1998 and 1999 were huge for singles sales. Some weeks saw 300k+ sales.

 

Will this ever happen again. Sales seem to be slowly getting bigger as the years go on now. 2009 had quite a few big sales, 2010 was very good. Great start to 2011 with Grenade, but when will singles sales go back to 1998 and 1999 hugeness?

 

Will it ever happen?

I hope so, it's much more exciting with bigger sales imo.

 

Discuss....

Edited January 29, 201114 yr by its.like.that

2010 was the best year ever for sales, it's just the maximum sales for the #1 has gone down a lot.

 

I don't think they'll ever recover to the level they were at in the late 90s but this year is off to a great start with Grenade and WRWWR both getting big sales.

I doubt it tbh. :( Although I think sales might be higher now, lower down the charts. Like, whilst the average sales for a #1 is much smaller now, the average sales for a #200 might be higher, due to it being the download era.

 

I'm not sure about that though. It's just me guessing. :lol:

If more singles sell over 100k, that would be good.

There was only a few weeks in 98 & 99 that didn't sell over 100k. Even 97 was very good.

 

If we can get a single to sell 200k that isn't a charity/X factor single that would also be good. Don't see that happening anytime soon, though.

If it gets to the point where all songs will be put up for download shortly after/before their radio premiere, I think it'll be rare to even get any sales over 100,000 anymore.

 

Looking at the past few years, the only songs that were available to buy before their radio premiere that then proceeded to sell over 100,000 in 1 week that I can think of are What's My Name? and Meet Me Halfway.

I don't think sales will ever be as high as it was those years! In the period before downloads which was based only on physicals, sales were very low. When downloads started counting along with physicals, total sales increased! Nowadays, sales are actually really good, if you compare them with mid 00s! But since illegal downloading rules all over the internet, i don't think that sales will recover to 90s levels! Even youtube has a link to download mp3!

 

Imo, albums are those who suffer more from illegal downloading and sales are very low!

Edited January 29, 201114 yr by edward88

they wont get to 100k sales as much when they are at their peak (No1) but they may well sell over 100k long before they reach their peak as they rise up the chart - which in the long run is better for sales imo!!

I can see overall sales for singles getting bigger and bigger. We'll have more million sellers over time imo, but I don't think we'll see any huge sales in 1 week anymore...every now and then we'll have a huge sales week.

It's not *that* far off there now is it? 100k+ sellers are becoming more common, and it takes as many copies sold to make number 10/40 as it did in the late 90s.

I dont think they ever will unfortunately, however, we have to be thankful for downloads as sales are very strong when combined atm, if it were still a physical chart, the sales would be dire

I dont think they ever will unfortunately, however, we have to be thankful for downloads as sales are very strong when combined atm, if it were still a physical chart, the sales would be dire

 

I'm not sure they've changed it yet, but they still do it that way in France. It's actually depressing. :(

I can't see sales ever regularly reaching those levels again, simply because the constant availability of downloads counteracts record company attempts to front-load sales.

In those days we actually had to go out to a shop ( :o ) to purchase music! can you imagine it! :rolleyes:

In those days we actually had to go out to a shop ( :o ) to purchase music! can you imagine it! :rolleyes:

 

lol. It wasn't that long ago people had to do that. :lol: It was only a few years ago!

I remember when Orson got to #1 on 17k. :(

One of the best #1s IMO ever only selling that much... :(

 

I think sales have done well to recover to how many their on now but I think they'll soon reach a plateau.

I remember when Orson got to #1 on 17k. :(

One of the best #1s IMO ever only selling that much... :(

 

I think sales have done well to recover to how many their on now but I think they'll soon reach a plateau.

 

And that was combined sales. They sold about 12,000 physicals and the rest on downloads.

And that was combined sales. They sold about 12,000 physicals and the rest on downloads.

Nowadays an average week probably sells the same amount of CDs in total as Orson did that week haha. :P

Bad times. :(

I remember when Orson got to #1 on 17k. :(

One of the best #1s IMO ever only selling that much... :(

 

I think sales have done well to recover to how many their on now but I think they'll soon reach a plateau.

 

We're just about there, already. Singles sales for the first 3 weeks of 2011 are only 2% up on 2010.

And to be honest, I doubt they'll "plateau", I think it's more likely that they'll reach a peak, and then decrease.

And to be honest, I doubt they'll "plateau", I think it's more likely that they'll reach a peak, and then decrease.

 

You may be right, unless something new & innovative suddenly appears.