mean, it’s always apples to oranges when you talk about classic acts that are already hits, and that those singers officially came out in the course of their careers rather then the start. But I’m always surprised at the extent to which openly queer artists, through the magic of pop and celebrity, are everywhere from Disney to the ballgame . . .
You’re really hurting my heart right now, maturin. C’mon, everyone I know that’s my age knows Weezer! And the younger kids do too from guitar hero and what not. They actually are still relevant in that get a lot of music industry coverage simply because they are so WTF with their projects. Yeah, no one knows who Max Martin or Dr Luke or Howard Benson is, which is why I actually think Adam getting associated with musicians like Weezer, Pink, Lady Gaga, are good things to drive to the public.
Q3, if I’m not mistaken aren’t a lot of those Tupelo stations run by Clear Channel, and using music services for a lot of their content? I know that’s the case in the Columbus/Starkville market.
David Archuleta, Christmas From the Heart (7,000, -4 percent, 31,000)
3rd week sales just in from idol chatter – the cd is holding very steady going into the meat of the holiday season, and the requisite promotion… very nice, very nice…
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/‘ ¦.ions-are-king/1
I hope people do realize that marketing is lit at both ends of the candle. Sometimes in order to get a “name” in front of the public the PR team has to search for people willing to give their artist the time of day. Sometimes it means “force feeding” them to program directors and djs. Othertimes a singer’s PR team has laid some pretty good groundwork and the “name” is recognizable. Then peeps are calling the artist’s people to set up interviews, and photo shoots, and a few seconds of their time on a radio station.
We will never be privy as to which end the candle is being lit for Kris or Adam. But if I was a PR guy my first instinct would be to get “name recognition” and “image” out in the forefront. Push, push, push to get people to recognize your product and then when the music hits…if it’s good you have a bonafide winner. If the music sucks you walk away with your tail between your legs.
So most PR peeps surround themselves with experts who have a handle on what sells and what the public wants…and before they put their guys name on everyone’s lips they are 75% sure that there is substance behind the name.
Neither way of marketing is the right way just a way. Having the music sell the person is just as valid as the person selling the music. A little more risky to market the person first…but if the music is good the benefits far outway the risks.
I live in the SF Bay Area and Adam has been talked about by DJs on a top HAC station I listen to in the mornings — along with the other celebrity gossip stuff — and it is related to his music and collaborators/praise from industry vets, etc. It’s gotten to the point where the DJs are asking, what about the guy that won? So I do think Adam’s press/promo at this point (1) at least creates awareness for lots of music listeners that he’s got an album coming out (which is 90% of the battle) and (2) gets people who are not closed off to AI artists to possibly give him a listen when his first single is spun on the radio or when his album is released. That is huge! Yes, he is more of a celebrity now but he is also known as a celebrity who has an album coming out soon — who incidentally has been getting lots of praise from industry vets. That’s good stuff IMO.
Also, in his chosen genre (pop), aren’t the big names really celebrities/singers (see Britney, Rihanna, Gaga, etc.)? So, to me, it seems he’s getting exactly the type of promo that seems appropriate for his genre — with a serving of cred on the side with the industry praise for his voice, range, talent, etc.
This shouldn’t be news, but the SF Bay Area isn’t the whole country. Saying that something is happening in just one area, so that means’ it translates to the whole country makes no sense. I bet the people in NY City who hear LLWD every two to three hours on the radio don’t have a problem knowing what happened to Kris Allen, but those who live in LA, where the song isn’t on the radio yet, might be.
BTW, there are plenty of singers who are selling records and getting airplay without being mentioned in the gossip pages. The Taylor Swift Storm that happened last week, as well as the fact that she was being over played in two different genres even before Kanye pulled his stunt, shows that there more than one way to sell records.
Yes, we have a lot of Clear Channel stations but very conservative programming. The American Family Association is HQ in Tupelo and they have a lot of influence.
But I have been pleased to see 3 CChannel station put FYE on thier playlists.
This seems self evident. I don’t think anyone was trying to claim one city’s market represents the country as a whole.
Go, Carrie!
I saw some questions above about Magic Rainbow’s performance. It hit platinum shortly before DC’s record went on sale. I remember being worried that “Complete my album” would prevent the Rainbow from keeping that platinum status. After which the Rainbow cheerfully stacked on another 200K in singles sales. Cuz that’s what the Rainbow does.
I also saw some mentions about the Rainbow’s performance on CHR. It peaked at #28, but hung out in the top 40 for 18 weeks. This DCO thread has links to various Rainbow resources, including LadyM’s sales charts, a chart tracking the Rainbow’s radio charts (with certain benchmarks), etc.
I wasn’t trying to argue that it did, though I was trying to back up smallie’s point that major market DJs were talking about Adam about things related to his music — such as collaborations and praise from established artists like Brian May and Rivers Cuomo, etc. She had cited LA, NY, DC and I was just adding SF (SF, San Jose, Oakland area) into the list of major markets that had radio stations discussing Adam (i.e., priming the listeners’ pumps).
I was at the store today and they play soft rock and heard Kris’s LLWD and my friend and I stopped in the middle of the aisle and said “Listen…it’s Kris”. We stayed around the aisle till the song was over. We were really pleasantly surprised.
Thank you. I happen to think we’ve made our case, but that’s just me. Regardless, done arguing in circles, sigh =P.
tinydance ”
I was at the store today and they play soft rock and heard Kris’s LLWD and my friend and I stopped in the middle of the aisle and said ‘Listen’ ¦it’s Kris’ . We stayed around the aisle till the song was over. We were really pleasantly surprised.”
Lucky you! Till today I haven’t heard LLWD on radios or anywhere.