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Thread started 01/16/05 10:27am

DigitalGardin

AMERICAN LIFE/Madonna

This album is considered a flop....how much did it sell..what did it peak at on the charts...and why do u think it flopped? Was it bad musically?
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Reply #1 posted 01/16/05 10:38am

UndercovaBroth
a

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I don't think it reached anything higher than Platinum status. One of the reasons it probably didn't do so well was because it was released around the same time that we were going to war with Iraq and bands like the Dixie Chicks were receiving backlash for making it known they were anti-war.

The original video featured bombs being dropped at a fashion show or something, but it wouldn't have faired to well, since we had troops being sent over to Iraq. So, that version of the video was subsequently scrapped and released as her just singling to the camera with various national flags flashing behind her.

I think it just didn't do so well because of the timing of it's release.
[Edited 1/16/05 10:38am]
Ooh, little darlin' if you're
free 4 a couple of hours (Free 4 a couple of hours)
If U ain't busy 4 the next 7 years (Next 7 years)
Say, let's pretend we're married and go all night
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Reply #2 posted 01/16/05 11:51am

missfee

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well i guess throughout the album she was talking about how materialistic people are, the people in Hollywood and people in general, like you and me. She basically was talking about all the things that she herself has already done. So i guess some people thought she was being a hypocrite or something?? it was a confusing time when it was released...
I will forever love and miss you...my sweet Prince.
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Reply #3 posted 01/16/05 12:02pm

Chico1

UndercovaBrotha said:

I don't think it reached anything higher than Platinum status. One of the reasons it probably didn't do so well was because it was released around the same time that we were going to war with Iraq and bands like the Dixie Chicks were receiving backlash for making it known they were anti-war.

The original video featured bombs being dropped at a fashion show or something, but it wouldn't have faired to well, since we had troops being sent over to Iraq. So, that version of the video was subsequently scrapped and released as her just singling to the camera with various national flags flashing behind her.

I think it just didn't do so well because of the timing of it's release.


nod
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Reply #4 posted 01/16/05 12:19pm

HamsterHuey

missfee said:

So i guess some people thought she was being a hypocrite or something??



I for sure did. She and her Kaballah bullsh.t

The only people more sad are all the gay guys wearing them kaballah hangers just cuz she does. Or wear pink, glittery cowboy hats just cuz she does.
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Reply #5 posted 01/16/05 1:18pm

ehuffnsd

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American Life Debuted at #1 and was there for that week only

It has shipped a Million copies and is certified platinum.

It has sold just a million copies in the US and a total of 5million worldwide.

just a bit better than Damita Jo
You CANNOT use the name of God, or religion, to justify acts of violence, to hurt, to hate, to discriminate- Madonna
authentic power is service- Pope Francis
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Reply #6 posted 01/16/05 1:23pm

HamsterHuey

ehuffnsd said:

Damita Jo


Another album of an artist that thinks that the fans will take to anything they do.
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Reply #7 posted 01/16/05 2:27pm

VinnyM27

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UndercovaBrotha said:

I don't think it reached anything higher than Platinum status. One of the reasons it probably didn't do so well was because it was released around the same time that we were going to war with Iraq and bands like the Dixie Chicks were receiving backlash for making it known they were anti-war.

The original video featured bombs being dropped at a fashion show or something, but it wouldn't have faired to well, since we had troops being sent over to Iraq. So, that version of the video was subsequently scrapped and released as her just singling to the camera with various national flags flashing behind her.

I think it just didn't do so well because of the timing of it's release.
[Edited 1/16/05 10:38am]


I concur although the album did reach number one in the US when it debuted. Don't remember the amount of discs it sold, but I think the number was much fewer than both "Music" and "Ray Of Light" had on their debuts.
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Reply #8 posted 01/16/05 2:28pm

VinnyM27

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HamsterHuey said:

ehuffnsd said:

Damita Jo


Another album of an artist that thinks that the fans will take to anything they do.


Another artist that suffered becuase of bad timing.
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Reply #9 posted 01/16/05 2:49pm

GooeyTheHamste
r

VinnyM27 said:

HamsterHuey said:



Another album of an artist that thinks that the fans will take to anything they do.


Another artist that suffered becuase of bad timing.


Excuses, excuses.

The album just sucked big time. No matter what timing.
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Reply #10 posted 01/16/05 2:54pm

VinnyM27

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GooeyTheHamster said:

VinnyM27 said:



Another artist that suffered becuase of bad timing.


Excuses, excuses.

The album just sucked big time. No matter what timing.


And only good albums sell (a lot of people think "Erotica" and "Bedtime Stories" are some of the best but neither one sold very well).
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Reply #11 posted 01/16/05 2:56pm

jtgillia

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Yeah, let's not forget that this album wasn't exactly as mainstream as her previous two albums. Nothing on it jumps out instantly at you and screams "catchy hit single". And normally, that would be okay, but really this was one of Madonna's lesser albums to me.
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Reply #12 posted 01/16/05 4:29pm

VoicesCarry

ehuffnsd said:

American Life Debuted at #1 and was there for that week only

It has shipped a Million copies and is certified platinum.

It has sold just a million copies in the US and a total of 5million worldwide.

just a bit better than Damita Jo


It has actually sold about 700,000 copies in the US. Certified for 1 million shipped, though.
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Reply #13 posted 01/16/05 6:13pm

variety1317

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VoicesCarry said:

ehuffnsd said:

American Life Debuted at #1 and was there for that week only

It has shipped a Million copies and is certified platinum.

It has sold just a million copies in the US and a total of 5million worldwide.

just a bit better than Damita Jo


It has actually sold about 700,000 copies in the US. Certified for 1 million shipped, though.



I think he was talking about worldwide.


Anyway, I think her best albums are the ones that flop. Erotica, Bedtime Stories, and American Life are better than Like A Virgin, True Blue, and LIKE A PRAYER (YEAH I SAID IT). Like A Prayer is overrated (sue me).
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Reply #14 posted 01/16/05 6:23pm

ehuffnsd

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variety1317 said:

VoicesCarry said:



It has actually sold about 700,000 copies in the US. Certified for 1 million shipped, though.



I think he was talking about worldwide.


Anyway, I think her best albums are the ones that flop. Erotica, Bedtime Stories, and American Life are better than Like A Virgin, True Blue, and LIKE A PRAYER (YEAH I SAID IT). Like A Prayer is overrated (sue me).



EROTICA DID NOT FLOP it sold 2 million copies in the US as of 1/9/93 has been certified since... so who knows how many since than

BedTime has sold 2mil as of 2/27/95... once again hasn't been recertified since than so who knows.

now how many artist sell 2million copies of their cds within the first year and have them called flops?
[Edited 1/16/05 18:25pm]
You CANNOT use the name of God, or religion, to justify acts of violence, to hurt, to hate, to discriminate- Madonna
authentic power is service- Pope Francis
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Reply #15 posted 01/16/05 6:25pm

VoicesCarry

variety1317 said:

VoicesCarry said:



It has actually sold about 700,000 copies in the US. Certified for 1 million shipped, though.



I think he was talking about worldwide.


Anyway, I think her best albums are the ones that flop. Erotica, Bedtime Stories, and American Life are better than Like A Virgin, True Blue, and LIKE A PRAYER (YEAH I SAID IT). Like A Prayer is overrated (sue me).


He said: It has shipped a Million copies and is certified platinum.

That is referring to US figures.

Note that he goes on to say: It has sold just a million copies in the US and a total of 5million worldwide.

?
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Reply #16 posted 01/16/05 6:41pm

Chico319

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Reply #17 posted 01/16/05 6:50pm

SassyBritches

its seems obvious why american life did poorly...the general pop audience can't relate to it. really. most people don't want to hear a billionaire discuss the perils and pitfalls of being rich. they want albums about unrequited love, inner turmoil, celebrations, sex, etc...things they can relate to. that's not to say american life is a bad record (personally, i loved it). its just not a pop record.
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Reply #18 posted 01/16/05 7:10pm

Chico319

I wish I had an album that flopped with only 5 million copies sold. giggle
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Reply #19 posted 01/16/05 9:44pm

ehuffnsd

avatar

VoicesCarry said:

variety1317 said:




I think he was talking about worldwide.


Anyway, I think her best albums are the ones that flop. Erotica, Bedtime Stories, and American Life are better than Like A Virgin, True Blue, and LIKE A PRAYER (YEAH I SAID IT). Like A Prayer is overrated (sue me).


He said: It has shipped a Million copies and is certified platinum.

That is referring to US figures.

Note that he goes on to say: It has sold just a million copies in the US and a total of 5million worldwide.

?


i meant to have under a million but sometimes my thinking and typing don't match
You CANNOT use the name of God, or religion, to justify acts of violence, to hurt, to hate, to discriminate- Madonna
authentic power is service- Pope Francis
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Reply #20 posted 01/16/05 11:25pm

thanks2joniand
u

jtgillia said:

Yeah, let's not forget that this album wasn't exactly as mainstream as her previous two albums. Nothing on it jumps out instantly at you and screams "catchy hit single". And normally, that would be okay, but really this was one of Madonna's lesser albums to me.



I agree.The album has a somewhat obscure,dark sound to it.Not exactly something the mainstream is so ready to embrace.
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Reply #21 posted 01/17/05 1:35am

DavidEye

SassyBritches said:

its seems obvious why american life did poorly...the general pop audience can't relate to it. really. most people don't want to hear a billionaire discuss the perils and pitfalls of being rich. they want albums about unrequited love, inner turmoil, celebrations, sex, etc...things they can relate to. that's not to say american life is a bad record (personally, i loved it). its just not a pop record.



Exactly.For the most part,'American Life' is a non-commercial album.As someone pointed out,there aren't really alot of songs that scream "catchy hit single".It's actually a dark,serious album and not very upbeat,which is what people normally expect from Madonna.It's telling that her last Number One single was "Music",a song that's not remembered for it's profound lyrics,lol.

But I like 'American Life'.It's the album that she needed to make,at this point in her career.There's more to life than partying and hanging out at nightclubs,lol.
[Edited 1/17/05 1:42am]
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Reply #22 posted 01/17/05 6:48am

DavidEye

UndercovaBrotha said:

I don't think it reached anything higher than Platinum status. One of the reasons it probably didn't do so well was because it was released around the same time that we were going to war with Iraq and bands like the Dixie Chicks were receiving backlash for making it known they were anti-war.

The original video featured bombs being dropped at a fashion show or something, but it wouldn't have faired to well, since we had troops being sent over to Iraq. So, that version of the video was subsequently scrapped and released as her just singling to the camera with various national flags flashing behind her.

I think it just didn't do so well because of the timing of it's release.



I'm amazed at the brutal criticism she received (from fans) for pulling the video.They called her a "chicken".Don't they realize that the video would have gotten rejected by the music channels anyway? There is no way that MTV would have ever shown this video,especially while we are at war.
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Reply #23 posted 01/17/05 7:05am

Marrk

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"Me, Me, Me" and "I, I, I". That's all this album consists of, you actually lose count and get annoyed at the amount of times she refers to herself on it. Horrible album.

tanked deservedly. (she's in the same boat as Prince, MJ and Janet now, in that nobody sells like they used to)

.
[Edited 1/17/05 7:06am]
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Reply #24 posted 01/17/05 7:10am

DavidEye

Marrk said:

"Me, Me, Me" and "I, I, I". That's all this album consists of, you actually lose count and get annoyed at the amount of times she refers to herself on it.



True,but I think she intended this album to be just about her.It was meant to be a personal,musical diary.She wasn't making an album about other people.I know that sounds harsh,but it's true.Perhaps the next album will be about the world and people in general? lol
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Reply #25 posted 01/17/05 1:35pm

SassyBritches

Marrk said:

"Me, Me, Me" and "I, I, I". That's all this album consists of, you actually lose count and get annoyed at the amount of times she refers to herself on it. Horrible album.

tanked deservedly. (she's in the same boat as Prince, MJ and Janet now, in that nobody sells like they used to)

.
[Edited 1/17/05 7:06am]

yes, there are a lot of lyrics that revolve around herself. i'm glad to see someone take responsibility for themselves in the pop world. usually it's "you, you, you" or "they, they, they" when talking about your problems. the record, being a personal statement about herself and her life, shows madonna stepping up and taking the blame for her bad decisions as well as accepting her own criticisms. its not like the "me, me, me" and "i, i ,i " are all self-congratulating remarks.
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Reply #26 posted 01/17/05 2:30pm

abierman

that rap in 'American Life'..... eek eek

'I'm not a Christian, I'm not a Jew.....'

yeah, we all know she's a catholic, so dump that Kaballah bullshit.....Jews I know are offended by it!
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Reply #27 posted 01/17/05 4:47pm

HamsterHuey

abierman said:

that rap in 'American Life'..... eek eek

'I'm not a Christian, I'm not a Jew.....'

yeah, we all know she's a catholic, so dump that Kaballah bullshit.....Jews I know are offended by it!


I decided against the album when I heard her 'rap' double latte. I think this rap and Prince's ragga-muffin rap on The Sun, The Moon And The Stars might make a mighty mash-hit of the ridiculous.
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Reply #28 posted 01/17/05 4:52pm

RipHer2Shreds

It didn't sell well, because sometimes the world turns on its axis and a piece of crap album actually doesn't do all that well. It was boring and trite, and it deservedly bombed.
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Reply #29 posted 01/17/05 4:54pm

HamsterHuey

RipHer2Shreds said:

It didn't sell well, because sometimes the world turns on its axis and a piece of crap album actually doesn't do all that well. It was boring and trite, and it deservedly bombed.


mushy

The voice of reason.
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