"Low In High School" enters at #5 in UK album charts

Well, it’s come in at #5. Rather disappointing. I have to believe that if Moz weren’t constantly saying inflammatory comments, it would’ve done better. His sexual assault comments have been everywhere, and if people dove into the interview to see the context, they’d also have encountered his Berlin “rape capital” stuff. Perhaps someone who knows more about by the charts, sales, and all that could find a better explanation or analysis than I.

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Excerpt from officialcharts.com article:

Morrissey picks up his 13th Top 10 record with Low in High School at Number 5. Low in High School was also the best-selling on vinyl and cassette this week.

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Posted by SCL:

Now, official numbers for Low inHigh School:

No.5 UK Albums Chart: 25,728 copies sold
Nº1 UK Vinyl Albums Chart: vinyl 6,766

* World Peace. . . sold 18,762 during its 1st week

 

[Anonymous]

The only clown here is you, but not a funny one. More like a John Wayne Gacy clown. You're forgetting that Moz now has a new album to tour and that's where he'll make his money.

Well if I may offer a word of advice !
It might help if he starts performing songs from the new album instead of performing cover songs and songs he's bored us to death with over the last twenty odd years.
At the minute he's only performing 5 or 6 out of 22 on the latest tribute nostalgia tour.
His success these days is flogging t-shirts with image photos taken by his cult followers on their iPhones L O L !

Benny-the-British-Butcher

 

[ordinaryboy86]

Wonder what chart placing it would have achieved if everyone had purchased only one copy? Moz absolutely takes the piss with all these multiple releases. I know you are not forced to buy them all but he knows very well that there are fans that will buy every version to complete the set.

Exactly, that's the point people are missing here, It only sold 25,000 because there were so many formats. I bought 7 copies myself and i hate the album. All it takes is 1,000 hardcore collectors to do the same, and you have 7,000 sales. I think the number of individual customer sales will be less than 15,000

 

[Anonymous]

Exactly, that's the point people are missing here, It only sold 25,000 because there were so many formats. I bought 7 copies myself and i hate the album. All it takes is 1,000 hardcore collectors to do the same, and you have 7,000 sales. I think the number of individual customer sales will be less than 15,000

Post of the day and a very strong contender for post of the year.
Many thanks
7 copies wow that must hurt and leave a bad taste

Benny-the-British-Butcher

 

[Johnny Barleycorn]

Exactly, that's the point people are missing here, It only sold 25,000 because there were so many formats. I bought 7 copies myself and i hate the album. All it takes is 1,000 hardcore collectors to do the same, and you have 7,000 sales. I think the number of individual customer sales will be less than 15,000

I agree, but that’s the only business model that seems to work for all but those acts currently at the very top of the pile. Many here were disappointed at the poor range of formats World Peace had upon release. I remember a Gary Numan album, Telekon, I think, so still when he was selling quite well, being released in about half a dozen different vinyl colours. It’s gone on since before Payola. Who could forget Bing Crosby’s 10”? Ahem.

I haven’t bought the album, and won’t, but that’s because my business model has changed too. I wonder what an illegal downloads chart might show? Perhaps eventually charts will be calculated on the basis of not being able to give it away for free. I’ve got over six thousand tracks on my phone, and Ed Sheeran and Taylor Swift have yet to trouble the scorers.

 

[Mozbra]

Not sure he can do anything different with the band he has though?

I really don't get you guys...what do you mean by "anything different"? Low In High School is the different thing....it is an amazing album and I can't overstate how sorry I am for those who can't enjoy it for all the wrong reasons.

Morrissey is an avant-garde artist....he will never , fortunately, be an Ed Sheeran or sth. He is absolutely right where he is.

His new album is chock-full of great tunes to even dance to. I Wish You Lonely screams dark disco. Each and every song on this album is really well-crafted music.

I will pick his post 2004 work over The Smiths on any given day if I want to be entertained and enlightened by music. This is not saying that it's better than The Smiths, but it all sounds so much fresher.

People take his lyrics too seriously and expect him to rewrite the Bible or something...but he's just a great lyricist coming up with the catchiest melodies. Yes, just like he did with The Smiths.

I can't think of any other artist whose songs are any better than even the smallest number on Low In High School, which might be , yes, Spent the day in bed (in all it's twisted glory).

The girl from telaviv who wouldn't kneel is a gem of a song. It does take a few listens , though, to actually notice that. People confuse the lack of immediacy of instant pop tunes with bad songs.

Open your ears , and minds, to Low In High School. Forget the messy commentary in his interviews, he has always been gotten wrong at. He IS NOT a racist, nor supports sexual assault, etc.

Don't buy into that. He dedicates Low In High School to a black comedian. And this is just one of the examples.

He is an artist who has always given voice to outcasts in his songs. He has a song called "Satan Rejected My Soul". How can people not see that?

Morrissey is totally being taken for granted, and we will miss him when he's gone.

Jackie Is Only Happy is a hell of an exquisite song, Home is A Question Mark is pure beauty, In Your Lap is a toast to the Arab population suffering in the hands of their ludicrous governments. All the young people is Morrissey's hippie moment. Israel is actually a conciliatory song with impressive vocal delivery of our man.

When you open your legs could have been on the fifth Smiths' album, if ever there had been one.

And of course, My Love I'd Do Anything For You is like someone sent a crazy brass band from hell (the good hell) to open Moz's most whimsical album.

Enjoy that while you can. Really.

 

[vegan.cro]

I agree, but that’s the only business model that seems to work for all but those acts currently at the very top of the pile. Many here were disappointed at the poor range of formats World Peace had upon release. I remember a Gary Numan album, Telekon, I think, so still when he was selling quite well, being released in about half a dozen different vinyl colours. It’s gone on since before Payola. Who could forget Bing Crosby’s 10”? Ahem.

I haven’t bought the album, and won’t, but that’s because my business model has changed too. I wonder what an illegal downloads chart might show? Perhaps eventually charts will be calculated on the basis of not being able to give it away for free. I’ve got over six thousand tracks on my phone, and Ed Sheeran and Taylor Swift have yet to trouble the scorers.

ok.

 

[aplunderingdesire]

A lot of people are forgetting how many sales went through pre-order. It was number 1 on Amazon sales on that week where a lot of people pre-ordered to get gig ticket access. All of these pre-orders are not counted in the chart, so if they had been included, I can guarantee the figure would have been a LOT higher!

 

[Thewlis]

Number 2 in Scotland, 3 in New Zealand and 8 in Ireland. View attachment 43013

Great post! Somebody put it up the front page!

 

[BrummieBoy]

Exactly, that's the point people are missing here, It only sold 25,000 because there were so many formats. I bought 7 copies myself and i hate the album. All it takes is 1,000 hardcore collectors to do the same, and you have 7,000 sales. I think the number of individual customer sales will be less than 15,000

Second week sales will be the litmus test.

Is this album connecting to a wider base than the hard-core Morrissey fan? It's not looking good. LIHS is #69 on the UK Amazon sales chart which is updated hourly. It's #59 on the UK ITunes chart & that's updated daily.

Releasing multiple versions of the album to hard-core fans propels it briefly into the Top 10. Alongside a credible media/PR campaign that should trigger enough plays to connect with the casual consumer. However, the debacle of the Der Spiegel interview means a large proportion of casual consumers feel revulsion towards Morrissey at the moment. I'm sure his record company are profoundly depressed by his outburst but I doubt that will stop Morrissey from blaming them: "we needed bigger billboards! t.v adverts!".

Number 5 seems very solid considering how long Morrissey has been around. After all, when you think about Morrissey's contemporaries, there are very few who can still achieve that. Paul Weller's and Madness's latest albums also hit number 5 I believe, but people like Elvis Costello, Chrissie Hynde etc. (who I have a huge amount of respect for) can only dream of that level of chart success.

If Morrissey was in touch with consensual reality he'd accept that those artists are his benchmark and he'd be pleased. But he's totally delusional & imagines he is denied the sales of the likes of Adele, Ed Sheeran and Taylor Swift by a 'music business conspiracy'. That's why following him is so funny. I'll just sit back now and see if he can keep his trap shut or if he lashed out at BMG. I'll comment on 2nd week sales and the UK arena tour but it's time to put this on hiatus until then next album. There's almost nothing of interest in Morrissey to keep me amused now. He's not even a figure of fun just a sad has-been who thinks he's still a *star*.

Many thanks to all who've contributed to the lasted round of 'Debunking Morrissey', especially BtBB. He's on the floor for a count of 10. Can he rise for another final round with another album with BMG? Time will tell. I'll vanish shortly and return in due course. To all those in the 'troll-designating army': Thanks for playing. I won. LOL!

<3 BB

 

[BrummieBoy]

A lot of people are forgetting how many sales went through pre-order. It was number 1 on Amazon sales on that week where a lot of people pre-ordered to get gig ticket access. All of these pre-orders are not counted in the chart, so if they had been included, I can guarantee the figure would have been a LOT higher!

Evidence?

 

[ninetimesfined]

The multi format, different primary colours vinyl debacle plus the supermarket version with ‘exclusive’ cover - surely that’s reached its apex now? People will buy every format, that’s the ridiculous thing. There are a few artists for which I try and collect every catalogued release but the way it’s done here - even if Moz was an artist I seriously SERIOUSLY collect, I’d be really put off by the fact the amount different coloured vinyl is pretty gratuitious, existing only for completists to add to their collections.

 

[BrummieBoy]

Morrissey opens at 5 with Low in High School, giving him 11-for-11 on solo studio albums making the top ten; however, the position is the lowest for one of his albums in 20 years going back to 1997's Maladjusted which peaked at 8.

http://www.vintagevinylnews.com/2017/11/michael-ball-alfie-boe-stay-at-number-3.html

 

[Anonymous]

A lot of people are forgetting how many sales went through pre-order. It was number 1 on Amazon sales on that week where a lot of people pre-ordered to get gig ticket access. All of these pre-orders are not counted in the chart, so if they had been included, I can guarantee the figure would have been a LOT higher!

This isn't true. Preorders count once they are shipped.

 

[BrummieBoy]

http://kworb.net/itunes/artist/morrissey.html

 

[Anonymous]

A lot of people are forgetting how many sales went through pre-order. It was number 1 on Amazon sales on that week where a lot of people pre-ordered to get gig ticket access. All of these pre-orders are not counted in the chart, so if they had been included, I can guarantee the figure would have been a LOT higher!

All preorders are counted in the first week sales for an album.

 

[Anonymous]

hullo brummie
hullo from the sky where i went to live and from these exalted heights i wish you success and riches. no more sashaying back and forth for me, a salient economy, but may you both prosper and multiply. Moz is kaput and doesnt want any more clackers in his cult, no mas said Moz to the clackers. A cult remains a cult.
Why not encourage some local cluckers, fellow nut jobs to join this merry cache? Why Moz why.... its all gone terribly askew in very bankrupt way, with the hand clenched as a fist. Alas.................

Moz stood on the edge of fabulous precipice with vegan shoes sticking out in the abyss. He slipped and Splat there goes the fabulous and marvelous second act. So tragic...my..my.. but i stay hopeful with a candle, red puffy eyes, staring at the ocean for hope of that good ship lollipop...waving the candle in semi circular fashion hoping to see MOZ standing on the deck...... Adios for now...

 

[Famous when dead]

For anyone really interested in The Smiths & Morrissey chart info regarding older releases to compare to now -
there's some good data & discussion over at UKMix:

https://www.ukmix.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=59368

Regards,
FWD.

 

[Anonymous]

Sales are up. Fact.
SJWs are usually without a job and download illegally as they have no respect for property rights, and think they are deserving of whatever catches their fancy without having to work for it.
However the bump in actual sales shows that Moz recent comments have indeed motivated people with jobs to buy, where in the past they didn't. Obviously the recent press has helped.

 

[Anonymous]

World Peace sold less copies though, so context is important here.
For a 58 year old man that's getting bad reviews and negative press it's actually quite a triumph to get a top 5 album in 2017.

Spot on - at least someone has a brain and is paying attention. Unlike the individuals who can’t figure out what he actually said about sexual assault. Cannot fix stupid.

 

[Antons]

I must say, when I first got the album I was a little disappointed. After hearing it about 15-20 times, I absolutely love it - far better than World peace..

Looking forward seeing the new songs live in London next year.

And of course - the medias report of the album and our man - who cares?