PFAYM and its singles chart success prediction

[The Gutless Wonder]

Originally Posted by TheGreatPretender

Good god man, do you ever have anything 'nice' to say about the Manics? LoL!

Well, for a band on their 10th album, they've done fairly well though I do question as to whether or not they've picked up many new fans with this album. Only a handful of long-term bands can maintain massive success throughout their career so in that sense, I think they've been doing phenomonly well in the UK with the last 3 albums they've released. Bottom line is, they're still around and there's still a demand for their material. They may not reach number 1 or even pull a Dark Side of the Moon in the charts, but people still buy their albums so it's highly amusing for me to see people dogging them because they aren't this massive selling act even though they still have achieved a fairly good showing for a bunch of 40 year olds on your charts. And please don't compare them to the likes of Phil Collins and Eric Clapton. Those guys have long established musical pedigree internationally. The Manics and those artists exist in two very different realms of commercial success and established credibility.

Well said Shannon!

[hummingbird]

someone somewhere said the best way to judge a band's popularity is how well their shows sell.

[Dean V]

Originally Posted by hummingbird

someone somewhere said the best way to judge a band's popularity is how well their shows sell.

Very true, if a band who charge a fair bit (for the venue) can sell out/almost sell out then they are still attracting a semi-hardcore fanbase which is all a band seen as elders of rock like the Manics can do.

...somehow I'm defending the Manics there, but it is true.

[The Gutless Wonder]

But at least they don't charge too much either, thankfully!

[hummingbird]

i don't understand what people want...the record almost got to number 1 ..yea it was just the first week but thats all that matters for statistics. Postcards for a young man...the 10th album for the manic street preachers was a top 5 album. It doesnt matter that it didnt stay there for weeks. They haven't failed anything.

No one gives a shit about single sales any more. I only buy manics singles for the b-sides and for every other band i don't bother. I just wait for the album..which is why the war single only got to number 28. Most people waited for the album. Had that got to number 28 then that would've been a failure but top 5??? Please.

If they'd hit U2 levels of popularity you'd be complaining about fair-weather fans, not being able to get tickets and being forced to go to arena shows. As long as the band are motivated to keep releasing records in the future then i'm happy. It sounds like they are ...so all is good.

[Littlesue]

Originally Posted by hummingbird

i don't understand what people want...the record almost got to number 1 ..yea it was just the first week but thats all that matters for statistics. Postcards for a young man...the 10th album for the manic street preachers was a top 5 album. It doesnt matter that it didnt stay there for weeks. They haven't failed anything.

No one gives a shit about single sales any more. I only buy manics singles for the b-sides and for every other band i don't bother. I just wait for the album..which is why the war single only got to number 28. Most people waited for the album. Had that got to number 28 then that would've been a failure but top 5??? Please.

If they'd hit U2 levels of popularity you'd be complaining about fair-weather fans, not being able to get tickets and being forced to go to arena shows. As long as the band are motivated to keep releasing records in the future then i'm happy. It sounds like they are ...so all is good.

Could'nt agree more xx

[The Gutless Wonder]

Agree with you Lydia. As long as they are still releasing records that's the important thing. As said a few times they've done better with this record than some of their contempories have done with theirs!

[Dean V]

Originally Posted by hummingbird

i don't understand what people want...the record almost got to number 1 ..yea it was just the first week but thats all that matters for statistics. Postcards for a young man...the 10th album for the manic street preachers was a top 5 album. It doesnt matter that it didnt stay there for weeks. They haven't failed anything.

No one gives a shit about single sales any more. I only buy manics singles for the b-sides and for every other band i don't bother. I just wait for the album..which is why the war single only got to number 28. Most people waited for the album. Had that got to number 28 then that would've been a failure but top 5??? Please.

If they'd hit U2 levels of popularity you'd be complaining about fair-weather fans, not being able to get tickets and being forced to go to arena shows. As long as the band are motivated to keep releasing records in the future then i'm happy. It sounds like they are ...so all is good.

Fully agreed.

I can understand people saying that they failed with true mass communication (as in remaining an active mainstream band throughout channels like Radio 1) but they were blacklisted from those places for 6 years pretty much, they can't get back on those levels any more but that's no bad thing. Anyone who cares for the number the album got to should really focus on the music more whether they like it or hate it. I've never come across someone who's sold me a band's music based on how many number 1s they've had

I do rip the piss out of the band for aiming for being huge but they are still a relatively big band who draw fans through nostalgia, obsessiveness and whatnot and they aren't going to starve through an album that doesn't sell 8 trillion copies.

[Mr.Selfdestruct]

I really like the album, but they never should have come out with all the talk about mass communication. It was just a silly thing to say. You can't go about seeking mass communication if, out of a collection of new songs, you don't have one track, that as a lead single, can appeal to a mass audience. They have come up with the goods in the past, with lead singles, but not this time.

So unfortunately, because of the failure of It's Not War, again, a song i do like. The album had no real momentum, in terms of commericial potential.

Hopefully, SKON will get some airplay and album sales will pick up. But like i already stated, SKON, released after, lets say, Tolorate, ADFL, or dare i say it, YLAINE, would easily get heavy rotation on many radio stations.
Whatever success SKON has, or what it does for album sales, will certainly have nothing to do with that awful video they made for it.

I'm still very happy with this manics period. Nothing on Postcards turns my stomach. And the band are still excellent live.

[Dancing Kirby]

I'm not one for accusing the album of being a failure, it's done well and I don't think anyone ever expected Nicky's self-defeating statements to be followed up with residencies at Wembley Stadium.

And that's why I'm instead accusing this SKON campaign of being a major clusterfuck that has not only failed to raise the profile of an album that was still putting up a fight but actually seen it have its worst fall in the chart (well, out of the chart) in a week after the video was made public and the promo sent to radio stations.

Still, at least XFM have an ulterior motive to playlist them, but my original observation on this week stands: they've fucked up and we just saw an abrupt end to the PFAYM chapter.

[The Gutless Wonder]

It's been reasonably well promoted so people have no excuse for not knowing it's out. Big posters in HMV and everything! The album has been highly praised in the media which makes a change. Can't physically make people go and buy it unfortunately. There's always swings and roundabouts in music. That's how it is. I feel the band have done their best and can't ask any more than that.

[Dean V]

Originally Posted by The Gutless Wonder

It's been reasonably well promoted so people have no excuse for not knowing it's out. Big posters in HMV and everything! The album has been highly praised in the media which makes a change. Can't physically make people go and buy it unfortunately. There's always swings and roundabouts in music. That's how it is. I feel the band have done their best and can't ask any more than that.

No offense but in the HMV in Norwich there are no posters for it, given it is a major city that's pretty bad. Not heard it mentioned on TV/radio either, it's not well promoted at all.

The album has received good reviews but yeah, whoever deals with PR for the Manics has failed a bit with this album, not the bands fault at all though.

[Nature's Discontent]

Originally Posted by TheGreatPretender

Good god man, do you ever have anything 'nice' to say about the Manics? LoL!.

As soon as there's one bit of 'negative' news surrounding the Manics they immediately come on and start typing up haha-I-told-you-so posts, that's the impression I got anyways.

[Dancing Kirby]

Originally Posted by Nature's Discontent

As soon as there's one bit of 'negative' news surrounding the Manics they immediately come on and start typing up haha-I-told-you-so posts, that's the impression I got anyways.

That's unfair, I never said 'I told you so' or anything of the sort in either of tonight's posts. You're confusing that with the fact that I did tell you so after seeing the video. Haha!

[Nature's Discontent]

Sorry DK, it gets confusing trying to keep track of all your comments, not that I've been trying to on purpose