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2007 was great for singles quality. Best year since 2003 in my opinion.

 

I agree completly. 2007 and 2009 were fantastic years with 2003 also strong. 2004 had some of my favourite songs of the last decade too but a lot of the good stuff underperformed in both sales and the charts [the top 10 sellers of 2004 was the most horrific I have ever seen].

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A good gauge of the level of sales

Compare the sales of Number 20 YTD track.

 

1997 480,000

1998 522,000

1999 501,400

2000 377,000

2001 343,000

2002 300,000

2003 222,000

2004 188,000

2005 162,840

2006 184,000

2007 236,324

2008 327,160

2009 448,000

Edited by tonyttt31

single sales fluctuate they may stay high or start to decline who knows!
That's really interesting. vidcapper, if you have time, could you possibly do the same for some of the other hits that I mentioned?

The point about illegal downloads is valid. Taking Orson again: including illegal downloads I would imagine that 435k people probably did 'buy' it, maybe more. I don't know how much illegal downloads 'sell' (does anyone?) but I would imagine they increased the 'sales' of some songs a great deal: ironically, probably songs that are already very popular (pop/r'n'b/rap/some dance), as stuff like rock/indie/more alternative things would be more likely to have been bought on physical back in 2003-07.

 

If illegal downloads are still as big as 03-07 period, then theoretically couldn't Gaga, BEPs, KOL, etc, be selling closer to 2m each if the sales were counted? I imagine then that illegal downloads aren't quite as prevalent as they were - maybe people have more faith in itunes, etc, and don't mind paying now? Or perhaps kids that are becoming teenagers now and have always had the internet are happy enough to pay for a download like their older siblings/ parents did with cds and vinyl?

You think only 2 million have I Gotta Feeling, Poker Face or Sex On Fire on their music players/computers etc. :lol:

Illegal Downloads probably account for a far larger share of the market than you believe as I don't think I could tell you a single person my age that doesn't have I Gotta Feeling on there PC...

I remember 'Boulevard Of Broken Dreams' only entering the UK Download chart at #1 in early 2005 - a good 6-8 weeks after the song charted. So had there been 2007 style chart rules in 2005, Green Day might have had a much healthier looking chart run.

 

Another was 'Galvanize' by Chemical Brothers; hit #1 on the download chart but peaked at no. 3 in the UK singles chart. The addition of their download sales might well have edged them to no. 1 in the end.

 

Those Elvis reissues would've struggled I reckon in January 2005 with download sales included - considering how low sales were the extra 3k from downloads might well have made all the difference to the entire top 5.

Illegal Downloads probably account for a far larger share of the market than you believe as I don't think I could tell you a single person my age that doesn't have I Gotta Feeling on there PC...

 

Just now, I'm not feeling so bad that I'm a generation older than you, then. :P

That's really interesting. vidcapper, if you have time, could you possibly do the same for some of the other hits that I mentioned?

 

Any in particular?

What would someone have to sell to make #75 between 03-06? I am sure Hotpantz "I want to give you one for Christmas" must have took advantage of this in 2004 selling 1000 copies or such :D
Average sale of #75

 

2000: 1431

2001: 1244

2002: 994

2003: 731

2004: 538

2005: 800

2006: 1253

2007: 1706

2008: 2113

2009: 3025

Average sale of #75

 

2000: 1431

2001: 1244

2002: 994

2003: 731

2004: 538

2005: 800

2006: 1253

2007: 1706

2008: 2113

2009: 3025

 

Wow - never realised it got *that* bad in 2004!

Average sale of #75

 

2004: 538

 

 

and that's just the average...I wonder how low sales for 75 actually got - 400? 300?

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Any in particular?

 

'All The Things She Said', 'Breathe' and 'Crazy In Love' please. Oh, and maybe Usher's 'Yeah' too!

 

Thanks

That's really interesting. vidcapper, if you have time, could you possibly do the same for some of the other hits that I mentioned?

The point about illegal downloads is valid. Taking Orson again: including illegal downloads I would imagine that 435k people probably did 'buy' it, maybe more. I don't know how much illegal downloads 'sell' (does anyone?) but I would imagine they increased the 'sales' of some songs a great deal: ironically, probably songs that are already very popular (pop/r'n'b/rap/some dance), as stuff like rock/indie/more alternative things would be more likely to have been bought on physical back in 2003-07.

 

If illegal downloads are still as big as 03-07 period, then theoretically couldn't Gaga, BEPs, KOL, etc, be selling closer to 2m each if the sales were counted? I imagine then that illegal downloads aren't quite as prevalent as they were - maybe people have more faith in itunes, etc, and don't mind paying now? Or perhaps kids that are becoming teenagers now and have always had the internet are happy enough to pay for a download like their older siblings/ parents did with cds and vinyl?

 

 

You think only 2 million have I Gotta Feeling, Poker Face or Sex On Fire on their music players/computers etc. :lol:

Illegal Downloads probably account for a far larger share of the market than you believe as I don't think I could tell you a single person my age that doesn't have I Gotta Feeling on there PC...

I agree with that - I think illegal downloads account for a higher absolute number of downloads now, compared with 2003-2005.

 

However, as a % of overall sales, it is probably lower now than in 2003-2005.

 

That difference is most likely caused by the multitude of legal download sites now, and in particular, iTunes, which weren't available/as well known in 2003-2005.

I bet the #75 sold hardly anything in early 2005. I remember that infamous week Kylie was at #3 on 7500 and Britney at #40 on 500 copies :o
Attributing James Blunt's You're Beautiful or Eric Prydz's Call on Me with modern day sales would give them sales over 800,000 no doubt?

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