threepiecesuit

looking at my 'best of 2007' etc. playlists on iTunes which go back to 2001, I can estimate that I bought... 2001 - 4 2002 - 8 2003 - 2 2004 - 10 2005 - 14 2006 - 14 2007 - 19 (probably 2 more to come - Duran Duran and Maroon 5) I must be the only one who's buying more year on year! I think I recognise that they're a dying thing nowadays so want to enjoy their continued existence. Most of my reasons for buying are to have a song I really like in full CD quality without having to get a whole album, I'm collecting the releases of a certain artist or I want the B-sides/remixes. That list doesn't include multiple format buys - I usually will get all of the formats available though, e.g. Darren Hayes' last single 'On The Verge Of Something Wonderful', I bought both CDs and the DVD version. The blip in 2003 was largely because it was, in my opinion, a $h!t year for singles.

The deal with Keane is that the USB stick version of the single (was released on CD, 7" and USB) came with a free wrist strap attached to the USB stick, you can see it in this picture - http://i11.ebayimg.com/08/i/000/bf/c8/37aa_1.JPG I assume no-one at the record company realised that the stupid 'no packaging which can function as something other than packaging' rule applied with the new USB sticks. They'd released USB sticks for their past two singles with the straps with no chart eligibility problems, because back then USB sticks didn't qualify. Seems a bit mean of them if you ask me, seeing as it's for charity - why could they not just exclude the USB stick sales??? :(

I reckon McFly have got the biggest singles-buying fanbase going on out of the three, I'd have assumed that would be truer of Take That before I'd Wait For Life limped into the top 20. :cry: For what it's worth, I LOVE Take That's song.

I think whoever said it would go 1-9 was being over optimistic, more like 1-35! I admit that this text download gambit is ingenious, but I don't think it can compete with the marketing might of Leona and a performance on X-Factor. I think TT's record will easily sell far more over time as well, even if it doesn't reach as high a peak.

It depends really on several factors, and I presume it will become clearer nearer to the date of release. I must say that I think it's going to be between Take That and Leona, as McFly can only just about manage a number one by REALLY hyping the single and getting the fanbase going in a slow week with low single sales - surely they can't compete this time round? Take That have the bonus over Leona of a few thousand hardcore people who will definitely buy the single the moment it comes out on a physical CD. They've also been away for a while, so it'll be a novelty to see them, and the HUGE advantage that 1.7m people or whatever it was just bought their album, and so are a solid potential market for a hitherto unreleased single. Also, the song is quite good. Leona however has the benefit of being away a REALLY long time, so her return will no doubt be hyped to high heaven, and the advantage of a performance on the X-factor. She is a good live singer so there is unlikely to be any promo disasters, but can't acquit herself as well in interviews as Take That, who are extremely affable and have had much more practice. Having heard the song, it doesn't sound like the sort of thing many stereotypical singles buyers would be interested in - rather people would be more likely to wait for the album, possibly impacting performance in the chart. Based on those factors, I think Take That would edge it. However, there's so much more which is still to be decided - airplay stats, number of single formats, marketing spend, TV promo, quality of the video etc. - it's really hard to decide without these things.

You're all making me feel far too young to wade in! My first CD single was Michael Jackson - You Rock My World, first CD album was Craig David - Born To Do It (rubbish, it was a gift)

I think it takes more than just existing fans to get a record into the top 20, particularly one Radio 1/2 didn't take to. And why precisely shouldn't his fans be loyal if he has a fantastic voice and tremendous songs? Nothing 'suspicious' about it, we aren't innocently posing as Darren Hayes fans in order to perpetrate a huge international coverup of a dastardly organised crime syndicate. As far as I know anyway. Considering the track got practically no airplay, no TV/outdoor/newspaper adverts, no TV interviews etc.. and he has been away for 3 years since the last album, I rather think congratulations are in order for no. 20.

Top 10, top 5 if airplay really takes off and the competition isn't up to much - I predict the album to go top 3 on the back of it though.

Top 5 at least, can see it being a no.1, especially with all the promo he's doing.

Maroon 5 have come back HUGE this year from their previous success in 2003/4. Robin Thicke has also made a hugely more successful return after his damp squib of an album in 2003. I concur with whoever mentioned Sophie Ellis-Bextor, she did well after the disaster of her 2nd album. Kylie is bound to be a huge success when she returns with the writers and profile she has.

All those people condemning Keane for selling 'badly' with 'loads of promotion' and airplay - I'll concede that the airplay was good (although not spectacular for anything other than Is It Any Wonder) but they did sod all to promote it, barely any television/radio appearances, Tom wasn't even around when 'Nothing In My Way' was released, and the videos, bar Is It Any Wonder again, were all rubbish. The material on that album was a lot less 'radio-friendly' anyway, so it's not like they came out with an album full of Leave Right Now/If There's Any Justice/This Love/You're Beautiful type stuff and that went badly, I think the 800,000+ it sold here (2.5m internationally) was bloody good.

I own EVERYTHING Will Young has ever released, all of Maroon 5's CDs and almost all of George Michael's post-Older stuff inc. CD singles. Everything Keane did post-Hopes and Fears also, CDs, 7" vinyls, DVD album, USB sticks, loads of tour merch...I love collecting things, will miss it all when it's all just downloads :(

anyone else seen this frankly terrifying promo pic? http://www.simonwebbe.net/ridethestorm/images/bg.jpg thankfully it's not the single sleeve, that's a heartwarming picture of him looking thoughtful by a fire or something. Sounds better than I describe it.

I don't know why everyone believes there is such a huge disparity between CDWOW and all of the other places - often their prices are exactly the same as play/HMV.co.uk/amazon/tesco/asda/sainsbury's etc. even if there is a saving on new releases it's usually a quid, not worth it because they take so bloody long to ship. HMV and Virgin may sell their CDs at a BIT of a higher price (like £9.99 instead of £7/8.99) but that's hardly outrageous, and is probably worth paying if you want to see dedicated music stores remain. CDWOW are only really good for importing CDs and DVDs that you can't otherwise get over here, for new releases and almost all UK CDs, other places are usually just as cheap and post faster.

I'm not sure about the cheap Asian labour thing, but you are SO right, all of the news stories claim it is the third largest retailer of CDs online - how rubbish that they don't contribute toward the chart. For a couple of quid cheaper on a CD (many times not even that, supermarkets regularly have CDs at 7.99 and these are the proper UK versions with bonus tracks etc.) it's really not worth it for the damage it does to the industry.

OMG Simon Webbe's Grace on the B-list!! how fantastic, maybe this single will be a turnaround for him.

Did anyone else see on popbitch they had Maroon 5 at no.1 in the singles chart - has it climbed? >> Chart Predictions << New entries/High climbers Sun 27th May ++ Number One MAROON 5 Makes Me Wonder ++ Top Ten RHIANNA Umbrella ++ Top Twenty PIGEON DETECTIVES I'm Not Sorry KAISER CHIEFS Everything Is Average Nowadays

I have! Am LOVING it, all 14 tracks I love, most albums it's like 4 or 5 tracks tops :dance: this is the most 'instant' album I've heard since Keep On, such a quality piece of work. I think 'Makes Me Wonder' overshadows it a bit because of its SHEER BRILLIANCE though, the same way Switch It On does on Keep On... (purely subjective of course :) )

I think it's a much slower time of the year for albums releases than it is when we've seen Will released - only acts with ridiculous hype like Arctic Monkeys can manage the 100,000+! I really really like it, and I think the next two singles (Wake Up Call, Won't Go Home Without You) are very strong indeed, this album is going to be huge. And were you watching the same AI performance I was?! I thought he was fantastic! I like his voice in general though, their acoustic album I adore.

OMG this is TOTALLY different to his other stuff isn't it :o am quite liking actually, it's a good bet a lot of his fans won't, however. I think Grace is still the better side though.

I only really like Relax (Take It Easy) it's streets ahead of the rest of the album IMHO.

bought Sophie Trip The Light Fantastic and M5 It Won't Be Soon Before Long from HMV - Sophie's been utterly neglected so far because I'm loving Maroon 5 so much. Depressing sight in HMV though, singles rack has been downsized even more than what it already was, and now you can't even see it if you squint when you walk in, it's got the same amount of space as the t-shirts :-( x a million

I don't believe he has been dropped. His official website is still live and being updated, he is embarking upon a tour very shortly. His first album sold 700,000 copies, slowly, it never reached a particularly high chart position and didn't really get going until 'No Worries' and 'After All This Time'. His second was released in December I believe, and just got buried amongst all the other things crowding the charts, according to wikipedia it's sold about 90,000 copies so far in the UK, although figures for other countries are unknown, and Simon has always done very well abroad. It is true that the second single taken from 'Grace', 'My Soul Pleads For You', did poorly, no.45 is unacceptable, but promo was lacklustre, the song wasn't commercial, the radio edit was atrocious, the video was horrible and it got no airplay. A masterclass in bad management. His singles performance has never been very strong, so far his releases have gone 4 (Lay Your Hands) 4 (No Worries) 16 (After All This Time) 12 (Coming Around Again) and 45 (My Soul pleads For You). On the 18th of June he is releasing a track taken from the soundtrack of the new fantastic 4 film 'Ride The Storm' as a double A-side with 'Grace', undoubtedly the best song on the album, as good as No Worries IMHO. Promo is starting soon, he's done a few radio interviews recently to promote the tour, then there's the National Lottery appearance on the 30th, I believe his album is being re-released soon with some extra tracks/better cover art/more promo perhaps. His record label is 'Innocent' which is a bit of a strange offshoot of EMI, he appears to be their only artist with any level of success. The reason all his stuff sounds the same is because almost exactly the same writing team (him, Tim Woodcock [ben Mills - Beside You] and Matt Prime [sophie Ellis-Bextor - Me and My Imagination, Will Young - Free] were used for both albums. I hope he comes back and shifts enough albums to warrant a third, he's certainly better than bloody Lemar.

He is going to get torn apart for this mum thing, here's hoping Popjustice thinks it's just too sad to make fun of.

1. Will Young - Switch It On 2. Keane - Is It Any Wonder 3. Darren Hayes - Pop!ular 4. Will Young - Your Game 5. Tyler James - Foolish 6. George Michael - Amazing 7. Nate James - The Message what a decade it has been. Honourable mentions go to - 8. Keane - Somewhere Only We Know/This Is The Last Time/Everybody's Changing 9. Simon Webbe - No Worries 10. Will Young - Who Am I/All Time Love 11. Justin Timberlake - Rock Your Body/Like I Love You 12. Maroon 5 - Harder To Breathe