Songs from Black Mountain on the Charts Options

[SJN1279]

SFBM dropped to #79 on the US Billboard charts this week. The album sold 13,600+ copies, which was only a 24 percent drop from last week's 18,006. Overall 31,000 + copies sold over the counter, and digital downloads 8-10,000 more. Album is holding pretty steady and the upcoming tour can only help.

I really hope management allows the band to sell the album at upcoming shows. It could be a real boost to sales.

This post has been edited by SJN1279: Jun 21 2006, 10:00 am

[ShowalittleLove]

With almost no current US promotion, hit single, TV spot or US concert I can see why the sales are what they are. I did think the AI performance would have a bigger impact though. I could care less about the sales as long as it doesn't discourage them from continuing to make music but I do miss the TV spots like SNL and actually seeing their videos on TV.

[aLIVEinNORWAY]

Ellen DeGeneres show and American Idol and they sell 31 000 +
Let's hope The World Cup Footy Show will help in Europe...probably not.

[Costakoui]

With almost no current US promotion, hit single, TV spot or US concert I can see why the sales are what they are. I did think the AI performance would have a bigger impact though. I could care less about the sales as long as it doesn't discourage them from continuing to make music but I do miss the TV spots like SNL and actually seeing their videos on TV.

I agree, I do not care about sales either. I do not think that sales will discourage the band from making music unless they start blaming each other for the possible incipient commercial failure. I want to believe that bad sales will encourage them to go back to the rock unique Live sound and produce album number 8 that will rock the world. Chad said that they went pop because this is what is nowadays more prominent on the radio (at least, this is what I got from his interview). Well, they tried it with 3 albums and it did not really work. Perhaps it is time to rock it again.

Why do we take for granted that the new songs are so good to receive airplay and increase album sales? Would I – or you - like The River and Mystery if I was not a Live fan? No! I liked the songs after I listened to the album many times and probably they would not capture my attention by the first listen if I had no idea about the band. Some songs such as Show, Sophia and Night of Nights have the potential but, as what happened with BoP, the best songs are not going to be released.

TC sold millions because it stood out as an album. SS too, also because it followed TC. TDTH sold on its own. But V, BoP and now SFBM are not outstanding. Why, for example, should somebody choose to listen to The River and Live and to Shakira or ever Bon Jovi? If Live chose to release a song like Lift me Up I think that it would top the charts because it would be very melodic but more importantly very different from what would be available out there.

I think that Epic cannot increase sales substantially because the album cannot sell on its own (how i wish to be wrong here). Promotion cannot really make people buy; it can only create public awareness which is not a sufficient factor if an album is not outstanding. Blaming Epic is the easy way - perhaps the band, or Ed, needs to re-arrange their sound orientation.

This post has been edited by Costakoui: Jun 21 2006, 2:47 pm

[jaybb]

With almost no current US promotion, hit single, TV spot or US concert I can see why the sales are what they are. I did think the AI performance would have a bigger impact though. I could care less about the sales as long as it doesn't discourage them from continuing to make music but I do miss the TV spots like SNL and actually seeing their videos on TV.

The sales are probably much higher in Europe. These are just US figures.

[seriakiLLa]

Well, they tried it with 3 albums and it did not really work. Perhaps it is time to rock it again.

[SJN1279]

I agree, I do not care about sales either. I do not think that sales will discourage the band from making music unless they start blaming each other for the possible incipient commercial failure. I want to believe that bad sales will encourage them to go back to the rock unique Live sound and produce album number 8 that will rock the world. Chad said that they went pop because this is what is nowadays more prominent on the radio (at least, this is what I got from his interview). Well, they tried it with 3 albums and it did not really work. Perhaps it is time to rock it again.

Why do we take for granted that the new songs are so good to receive airplay and increase album sales? Would I – or you - like The River and Mystery if I was not a Live fan? No! I liked the songs after I listened to the album many times and probably they would not capture my attention by the first listen if I had no idea about the band. Some songs such as Show, Sophia and Night of Nights have the potential but, as what happened with BoP, the best songs are not going to be released.

TC sold millions because it stood out as an album. SS too, also because it followed TC. TDTH sold on its own. But V, BoP and now SFBM are not outstanding. Why, for example, should somebody choose to listen to The River and Live and to Shakira or ever Bon Jovi? If Live chose to release a song like Lift me Up I think that it would top the charts because it would be very melodic but more importantly very different from what would be available out there.

I think that Epic cannot increase sales substantially because the album cannot sell on its own (how i wish to be wrong here). Promotion cannot really make people buy; it can only create public awareness which is not a sufficient factor if an album is not outstanding. Blaming Epic is the easy way - perhaps the band, or Ed, needs to re-arrange their sound orientation.

Secret Samadhi was pretty much a commercial flop when compared to its Throwing Copper lead in. The Distance to Hear sold a little over 1 million copies in the US, but it was a huge step down sales wise from their heyday. V was a rock record, not a pop one. Simple Creed was a total rock single, but it failed to have legs in the US. People's taste in music changed and a lot of those 90's bands were pushed aside in 2001 (Bush, STP, Smashing Pumpkins and the list goes on and on).

I bet a lot people would like The River and Mystery if it was given a chance on radio. However having a hit song doesn't do much for album sales. Live would need to crossover to pop or return to rock/alternative to signifigantly increase album sales once again.

And Epic is totally to blame for this album only selling 18,000 copies in the first week. If you weren't a Live fan you wouldn't even know the album was going to be released. Also many Live fans already had the album months before June 6th, and there was a total lack of buzz in the US among even among hardcore fans. If they had kept the release date May 9th, coupled with a tour, and promotional appearances, this album would have easily matched or surpassed Birds of Pray's numbers in the US.

This post has been edited by SJN1279: Jun 21 2006, 3:33 pm

[jonesy]

Ellen DeGeneres show and American Idol and they sell 31 000 +
Let's hope The World Cup Footy Show will help in Europe...probably not.

The World cup footy show was only aired in Australia. It's the AFL and NRL footy shows combined for one event to help support the socceroos(Aussie soccer team).

[sandkind]

Promotion cannot really make people buy; it can only create public awareness which is not a sufficient factor if an album is not outstanding. Blaming Epic is the easy way - perhaps the band, or Ed, needs to re-arrange their sound orientation.

i pretty much agree and still think a new producer would help

[SJN1279]

Promotion cannot really make people buy; it can only create public awareness which is not a sufficient factor if an album is not outstanding. Blaming Epic is the easy way - perhaps the band, or Ed, needs to re-arrange their sound orientation.

So only oustanding albums make it to the top of the charts? I never knew that. Maybe I should buy albums based on Billboard chart position from now on.

[MetsOwnYou]

I've said it before and I'll say it again.

Blaming the label solely for Live's pitfall in the music industry is the easy thing to do. Singing silly tunes about women and your children does not sell albums. It is not appealing to the general audience.

When your music has trouble connecting to both young and adult audiences, you have a major problem certainly not created by the label.

[Costakoui]

Secret Samadhi was pretty much a commercial flop when compared to its Throwing Copper lead in. The Distance to Hear sold a little over 1 million copies in the US, but it was a huge step down sales wise from their heyday. V was a rock record, not a pop one. Simple Creed was a total rock single, but it failed to have legs in the US. People's taste in music changed and a lot of those 90's bands were pushed aside in 2001 (Bush, STP, Smashing Pumpkins and the list goes on and on).

I bet a lot people would like The River and Mystery if it was given a chance on radio. However having a hit song doesn't do much for album sales. Live would need to crossover to pop or return to rock/alternative to signifigantly increase album sales once again.

And Epic is totally to blame for this album only selling 18,000 copies in the first week. If you weren't a Live fan you wouldn't even know the album was going to be released. Also many Live fans already had the album months before June 6th, and there was a total lack of buzz in the US among even among hardcore fans. If they had kept the release date May 9th, coupled with a tour, and promotional appearances, this album would have easily matched or surpassed Birds of Pray's numbers in the US.

Simple Creed is total rock and V is a rock album? I am sorry but I cannot hear the rock sound in V. V is even more poppy than SFBM. If Ok?, Like a Soldier, Hero of Love, Call me a fool, The Ride etc are classified as rock songs then TC and SS sound metal to me.

Yes, SS was a commercial flop because, I think, the band made the wrong choices in terms of the singles released. Lakini’s Juice is great but it was a great departure from TC. The band needed singles like Hero…, Gas Hed…, or perhaps Insomnia… which are very catchy in order to satisfy TC fans. It is true that many TC fans did not stay loyal to the band as soon as SS came out.

TDTH, to many people, was better than SS and it even toped TC. It sold one million in the US but it outsold TC in other countries. If The Dolphin’s Cry was not a single the album would probably sell much less in the US.

[Costakoui]

So only oustanding albums make it to the top of the charts? I never knew that. Maybe I should buy albums based on Billboard chart position from now on.

I guess here we talk about sales and commercial success and not how good an album is. However, i tend to believe - and perhaps i am totally wrong - that outstanding albums usually meet with commercial success.

[Costakoui]

I've said it before and I'll say it again.

Blaming the label solely for Live's pitfall in the music industry is the easy thing to do. Singing silly tunes about women and your children does not sell albums. It is not appealing to the general audience.

When your music has trouble connecting to both young and adult audiences, you have a major problem certainly not created by the label.

I am with you.

I am just wondering what the promotion of TC was? Did people know about the album? The album topped billboard one year after its release; the promotion lied in its own hands.

[aLIVEinNORWAY]

The World cup footy show was only aired in Australia. It's the AFL and NRL footy shows combined for one event to help support the socceroos(Aussie soccer team).

O.K...let's hope it will help the Aussie to win the World cup then