Billboard 200: SuperM #1 168k (60 bundles, 8 CD versions)

[HolidayGuy]

LOL at "Mayan"- sorry about that. We know me and my forum typos.

The thing with bundling is that even newer, younger acts utilize them. As I posted in another thread, the trouble is merchandise that has nothing to do with an album or album theme/promotion of an album.

[GivesYouHell]

Oct 15, 2019 11:58:17 GMT -5 iHype. said:

Acts benefitting from streaming comprising majority of their units are.... currently popular artists in mainstream with currently popular music.
Acts benefitting from bundles comprising majority of their units are... artists past their prime, niche artists, and other artists who's popularity is inflated for a matter of 1-2 weeks.

The chart is supposed to be reflect the former. I'm just still confused on why this even a weekly thing. Not liking streaming because artist X, Y, and Z you support fails to excel in it doesn't make it any less accurate in determining an album's consumption in the year 2019.  

Since Soundscan started tracking sales the Billboard 200 hasn’t been just to reflect currently popular artists in the mainstream at all. Back in the 90s, 2000s and even early 2010s you had tons of veteran artists “past their prime” debuting at #1 but with streaming included now and without bundles they wouldn’t stand a chance against most acts.

If you remove bundles completely the chart will probably be the most accurate it’s ever been in determining current popularity but it will be sad because veteran artists would never get a chance at #1 like they did back in the day.

I think they should be allowed to be used (but with limits because 60 bundles is obviously ridiculous) until more of the older generation switches to streaming which would help level the playing field.

This messy merch bundle trend was actually started by Travis a “currently popular artist” anyway and has been used by others like Post, Eminem and Taylor before so we have to keep the same energy for all these artists.

[Naos]

I'm curious why a lot of people are all of sudden upset now. I feel like it's because it's Summer Walker, someone a lot of people apparently like (if r/popheads has anything to say about it), and SuperM is an outside foreign group. If it was someone like say, Chris Brown or something, and one of these big western artists was going to #1 helped by a bunch of bundles, I don't think anyone would care.

I'd say bundles still reflect popularity of an act. It's not like some complete nobody can tour/merch bundle their way to #1.

[shayonce]

yeah. but popularity of artists vs popularity of new music is different matter and action.