I saw this on Dr FB. It's some food for thought: www.docfb.com

I’ve had thoughts about this all day. There are a few points I am going to make right now.

Here are TWO IMPORTANT INSIGHTS

ITEM #1: Prince is #1 in Retail Sales

Prince sold more physical albums than Urban!

Without digital sales, Keith only sold 134,338 making Prince #1 in retail stores. To me, that is kind of press-release worthy to get out there.

Also…IF Prince added his digital sales from his own web site www.lotusflow3r.com to the mix, he may win the “all in” numbers..depends what he sold digitally.

Keith Urban’s album this week:

· PHYSICAL 134,338
· DIGITAL 37,209
· TOTAL: 171,547
ITEM #2: Capital Records (most likely) Made Urban #1

OK, hear me out on this because this happens a LOT! What most likely happened is that Capital Records was VERY motivated (for many reasons) to deliver a # 1 ranking to Keith Urban.

Seeing they were only 3,000 units behind the #1 spot, they “did what it took” to ensure the win.

Now, it’s only a theory but it is probably correct.

If they would have lost by such a small margin (3,000 units) some vice president would have lost their job.

When it is that close…you can go out and buy the units at a retail store or better yet, Itunes, to ensure the win, and it would be worth the investment.

The downloads from his OWN site should count on this. I have not seen a Billboard position this close in a while. Something is just NOT adding up!-Dr.FB

What do u guys think? I'm too tired and I might be coming down with something so I'm staying out of this for the moment. Discuss and have a good night or morning wherever you are.
[Edited 4/8/09 21:36pm]

Why not think of it this way.

Keith Urban sold however many albums with his record in every major, and minor, retail outlet. Best Buy, Walmart, Target, Kmart, and anyplace else.

Prince had his in ONE retail outlet, and still only came 3000 behind Keith Urban. THAT is being #1.

Prince sold 168,000 copies. I didn't expect it to sell half of that in the first week. I don't care what the chart position is!

Record companies would have a vested interest in sabotaging an independent artist. They wouldn't want to give other artists any ideas that they could be a great success without them. I bet a lot of money was doled out to make sure Urban (whoever he is) beat Prince.

funkteer said:

obviously. that's how the record business works. in 1994 prince bought tons of copies of 'tmbgitw' single through npg retail. that's why it charted so high.

prince wasn't robbed, he just didn't grease the right wheels. he got close. he did very well for not having label backing.

he's been playing this game on his own terms for a while now. sometimes things go his way and sometimes they don't. 'emancipation' didn't chart well but he claimed to have made more money from that project than he did from 'purple rain.' '3121' was #1 but he'll probably make more money from the 'lotusflow3r' project.

dr. fb has acted as a mouthpiece for prince, so it's fair to speculate that this agitating about the numbers 'not adding up' is coming from prince. i understand it's a part of the game, but as a fan (and paying customer) i'm not greatly amused by this attempt to pull me into the morass.

if billboard decides to declare him #1, that's cool.
[Edited 4/8/09 22:30pm]

I think the above sounds like whining.

The numbers from his site should NOT count.

a) because you can't JUST buy the album from there, you get the album along with a membership. Albums sold with concert tickets no longer count and this is quite similar. No one is paying $77 in the US just to get those albums.

b) There's no reliability to the numbers. It's unlikely Prince would open his books to the degree necessary to satisfy proper verification, and no one would just take his "word" for what was sold.

.
[Edited 4/9/09 1:56am]

purplecam said:

Oh stop with the excuses and conspiracy theories people. Enough. Prince did well in a down economy with an album that has no lead single, a protege nobody, not even the hardcore fanbase knows much about and material that was negatively reviewed by the mainstream press. Don't forget that 'Diamond and Pearls', a terrible album, went to #1. Did WB 'do what it took' back then to to make that happen? I can't understand why anyone views a #2 chart debut negatively.

funkteer said:

Umm, Keith Urban has had a string of recent hits on country radio and yes playing the industry game. If Prince wanted to he could spend just as much money as any record company to promote his record. He could buy spins just like everyone else. He could send people to Target to buy up 5000 copies just like the major labels do. Record companies ain't spending as much in this economy anyway.

funkteer said:

Agreed....our man was robbed....in Daylight....Welcome to the Dawn....

LondonStyle said:

agreed---

Keith Urban’s album this week:

· PHYSICAL 134,338
· DIGITAL 37,209 ( most sold at $3.99)
· TOTAL: 171,547
money made $171,547


Prince album
· PHYSICAL 168,458
· DIGITAL Not counted ( even when ppl paid hefty $77)
· TOTAL: 168,458
money made $1,010,748 just from target
[Edited 4/9/09 4:39am]

funksterr said:

Not true.

http://www.billboard.com/...lboard+200


Why does the billboard chart have no link to :

1. Prince's website ?
2. Target's website ?
3. No Image of Prince's Album Cover ?



Look's like they just don't want him around the charts....

Give it a rest, will you please! Prince is not #1 and it's his own damn fault, no one elses! The fact that he still came in at #2 was an accomplishment, appreciate it because by this time next week, he may not even be on the damn charts, at all. Sheesh!

HatrinaHaterwitz said:

Yeah your right....the good news is he won't do anymore US only releases and all fans will get there hands on the next new CD all at the same time....

Let. It. Go.

Can someone please let Dr Funkenberry know that it is "CAPITOL Records", NOT "Capital Records"?

Sheesh. It's like misspelling "Fender"...

squirrelgrease said:

I let it go after I read this on the 5th of April..... ...Fix

this album is slanted to come in at #2 on the Billboard charts behind country crooner Keith Urbans’ Defying Gravity, which was also released the same week. Beyond numbers though, one should realize that Prince’s album was sold exclusively at Target and not at every music store in the nation like Urbans’. Thus bragging rights go to the man himself, Prince

.

http://www.examiner.com/x...OtUSFLOW3R
[Edited 4/9/09 7:02am]

Giovanni777 said:

Or Elixir

LondonStyle said:

because artists pay for those services.

stanleylieber said:

I'm glad you said it and not me.....looks like Keith Urban paid to get the number 1 slot then...

LondonStyle said:

i don't think anyone really contests this.

Despite it all folks, Prince did very well for only having one retailer and coming in at #2. Of course record companies don't like that. Like funkteer said, record companies don't want their artists doing the same thing Prince did because they don't want to become "obsolete", which in my opinion, who needs record companies when you could do what Prince did?