This Week's SoundScan

1. Florida Georgia Line "Anything Goes"
197,000 copies

They're a singles act until proven otherwise. As it should be. Where was it written that fans should fall all over you as soon as you debut? In the old days you sold singles until people believed in you, then they partook of the album, the concept of making them buy the whole LP for one good track might have made financial sense but it never resonated with the consumer and once he got a chance he punted, he went to P2P and then iTunes and then YouTube/Spotify.

You've got to earn your fans. Florida Georgia Line may be all over the airwaves but they're still on their way up. That's the way it used to be, no one was anointed a superstar on their initial work.

2. Jason Alden "Old Boots, New Dirt" 91,000

Pretty good for a second week number.

The first week was 278,000, the third biggest debut of the year, behind Coldplay and Eric Church at 383,000 and 288,000 respectively.

Aldean's been in the marketplace longer, he's got more hard core fans, that's why he sold more the first week than Florida Georgia Line.

3. Bob Seger "Ride Out" 59,000

Has anybody listened to this album, does anybody care?

Where does it live?

Either you're part of the public consciousness or you're irrelevant.

In other words, why spam us with your publicity if we don't care.

We all like Bob, but we're looking for "Night Moves," not a bunch of new tracks that play like "Against The Wind" only poorer. Tarnishes the image, don't you think?

The old classic acts should form their own label and have it run by an arbiter like Scott Borchetta, who's a metal head, by the way. Someone who can tell them what works and what doesn't and then promote what does accordingly. Because unless these tracks make a dent in the world at large, they're destined to sit on the shelves of hard core fans at home, ultimately ignored, and if you think that satisfies the maker, you're not one.

That's right, if you're an alta kacher act you should cut SINGLES!

And please, no more covers and duets albums, you're just embarrassing yourselves.

4. "You+Me" 50,000

Includes Pink. Who sings folk along with relatively unknown Dallas Green.

Credit Alecia for taking a risk, for expanding her boundaries. It appears that some fans are following her, but it turns out others are waiting for the hit, or are unaware its her.

As for a radio format that would embrace the artistic endeavors of our household names, we're still waiting for it. For all the pushback by radio, claiming it's still relevant, it takes almost no risks, it's part of the problem, not the solution.

5. Barbra Streisand "Partners" 40,000

Wanna sell albums? Exist outside the game, appeal to oldsters.

But still, there's no tonnage.

6. Sam Smith "In The Lonely Hour" 37,000

Helped this week appearances on "Fallon" and "Today" this is the album of the year. The hype has been heavy, but that can work when an act is brand new and lives up to it.

As for the arena tour victory lap... Adele wouldn't do that. It's so twenty first century. Get all your money right away before everybody forgets about you and you fade away. Isn't it best to underplay until demand is cemented? Are you really making fans when most people are sitting a thousand feet away, in a drive-by position?

7. The Game "Blood Moon: Year of the Wolf" 33,000

People still care about him, but not as much as Kendrick Lamar. Time passes even the rappers by, people don't care about 50 Cent and they care a bit less about the Game.

A hit single will boost sales of this album, if it happens.

8. Hoodie Allen "People Keep Talking" 30,000

A tireless self-promoter who's figured out the game. Proving if you've got a modicum of talent, you can make it on business sense.

It's on his own label. Still, 30k in a country of 300 million is a drop in the bucket.

9. U2 "Songs Of Innocence" 28,000

It's already over. A classic 2014 album. You ramp up the promotion, everybody talks about you for a week, and then your new album is completely forgotten. You subject your fans to one or two new tracks live, but it's like the record didn't even come out.

Sure, you could get the album for free with iTunes. But Radiohead sold a ton of "In Rainbows" even though it was at name your own price long before.

But this story is nowhere. Because in an overload economy, we only have time for positive news, no one wants to focus on failure, not unless it's gargantuan, not unless it's got train-wreck value, whereas this is just a whimper.

So U2 exposed everybody to their music and found out most people just shrugged. They broke the number one rule of the twenty first century, just give us a hit, we want a single. And for all you people purveying albums out there pay attention, if they don't care about U2, they certainly don't care about you.

So Guy Oseary has done worse than Paul McGuinness. Because Oseary thought it was about deals, McGuinness knew it was always about passion.

And Bono proved that he's lost touch.

And we've learned that the album paradigm has expired.

And that once the publicity engine dies down, you're dead in the water.

CONCLUSIONS

Want to make an impact? Don't worry about publicity, but a hit single.

Streaming is everything, these sales numbers are anemic.

Despite all the hoopla, Gaga and Bennett is already over.

There's a disconnect between consumers and the media machine.

We want good new music. We're not exactly sure where to find it. But when we do, we partake, like with Sam Smith.

But usually partaking consists of a stream.

Don't blame the audience, don't blame the game, blame yourself.

The rules have changed. Abide them.


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