October 12, 20213 yr It is encouraging to see some consumer value being placed on CD singles once again, albeit in a fraction of specific cases and in an obviously niche market - let's not pretend that this represents anything like a mass comeback for the format per se. But without sounding like I'm now benefiting from the gift of hindsight, I think we probably should've seen this coming. The enduring appeal, at least among very keen fans of certain musical acts and collectors of associated merchandise, of a physical release is that it is tangible, and feels more worthwhile and authentic than a virtual product which, while it has all the space-saving convenience and versatility at a cheap price, inevitably feels clinical and lacks any sort of presence or appeal as a collectors' item. The download - and even more so the audio/video online stream which isn't even owned but rented - is there for pure simplicity and ease of access/portability. For that small but significant sector of the singles market who prefers to literally buy in to their favourite artists, physical will always retain a certain cachet, and if it's succeeded not just on the always much-missed vinyl 7" experience but also more recently on the once-massively-derided microcassette, then I guess logically after a certain period without them, the compact disc will also begin to present itself as another alternative way of tangibly owning a single song, with all the added benefits of artwork, possibly extra tracks etc that fanbase collectors will want, even if it means owning the same recording on two, three or even four formats (plus probably having the track on a streaming site playlist). After more than a decade where CD singles were almost extinct and deemed irrelevant, the nostalgia market - often those who were children or adolescents when the format was in its heyday or at least the norm - are now primed to seek out occasional examples on the format where they are available. Let's face it, in the albums sector, physical - and mostly CD - still accounts for a significant if minority stake in the market (around 15-18%) and the concept never died out in the way that almost happened with singles. The nigh-on 20-year presumption that one would now only bother buying a CD if it's a long-player is starting to be challenged and that can only be a positive thing, despite recognition that virtual digital product will always remain the dominant means through which music is consumed. It feels comforting to have a bit of diversity and availability of more rarefied formats for those more deeply engaged in music than just passive entry-level listens on a casual, free 'n' easy basis. Edited October 12, 20213 yr by Gambo
October 16, 20213 yr Glad adele is doing a cd single," I'm all for artists pushing them and hopefully they keep becoming more common/popular again.
October 16, 20213 yr Revival is a bit of a strong term for it. If you take away Ed it's still an incredibly niche thing artists are doing on specific weeks to gain a few extra sales that might get them a better peak.
October 16, 20213 yr Adele - Easy on Me on CD single: https://www.amazon.de/dp/B09JGHRMZF Not surprised this is getting a DACH release, I still see a CD Singles chart in Saturn here in Berlin. Little bit weird to still see a chart of them in stores but its kinda nice. Reminds me of the good old days in woolies.
October 16, 20213 yr We can add Craig David to the original list too, his new single is coming out on signed CD as well: https://craigdavid.tmstor.es/ I'm personally for the revival, however small it is. Played in the right way as Elton John and Dua Lipa have shown this week really can make all the difference especially if you already had a substantial hit under its own steam anyway!
October 16, 20213 yr Author Some info: CD sales last week: 5,057 - Elton John & Dua Lipa - Cold Heart (would have been #2 instead of #1 if there'd been no CD) 3,090 - Jesy Nelson feat. Nicki Minaj - Boyz (would have been #5 instead of #4) Some other CD sales totals: 11,714 - Ed Sheeran - Bad Habits (first week: 6,028) 10,365 - Ed Sheeran - Shivers (first week: 9,180) 5,990 - Coldplay & BTS - My Universe (first week: 5,679) 3,286 - ABBA - Don't Shut Me Down (first week: 2,628) Not surprised this is getting a DACH release, I still see a CD Singles chart in Saturn here in Berlin. Little bit weird to still see a chart of them in stores but its kinda nice. Reminds me of the good old days in woolies. :wub: I went to Germany 20 years ago and loved Saturn! So nice that they still stock CD singles these days. Although it's very unlikely, it would be so nostalgic if HMV had some shelf space dedicated to CD singles. I suppose labels will mainly continue to do it as a direct-to-consumer venture on official store websites.
October 16, 20213 yr Not surprised this is getting a DACH release, I still see a CD Singles chart in Saturn here in Berlin. Little bit weird to still see a chart of them in stores but its kinda nice. Reminds me of the good old days in woolies.Isn't the German chart based on revenues rather than sales equivalents? If so, it makes sense to continue to release CD singles as they will generate more revenue.
October 17, 20213 yr I'm loving the slight revival and I hope more and more release them. Absolutely agree, I will definitely will buy some if I like the releases.
October 17, 20213 yr Isn't the German chart based on revenues rather than sales equivalents? If so, it makes sense to continue to release CD singles as they will generate more revenue. Sadly there hasn't been as many released in Germany in the last couple of years as there were for much of the 2010s
October 17, 20213 yr Not surprised this is getting a DACH release, I still see a CD Singles chart in Saturn here in Berlin. Little bit weird to still see a chart of them in stores but its kinda nice. Reminds me of the good old days in woolies. Would be interested to see what's there.. take a picture for us next time you go!
October 18, 20213 yr New Abba single getting a CD release this Friday! Take my money, Universal, take it!
October 20, 20213 yr Love that Abba are continuing with their CDS releases - https://shopmusic.abbavoyage.com/*/*/Just-A...gle/76Y20000000
October 23, 20213 yr Ed is back with 99p signed CDs for ‘Overpass Graffiti’ this time - https://store.edsheeran.com/uk/overpass-gra...u%2Fmp%2F816%2F
October 23, 20213 yr Ed is back with 99p signed CDs for ‘Overpass Graffiti’ this time - https://store.edsheeran.com/uk/overpass-gra...u%2Fmp%2F816%2F Thanks a lot! Ended up getting the Abba one too while I was in a buying mood.
October 23, 20213 yr I get why independent or legacy acts are releasing these - and charging maybe £3 or £4 for them - but why does Ed Sheeran need to go to the effort of signing thousands of CDs and selling them for 99p when he'll probably go to #1 anyway?
October 23, 20213 yr I get why independent or legacy acts are releasing these - and charging maybe £3 or £4 for them - but why does Ed Sheeran need to go to the effort of signing thousands of CDs and selling them for 99p when he'll probably go to #1 anyway? I guess once you do it for one single it becomes necessary to do it for more.
November 2, 20213 yr More (unsigned) copies of Shivers available now on Ed's official store. And still some signed copies of Overpass Graffiti still there.
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