Billboard Hot 100: 08/31/2019

[Au$tin]

Aug 17, 2019 20:45:31 GMT -5 Choco said:

Do we really need to discuss whether the last album to actually move 2 million physical copies is a success or can we move along...?

bUt sHe uSeD A BuNdLe fOr tHe fIrSt wEeK ToTaLlY NoT UnLiKe sO MaNy oThEr aRtIsTs iT'S NoT FaIr eVeRyThInG Is fIxEd!!!!!1!!!!!11!!

[thegreatdivine]

The single reason artists use bundles for their albums is to increase their first week figures. Nothing else.

It's not to incentivize fans to buy tour tickets (tour tickets, on average cost anywhere from 10-15 times more than what a physical copy of an album goes for ($9.99 for an album in comparison to $100-$150 for a tour ticket). It's not to get fans to buy merch because fans buy merch when they attend concerts, which is why there are merch stands at every concert during a tour.

It being a common industry tactic doesn't make it any less tacky. Artists know that those final figures they get after using bundles aren't the true reflection of their fans' engagement with their new album, but they don't care because they're too busy worrying about scoring a #1 album or moving as many units as they can in the first week so it's reflected as such in their Wikipedia pages and in the press. I can't hate on that, but what happens if by the end of the year, Billboard rules in favor of scrapping out bundles altogether? (I believe their final decision on that matter will probably be allowing only one type of bundle but anything could happen).

Look at how mad Nicki Minaj and DJ Khaled were when they used bundles but still ended up not scoring a #1 album following their album releases? I'm sure Chance the Rapper was disappointed that the debut album he'd been making a big deal of since as far back as 2016 didn't manage to debut at #1, despite him using bundles.

A conversation I've been particularly interested in having is if most of these mainstream artists are using bundles to beef up their numbers and are still not getting past 100/200K SPS units in the first week, what's the actual number of units they're pulling off streams and digital/physical sales MINUS those bundle figures?

Most of the albums that have moved 100-200K units this year used bundles and they still only managed to do those figures. What does that say about the state of the industry and album consumption?

What numbers will Taylor Swift put up if she can't use the gazillion bundles to beef up her album figures by the time her next album era rolls around? Is this the death of album sales? I really want to have this conversation.

[Deleted]

Yes

[Mylo13 💜]

Aug 18, 2019 2:39:44 GMT -5 thegreatdivine said:

The single reason artists use bundles for their albums is to increase their first week figures. Nothing else.

It's not to incentivize fans to buy tour tickets (tour tickets, on average cost anywhere from 10-15 times more than what a physical copy of an album goes for ($9.99 for an album in comparison to $100-$150 for a tour ticket). It's not to get fans to buy merch because fans buy merch when they attend concerts, which is why there are merch stands at every concert during a tour.

It being a common industry tactic doesn't make it any less tacky. Artists know that those final figures they get after using bundles aren't the true reflection of their fans' engagement with their new album, but they don't care because they're too busy worrying about scoring a #1 album or moving as many units as they can in the first week so it's reflected as such in their Wikipedia pages and in the press. I can't hate on that, but what happens if by the end of the year, Billboard rules in favor of scrapping out bundles altogether? (I believe their final decision on that matter will probably be allowing only one type of bundle but anything could happen).

Look at how mad Nicki Minaj and DJ Khaled were when they used bundles but still ended up not scoring a #1 album following their album releases? I'm sure Chance the Rapper was disappointed that the debut album he'd been making a big deal of since as far back as 2016 didn't manage to debut at #1, despite him using bundles.

A conversation I've been particularly interested in having is if most of these mainstream artists are using bundles to beef up their numbers and are still not getting past 100/200K SPS units in the first week, what's the actual number of units they're pulling off streams and digital/physical sales MINUS those bundle figures?

Most of the albums that have moved 100-200K units this year used bundles and they still only managed to do those figures. What does that say about the state of the industry and album consumption?

What numbers will Taylor Swift put up if she can't use the gazillion bundles to beef up her album figures by the time her next album era rolls around? Is this the death of album sales? I really want to have this conversation.

I mean... business is business lol. 

But also feel free to have this conversation but this thread is probably not the place for that lol. You could make a thread in Your Opinion Please if you wanna discuss this more :)

[#LisaRinna]

https://www.instagram.com/p/B1KjZjyABRu

Britney promotes "Senorita". The #1 is coming!

[Gary]

Aug 17, 2019 21:09:00 GMT -5 kcdawg13 said:

Aug 17, 2019 20:47:42 GMT -5 Gary said:

the hoodie is 65 bucks if we want to contribute to first week album sales LOL

Lmao people will spend 4 months complaining about Lil Nas X's remix tactics to stay at #1 then defend Taylor Swift's bulls**t

I agree
With Lil Nas X it was cheating with Taylor Swift "business is business"

Gonna be a huge first week for Taylor Swift, the hoodies have been on sale for weeks, all the download redemptions hit on release day

[thegreatdivine]

I've already noted some T. Swizzle stans that'll be more pressed than Beyoncè stans were in The Gift's sales projection thread. It'll be a good week, that's for sure.

[kierz7]

Imagine if the Hot 100, in 2019, was predominantly lead by Radio Airplay in the formula (like it was circa. 2000/2001-2005) followed by [extremely weak] Digital sales and Streams not being a factor at all?

🤔

• “Old Town Road” would have never reached 19/20 weeks at number one, if number one at all. The worst case scenario is that it would’ve been a top three hit on the strength of its peak Pop and Rhythmic airplay but its lack of Urban airplay would have held it back.

However, given the fact that it’s been the best selling song in the country the past 17 weeks, I’d say it might have been a 5+ week number one.

• Khalid’s “Talk” would currently be a 9+ week number one. The number one Radio song in the U.S with the biggest format crossover appeal and by far the largest AI.

• Sheeran/Bieber’s “I Don’t Care” would likely be in the top three, along with Eillish’s “Bad Guy”.

• Brown’s “No Guidance” would be in the top five.

etc.

*******

I know the Hot 100 was relatively ‘inaccurate’ during that time but I miss when it was primarily governed by Radio Airplay. I remember frequenting boards ala. ‘UK MIX’ and even Billboard magazine and Medibase and working out what the number one would be that week from reading the daily radio updates, especially after 2002.

That said, I remember when Kelly Clarkson’s “A Moment Like This” leapt to number one on the Hot 100 with the biggest one week sales total since Mariah Carey’s “Heartbreaker” - 252K - in 1999, interrupting “Dilemma’s” 8th consecutive number one week. Billboard wrote SO MANY shady articles that week (😂) because finally a sales number one had overtaken the boring radio number ones.

[spicymapping]

6. Billie Eilish - bad guy 117.80 (-2.05)

There it is. It's over. You tried your damned best, billie, it just wasn't enough.

[Mayman]

kierz7 Old Town Road reached #1 on Urban and I think at one point had more audience impressions on that format than Rhythmic did.

[#LisaRinna]

Aug 18, 2019 8:24:20 GMT -5 thegreatdivine said:

I've already noted some T. Swizzle stans that'll be more pressed than Beyoncè stans were in The Gift's sales projection thread. It'll be a good week, that's for sure.

I bet you'll beat them ;)

[kierz7]

Aug 18, 2019 8:52:48 GMT -5 Mayman said:

kierz7 Old Town Road reached #1 on Urban and I think at one point had more audience impressions on that format than Rhythmic did.

It did? OMG. I’m shocked. Urban Radio has really SPREAD their wings in recent times (the latter half of this decade) with regards to the music they play. It’s taking me back to the 2000’s where their playlists were more stylistically diverse. I doubt Lizzo would’ve reached number one on the format several years back.

Well, in that case, I still believe that it would’ve been number one with less than half the weeks it has currently.

It peaked at #2/#3 on overall radio, right?

[Mayman]

Aug 18, 2019 8:58:42 GMT -5 kierz7 said:

Aug 18, 2019 8:52:48 GMT -5 Mayman said:

kierz7 Old Town Road reached #1 on Urban and I think at one point had more audience impressions on that format than Rhythmic did.

It did? OMG. I’m shocked. Urban Radio has really SPREAD their wings in recent times (the latter half of this decade) with regards to the music they play. It’s taking me back to the 2000’s where their playlists were more stylistically diverse. I doubt Lizzo would’ve reached number one on the format several years back.

Well, in that case, I still believe that it would’ve been number one with less than half the weeks it has currently.

It peaked at #2/#3 on overall radio, right?

Yeah it peaked at #2, although I'm not sure for how long it was there.

[fhas]

Aug 18, 2019 8:40:40 GMT -5 spicymapping said:

6. Billie Eilish - bad guy 117.80 (-2.05)

There it is. It's over. You tried your damned best, billie, it just wasn't enough.

bad guy lost a format. The update is inaccurate.

[Mayman]

Aug 18, 2019 9:11:53 GMT -5 fhas said:

Aug 18, 2019 8:40:40 GMT -5 spicymapping said:

6. Billie Eilish - bad guy 117.80 (-2.05)

There it is. It's over. You tried your damned best, billie, it just wasn't enough.

bad guy lost a format. The update is inaccurate.

Do you think Bad Guy has a chance to hit #1 next week?

[𝕡𝕙𝕖𝕖𝕓𝕤]

Aug 18, 2019 9:18:13 GMT -5 Mayman said:

Aug 18, 2019 9:11:53 GMT -5 fhas said:

bad guy lost a format. The update is inaccurate.

Do you think Bad Guy has a chance to hit #1 next week?

Absolutely. Dropping the vertical video & cassette singles so late wasn’t a great idea, but hey. Her radio lead might be enough to vault her ahead.

Also - If I had the extra money, I’d love to be able to get all these cassette & vinyl singles as mementos of the physical single chart war.

[Mayman]

Aug 18, 2019 14:10:02 GMT -5 𝕡𝕙𝕖𝕖𝕓𝕤 said:

Aug 18, 2019 9:18:13 GMT -5 Mayman said:

Do you think Bad Guy has a chance to hit #1 next week?

Absolutely. Dropping the vertical video & cassette singles so late wasn’t a great idea, but hey. Her radio lead might be enough to vault her ahead.

Also - If I had the extra money, I’d love to be able to get all these cassette & vinyl singles as mementos of the physical single chart war.

If she dropped a CD single I would totally get it.

I bought the Sicko Mode CD single when it was challenging for its 33rd week in the top 10, but that didn't happen :(

[kimberly]

Saturday streaming:

Spotify
#1 Ransom 2.288 (solo + remix)
#2 Lover 1.231
#3 Truth Hurts 1.177
#4 Senorita 1.160
#5 Money in the Grave 1.077
#6 Goodbyes 1.067
#7 bay guy 1.064 (solo + remix)
#8 No Guidance 1.038
#9 The London 0.991
#10 Bad Bad Bad 0.982
(OTR is #11, Panini is #12, Hot Girl Summer #16, Motivation #32)

Apple
#1 Hot (ft. Gunna)
#2 Bad Bad Bad (ft. Lil Baby)
#3 Just How It Is 
#4 No Guidance
#5 What's the Move (ft. Lil Uzi Vert)
#6 Sup Mate (ft. Future)
#7 Surf (ft. Gunna)
#8 Light It Up
#9 Ecstasy
#10 Ransom
(Ransom Remix is #40)

[Mayman]

It's not looking good for Bad Guy :(

[moonlite]

I hope Ransom can hit top 5-6 this week with the remix

[fhas]

Aug 18, 2019 9:18:13 GMT -5 Mayman said:

Aug 18, 2019 9:11:53 GMT -5 fhas said:

bad guy lost a format. The update is inaccurate.

Do you think Bad Guy has a chance to hit #1 next week?

I'll be surprised if it's close to #1 because it's falling in streaming and radio.

[sam8432]

If bad guy does somehow go #1, it’ll be the first song to hit #1 without hitting #1 in any of the major components in quite awhile.

[narp]

I think Senorita’s gonna overtake it, they’re both pretty close in points.

[Deleted]

Aug 18, 2019 18:17:13 GMT -5 sam8432 said:

If bad guy does somehow go #1, it’ll be the first song to hit #1 without hitting #1 in any of the major components in quite awhile.

last song to do that?

[Deleted]

Aug 18, 2019 18:28:17 GMT -5 @lil14 said:

Aug 18, 2019 18:17:13 GMT -5 sam8432 said:

If bad guy does somehow go #1, it’ll be the first song to hit #1 without hitting #1 in any of the major components in quite awhile.

last song to do that?

Sick o mode

[85la]

I just really hate all the hyper-focus on Bad Guy or whatever #2 song not reaching #1, and how it's somehow this tragic, disastrous calamity. So just because a song doesn't reach THE ABSOLUTE POLE POSITION, and is "just" in 2nd place (even if it's for a possible record 10+ weeks mind you!), it's still somehow a failure and will be forgotten in the anals of chart/popular music history? Yeah, I'm sure no one remembers that obscure no. 2 Bad Romance, and that the masterpiece Tik Tok is heralded far above it, and that that nothing of a ballad Beautiful is completely lost to the timeless classic that is Bump, Bump, Bump. Seriously people, can we calm the f*** down.

[Au$tin]

Uh... I don't see anyone making the claim that it won't be remembered. It's just awesome to see a song go #1, dude. Especially when it's so close. I think we're all smart enough to know being #2 is still a great thing, chill. 💊

[Kris]

Aug 18, 2019 18:17:13 GMT -5 sam8432 said:

If bad guy does somehow go #1, it’ll be the first song to hit #1 without hitting #1 in any of the major components in quite awhile.

It will be the first song to hit number 1 in a while! Can't believe it's been almost 5 months without a new #1. 

[fhas]

Aug 18, 2019 18:28:17 GMT -5 @lil14 said:

Aug 18, 2019 18:17:13 GMT -5 sam8432 said:

If bad guy does somehow go #1, it’ll be the first song to hit #1 without hitting #1 in any of the major components in quite awhile.

last song to do that?

Black & Yellow reached #1 on the Hot 100 dated as February 19, 2011. It peaked at #2 on Hot Digital Sales and #7 on Radio Songs.

Raise Your Glass (Dec. 11, 2010) is the other song this decade that reached #1 without hitting #1 on radio/sales (streaming chart didn't exist in 2010/11).

[Au$tin]

Aug 18, 2019 19:08:55 GMT -5 fhas said:

Aug 18, 2019 18:28:17 GMT -5 @lil14 said:

last song to do that?

Black & Yellow reached #1 on the Hot 100 dated as February 19, 2011. It peaked at #2 on Hot Digital Sales and #7 on Radio Songs.

Raise Your Glass (Dec. 11, 2010) is the other song this decade that reached #1 without hitting #1 on radio/sales (streaming chart didn't exist in 2010/11).

Raise Your Glass wasn't #1 on sales? What kept it from the top spot?

Edit: Oh I see. For some reason I though RYG had debuted at #1 on the Hot 100 and was confused on how that could happen without #1 in digital sales at the time. It just crept up to #1 out of sheer luck in between two other #1 hits.