A to Z of Making It, Music, My Stories

What Does A Number 1 Album Really Buy You?

Artists who really want a number 1 album play the bundle game, where the artists have to pay money from their concert ticket sales to get to number one.

This process just ends up putting more money in the label’s bank accounts, and these album bundle sales only count if the fan clicks for the digital album, and less than 50% do it because they either already have it or they don’t want it in a digital download, because they are still physical purchasers or have moved to streaming.

If your goal is to impress people in the media who matter less, then a number 1 album works because i see it every day, how the normal music news sites write about it and other websites repeat it.

And how many times an album debuts at number one and then drops off the chart within a month to two months. Goes to show how important those charts really are these days.

And then you have the streaming kerfuffle of artists asking kids to play certain tracks a million plus times so old records from artists who are one hit wonders start to re-enter the chart. Vanilla Ice did this recently.

This system has built careers in the past but a new act can’t even play that game and if you have aspirations to be in Spotify’s Top 50, don’t. It’s irrelevant and a manipulated niche with a young audience listening, who moves on as quickly as you can say the word “what the”.

But if you top the streaming chart, you can make real money.

But (x2), if you get there with the devil (major label) backing you, well that deal at the crossroads means you need to pay.

But (x3), if you go your own way the same way Fleetwood Mac told ya and own everything, well you can make all that money every musician is complaining they haven’t got.

But (x4), the barrier to enter the music market is low and anybody can make a record. There are over 20 million plus songs on Spotify that still haven’t even been heard.

And people will pay attention when they want to. You just need to be in the game to capitalize on it.

P.S. Remember that Black Sabbath never had their 70s albums or Dio led albums go to number 1.

P.S.S. And a lot of other bands fall into that category as well.

P.S.S.S. Like Whitesnake, who never had an album go to Number 1 in the large US market or Twisted Sister or RATT or KISS or RUSH or Iron Maiden.

P.S.S.S.S. But they all had massive careers.

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3 thoughts on “What Does A Number 1 Album Really Buy You?

  1. RUSH came close with Counterparts at Number 2 but Pearl Jam kept them out of number 1. I don’t think it bothers RUSH as much as the fanbase though.
    Like you say I would rather have a long career than bailing out after an album or 2

    • Agreed on Rush. Their Live in Rio DVD is a perfect capture of a band who hasn’t gone to number 1, nor had they sold any records in Brazil, yet they played to their largest ever audience. Bands who went to Number 1 like Quiet Riot cant achieve that or Warrant or Extreme or Skid Row. (I’m not sure they all went to number 1 but..)
      Also Even before Motley and Metallica went to number 1, they already had a career and made great business playing live.

      • Slave To The Grind went Numebr 1 as did Motley with Feelgood.
        But I think bands like RUSH would prefer how they did by touring and building up a fan base over 40 years instead of it being over in 5 years!
        Good call on the RUSH in RIo. The crowd tore that place apart during YYZ!

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