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<I>The Best Of Morrissey</I> second week sales

posted by davidt on Thursday November 22 2001, @10:00AM
Since there is absolutely no other news to report, here are some followup numbers for the curious: The Best Of Morrissey second week sales: 1,773.

In comparison, The Cure's Greatest Hits (with two new tracks, also offered with a limited edition second CD of acoustic versions) sold 32,452 in its first week, making it to #58 on the chart according to A Chain Of Flowers.
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  • 1. The Cure had a marketing campaign behind their release. I'm seriously doubting Moz's would have sold as much had it not been for this website.

    2. The cure had new material on their CD. Compare to the mute response of Moz's Best of...CD vs. the frenzy generated by the unreleased tracks several months ago.

    3. Most people who are fans of Morrissey already own most of his CD's. The casual listeners who this is aimed at don't know about it coz there is no marketing campaign! Unless they just so happened to be in the right music store and just so happened to be looking for a Van Morrison CD and this caught their eye, they generally aren't going to know about it.

    4. Most artists on a label sell about 5,000-7,000 albums. Look on Warner's website and see that you have never heard of a good portion of their artists.

    5. Most compilation albums in America just don't sell that well. The British run out and buy it. Look where the Smith's re-release charted with no new material! That's why most of them have bonus tracks and new material on them.

    So, in relative terms, Moz's CD is not selling too badly!
    suzanne -- Thursday November 22 2001, @11:40AM (#21682)
    (User #36 Info)
    I scare dead people.
  • Where's the comparison? The Smiths first proper compilation Best Of 1 achieved greater heights than The Cure's. Let's see how well Robert Smith's solo career goes!
    The Slider -- Thursday November 22 2001, @02:18PM (#21690)
    (User #639 Info)
  • who cares about the cure, morrissey is gay but the cure has to go out and dress with make-up and sing there sorry songs. while the moz just goes about his business chilling and livin a normal life and when he needs some cash he does a little sidejob here and there. he is not in a life or death situation like robert smith who now is facing retirement as an old fat cross dresser with what seems like no no more roads to cross.
    BEAVER -- Thursday November 22 2001, @05:17PM (#21694)
    (User #270 Info | http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=19109435)
    "SPLATERED WALLS AND A KICK IN THE BALLS, THAT'S ENTERTAIMENT"
  • I've worked in an "independent" record store for over 3 years here in Southern California and if it makes anyone feel any better, the sales figures reported by Billboard magazine are not 100% accurate. In fact, they're not even close.

    See sales are only counted for record stores that are registered with Sound Scan. Generally speaking, major chains (Tower, Wherehouse, etc) are in fact registered. But your typical "indie" shop sales go unreported. The store I work in has been in business for over 5 years and it is only about 6 months ago that we signed on to report our sales. Every Sunday we modem in our weeks sales to SOund Scan. It's something that I wish more indie shops got around to doing since it would really go a long way toward helping the sales figures of indie/small label artists.

    My point isn't that Morrissey would be charting in the top 40 if the sales for all little indie shops counted, but it would certainly make a difference since people with more...ummmm...let's say less than "mainstream" tastes do tend to frequent these little indie shops in favor of the major corporations.

    Anyway, I just thought this might be of some interest to some....
    blurjose -- Thursday November 22 2001, @11:14PM (#21703)
    (User #533 Info)
    • Re:Soundscan by mannywho (Score:1) Friday November 23 2001, @12:32AM
    • Re:Soundscan by Havfine (Score:1) Friday November 23 2001, @04:16AM
    • Soundscan weighs certian stores to account for stores that don't report at all. For example, the regional chain "The Exclusive Co." in Milwaukee does not report to Soundscan, so the great indie store in Milwaukee called Atomic Records is weighted +10, meaning that if you bought a copy of Greatest Hits at Atomic it would register as 10 copies being sold to account for all the unscanned sales at Exclusive Co. I'm sure some math wizards will be quick with comments discounting this system, but in the end the sales are about as accurate as you can expect.

      I work at a major label and know how many albums we have shipped and can logically decide if the soundscan number is accurate or not. I do agree with blurjose however, that bands who thrive at indie retail have soundscan numbers that are generally much less than what has actually sold. I normally double that number.

      Assuming Moz falls into that category: With first week scans of 2,400 (I'm guessing closer to 5,000 actually sold) I'm guessing Greatest Hits shipped around 20k. (These days stores will only bring in around 4 weeks stock on a new release)

      I guess in the end, no matter how many copies were actually sold, I think the decision not to include any unreleased material was a mistake. Someone else had posted saying that this CD was simply "meant to exist". True, that is what GH collections are for, but I think an oppurtunity was missed here to do something great. Include one of the new songs that has been recorded. Include a bonus disc with a live concert. Include anything else!

      I keep wondering why this was released and I can't think of any good reason. It wasn't released to make anyone money, since it isn't selling. It wasn't released to revitalise interest in Morrissey since there is nothing new here. It wasn't released as a tool to market a new tour around since there are no dates. And it couldn't possibly have been released to be a starting point for new fans since he isn't gaining new fans at a rate to justify it. (Now if he had a sudden minor hit at radio I could see it, "Hmmm... who is this guy Morrissey with that new song *fillinblankhere* I keep hearing on the radio? I'll go to Tower and see what he is all about")

      Hm. I guess it all doesn't matter really. I've already given it much to much thought.

      Enjoy your day. I'm going to go and enjoy mine.

      MidwesternBoy <[email protected]> -- Friday November 23 2001, @11:34AM (#21717)
      (User #142 Info)
  • Not comparable. Morrissey's best-of is the whole reissue-repackage-repackage thing he moaned about so long ago, whereas at least the Cure has not only added TWO "extra tracks" but an entire bonus disc of acoustic versions of everything on the FIRST disc. I bought the Cure's greatest hits for that new material. I didn't buy the Morrissey best-of. What's to sell me on it? Not much. Not much at all.
    NonStopPop <[email protected]> -- Friday November 23 2001, @05:55AM (#21713)
    (User #3984 Info)
  • I saw the pasty face/teased hair/lip sticked one on CD UK last week. Goes to show how much corporate clout they have that they can get a gig on a prime time yoof programme - just like that without a single in the charts!

    Mr. Smith is obviously suffering from a severe case of arrested to development - most people suffer from this in some form or other but in most cases are cured. They grow up, get a life move on!

    Morrissey is a good text book case - malajusted at 24 in damp bedsits in Whalley Range, with no friends no socks and no meat on his plate he joined a rock band and has now gone into retirement at the early age of 40 not too far from Rodeo Drive. He's grown up, matured gracefully, lives in Clark Gable's Olde House, speaks Spanish, goes to boxing matches. He's grown up!

    Smith is what Americans call a real fucking 'phoney'. Someone who continues to dress the same was as they did in 1979 nad for this alone is deeply suspect. For Smith to pretend that he's still a drunken yoof, with lip stick smudged and bad hair is not an exercise in drunken reminiscence but an acute case of corporate cynicism. By trying to look like his former self in '79 Mr Smith is hoping some old farts/fans will come back to the fold, get a little nostalgic and go out and buy music they threw away 10 years ago (just like the lyrics in Paint A Vulgar Picture - "re-issue, re-package, please the press in Belgium") so he can keep his stock broker happy in 2002.

    His conceit is just breathtaking. He tries to look like he sleeps on street corners when in fact he live in large gothic mansion somewhere in Buckinghamshire formerly owned by Dr Quinn Medicine woman herself Jane Se-Se-Se-Se-ymore. You can't get more naff than that!

    Him and Geri Halliwell are the phoniest people in the British Music world at the moment!
    Lazy Sunbather -- Friday November 23 2001, @06:54PM (#21732)
    (User #843 Info)
  • Nah, not booing Morrissey here, just vocalizing the rot that the industry wankers spew at us during the holidays. EVERYONE is coming out with some sort of x-mas garb. for the season of giving.......and spending. Is it just me or does something have to break in the music industry? Where's that band that will cut through the commercial crap....sort of the way Nirvana blew up 80's "hair bands". Oh well, i iz a ramblin'
    Anonymous -- Saturday November 24 2001, @09:44AM (#21745)
  • Nobody really cares to know about how many records was sold by those clowns.
    Golden Lights -- Saturday November 24 2001, @01:24PM (#21750)
    (User #100 Info)
    "There were 2 many of us.We had access 2>2 many of 2 much money...2>much equipment and little by little we went in
  • Robert Smith brought Byron back. Later, of course, he also disappointed fans a bit (though with Kiss me Kiss me Kiss me he had left things clear so much earlier) and unfortunately that's the only point where the two of them can be compared. If we should avoid grading and scoring Wilde against Byron, we should also avoid doing the same comparing the two of them - there just isn't enough similarity. I'd put The Cure in the same category of The Pixies in terms of pop, while I'd put Morrissey in the same category of... hmm... well... Eh. Any suggestions?
    Havfine -- Monday November 26 2001, @05:38AM (#21794)
    (User #284 Info)
    "Have you forgotten how to love yourself?" Red House Painters
    • Re:Byron by mozmellow (Score:1) Monday November 26 2001, @08:00PM
      • Re:Byron by Havfine (Score:1) Tuesday November 27 2001, @03:39AM
  • How do I find out where Morrissey is in the chart this week? I'd go to Billboard.com, but they only do up to 200 I believe...Is there any way I can check it out?
    JacquesTheLad -- Monday November 26 2001, @02:38PM (#21810)
    (User #3569 Info | http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/handinglove)
    "She doesn't even like me...And I know because she said so..."
  • Rhino fucking deserve this, really, they do.
    I hope they go bankrupt, complete Funhouse sessions and you expect me not to buy them?
    Anonymous -- Tuesday November 27 2001, @04:41AM (#21827)
  • It's quite surprising how the Cure can sell this many records for what is essentially 'staring at the sea' with some crap tracks glued on, and some sugary watercolour acoustic tracks nailed to the back, jack.
    I never liked the Cure, and I never will.
    Apart from Pornography, oh yes, but fat bobby really does stink at songwriting. ho-hum.
    Anonymous -- Tuesday November 27 2001, @09:06AM (#21834)

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