Since downloads have been added obviously the charts are a bit more erratic. Do you think the chart is losing its meaning a bit?

 

Up until even a couple of years ago, successful bands could score 4 or 5 Top 10 hits off the same album but I think that's almost impossible now since very few people will download a song they already have on an album. So chart artists are getting less consistent, and the third or fourth singles off an album usually flop these days, even if they do well on airplay etc. Recent examples of this include Kylie (4th single off the album only No. 36), the Killers (2nd single off the album not even Top 40) and even Madonna - even for the 3rd single off the album, who'd have ever thought a Madonna single would only make No. 39?!?

 

Personally I think record companies should do what they used to do years ago and release 2 or more singles before the album comes out, as more people would download a song if it's not available on an album yet. Plus an album would probably sell better on the strength of two hit singles instead of just one. Makes so much sense to me, I can't believe they haven't thought of doing it!! Does anyone else think this is a good idea? The only thing I can think is that no one really cares as much about chart positions these days as they used to?? What do you think?

it depends what you regard as a 'flop'

 

Ne-Yo's Mad for example, I would regard as a hit as it hung around for a while and probably sold a fair amount even though it never went top ten...I don't think lower peaks matter so much if the song can achieve some staying power

I don't think two singles before an album is a good idea unless it's a debut. Albums sell over time as singles are promoted from it, two hit singles rarely affects how an album debuts in it's initial chart life anyway, the album will effectively be selling on the back of how the most recent single from it is doing.

I don't think single positions have ever been that important really, aside from the lead single, I mean people only really use chart peaks for bragging rights really...

Charity singles and one off singles aside, the purpose of singles is to sell the album. They are like advertisements, and a high chart peak is a bonus, not the be all and end all. People need to stop calling any position below 20 a flop as it obviously is not if the album it came from shoots back up to the top 10.

I personally think there is two sides to this. As like Rich said some songs that charted lower have actually gone onto doing really well and climb up top 20 or higher. Look at Sweet About Me By Gabriella Cilmi, that debuted at 38 then spent 3 or 4 weeks in the top 50 then climbed upwards to the top 5 to become a hit (although it was hugely due to an advert). This shows that sometimes it can be a good thing although peaking in the lower region can be understandable anyway as its always happened but now its happening even more so to huge artists with most times good songs that we all say deserves higher. Flopping is the same story really, there was always flopping but now its even more down to whether its not enough likeness to the track, the album being out with lots of people owning it enough not to download it to help it dent the charts, little promotion and limited/download only changes to the release schedule. So we i think will have to live with the it is for time being. Possibly for good

 

However yes looking at Rihanna, Saturdays etc. They seem to all being having a continuous streak of top 10 hits or so because they have huge fanbases. Songs that actually go top 40 are actually a last chance to be a hit. There are loads of songs that people like doing very well since the download rule and downloading songs eligible towards the chart before physically released is a huge advantage of the new download use.

 

So to me i think it should stay the way it is because the download rule has made the charts more exciting but it is a desperate need to release album after the first 2 or 3 singles by an act so they can get a good peak in the chart and also Promotion definently lacks which is one reason behind certain flopping and flopping with either a comeback or even a second single.

 

:D

it depends what you regard as a 'flop'

 

Ne-Yo's Mad for example, I would regard as a hit as it hung around for a while and probably sold a fair amount even though it never went top ten...I don't think lower peaks matter so much if the song can achieve some staying power

 

Another good example of a song that did that would be Britney's "Circus" which helped out the album a great deal, is about to go silver for 200,000 copies yet only managed to peak at 13.

somehow.

singles haven never been that importnat really ..its all about albums...(IMO)

 

you can have one hit wonders.... and an album will flop