08 Apr Is Prince The Real Number #1? The Numbers Don’t Add Up
I’ve had thoughts about this all day. There are a few points I am going to make right now.
Here are TWO IMPORTANT INSIGHTS
ITEM #1: Prince is #1 in Retail Sales
Prince sold more physical albums than Urban!
Without digital sales, Keith only sold 134,338 making Prince #1 in retail stores. To me, that is kind of press-release worthy to get out there.
Also…IF Prince added his digital sales from his own web site www.lotusflow3r.com to the mix, he may win the “all in” numbers..depends what he sold digitally.
Keith Urban’s album this week:
ITEM #2: Capitol Records (most likely) Made Urban #1
OK, hear me out on this because this happens a LOT! What most likely happened is that Capitol Records was VERY motivated (for many reasons) to deliver a # 1 ranking to Keith Urban.
Seeing they were only 3,000 units behind the #1 spot, they “did what it took” to ensure the win.
Now, it’s only a theory but it is probably correct.
If they would have lost by such a small margin (3,000 units) some vice president would have lost their job.
When it is that close…you can go out and buy the units at a retail store or better yet, Itunes, to ensure the win, and it would be worth the investment.
The downloads from his OWN site should count on this. I have not seen a Billboard position this close in a while. Something is just NOT adding up!-Dr.FB
3rd party
Posted at 03:27h, 09 AprilI bet Prince does care and wonder if maybe the doctor is having Prince’s back in this is all and speaking for him. Hmm. To be that close to number 1 and not make it sure would make me care.
Love how people are bringing in facts from 15 years ago instead of the subject at hand and that is what happened to those 17,000 cd’s Hits reported???
All the rest is just tired bs being repeated over and over again.
I want to know about the subject at hand and nothing else. Where are those cd’s and why is there such a huge gap between billboard and hits? it does not make sense and no one is responding about that.
Symboldork
Posted at 03:19h, 09 AprilYou might also want to consider that many thousands of the Lotusflow3r cd sets were bought in the USA and resold to people overseas via Ebay and others because the set was only available in the US. Therefore Prince’s numbers are more like world-wide sales consolidated into the US charts only. How did Prince debut on the sales charts this past week in any other country than the US? He didn’t.
Prince was not above manipulating the numbers either when he was with WB. The Most Beautiful Girl In the World was a manufactured #1 according to what I’ve heard.
That said, is it really that important?
Lydia
Posted at 03:08h, 09 AprilIt’s very funny you (DR. FB) talking about this so much, since Prince keeps saying that it’s not important for him… and about the other point, let me remind you something: Prince did exactly the same thing himself! He bought thousands copies of “The Most Beautiful Girld In The World” CD Single himself.
Just so you know…
MacDruid
Posted at 02:57h, 09 AprilSales from his site should not count. As someone already pointed out, he’s not selling just the album there. He’s giving the album away with a membership. If Prince wanted online sales to count, he should have made it available on iTunes… but he didn’t, so he traded a chart position for more profit.
He has to play the cards he was dealt and it was his choice to play the particular game he did.
Y A W N
Posted at 02:56h, 09 Aprilwhatever happened to the old days when an album CLIMBED the charts, reached number one, and stayed there IF IT WAS GOOD ENOUGH AND POPULAR ENOUGH TO BE THERE???
this whole thing about debuting at number one is a joke.
if Prince himself says he doesn’t care about the charts, why does everyone else? sure, it’s nice to see him get props from RS mag and the charts, but it is OKAY if he’s not number one, seriously.
enjoy the album and pray for a tour… the charts and the powers that be can all eat me. LOL
Dreamer
Posted at 02:54h, 09 AprilHyundalasiliah…this seems a bit unfair to me that in order to register as a venue u have to have 2 artists under your label ( do they have to be active artists?)…but i found this on soundSCAM’s website…oh…not to mention the $500.00 annual fee…(pay for charts…kind of like pay for play huh)
VENUE SALES REPORTING PROCEDURE
Record Labels may report the sales of their artists at venues that the artists appear by following the procedure outlined below:
1. On letterhead of the label, please state that you are a label interested in taking part in the Venue Sales Program. Also state how long you have been in business.
NOTE: YOU MUST BE IN BUSINESS FOR AT LEAST TWO YEARS.
2. List the artists you wish to report sales for.
NOTE: IT MUST BE MORE THAN ONE ARTIST UNDER THE LABEL THAT YOU WILL BE REPORTING SALES FOR.
Dreamer
Posted at 02:43h, 09 AprilWell if they didn’t count them during Musicology then there’s no reason to think they would count now…..I have to say though…I think Bria wins this bet, simply because technically…if Prince had released the cd via itunes as keith urban did…he would have been number one….but since he chose only target as his outlet…he lost out completely on digital sales… ( i’m sure this fact has to do with the fees that apple charges) but hey, it’s all semantics at this point right? I mean what’s really important..the amount of money that is put in your pocket….or titles…i’ll take the money..give me the #2 spot….lol
I mean seriously let’s think about it..what artist…who was in the music business at the same time as prince is able to be able to debut an album in the number 2 spot….and sell out three venues in a matter of seconds when other artists are canceling shows due to poor record sales……I can’t think of any….
Hyundalasiliah
Posted at 02:34h, 09 AprilIn response to Dreamer:
You’re mostly right. Record labels and artists argued the concert-issued copies of Musicology were giveaways, not sales. Prince and NPG Records argued that the price of the CD was built into the ticket.
Soundscan’s decision was that albums included in the price of a concert ticket would no longer be included in sales figures. In order to count, the album must be offered to the ticket buyer as a separate, optional purchase. That particular decision, however, applied only to concerts, not websites. What *is* Soundscan’s policy concerning subscription websites? I have no clue. But I’m not holding my breath.
justmemuchlove
Posted at 02:09h, 09 AprilKinda interesting reading all these comments..
PurpleStyle7
Posted at 01:54h, 09 AprilIt’s not suprising that it went down this way (and I doubt it is to Prince either). He tends to be too smart for the suits in this business and they don’t seem to take kindly to that. I’d like to think that they’d eventually get over it, but it doesn’t seem likely, at least not any time soon. Especially considering how P keeps out-smarting them with new ways to handle business to the benefit of himself (the artist) and to no benefit to anybody who had nothing to do with the creation of his work.
It’s not so much discouraging, but it is very annoying that this kind of thing keeps happening. I, along with many others, give Prince serious props on how his business mind works and how much of an influence he is (or at least could be) to many up and coming artists and newcomers to the business in any realm.
I don’t know how they would handle a recount situation or if anyone would even present that as an option, but it would be nice to see it happen if for no other reason, for the principle of it all.
Either way, Lotus Flow3r and Prince remain #1 with us (and we’re the ones who really count, right?). 😉
-D
justmemuchlove
Posted at 01:48h, 09 AprilI dunno. Just waiting to see what’s next.
drfunkenberry
Posted at 01:14h, 09 AprilWe are being told that his old web site sales for Musicology, Billboard would NOT count the sales of downloads from his site.
Lydia
Posted at 01:01h, 09 AprilSo, Bria lost the bet, right?
dreamer
Posted at 00:53h, 09 AprilJust a quick refresher
The artist formerly known as provocative may have nixed his saucier material, but the man behind ”Erotic City” can still stir up controversy. Thanks to the crafty strategy of including a copy of his don’t-call-it-a-comeback album ”Musicology” in the ticket price for his current tour, Prince is sitting near the top of the Billboard chart. ”Prince is ahead of his time and thinks outside the box,” says Randy Phillips, the tour’s promoter, of the ”Musicology” scheme. But record labels cried foul, complaining that the CD-concert combo sets an unfair precedent in tallying sales. Now Billboard’s announced an amended policy that stipulates ”the consumer must be given the option to purchase a CD with a concert ticket for [the sale] to count toward the chart,” says Billboard chart director Geoff Mayfield. However, ”Musicology,” which has moved 800,000 units since its April 20 release, has been grandfathered out of that rule. With 1.5 million fans expected to see Prince this year, he’ll likely have a spot in the top 20 for months. Almost 2 good 2 B true.
http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,649922,00.html
Even though this only talks about concert tickets..i’m assuming that billboard did the “CYA” thing and included online music clubs membership fees…..anyone know where you can find their rules?
tha Truth
Posted at 00:38h, 09 AprilOh, and I think Dr. Acaiberry and Dreamer might have points.
If the “charts” count a week as Tuesday (the usual day for new releases) to the following Monday, it COULD be possible that discs sold on Sunday/Monday didn’t count.
Also, if the Musicology rule is in effect, the digital “sales” wouldn’t count since it was included in the ridiculous membership fee of $77 and not a SPECIFIC “order”.
tha Truth
Posted at 00:34h, 09 AprilExactly HOW FAR up Prince’s ass do you plan on being?
Not that i’m saying it’s true, but this sort of thing has been going on in the music industry for the LONGEST time now. Just ask Mariah Carey the lengths Tommy Mattola went to get her #1s.
This is NO grand conspiracy against Prince. Letitgo. ‘sides, it’s not like the charts matter to him, right?
mr.goodnight3121
Posted at 00:25h, 09 AprilOh! its not Columbia its Capital sorry about that…My bad,,:-(
mr.goodnight3121
Posted at 00:21h, 09 AprilRemember Prince did do a one album deal with Sony last year. Isn’t Columbia part of Sony? Maybe there getting back at him 4 reneging on the deal last year with Planet Earth. When Prince out of no where made a deal with The Mall newspaper abroad 2 give his Cd away…. Whatever the case something is fishy about this whole thing. Its just 2 close in sales 4 it not 2 b
Columbia knew they had 2 save face……
Twinkly1
Posted at 00:12h, 09 AprilJust a thought in addition to what is already presented:
An already troubled industry could barely stand one black eye (#2 spot) because its Prince, after all; but couldn’t stand a complete beat-down (#1 spot) by an Artist without their backing. The signal that would send to all others….whew!
Is it possible that the last minute jump for Urban is about saving face for the Industry?
Dreamer
Posted at 00:12h, 09 AprilInteresting, I agree that Prince should be in the number one spot..but didn’t they change a rule when Prince gave away albums at the Musicology concert with the purchase of a ticket…..something to the effect that if the album is given away…it doesn’t count as a sale anymore..and essentially..if you joined the website you didn’t purchase the album separately inside the club….it was a part of a package…or given to you as a benefit of joining the club…. I think if he wanted them to count he would have had to charge 77 to join the club then 11.98 for the cd or…he could have broken it up..so that the membership and the cd added up to 77…but since it was all included I think Mr Nelson kinda screwed himself on this one…that is if I”m remembering the rule change for sales counts
Dr. Acaiberry
Posted at 23:43h, 08 AprilIs it possible the sales on Sunday and Monday – previous 2 the NORMAL Tuesday release day were not counted?
http://www.Lotusflow3r.com digital sales SHOULD count.
When U step outside the “system” U have 2 Xpect this. Maybe Capitol records also sabotaged the sound at the L.A. gigs? Hmmmmm
Dr.A
Digital Creator
Posted at 23:32h, 08 AprilWe witnessed this same thing last year with a a certain Little Wayne. The truth was that there was no way that he “sold” 1 million units. The record company “bought” out what was left to make it so. Prince is #1 and I demand a recount.
lotusflow3r3121
Posted at 23:30h, 08 Aprilhopefully he wil discuss this on the upcoming tavis smiley interview and other promo apperences that he will have. oprah r u listining ? ]come to think of it captial records has had alot of number one cds latley hmmm
funkteer
Posted at 23:03h, 08 AprilI was telling Cam the same thing today. Prince is not backed by a record company that would put out all the stops and the cash to make an album number one.
lotusflower3121
Posted at 22:54h, 08 Aprilya something just dosent make sense