Morrissey shouldn't be surprised that record sales are low

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Anonymous

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Per this article, even U2 can't give theirs away.

http://www.showbiz411.com/2014/09/1...-even-as-top-group-maroon-5-falters-on-charts

"The record industry is in a free fall. Maroon 5 could not be better known right now or more in the demographic that buys music. Yet their newest album, “V,” is a bust. It sold 168,000 copies in its first week and fell about 51% to 78,500 copies in its second. No wonder Adam Levine doesn’t depend on record sales for income. He’s diversified into about ten different areas including TV and movies.

And we know the U2 story. They sent their album for free to half- a billion people. Only about 200,000 of them wanted it– and it was free. Some actually complained about getting a free album! Apple has had to add a Remove U2 button to iTunes. Where is the logic? It’s free! Take it, already. It’s good.

Roughly 30 new albums will be released in the next two weeks to make the Grammy deadline of September 30th. Most of them will be ignored by the Grammys, but let’s not rain on their parade.

The biggest titles are from Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga, Jennifer Hudson, and Annie Lennox. Prince is releasing two albums. And there are several big names from country including Kenny Chesney and Blake Shelton.

Something has to stick. This week follows many successive weeks of lowest sales ever. The number 50 scanned album is only selling about 2,000 copies. That’s a third of what that number used to be, and that was in dark days. These are darker days.
“All About That Bass” by Meghan Trainor is a find from L.A. Reid and Epic Records. A little Cyndi Lauper, a little Bette Midler and very tuneful, the record harkens back to something that sounds organic and artistic. If only there were more of that in music.

PS The news about Robin Thicke is most disheartening of all. He turns out to be a total fraud, a low point and the worst example of what the music industry has become."
 
I think it was obvious when his new album was one of his highest charting albums, but one of (if not) his lowest selling albums that sales were partially indicative of overall lower sales in the record industry. Morrissey was never a major seller the way U2 was and has nowhere near the commercial recognition. If they can't give away more than 200,000 albums for free than I doubt we could have realistically expected more sales from Morrissey.

But that won't stop people on this board from going on and on about the low sales of World Peace and how that proves something...what I'm not entirely sure, but that won't stop them from yammering on.
 
Has he ever been a huge seller? He's indie and he always has been. I think he knows this.
 
Well the music industry is now a bad business, only shitty one hit singers/groups sell too many records, there is this singer ed shedran or whatever, nobody in latin america knows this guy and in 5 or 8 years nobody will remember him so maybe Morrissey lose the #1 position but I know and Im sure we will remember him for life
 
It's probably part of the reason why he tours so much-he can't maintain his lifestyle on record sales and royalties alone.
 
Has he ever been a huge seller? He's indie and he always has been. I think he knows this.

It's all relative but, yes, he has.
In the UK Quarry sold 400,000, ROTT 200,000, YOR, 100,000 and this one's sold about 30,000 which is dreadful even considering the change in sales generally.
If Staircase gets released it will get very big airplay on indie stations and on Radio 2 (UK's biggest) which really will do wonders for the album, given that it had so much critical acclaim. However, the record company situation clearly needs to be sorted first.
 
Per this article, even U2 can't give theirs away.


And we know the U2 story. They sent their album for free to half- a billion people. Only about 200,000 of them wanted it– and it was free. Some actually complained about getting a free album! Apple has had to add a Remove U2 button to iTunes. Where is the logic? It’s free! Take it, already. It’s good.

."

Over 70 million people have downloaded the new U2 album at last count. Of course if it wasn't given away I'm sure initial sales would have been closer to 400,000.
 
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people are wrong to think the u2 anger was caused by the quality of music. they took away choice with no warning (you couldnt even delete the the album). thats what made people so jittery and angry.
 
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