October 5, 201311 yr With a guest rap from 2 Chainz. ..and a remix by either Calvin Harris or David Guetta. Plus Simon Cowell ON BOARD with payola 'coincidental airtime on the X-Factor'.
October 5, 201311 yr The Queen was even mentioned in this thread yet you think Diana was the "most famous person ever"? Okay. I struggle to see how it could happen given how accessible music is without the need to buy it these days, but never say never. A terrorist attack seems most likely. 'Arguably'. Meaning it's debatable. Some people might think so, others not. But she's certainly up there. Not that there is any quantifiable way of measuring 'fame'. And that's the reason it will stay 'arguably'.
October 5, 201311 yr I struggle to see how it could happen given how accessible music is without the need to buy it these days This is the most valid point here.
October 6, 201311 yr Rather grim, but the premature death of Kate and/or George, possibly? Not likely to happen, mind...
October 6, 201311 yr The only situation that could possibly have done it would have been a 9/11 charity record by a superstar combination group-and yet it never happened...
October 6, 201311 yr crikey these are all grim scenarios! just to put forth an alternative happier record-buying future, a couple of records have comfortably sold 2 million in the days they cost quite a bit, and a few records have sold 1.5m or thereabouts recently in a short time frame. as the download generation age and filter through into middle age it's not beyond thought that a super-sized Bohemian Rhapsody-sized record that appeals across the board could shift 2 or 3 million at the time and then become a steady seller in catalogue. Eye Of The Tiger, Don't Stop believin, Aerosmith, Snow Patrol have all sold big numbers after their initial chart run and it's only been, what, 6 or 7 years of sales effectively. With downloading presumably set for the rest of (cheap) record-buying eternity, an ageing download population, and decades of sales ahead I would expect CITW to be eventually overtaken cos it's not good enough to sell big forever. For it not to be eventually overhauled I guess they would have to be effectively "free" ie spotify, if they ever pay enough for artists to make money out of it in the event of a catastrophic drop in sales of downloads... just a thought!
October 8, 201311 yr When the Queen dies, maybe? Or when Gary Glitters dies. I dare say the Press will have a field day, with both. Saying that, the deaths of Elton John & Cliff Richard, will also throw up some Jimmy Savile-esque documentaries, by failed detectives, out to make some money.
October 8, 201311 yr When the Queen dies, maybe? Or when Gary Glitters dies. I dare say the Press will have a field day, with both. Saying that, the deaths of Elton John & Cliff Richard, will also throw up some Jimmy Savile-esque documentaries, by failed detectives, out to make some money. Can't see any Glitter song, even I Love You Love Me Love, on over a million sales already, ever reaching over 5 million, even after his death.
October 8, 201311 yr It may happen, without their ever being a significant event or death to spark it off. At the rate some songs sell on download they could do it eventually. Boh Rhap or a christmas song like Last Xmas selling say on average a couple of thousand a week, will surpass 5 million eventually.
October 8, 201311 yr The original Band Aid song sells about 50k copies a year amiright? So it would take 24 years to beat the sales of Candle In The Wind, and that's not taking into account that CITW will be selling in those 24 years too, and the fact that Band Aid may get less popular as time goes on. So if Band Aid ever do outsell Candle it will be a very long time before that happens. And as single sales are falling and the biggest selling songs of the decade aren't doing more than 1.5m let alone 4.9m, I can't imagine that anything new will be a contender. It's 30 years since band aid next Christmas, it might very well get re-promoted due to some event to mark it. Can't rule it out happening sooner! I bought Band Aid 20 on CD & the over-looked, frowned upon Band Aid II on 7" & download but I've never actually purchased the original for myself.
October 8, 201311 yr Can't see any Glitter song, even I Love You Love Me Love, on over a million sales already, ever reaching over 5 million, even after his death. I didn't mean that Glitter would get a #1, after his death! I mean't that as this man, has been labelled a monstorous evil person (though he was set up at least twice) or is it 3 times now, with the nutcase from Duncroft School (that can't get her age right). I mean it would be in vain to the death of Margaret Thatcher. People would download something to celebrate his death i.e. championed by the Sun.
October 9, 201311 yr It's unlikely - mind you, I never ever thought Band Aid would be outsold. The two things Do They Know It's Christmas have going for it are a) It's Seasonal and sells guaranteed amounts every year (I dunno...do people manage to delete their MP3s as the year goes on and go back to buy it again every year?) b) It's the best version of the song. Candle in the Wind 1997 is horrible, the original was actually a really good song. The hysteria in 1997 was over the top - I remember news footage of old women picking up handfuls of copies of Elton John to give to everyone they knew. I don't know why everyone thought they should buy it. I can't see old women logging on to iTunes though and buying any more than one copy at a time... If the record is broken then hopefully it will be by a genuinely fantastic song that is bought on its own merits and not through some sense of duty.
October 9, 201311 yr Unfortunately I don't think "Bohemian Rhapsody" will ever make it. It's probably halfway to 5 million now, and at 2k a week it'd take 1,250 weeks or 24 years to get there. By then I don't think we'll be consuming music in the same way.
October 9, 201311 yr On a perhaps more realistic goal, do you think that any song will outsell "Evergreen/Anything Is Possible" any time soon as the best-selling 21st century single?
October 9, 201311 yr If A and B sides of singles are included, the original version of 'Do They Know It's Christmas' by Band Aid is very close to outselling 'Candle In The Wind 97'. I know it's not the same as the Band Aid singe outselling Elton John on one single release but the 1984 original has sold 3.73m while it has also sold 1.1m as the B side of the Band Aid 20 CD single, which adds up to 4.83m. 'Candle In The Wind 97' has sold 4.91m so the original Band Aid single is within 80,000 of outselling Elton John. Had the Band Aid 20 single been released as a double A side, the original version of 'Do They Know It's Christmas' would be very close to surpassing Elton John's total...
October 10, 201311 yr I didn't mean that Glitter would get a #1, after his death! I mean't that as this man, has been labelled a monstorous evil person (though he was set up at least twice) or is it 3 times now, with the nutcase from Duncroft School (that can't get her age right). I mean it would be in vain to the death of Margaret Thatcher. People would download something to celebrate his death i.e. championed by the Sun. Sorry Dave, misunderstood you. :)
October 10, 201311 yr Oh Kobar would have loved this thread..... Right, I think if someone pretty famous singer - perhaps the next sweetheart of the nation - or someone pretty close to the hearts of the nation got shot dead and there was a charity tie-in then they'd shift a fair few million. So, there you go. Someone shoot Adele just as her next single is released and voilá - possibly a 5 million selling single. :lol: Edited October 10, 201311 yr by AnthonyT
October 10, 201311 yr When all the members of The Beatles are gone and they start re-releasing their catalogue a la Elvis, I wonder how high Hey Jude will get. +1 to Adele's QE2 ballad.
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