brothaluv said:

There's alot of truth and power in this statement, but the "loss" of the need to create because of the hunger is strictly a mental issue. Assumption of the loss of the need on Prince's Part was one large flaw.

I consider 3121 a "flop" because of his past efforts. I forget the exact figures, but Purple Rain and Batman sold massively. Purple Rain was almost MJ status. Prince has a successful history of 10M+ sales, so his new albums have to sell really, really well for them to be considered a success.

You're right too, Di. The level of expectation for Prince is so high, it's virtually impossible for him to reach it. But 3121 sounds as if he wasn't even trying. I liked some of the songs. But they seemed to lack enthusiasm. Very minimalist for Prince. He doesn't have to write about sex anymore to jam either. Two of my favorite Prince songs were 7 and Ana Stesia. Serious jams,but no blue material whatsoever. If Prince has lost it a little, and all artists eventually do, why can't he just release some of his more serious jams in the vault?

DarlingDiana said:

Ermm, that's not true, the only album to go over 10 million sales is Purple Rain which is somewhere between 13-19 million world-wide. The next biggest selling album is Diamonds & Pearls at around 6.5 million world-wide, with Batman in third with just under 5 million world-wide. But most of Prince's albums are around the 1-2 million mark. Any album compared to the massive selling Purple Rain is going to come up short, whereas an album around the 1-2 million mark worldwide is average to good for Prince over the length of his career.

I don't care how many albums were sold and never have. I think that 3121 is a fantastic album. I was listening to it in my car today. There are some great songs on 3121. I don't know how the originator of this thread defines "flop," but IMO when an artist releases his 24th album and it is filled with great songs that is not a flop.

LoveSexy was considered a commercial disaster. Who cares? I loved that damn album and still rock it today.

Prince's career cannot be gauged by album sales. Even when people claim he is being "commercial" he is still being Prince, which is a unique, acquired taste for some folks. Some get Prince, some don't. Whatever the case, I am happy that nearly 30 years later he is still sharing great music with us.

2freaky4church1 said:

metalorange said:

The album was in the top 5 for a few weeks here,but U are right what concerns the total sales,the album dropped in2 the top 20 and it stayed there 4 a few weeks and then it was gone...

But it sure was nice 2 see an album cover of Prince at the top of the charts once again

I don't know y'all...3121 did what it was supposed to do...Aint one of my favorite Prince albums (I like a few joints...i was just glad that he brought his "sound" back on certain tracks...) But any album in Prince's 25 plus years of doing it that goes no. 1 and sales over 2 million worldwide is doing quite alright...i think the more reasonable question is this: Was 3121 a flop to you as a fan?

Anx said:

Good question, I've yet to see any evidence.

I recall that "American Life" sold nearly 700K in the U.S. but is widely regarded as a flop. So I'm not sure how 3121 could be regarded as commercially successful if it sold even less.

CandaceS said:

Because American Life was given bad reviews by critics and then there's the fact that Madnonna is looked at as a commercial artist who usually does 6 to 9 million worldwide....3121, for the most part, was given strong reviews...And for an artist like Prince, validation from the critics trumps album sales...

murph said:

madge doesnt sell that much anymore...(not to take away from the rest of your argument)...

Anticipation sales...when momentum is on your side you can have a #1 album and then find many copies in used book stores. Musicology was a big reason 3121 went over so big. It happens alot where the album before spurs record sales in the future. Plus, Prince has the name...I remember U2 selling through the roof on a couple of albums that are now considered failures. It depends on what you consider a flop to be. Money's been made but alot of fans are unhappy with it. I saw M.Knight Shamaylan's new movie "Lady in the Lake' and i won't be rushing out to see his next movie because of my disappointment.
A different perspective...take it with a grain of salt if you wish.
Personally, I thought 3121 was brilliant but I can see why some think it's a flop.

sosgemini said:

Maybe I should have been clearer with my comments....Madge does 6 to 9 million worldwide....Sge does that in her sleep...

Graycap23 said:

If it fitted Prince's agenda (most important) , then it is not a flop.

bellanoche said:

I Agree

He must have been bored and wanted to get some mess started, get everybody all worked up.

whatever

Prince is KING

murph said:[quote]I don't know y'all...3121 did what it was supposed to do...Aint one of my favorite Prince albums (I like a few joints...i was just glad that he brought his "sound" back on certain tracks...) But any album in Prince's 25 plus years of doing it that goes no. 1 and sales over 2 million worldwide is doing quite alright..
Agree!!!

I'll say this. On every Prince album, there's something to enjoy. Even his worse efforts produce a least one jam...

Anx said:

-----
Stop being lazy and look it up. Lot's of post about the cd being in the top ten in many other countries.

jayaredee said:

Honey, that was my point. I was agreeing with you. I'm well aware of how Prince fanatics can convince themselves into believing the most ridiculous figures even when those figures fly in the face of all reason. That was my whole point.

3121 was not a resounding success, that's for sure.

Commercially, it failed fall short of expectations, with no hit single. It sneaked to number 1 on a slow week, and tanked rapidly.

Artistically, not a great Album with a capital A and a cohesive concept like Lovesexy, but an excellent update of some of his most memorable sounds, with mostly keepers. Thematically, it suffers from the commercial failure, failing to live up to its billing as party you can never leave. That's

3121, started in 2005.. i like the number game.. over that part of it now... just want more music and prince!

in this day and age with Prince getting very little airplay 3121 was certainly not a flop....if your looking for a Prince album with disapointing sales that you can call a flop it would be Rave

Mazerati said:

I agree....

It is about time we start treating Prince with the same level of expectations we treat Dylan, The Stones, and other rock acts past their prime (older than 40 +).

Many orgers use sales to justify success. Last time I checked, The Stones, Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder,Bowie, and others did not have a number one album released recently.

If you examined the whole "3121 is a flop" argument closer, you would see that P has never been a huge sales machine, but he never strived to be either.

Purple Rain was an anomaly that was a success due to great music and a confluence of other factors (MTV, great promotion, different musical landscape). If you fast forward to 2006, several factors conspired against it. P's lack of promotion being the biggest, but also a far different musical landscape and the vehicle by which Purple Rain was successful, MTV, has degenerated into a cess pool of "musical" mess.

We should treat P like we treat Bowie (their careers have some parallels) and realize that with P's music, sales don't mean much. It is the artistry that matters, and that is completely subjective.

Rockability said:

The beauty of Prince is if you dont like that album, he will have another one out in a year

What is considered a flop?? YOU Own it? WHY do you need other people you will never know enjoy it?

Does a album sound better if other enjoy it???

Are The Spice Girls amazing because many bought it in your eyes? Is there music great now because the masses enjoy it?

According with mediatraffic 3121 sold less than musicology almost everywhere.
This are the worldwide scanned weeks:

#1 285.000 units
#2 178.000
#3 120.000
#4 97.000
#5 73.000
#6 55.000
#7 47.000
#8 42.000
#9 35.000
#10 35.000
#11 28.000
#12 20.000
#13 16.000
#14 12.000
#15 10.000
#16 10.000
#17 7.000
#18 5.000

mediatraffic cover 85% of the global market so the final numbers for that album are very near 1.300.000 copies. the same org. claims for musicology 3.600.000 copies sold including more or less 1 mil from the concerts tickets

Rockability said:

Yeah 3121 was a flop, I flop it in my cd player every chance I get!!!!!

COMPUTERBLUE1984 said:

It wasn't really a flop, but hardly a real comeback, what was wrong was that it was very underpromoted, I mean two singles went out with zilcho promotion b4 the album, and both stiffed in the lower reaches of the cahrt. An album is only as good as the support it is give. 500,000 is a very average number to sell for a major league artist. Prince should have promoted it more and it would have been a bigger hit.
Also the album itself was a bit of a let down, none of it was really killer it was more 3 star competence than anything else.
More a near miss than a flop