When you think about it the chart success has been amazing 1st off let me start by saying here's an artist who is coming off his last album (not counting N.E.W.S) The Rainbow Children that only debut'd @ #108 on the Billboard album chart and ONLY stayed in the top 200 for 2 weeks!

the Musicology single got virtually no radio airplay on top 40 radio while others like D12 & Mario Winans got almost 8,000 spins for their singles each week

NOT counting the cd's at the concert the album has sold week 1 over 171,000 copies week 2 over 102,000 copies and week 3 over 77,000 copies (still good enough to rank in the top 10)
and factor in that many thousands of people already got the cd at the concert those numbers become REALLY impressive

this week's over 77,000 soid is very solid because MTV has pretty much stopped playing the Musicology video and Vh-1 has scaled back play of it and MTV2 took it out of its rotation all together

on a side note-it still amazes me that an album can sell almost 350,000 copies in 3 weeks and yet radio (top 40) still considers Prince an artist too old and are afraid to play him even tho the album sales number tell you otherwise..don't these radio station programmers look at the charts? dont they see that people are lovin Prince's new album? are they that dumb not to give people what they want? nowonder people are jumping too Sat Radio and Internet Radio!

...and virtually NO radio play!!! Impressive indeed!

My sister came home the other day talkin' about how the people on her job are saying that Usher is *killing* Prince in sales. She responded by saying that they have to remember that P sells his records INDEPENDENTLY. That means he received a large profit from sales than Usher. Then, she further defended P by reminding them that "Musicology" has received no airplay and, compared to Ursher and Mario Winans, D12, that's quite an amazing feat because the video is comparatively not shown. [Note: My sister doesn't even *like* P, yet she defended him!]

Taking all of this and what you've said into account, we have much to be thankful for as Prince fans. I am thrilled and delighted for Prince and wish him all the success...the best life has to offer.

>>don't these radio station programmers look at the charts? dont they see that people are lovin Prince's new album? are they that dumb not to give people what they want? nowonder people are jumping too Sat Radio and Internet Radio<<<

yeah , I think you can lump Norah Jones and Josh Gorbon into this category ( not talent wise but similar chart success) . All have had big selling albums without the benefit of big Top 40 radio hits. This is great because it proves you dont need to cater to Top 40 radio to have a successful album. It has not always been like this. Top 40 targets the 12-25 year olds and radio programmers will not play anything that they feel is not totally hip to that age group. Will Prince ever have a big hit on Top 40 radio again?...maybe..maybe not but he has proven with out a doubt he doesnt need it.

newpower99 said:

too bad tho i was hoping P could add a few more top 40 singles to Joel Whitburns great top 40 chart books in the coming years...oh well

newpower99 said:

too bad tho i was hoping P could add a few more top 40 singles to Joel Whitburns great top 40 chart books in the coming years...oh well

I think its great how PRINCE can sell records in this fashion after almost 10 years of Indie Label Play!

Um...he is a genius and he gave the industry an album they deserved...its not the best record and its not the worst, its an easy listening album, which is good for the occasional prince fans!

Because they wouldnt understand 'The Rainbow Children' ...I can't waite til the next album on Blue Note Records...and I can't waite til he socks it to them with that next video!

I remember djs in clubs and radio telling me they wouldnt play PRINCE because he wasn't top 40 anymore, and now that he's in the top 3 for 3 damn weeks, they still ain't gonna play him which is why I think their all pricks and liars...they don't like him...its a personal issue...BECAUSE he should be played as much as USHER, D12 and BEYONCE...whose album ain't even in the Top 10 no more...why isn't MUSICOLOGY not being played anymore...and he's still a hit!

WHY?

You're right, but I wonder when - or if - we'll ever stop measuring "success" or "artistic merit" by sales figures. Hendrix records never even made into the top 10.

Prince fans should know better.