mmmmm I wonder why?

Must be becoz of the VMA nomination!!

I wish these jumps were based on people actually going out and buying the album. I think it's really ridiculous that anyone could get excited by these chart jumps, seeing as it's only because more albums were given away last week. What's even sadder is the hardcore Prince fan who's got a closet full of Musicology albums because they've been going to concert after concert after concert.

Any Orgers out there who could wallpaper at least one whole wall with your giveaways? Holla back.

TheBigBang said:

Well hate on it all you want but there are more than a few big concert draw acts that have expressed an interest in doing what Prince has done. Everyone from Fleetwood Mac to Jimmy Buffet to Van Halen.

I love this idea it evens out the playing field. To me it makes the independent a force again. I would love to see Ani Defranco do this too. Of course now Billboard as closed this down but if indies like her did it anyway that would be awesome because eventually they will have to acknowledge it.

I also think with the exception of Usher the days of the retail sale as a force is coming to an end. Live shows seems to be where it's at. Prince of course got infront of the wave.

Peace

This is turning into a case of "the album that wouldn't die" and I LOVE IT! This is the fourth time now that Musicology has fallen below the top ten only to make a comeback.

MUSICOLOGY WEEKLY SCANS

Week One – 191,000
Week Two – 173,000
Week Three – 150,000
Week Four – 76,637
Week Five – 42,000
Week Six - 71,000
Week Seven – 93,000
Week Eight – 75,363
Week Nine – 81,261
Week Ten – 92,000
Week Eleven – 55,739
Week Twelve– 25,000
Week Thirteen – 74,000
Week Fourteen – 79,157
Week Fifteen – 58,000
Week Sixteen - 73,000

Total – 1,410,157 copies scanned/sold

poetbear68 said:

Whoa! that is awesome great post thanks for the information.

Peace

Prince is doing this, in part, to show that charts are artificial.

[This message was edited Wed Aug 11 15:08:00 2004 by Raijuan]

What a joke..This is deception at the highest level. The concert sales should not count, since most people that went to the shows only went because of Prince playing his old songs. Most could care less about the new stuff. I bet most of them either sold their copies to cd stores or use it as a handy coaster.

2freaky4church1 said:

The sales figures for Musicology aren't deceptive - there is no trickery involved.
Everything has been completely above board.
What has been done is manipulation of the rules to Prince's advantange.
He found a loophole & ran with it.

2freaky4church1 said:

So, all the people attending the concerts have contacted you and told you that they were only going to hear the old songs, huh? Boy, that's very good you have that kind of clout . . . NOT!!
Anything to keep from admitting that most pepole loved the Musocology album and that the people attending the concerts would have bought the album anyway.

in my opinion, prince is working a loophole and coming out smelling like a rose, it's weaselly as hell, and i think it's great!

what do these numbers prove? that tons and TONS of people are going to his shows. these people are going home with his new album, and i'm sure more than a few folks are getting turned on to it. some folks are getting multiple copies and sharing 'em with other people who wouldn't otherwise go out and buy it (heck, i've run out of people to give my extras to), and that ups the number of people who are hearing the album.

meanwhile, if he'd just gone on a regular ol' tour that didn't include the album, i'm sure a huge chunk of the folks going would walk in unaware that he even HAD a new album out, and would walk out just as unaware of the fact, despite the fact that he went on a big ol' media campaign this year to promote it. folks can be thick.

i think what he's doing is incredibly manipulative, but i think it's a hoot, and it's not like he isn't working hard for those numbers...it's just not in the traditional sense.

Typical "Org" spinning something the negative way

you might assume that in the year that Prince is the #1 TOUR & on his own terms be a Top 3 act for the full year.. peopl here would be happy.

But I think WE ALL know why "The Org" is so negative with Prince.. because of a failure of someone else "comeback" in 2001.

OK..

Lets spin this the Positive way.. The Honest Proper Way!!

Billboard agreed to the Counting of this Album & just like Prince to THINK of something that Changes the Music Industry like Internet Sales (which were considered a JOKE in the early 90's because Prince was a "loser hasbeen") NOW everyone sells on the Internet & This Idea of giving your new product away at Concerts.. which Helps Older Acts to Play Greatests Hits Tour BUT the audience hears their New Music which in turn in a few years that New Music will be requested at the Next Tour to be heard by the fans win!! win!!

Lets Spins this the Correct way!

EVERY WEEK Prince is selling out EVERY show without Promotion NOW at a 95% Sell Out Rate! So EVERY Week you see Prince's Album in the Top 10.. That means He SOLD OUT a bunch more concert shows for that week

ElectricBlue said:

Finally some1 with a commensense perspective. This is just a great promotional tool. People will b anticapating his next release bcuz of all the hype and great reviews that scream out that P is back 2 FORM and back as King! Genius!

hE'S GIVING IT AWAY AND IT STILL CAN'T REACH #1. hOW SAD?

thedog said:

he was taking time off when the album was released otherwise it would be #1

but making it in top 10 for 6months is more impressive then #1

how many albums stay in top ten so long not many at all

ElectricBlue said:

I got something for you to spin. You can sit on it too, while you're at it.

Let's not lower ourselves to muddy generalizations, especially when that particular dead horse has already been ever so thoroughly flogged.

There are plenty of folks who frequent this site and have a healthy (and perhaps not-so-healthy) appreciation of the man, so you might wanna trade that broad brush in for something a little bit more nuanced there, Picasso.

I don't see this as a "joke" or "deception", but as a purely brilliant move on the part of someone who's been portrayed as being "washed up" in the eyes of the music industry. They worked very hard to keep him down and have him be viewed as silly and stuck in the past. I'd say he proved once and for all that he is smart, innovative and has definitely got the last laugh----ALL THE WAY TO THE BANK. He was also smart enough not to give them a tour "end date". He can keep this going for as long as he's willing to keep the show on the road. He's also proved that fans nationwide and probably worldwide, shortly, consider him to be the Number One, all time best musician and performer. Absolutely nothing "SAD" about that, either. Concert attendances don't lie and don't make the mistake of thinking it's only because of the hits. He is very much loved and he knows that for SURE now when he comes out on that stage. If he displays a little extra pride when he comes out to perform to a jam-packed house, he SHOULD BE PROUD. HE'S EARNED IT!!!!!

thedog said:

He's #1 at the bank! So what's your point again?

I think it's awesome!!I'm surprised no one thought about the "buy a ticket,get a CD"deal before.You go Boy!!!!

Don't the sales count the day the tickets are bought?
Which would have passed already...makes more sense

TheBigBang said:

thedog said:

Alright, who typed a question at the end of mr. "thedogs" (Ron Burgandy) sentence?
(How sad?)
Well said.....Wait, no it wasnt

darladee said:

Thank you for your post, I couldn't have said it better. Prince has once again illustrated how creative he can be in marketing his music...I just love it! Now the record companies are on the run and are trying to shutdown the CD with concert ticket because as soon as other musicians start this process, why would be need the Billboard charts? Billboard charts!
[This message was edited Wed Aug 11 19:12:16 2004 by Jamzone333]
[This message was edited Wed Aug 11 19:14:07 2004 by Jamzone333]

2freaky4church1 said:

Oh please that is conjecture at best and your opinion. When I went and saw Prince when I left the concert all I heard was people listening to the CD. Most people I know feel the album is great and I'm not even going to add the critics who love it also. You can always go to a second hand CD store and see if the CD is there but for the most part everyone except for most people that come to the org are vibing on this CD.

Also just where in the hell is the deception? People who buy this very reasonably priced ticket know that they are also paying for a CD. You don't hear people complaining when they leave the show.

No this is great business from a great business man. No matter how much you try and hate on him he is succeeding with this stratagy. Of course everyone is entitled to their opinion but it just seems like most of you "fans" here on the org (and I use that term loosely) have more problems with Prince's success than his failures. It is like some of you guys just want him to fail.


Peace

even WITHOUT the giveaways the albums is a success...when Prince took time off people were saying what a drop #8 to #64! well i considered it a big achievement for an album with NO pop radio airplay and very little video airplay to still be at #64 after 3 months of release and let me say it again for the Prince hating impaired people out there THAT WAS WITH NO CONCERT CD'S COUNTED!

Let's not forget that Prince's ORIGINAL intention was to get the music out to the public...
He had no idea that Billboard was going to count his giveaways as sales...they decided that
AFTER his concert tour started.

As far as future giveaways...I thought that Billboard decided that as long as the customer
is given a choice of purchasing a concert CD with their ticket or not future concert CD's will indeed count as a sale. Anyone?

TheBigBang said:

No offense, but your was of thinking epitomizes the effect that media brainwash has on people. You can say what you want, the fact of of the matter is that Musicology (the album) is selling. In addition, the fact that Prince isn't selling the product through the traditional format is neither here nore there; a sale is a sale.

When the Kenwood stereo company tallied up its sales totals last year do you think that they exlude the sale of tens of thousands of units to say BMW, who in turn factored the price of the units into the sale of each one of its cars? Whether a consumer bought a Kenwood stereo directly from a Kenwood dealer, or indireclty, (via/BMW) the sale was still made and counted.

You can bitch, and whine all you want, the brother is getting over with this genius marketing idea. You have to be a 12:00 str8-up hater to not see it.

also, billboard has NOT ruled this marketing strategy out by any means. All they have said is that going forward, shows must offer 2 different ticket prices, one including the cd, and one without it. Therefor the consumer "chose" to buy the cd, even if that ticket was only $2 more than the ticket that didn't include the disc. This strategy will soon become the norm for acts that rely on touring. And yes, Prince has once again changed the music biz, like it or not. Oh, and by the way, how STUPID do the execs at clear channel feel now, having turned down the opportunity to have been the worldwide promoter of this tour?