in the iTunes thread there was an interesting discussion where people defined what songs are hits and what songs aren't, so I decided to create for this the new topic.

I think there is no exact definition what is a hit and what is flop.

 

For me the rank is the following:

#1 (2+ wks) or Top-3 (5+ weeks) - massive hit

Top-3 (2+ wks) or Top-5 (5+ weeks) - huge hit

Top-5 (2+ wks) or Top-10 (5+ weeks) - major hit

Top-10 (2+ wks) or Top-20 (5+ weeks) - hit

Top-20 (2+ wks) or Top-40 (5+ weeks) - minor hit

Top-40 (2+ weeks) or Top-75 (5+ weeks) - semi hit

And the rest is flop.

 

So, if the song reaches #1 but then falls to #21 and then goes 25-31-39-71-OUT, it will be a minor hit for me as well as the song which has 33-33-33-39-40-57-62-OUT chart-run.

 

Of course this system isn't excellent but this is how I define for me whether the song is a hit or not.

 

So, what's your opinion about hits?

Edited October 22, 200915 yr by Arrs

Well mine would be based on sales.

 

10k or less - MAJOR FLOP!!!!!

10-20k - Flop

20-50k - Minor flop

50-100k - Nor a flop or a hit (aka The Abyss)

100-200k - Minor Hit

200-400k - Hit

400-600k - Major Hit

600+ - Platinum Hit

I think it should be decided by sales, some years songs could reach number 1 on dreadful sales, if they were released now they would get no where near number 1!

My take: Any #1/top 3 peaking single or that sells over 200k is a major hit, any top 10 peaking and 100k selling single is a proper hit, and any single that peaks in within the top 20 or sells around 75-80k is a semi hit. And anything less is a flop. I think that's realistic enough, some people have extremely high standards to what a hit is on here by the looks of things, though. :drama:

It depends on how the artists previous single performed. i.e if an artist has a number one hit and then sells a million. Then the follow up only gets to no.12 then its gonna look like a flop, however if say their first single had stalled at no 57 then no.12 would be considered a hit.

Based on positions/staying power alone...

 

#1 = #1 hit. I don't describe it as any particular size of hit unless I factor sales in as well.

example: Taio Cruz - Break Your Heart

#2-#3 with staying power = major hit.

example: La Roux - In For The Kill

#2-#3 without staying power = hit.

example: Sugababes - Get Sexy

#4-#10 with staying power = hit.

example: Metro Station - Shake It

#4-#10 without staying power = peak-and-bomb hit.

example: Biffy Clyro - That Golden Rule

#11-#20 with staying power = minor hit.

example: Florence + The Machine - Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)

#11-#20 without staying power = small hit.

example: Lostprophets - It's Not The End Of The World But I Can See It From Here

#21-#40 with staying power = small hit.

example: The Script - Breakeven

#21-#40 without staying power = minor flop.

example: Demi Lovato - La La Land

#41-#50 with staying power = minor flop.

example: Keri Hilson - Energy

#41-#50 without staying power = flop.

example: Vagabond - Don't Wanna Run No More

#51-#75 with staying power = flop.

example: Ciara ft. Missy Elliott - Work

#51-#75 without staying power = major flop.

example: Gracious K - Migraine Skank

#76-#100 with staying power = major flop.

example: Lethal Bizzle ft. Donaeo - Go Hard*

#76-#100 without staying power = massive flop.

example: Beverley Knight - Beautiful Night

#101+ = mega-flop.

example: Lethal Bizzle - Going Out Tonight

 

Obviously this doesn't take into account sales or order in release of singles or indeed how much the parent album sold, so it's not totally accurate.

 

*okay this one's pushing the definition a bit, but I can't come up with anything better from this year anyway

Edited October 22, 200915 yr by Pmomc Bray

Well mine would be based on sales.

 

10k or less - MAJOR FLOP!!!!!

10-20k - Flop

20-50k - Minor flop

50-100k - Nor a flop or a hit (aka The Abyss)

100-200k - Minor Hit

200-400k - Hit

400-600k - Major Hit

600+ - Platinum Hit

I agree with this. Sales are the measure of hits, not chart positions.

Anything that sells over 100k to me is a hit regardless, anything less can either be a minor hit or a flop.

 

Anything that sells below expectations or loses the record company tons of money can in no way be classified as a hit I don't think, though I guess album sales determine that.

Definitions:

 

 

Massive Hit - Anything you love and goes Top10

Major Hit - Anything that you love that goes Top40

A Hit - Anything that you love that got anywhere near the chart, any chart! :P

 

A hit - Anything that is huge hit like #1 but you don't like

Semi hit - Something that was a hit but you don't want to admit it! :heehee:

Basing on sales only is also not pretty accurate. For example, 'Girls' by Sugababes outsold 'Hole In The Head' but clearly HITH was FAR more huge than 'Girls'?

Edited October 22, 200915 yr by Arrs

Well HHITH would have sold more if it was released during the download era.

Yes, that's what I'm saying. We should also take into account the fact that the overall sales differ so much in different periods, so basing on sales only also can't be optimal, IMO. :)

Perhaps pointing chart runs would find the real definition of a hit, like 100 points for a week at #1 and 1 point for a week at #100. But that would just take too long.

Perhaps pointing chart runs would find the real definition of a hit, like 100 points for a week at #1 and 1 point for a week at #100. But that would just take too long.

 

Incidentally, I have actually been doing that for this year, and the top 20 biggest hits of 2009 via that way are:

 

1. Lady GaGa - Poker Face 3,135 points

2. Kings Of Leon - Sex On Fire 2,737 points

3. Lady GaGa ft. Colby O'Donis - Just Dance 2,730 points

4. Kings Of Leon - Use Somebody 2,723 points

5. Jason Mraz - I'm Yours 2,719 points

6. La Roux - In For The Kill 2,405 points

7. James Morrison ft. Nelly Furtado - Broken Strings 2,070 points

8. Beyoncé - Halo 2,035 points

9. Beyoncé - Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It) 1,997 points

10. The Killers - Human 1,894 points

 

11. The Black Eyed Peas - Boom Boom Pow 1,843 points

12. Lady GaGa - Paparazzi 1,839 points

13. Tinchy Stryder ft. N-Dubz - Number 1 1,834 points

14. Lily Allen - Not Fair 1,800 points

15. Akon ft. Kardinal Offishall and Colby O'Donis - Beautiful 1,783 points

16. Daniel Merriweather - Red 1,689 points

17. Calvin Harris - I'm Not Alone 1,666 points

18. A.R. Rahman and The Pussycat Dolls ft. Nicole Scherzinger - Jai Ho! (You Are My Destiny) 1,639 points

19. Alesha Dizon - Breathe Slow 1,616 points

20. The Black Eyed Peas - I Gotta Feeling 1,596 points

 

Tied last with 1 point each are:

Eric Prydz - Pjanoo

Robbie Williams - No Regrets / Antmusic

Skint & Demoralised - Red Lipstick

Taylor Swift - Crazier

Waldo's People - Lose Control

YES, I knew you were going to do that, I was thinking about it earlier in the day the infamous 'B-rye Chart'

YES, I knew you were going to do that, I was thinking about it earlier in the day the infamous 'B-rye Chart'

 

:lol:

I have way too much spare time

For Me Any song That spends 2-3 weeks in the Top 10 is a hit, or a song that sells over 250,000 is a hit

 

Where As for me Mika - We Are Golden, number 4 then fell out of top 10 wouldn't really be a hit

 

But Jason Mraz who didnt come near top 10 would be

 

a song that has spend about 7 or more weeks in the Top Ten or over 500,000 is a big hit

 

if a song spends about 5-7 weeks in the Top 40 its average

 

and then songs that spend under three week under position 21, would be a flop....c'est moi

there's so many variables that can define a "hit" if a song reaches the top 10 obviously its a hit on some level, but if it falls off the charts after 5 weeks i dont think i'd call it a major hit. On the other side there have been songs that have charted low but lasted a long time on the charts and sold well. Amy Winehouses' Back to Black is a good example of that i think, it only peaked at 25 but it lasted something like 34 weeks in the top 75, to me thats pretty massive to me.

 

 

I also think it depends on when a single is released too, there have been years when single sales have been horrible and a single only getting between 50-80k might actually be impressive for that year and the song would still be looked at as a hit.

Edited October 22, 200915 yr by Propilot87

ISTM the traditional definition is a song that reaches the top 40.

Yes, that's what I'm saying. We should also take into account the fact that the overall sales differ so much in different periods, so basing on sales only also can't be optimal, IMO. :)

 

Which is why the peak chart position has always been the most popular measure - it eliminates the sales variable.