Predict 1st week U.S. sales for HC!!!!!!

[Alexz]

yup, that's what they are looking at...

Um.

[Guest iMisto]

Um.

I know. I want to be a closet-Madonna fan now.

Shut the door! []

[Alexz]

I know. I want to be a closet-Madonna fan now.

Shut the door! []

No baby don't be.

I'm just not sure she'll sell 150k in the UK the first week, I'd say 90k is more accurate.

[Guest boytoyville]

People need to chill out. It will probably end up doing 300k which is nothing to cry about. It was just announced that she is making an appearance on BET's 106 & Park show to debut the video for their countdown. I think they are in it more for the long haul with this album and are relying on the music promoting itself while she makes occasional appearence here and there. She did do a lot of Tv for Madonna when COAD came out but remember she was coming off of an album that only sold 650k in the US & didn't only performed between 4-5 million worlwide. So she needed to get herself out there gain for "damage control" if you will. She has a hot song at radio right now & doesn't really have to do that this time around. Lets not worry unless it starts tumbling down the charts like Janet's album. It sounds like she will be doign a world tour so that will help the album eventually also.

[Guest iMisto]

No baby don't be.

I'm just not sure she'll sell 150k in the UK the first week, I'd say 90k is more accurate.

ok.

[GOD]

COADF came out before Christmas. So yeah it sold more. April is a low month. If HC came out in November it would have opened with a 350K easily.

[Probed By Greys]

COADF came out before Christmas. So yeah it sold more. April is a low month. If HC came out in November it would have opened with a 350K easily.

I agree, the problem is that this is the # people expect from a new Madonna album. Timbaland/Justin didn't help Madonna very much. With that being said, it doesn't really matter. Madonna is past the point in her career where charts matter. She could flop and her legacy would remain intact. She just needs 1 hit from the album and that's enough for her to do another record setting world tour. Actually, she would even do a record setting tour with a flop single/album. Charts really don't matter to Madonna at this point. Only online fans that care about charts care about this type of stuff.

[Kyoko]

So now we're all above album sales? And presume that acts like Madonna are above it also? Let's just say it: If she does 275K, that would be a disappointment. Why hire the hottest (& tres expensive) producers if she didn't care about sales? I agree that CD sales generate chump change for most acts, but acts like Madonna with their huge royalty rates and big sales still make money. Even His Purple Majesty couldn't resist trying to sell CDs and scale the album charts despite claims that he was "#1 at the bank" back when he could smell what a chart was like. Maybe the charts are promo, maybe it's the royalties, maybe it's the catalog, whatever. Sales still matter to Madonna and she should work for it while it's still within her grasp. She's not Tina Turner just yet. I will say that if she hits 300K that would be a success. The market is obviously soft. We'll never know what she might have done with some promo but it's only the beginning. As long as this album has LEGS, I'm happy. I'd also love a couple more Top 20 hits while I'm at it. lol

[Guest marsha]

People need to chill out. It will probably end up doing 300k which is nothing to cry about. It was just announced that she is making an appearance on BET's 106 & Park show to debut the video for their countdown. I think they are in it more for the long haul with this album and are relying on the music promoting itself while she makes occasional appearence here and there. She did do a lot of Tv for Madonna when COAD came out but remember she was coming off of an album that only sold 650k in the US & didn't only performed between 4-5 million worlwide. So she needed to get herself out there gain for "damage control" if you will. She has a hot song at radio right now & doesn't really have to do that this time around. Lets not worry unless it starts tumbling down the charts like Janet's album. It sounds like she will be doign a world tour so that will help the album eventually also.

[Guest iMisto]

That's the only way she can make it up to me... more top 20 hits!

I'm sure my mood will change as soon as the tour starts. lol

[Ciccone's Cheeks]

some people instantly and unfortunately look at 275-300k #s for a "Madonna" album as mediocore or just not stellar enough considering its "Madonna etc etc..".Most of these idiots refuse to look at the situation beyond the surface of the #s! COAD was released at the heart of holiday season, and yet only did roughly 50k more; also that was 2.5 yrs ago when the music biz record sales were indeed a "bit" better. Those are the two main points here, but ESP. the holiday season factor is *not* in contention here.

[Candylipsgirl]

We can speculate all day long.

Whats important ( im going to say it)- anything under 300k is just NOT impressive!

I mean AL sold 241K 1st week

Had-4M-flopped-or-JT-was NOT involved-yes I would say its Great opening. But with such a big hit on the air- I EXPECTED LOTS OF CASUALS TO BUY THIS CD!

But moving past this

How will this Album hold on the charts? Will it survive a long haul? or will it drop to the abyss.

And that should be on our minds. GT2ME is NOT going to save this Album-but I hope it keeps it alive.

[Etips]

I'm disappointed…but considering the lackluster promotion they've done in these last few weeks leading up to the albums release, Madonna and her camp only have themselves to blame if they don't get the numbers they were hoping for.

[Guest ercos]

even Billboard has predicted a low debut week sales for HC :

http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003796943

Keith Caulfield, L.A.

Madonna is on track to net her seventh No. 1 album on next week's Billboard 200 with "Hard Candy," based on first-day sales measured by the Nielsen SoundScan Building Chart released Wednesday afternoon (April 30).

Unweighted sales for the Warner Bros. album from the Building Chart's panel of reporters through the close of business Tuesday, April 29, stood at 100,000.

Among all female artists, only Barbra Streisand has earned more No. 1s -- with eight. Currently, Madonna, Mariah Carey and Janet Jackson are all tied for the second most, with six apiece.

Late last year, Chris Brown's "Exclusive" posted a first day number of

107,000 and finished the week with 294,000. However, sources close to the Madonna project indicate that with much of "Hard Candy's" first-day figure driven by iTunes sales, its full sales week could end up closer to the range of 225,000-250,000.

Madonna's last studio effort, 2005's "Confessions on a Dance Floor," started at No. 1 with 350,000.

[Ciccone's Cheeks]

If Ellen wasnt dancin around to those songs day after day, I dont even wanna know what kinda #s wed be lookin at! lol. Cause in reality she assisted *greatly* in contributing to those record sales from the few extra middle Americans, soccer moms and "casual" fans! Ellen really was the only A-List host/talk show who gave her any mention and positive buzz!!

[Alexz]

God bless Ellen.

Fuck US.

[MadCrazy]

If Mariah debut w/ 450K+ while her last CD TEOM totals 6+ millions,

How would Hard candy's debut number, predicted to debut w/ 250K+ when her last CD sold less than a third of TEOM in the US, be considered "disappointed"??

[TOUR2008]

http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/articl...t_id=1003796943

First Day Sales Put Madonna On Track For 7th No. 1

Madonna

RELATED:

Billboard's "Hard Candy" Review

Mariah, Madonna Make Billboard Chart history

April 30, 2008, 6:40 PM ET

Keith Caulfield, L.A.

Madonna is on track to net her seventh No. 1 album on next week's Billboard 200 with "Hard Candy," based on first-day sales measured by the Nielsen SoundScan Building Chart released Wednesday afternoon (April 30).

Unweighted sales for the Warner Bros. album from the Building Chart's panel of reporters through the close of business Tuesday, April 29, stood at 100,000.

Among all female artists, only Barbra Streisand has earned more No. 1s -- with eight. Currently, Madonna, Mariah Carey and Janet Jackson are all tied for the second most, with six apiece.

Late last year, Chris Brown's "Exclusive" posted a first day number of

107,000 and finished the week with 294,000. However, sources close to the Madonna project indicate that with much of "Hard Candy's" first-day figure driven by iTunes sales, its full sales week could end up closer to the range of 225,000-250,000.

Madonna's last studio effort, 2005's "Confessions on a Dance Floor," started at No. 1 with 350,000.

Billboard estimates the merchants who report to Nielsen SoundScan's Building Chart -- Trans World Entertainment, Best Buy, Circuit City, iTunes, Starbucks,Borders, Target, Anderson Merchandisers, and Handleman Co. -- comprise about 80% of all U.S. Album sales.

Leading the charge for "Hard Candy" is first single "4 Minutes," featuring Justin Timberlake, which peaked at No. 3 on The Billboard Hot 100 and spent two weeks at No. 1 on Hot Digital Songs. The download has sold 1 million copies to date, according to Nielsen SoundScan, including 185,000 for the week that ended April 27.

Madonna first rang the Billboard 200's bell when "Like a Virgin" reached No. 1 in late 1984. Since then, she's claimed No. 1s with "True Blue" (1986), "Like a Prayer" (1989), "Music" (2000), "American Life" (2003) and "Confessions."

She also owns a whopping five sets that peaked at No. 2 -- "I'm Breathless" (1990), "The Immaculate Collection" (1990), "Erotica" (1992), the soundtrack to "Evita" (1996) and "Ray of Light" (1998).

On the Wednesday Building Chart, Lyfe Jennings' new "Lyfe Change" (Columbia) was in second place with 25,000. Other new titles appearing in that preliminary list's top 10 include the Roots' "Rising Down" (Def Jam), Portishead's "Third" (Mercury), Def Leppard's "Songs From the Sparkle Lounge" (Island/UMe), Augustana's "Can't Love, Can't Hurt" (Epic) and Mudcrutch's self-titled album (Reprise).

[Guest marsha]

^not scary, no promo so far. and the album have legs.

[Ciccone's Cheeks]

not scary, no promo so far. and the album have legs.

agree sweets. thing is 1st and foremost *she gets that damn 7th #1 album lol (shes clearly made up the ground for works of art such as TIC and ROL NOT hitting #1) while an album like AL did (which I liked, yet most of the world didnt) that was a fluke, rare ands tragic scenerio. It simply was NOT a pop friendly album and had 0 songs appropriate for radio. W. HC she has a RADIO/mainstream hit. And the song which will keep those diva iconic "legs" as u were saying intact for this album will only be GI2Me!! Song is a quality, grade a smash waiting to happen ONLY if radio not only plays it, but if it somehow catches this Music-like fire where the requests and DJs dont even 2nd guess how much of a huge hit worthy song this is, based in mere quality (not who she dueted or affiliated herself with), just the song itself. Gi2me if it does get some love, or even major love in the US will easily get this album past 1+ million. 2 mill unlikely but 1-1.5 million is likely only if GI2Me is all over the place...

[Guest marsha]

agree sweets. thing is 1st and foremost *she gets that damn 7th #1 album lol (shes clearly made up the ground for works of art such as TIC and ROL NOT hitting #1) while an album like AL did (which I liked, yet most of the world didnt) that was a fluke, rare ands tragic scenerio. It simply was NOT a pop friendly album and had 0 songs appropriate for radio. W. HC she has a RADIO/mainstream hit. And the song which will keep those diva iconic "legs" as u were saying intact for this album will only be GI2Me!! Song is a quality, grade a smash waiting to happen ONLY if radio not only plays it, but if it somehow catches this Music-like fire where the requests and DJs dont even 2nd guess how much of a huge hit worthy song this is, based in mere quality (not who she dueted or affiliated herself with), just the song itself. Gi2me if it does get some love, or even major love in the US will easily get this album past 1+ million. 2 mill unlikely but 1-1.5 million is likely only if GI2Me is all over the place...

[Guest missy bi_tch]

even with mc,her endless promo did her only 460+k, so for madonna without much promo, that's expected... although anything below 300k wouldbe less than what most would expect

[Intervention_78]

This is very dissapointed no matter which way you want to see it. I bet not even Madonna was expecting this...LOL...but it's also kinda funny. I'm glad she's gonna get another #1 album but at the same time this should show her that if she doesn't give a rats ass about promoting her album then she really isn't gonna sell much no matter how good it is. But wow talk about taking a blow, not even I was expecting this and that's after lowering my expections once I found out that she wasn't doing any promo here in the US on the 1st week. I though she ould easily do 300 to 325K but now I guess I take that back and hope that she'll atleast do 250K. Oh well if she doesn't care than why should we. NEXT!!!!

[Guest missy bi_tch]

This is very dissapointed no matter which way you want to see it. I bet not even Madonna was expecting this...LOL...but it's also kinda funny. I'm glad she's gonna get another #1 album but at the same time this should show her that if she doesn't give a rats ass about promoting her album then she really isn't gonna sell much no matter how good it is. But wow talk about taking a blow, not even I was expecting this and that's after lowering my expections once I found out that she wasn't doing any promo here in the US on the 1st week. I though she ould easily do 300 to 325K but now I guess I take that back and hope that she'll atleast do 250K. Oh well if she doesn't care than why should we. NEXT!!!!

well, like u mentioned, she doesn't care... about how much the album will sell or if u care anot

[Guest Ruanrushedin]

It doesnt make sense. So she finally cracks radio in the states again but her

album sales drop significantly?

[Ciccone's Cheeks]

Although I was kinda hoping and predicting 300k (which still may happen but i just dunno now), while most were easily predicting 350k+ simply due to the radio hit, JT and Timbaland label, in my gut feeling of truth though I felt strongly shed be closer to 250-275 (AL #s) . Tho, in 2008 AL wouldve barely sold 150k 1st week, sorry just a fact. Back to HC, mainly due to the time of year, leak of the album 1+ weeks before, ZERO promotion is the issue here. If she wouldve gone on Ellen (only) not even oprah, danced a bit, talked about random lightweight, funny shit, the *MUSIC* from this album all within a quick and snappy 10 minuet span, then she leaves, thats IT..Then u have Ellen dancin throughout the show 2 other songs from the album, mixed in with some classics, eeeasilty she wouldve gotten 50k+ more 1st week sales which wouldve probably taken her to 300-350k (way more respectable) and what M #s should be!!

[Skin]

Dont fear. She is doing promo! She is doing BET which airs to an audience that could give two shits about Madonna, and FUSE, which reaches about 100 households.

[Ciccone's Cheeks]

Dont fear. She is doing promo! She is doing BET which airs to an audience that could give two shits about Madonna, and FUSE, which reaches about 100 households.

LOL! exactly. what a fkin waste of time, energy and well...sooo much useless time out of a day for a seriously busy woman lmao!

[StrawberryBounce12]

Although I was kinda hoping and predicting 300k (which still may happen but i just dunno now), while most were easily predicting 350k+ simply due to the radio hit, JT and Timbaland label, in my gut feeling of truth though I felt strongly shed be closer to 250-275 (AL #s) . Tho, in 2008 AL wouldve barely sold 150k 1st week, sorry just a fact. Back to HC, mainly due to the time of year, leak of the album 1+ weeks before, ZERO promotion is the issue here. If she wouldve gone on Ellen (only) not even oprah, danced a bit, talked about random lightweight, funny shit, the *MUSIC* from this album all within a quick and snappy 10 minuet span, then she leaves, thats IT..Then u have Ellen dancin throughout the show 2 other songs from the album, mixed in with some classics, eeeasilty she wouldve gotten 50k+ more 1st week sales which wouldve probably taken her to 300-350k (way more respectable) and what M #s should be!!

Going on Ellen would not have added 50K to HC's album sales. Only going on Queen Oprah's show could improve sales that drastically. M obviously don't care about promoting the album though. She is more interested in writing children's books and directing (flop) movies. However, 250,000+ is a very respectful number. M got nothing to be dissapointed over, but it could have sold even more if she had actually done some more promotion. I'm really shocked at the lack of promotion to be honest. I thought she would be doing promotion all over the place starting this week at least. Guess not.....

[Guest kramm]

those projected figures suggest people bought 4M because of Justin, not Madonna.

i estimated 250K. its better to be surprised than disappointed, huh?