http://www.billboard.com/...d-b-albums

I know this will not warm the hearts of people on this board who hate this RnB recording but he is hanging on really well on the RnB chart with no radio airplay or promotion.

Take note this before you write this dude off.

I'm not sure how this "RnB chart" is compiled but it seems to get a lot of publicity. 7 weeks and still in the top 10 can only be a good thing. Another acolade. But we all know this isn't the chart that matters. Besides Prince is over these albums already... Killing the social media would seem to indicate as much.

His albums have very good distribution everywhere I shop, and is certainly a big name compared to some Johnny Come Lately he is usually beside on the display shelf. SNL was a boost too!

no hit single . no sign of one . its done . next !

great album, still loving it!

ColAngus said:

no hit single . no sign of one . its done . next !

Thats kind of a meaningless statement given Prince obviously wasn't pushing any singles to the radio, didn't try to promote any. Id say its done pretty well considering.

laurarichardson said:

http://www.billboard.com/...d-b-albums

I know this will not warm the hearts of people on this board who hate this RnB recording but he is hanging on really well on the RnB chart with no radio airplay or promotion.

Take note this before you write this dude off.

He could be #1 on the rnb charts, the truth is that it's out of the top 100 of the regular chart.

This thread.

ColAngus said:

jdcxc said:

ColAngus said:

no hit single . no sign of one . its done . next !

Why do fans care so much about sales? SOTT and Parade underperformed in the US. I'm currently listening to the brilliant Jill Jones and Madhouse CDs which had weak sales. P obviously is not driven by chart numbers and they have had no impact on his Live thing.

Once again, because the album underperformed (and that's an euphemism) there will surely be no new album anymore to be released.

Prince is completely obsessed with numbers and sales. He always talk about it. Lastly, he wanted to go to court because PLANET EARTH's sales were not counted in the OCC.

Prince said in 2009 that LOTUS FLOWER should have been #1 in the US, and that the numbers were lowered. That same year, he even said that he wanted to make an audit of PR in the US, because to him the sales were those of THRILLER.

In order to inflate Musicology sales, he made the tickets sold count on charts.

Etc, etc.

laurarichardson said:

http://www.billboard.com/...d-b-albums

I know this will not warm the hearts of people on this board who hate this RnB recording but he is hanging on really well on the RnB chart with no radio airplay or promotion.

Take note this before you write this dude off.

Good news. Time will make people consider this album as it is: a really good one.

jdcxc said:

ColAngus said:

no hit single . no sign of one . its done . next !

Why do fans care so much about sales? SOTT and Parade underperformed in the US. I'm currently listening to the brilliant Jill Jones and Madhouse CDs which had weak sales. P obviously is not driven by chart numbers and they have had no impact on his Live thing.

because if he has chart success we're more likely to get more music instead of anohter 3 year stretch of no new albums. We're also likely to get more tours and stuff. Look at the known recorded 3121 full length video that never got released because of that album's lack of success. I'd far rather he be successful enough again that stuff like that gets released. I'd also rather when I tell younger people I'm a Prince than that they actually knew who he is and had some idea of his music.

What I don't understand is how someone can have a top 10 R&B album for 7 weeks yet R&B radio won't play anything off of the album.

[Edited 11/27/14 8:15am]

alandail said:

jdcxc said:

ColAngus said: Why do fans care so much about sales? SOTT and Parade underperformed in the US. I'm currently listening to the brilliant Jill Jones and Madhouse CDs which had weak sales. P obviously is not driven by chart numbers and they have had no impact on his Live thing.

because if he has chart success we're more likely to get more music instead of anohter 3 year stretch of no new albums. We're also likely to get more tours and stuff. Look at the known recorded 3121 full length video that never got released because of that album's lack of success. I'd far rather he be successful enough again that stuff like that gets released. I'd also rather when I tell younger people I'm a Prince than that they actually knew who he is and had some idea of his music.

You're right.

For 3121, it's clearly the lack of a "real" worldwide tour that made the album fail on charts. No tour, so no more push from Universal.

They didn't even bother to promote the album with tv ad, when prince performed at Pop Idol. But I'm not sure it was their role to promote the album, only to distribute it.

Dr Funkenberry said it was the very reason Prince gave up the promotion and scrapped the whole movie.

It shows that AOA is a success, not only the critics and the fans love it....still top 20 in the billboard R&B charts, this week at #15....

http://www.billboard.com/charts/r-b-hip-hop-albums?page=1

And by the way, AOA and PE were Prince 15th and 16th top ten Album (Billboard album charts) in the US

laurarichardson said:

Alexandernvrmind said:

laurarichardson said:

http://www.billboard.com/...d-b-albums

I know this will not warm the hearts of people on this board who hate this RnB recording but he is hanging on really well on the RnB chart with no radio airplay or promotion.

Take note this before you write this dude off.

It's a very strong R&b record.... Too bad he didn't seem to want to play these songs on snl. His treatment of Clouds was sad on that show. It's a fantastic song R&B be damned. Everyone I play it for is like... Uh why is this not played on the radio? The opening of Clouds is incredible

To be played on radio, the major must pay what is called payola.

linus4000 said:

It shows that AOA is a success, not only the critics and the fans love it....still top 20 in the billboard R&B charts, this week at #15....

http://www.billboard.com/charts/r-b-hip-hop-albums?page=1

And by the way, AOA and PE were Prince 15th and 16th top ten Album (Billboard album charts) in the US

Rnb charts is a sub chart that doesn't mean anything. You can be on the top 10, but not on the real top 100. It's completely disconnected of the reality.

7 weeks before, AOA was at #1, now at #15. Pretty poor performance, most album stays at #1 on rnb charts for many weeks.

There is a simple fact that proves that AOA is a big flop : with its 95.000 ex, he is not even on the 150 best selling albums of 2014 in the USA.

With the new changing of rules, there won't be any top ten anymore for Prince. Hope he enjoyed the ride

RODSERLING said:

linus4000 said:

It shows that AOA is a success, not only the critics and the fans love it....still top 20 in the billboard R&B charts, this week at #15....

http://www.billboard.com/charts/r-b-hip-hop-albums?page=1

And by the way, AOA and PE were Prince 15th and 16th top ten Album (Billboard album charts) in the US

Rnb charts is a sub chart that doesn't mean anything. You can be on the top 10, but not on the real top 100. It's completely disconnected of the reality.

7 weeks before, AOA was at #1, now at #15. Pretty poor performance, most album stays at #1 on rnb charts for many weeks.

There is a simple fact that proves that AOA is a big flop : with its 95.000 ex, he is not even on the 150 best selling albums of 2014 in the USA.

With the new changing of rules, there won't be any top ten anymore for Prince. Hope he enjoyed the ride

*

By definition, a number one album can't be a flop. With that said, AOA and PlecElec are still in heavy rotation in my car and house, and that's all that matters to me. As such, I'm still enjoying the ride with Prince.

1725topp said:

RODSERLING said:

Rnb charts is a sub chart that doesn't mean anything. You can be on the top 10, but not on the real top 100. It's completely disconnected of the reality.

7 weeks before, AOA was at #1, now at #15. Pretty poor performance, most album stays at #1 on rnb charts for many weeks.

There is a simple fact that proves that AOA is a big flop : with its 95.000 ex, he is not even on the 150 best selling albums of 2014 in the USA.

With the new changing of rules, there won't be any top ten anymore for Prince. Hope he enjoyed the ride

*

By definition, a number one album can't be a flop. With that said, AOA and PlecElec are still in heavy rotation in my car and house, and that's all that matters to me. As such, I'm still enjoying the ride with Prince.

Great that you love the albums, that's absolutely not the topic here.

AOA was #1 on a sub-chart, not on the main chart.

Prince's album that didn't make the top 10 in the past ( PRINCE; LOVESEXY, EMANCIPATION) had a better chart-run, without talking about sales.

As always with Prince 1993 post-material, AOA and PE will surely be out of print next year.

RODSERLING said:

1725topp said:

*

By definition, a number one album can't be a flop. With that said, AOA and PlecElec are still in heavy rotation in my car and house, and that's all that matters to me. As such, I'm still enjoying the ride with Prince.

Great that you love the albums, that's absolutely not the topic here.

AOA was #1 on a sub-chart, not on the main chart.

Prince's album that didn't make the top 10 in the past ( PRINCE; LOVESEXY, EMANCIPATION) had a better chart-run, without talking about sales.

As always with Prince 1993 post-material, AOA and PE will surely be out of print next year.

*

And Dirty Mind and Controversy would have been out of print without the success of Purple Rain. So, if a lack of sales and chart run mean that Prince's post-1993 material is crap, then lack of sales and chart run mean that Dirty Mind and Controversy are crap albums because neither were gold until after the success of Purple Rain. Also, thirty-six years after his first album and thirty years after his highest selling album, Prince had two number one albums, AOA and PlecElec. Further, thirty-years after his first album, Prince has had four number one albums. And while I love Musicology, I know that the sales nor chart run make it any more or less than Dirty Mind or Controversy, same with AOA and PlecElec. Prince's albums being "out of print" merely reflect his desire not to do "certain things" to play the industry game for whatever batshit crazy reasons he has and that after a certain age and run a mass younger audiences can't really "hear"/"feel" an older artists no matter how well-crafted the work is. So, Prince's work being out of print means absolutely nothing, especially as it relates to the quality of the work because Dirty Mind and Controversy did not "get better" or "improve" after the release of Purple Rain they just received more exposure.

Total sales:

AOA- 200,000

Plectrum Electrum - 71,000

... Not a good look at all... Especially 4 a "comeback" album.

1725topp said:

RODSERLING said:

Great that you love the albums, that's absolutely not the topic here.

AOA was #1 on a sub-chart, not on the main chart.

Prince's album that didn't make the top 10 in the past ( PRINCE; LOVESEXY, EMANCIPATION) had a better chart-run, without talking about sales.

As always with Prince 1993 post-material, AOA and PE will surely be out of print next year.

*

And Dirty Mind and Controversy would have been out of print without the success of Purple Rain. So, if a lack of sales and chart run mean that Prince's post-1993 material is crap, then lack of sales and chart run mean that Dirty Mind and Controversy are crap albums because neither were gold until after the success of Purple Rain. Also, thirty-six years after his first album and thirty years after his highest selling album, Prince had two number one albums, AOA and PlecElec. Further, thirty-years after his first album, Prince has had four number one albums. And while I love Musicology, I know that the sales nor chart run make it any more or less than Dirty Mind or Controversy, same with AOA and PlecElec. Prince's albums being "out of print" merely reflect his desire not to do "certain things" to play the industry game for whatever batshit crazy reasons he has and that after a certain age and run a mass younger audiences can't really "hear"/"feel" an older artists no matter how well-crafted the work is. So, Prince's work being out of print means absolutely nothing, especially as it relates to the quality of the work because Dirty Mind and Controversy did not "get better" or "improve" after the release of Purple Rain they just received more exposure.

Of course sales doesn't mean quality. What's the point in telling this in a topic about charts ?

Of course it will be out of print because Prince doesn't want to play the game, and that WB had obviously a new feud with him.

The point is that AOA and PE (that never went #1 on the main charts) are flop, and this situation is not about to evolve, sadly.

I say it's sad, because prince got less and less fans at each album. But that's not the topic here neither.

RODSERLING said:

1725topp said:

*

And Dirty Mind and Controversy would have been out of print without the success of Purple Rain. So, if a lack of sales and chart run mean that Prince's post-1993 material is crap, then lack of sales and chart run mean that Dirty Mind and Controversy are crap albums because neither were gold until after the success of Purple Rain. Also, thirty-six years after his first album and thirty years after his highest selling album, Prince had two number one albums, AOA and PlecElec. Further, thirty-years after his first album, Prince has had four number one albums. And while I love Musicology, I know that the sales nor chart run make it any more or less than Dirty Mind or Controversy, same with AOA and PlecElec. Prince's albums being "out of print" merely reflect his desire not to do "certain things" to play the industry game for whatever batshit crazy reasons he has and that after a certain age and run a mass younger audiences can't really "hear"/"feel" an older artists no matter how well-crafted the work is. So, Prince's work being out of print means absolutely nothing, especially as it relates to the quality of the work because Dirty Mind and Controversy did not "get better" or "improve" after the release of Purple Rain they just received more exposure.

Of course sales doesn't mean quality. What's the point in telling this in a topic about charts ?

Of course it will be out of print because Prince doesn't want to play the game, and that WB had obviously a new feud with him.

The point is that AOA and PE (that never went #1 on the main charts) are flop, and this situation is not about to evolve, sadly.

I say it's sad, because prince got less and less fans at each album. But that's not the topic here neither.

*

So, because I pay less attention to a jazz chart of an overall chart, that would make an album on that chart a flop? A number one album is a number one album, period, making AOA and PlecElec not a flop. While I don't have the "same" notion, most of the people I know could care less about what's on any chart other than the R&B chart. So, are those people somehow less considered than people who care about other charts? Further, I don't know how it's "sad" that fewer people purchased Prince's albums over time. That's the basic narrative arc for most artists. However, what is not the basic narrative arc is that Prince, thirty-six years after his first album and thirty years after his biggest selling album had two number one albums. Prince is doing more thirty-six years after his first record than most people you can name, and most of those people you will be able to name will be legends, which is not bad company to keep. So, what's so sad? In an age, when very few people are selling albums and Prince is doing minimal promotion, he had two chart-toping albums. And, again, if flops are based on sales and chart run, then Dirty Mind and Controversy must be considered flops as well.

feeluupp said:

Total sales:

AOA- 200,000

Plectrum Electrum - 71,000

... Not a good look at all... Especially 4 a "comeback" album.

AOA is respectable considering the industry climate and general lack of co-ordinated promotion (promo videos, singles etc.).

IMO Plec needed to be released early 2014 when Prince had built considerable momentum and press with the London shows. I think this would have assisted European sales. However, Plec doesn't really represent the heavy, raw energy of 3EG's live sound.

Out of the two releases more casual fans were always going to opt for the Prince solo release. It's also the stronger, more cohesive album of the pair.

OperatingThetan said:

1725topp said:

RODSERLING said:

Of course sales doesn't mean quality. What's the point in telling this in a topic about charts ?

Of course it will be out of print because Prince doesn't want to play the game, and that WB had obviously a new feud with him.

The point is that AOA and PE (that never went #1 on the main charts) are flop, and this situation is not about to evolve, sadly.

I say it's sad, because prince got less and less fans at each album. But that's not the topic here neither.

*

So, because I pay less attention to a jazz chart of an overall chart, that would make an album on that chart a flop? A number one album is a number one album, period, making AOA and PlecElec not a flop. While I don't have the "same" notion, most of the people I know could care less about what's on any chart other than the R&B chart. So, are those people somehow less considered than people who care about other charts? Further, I don't know how it's "sad" that fewer people purchased Prince's albums over time. That's the basic narrative arc for most artists. However, what is not the basic narrative arc is that Prince, thirty-six years after his first album and thirty years after his biggest selling album had two number one albums. Prince is doing more thirty-six years after his first record than most people you can name, and most of those people you will be able to name will be legends, which is not bad company to keep. So, what's so sad? In an age, when very few people are selling albums and Prince is doing minimal promotion, he had two chart-toping albums. And, again, if flops are based on sales and chart run, then Dirty Mind and Controversy must be considered flops as well.

I don't know what to tell you. I give up. AOA and PE were #1 only in your world. In the real world, they flopped badly, and even most fans didn't bother to buy them.

RODSERLING said:

1725topp said:

*

So, because I pay less attention to a jazz chart of an overall chart, that would make an album on that chart a flop? A number one album is a number one album, period, making AOA and PlecElec not a flop. While I don't have the "same" notion, most of the people I know could care less about what's on any chart other than the R&B chart. So, are those people somehow less considered than people who care about other charts? Further, I don't know how it's "sad" that fewer people purchased Prince's albums over time. That's the basic narrative arc for most artists. However, what is not the basic narrative arc is that Prince, thirty-six years after his first album and thirty years after his biggest selling album had two number one albums. Prince is doing more thirty-six years after his first record than most people you can name, and most of those people you will be able to name will be legends, which is not bad company to keep. So, what's so sad? In an age, when very few people are selling albums and Prince is doing minimal promotion, he had two chart-toping albums. And, again, if flops are based on sales and chart run, then Dirty Mind and Controversy must be considered flops as well.

I don't know what to tell you. I give up. AOA and PE were #1 only in your world. In the real world, they flopped badly, and even most fans didn't bother to buy them.

*

So, the communities in which R&B matters, which are mostly African-American communities, don't matter? Thanks--I didn't know that African-American communities didn't exist in the "real" world. Maybe that's why it's so easy for unarmed black men to be killed because they don't matter in the "real" world. I love the way that this "fan" site always enlightens me. Also, why would I care about fans who are stuck in a time warp, wanting Prince to be their perpetual 80s fantasy?

1725topp said:

RODSERLING said:

I don't know what to tell you. I give up. AOA and PE were #1 only in your world. In the real world, they flopped badly, and even most fans didn't bother to buy them.

*

So, the communities in which R&B matters, which are mostly African-American communities, don't matter? Thanks--I didn't know that African-American communities didn't exist in the "real" world. Maybe that's why it's so easy for unarmed black men to be killed because they don't matter in the "real" world. I love the way that this "fan" site always enlightens me. Also, why would I care about fans who are stuck in a time warp, wanting Prince to be their perpetual 80s fantasy?

A sub chart doesn't really matter. AOA could be #1 on "gay charts" or something, what's the point if it's not even on the actual top 200 two months after release ?

i don't understand what rnb charts or AOA has to do with "killing unarmed black people" ? It must be ironic or something. You totally miss the point here. That doesn't even mean that Prince is played on rnb charts, we are talking here about the album charts, not the singles charts.

Singles charts rnb means that some songs are played on rnb stations. Rnb album charts doesn't mean that the album is mostly bought by afro american community. That's completely absurd.

I don't understand neither your " perpetual 80's fantasy" thing. Definitely not my business. We are in 2014 and Prince flopped badly, get over it.

RODSERLING said:

Alexandernvrmind said:

laurarichardson said: It's a very strong R&b record.... Too bad he didn't seem to want to play these songs on snl. His treatment of Clouds was sad on that show. It's a fantastic song R&B be damned. Everyone I play it for is like... Uh why is this not played on the radio? The opening of Clouds is incredible

To be played on radio, the major must pay what is called payola.

Not anymore. It's the 21st century. They own the stations. Corporate World.
He's just an old pain-in-the-ass fart as far as young sharks at Time Warner are concerned.

« — "Don't Play Me"? Ah! Serves him right! »

[Edited 12/10/14 7:20am]

feeluupp said:

Total sales:

AOA- 200,000

Plectrum Electrum - 71,000

... Not a good look at all... Especially 4 a "comeback" album.

You must be over thirty.
The market has completely changed.
This is pretty high for a release that is less than 3 month old.

Consider Robbie Williams, who has been 2013's 4th biggest sell with 626,000 sales on an album.

http://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/the-official-top-40-biggest-artist-albums-of-2013-2708/

There's going to be the comet's tail. He's going to promote it over the year, and have peaks at 10,000~15,000.
If he has an average of 4000 a week (there's still circa 1.5 billion human beings with still some kind of buying capacity) during 2015 (another TV appearance, some live shows),

that makes 5,000 x 52 : +b260,000.

At 450,000~500,000, he's going to be in the top 10~20 of the best sales of 2015 (if we include 2014 1st quarter).

Let us not forget that usually, once you dicover Prince, you feel like buying at least another album. Add to that single songs downloads, whether recent or back-catalog.
No wonder he's referencing that stupid Meme, he needed an alibi to speak of Purple Rain.
He's as interested as Warner in selling some back-catalog.