dollhouse Posted December 8, 2013 Share Posted December 8, 2013 I consider American Life a total flop - M doesn't perform the lead single, it even failed to make Celebration. The whole project was desperate after the singles flopped with The Gap campaign and MATM etc, the Re-Invention tour was created to clean up the mess hence the advertising focused on M performing the hits. MDNA was a great album and underperformed simply because not many people knew it existed due to "non-traditional promo" No. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkyHigh76 Posted December 8, 2013 Share Posted December 8, 2013 MDNA was a great album and underperformed simply because not many people knew it existed due to "non-traditional promo" I agree.MDNA is a terrific album that was filled with great songs.It was the non-traditional promotion that ruined things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nightcutter Posted December 8, 2013 Share Posted December 8, 2013 I think it's the first time Madonna delivered an album where the lead-in promotion was at odds with the album content. I don't think the military/revolutionary photo shoot and AL video represented the songs at all. I thought the promo was rather unattractive. I think people just didn't see a bond with it and themselves. Madonnas promo campaigns usually tap in to a buyer's psyche but not this time. Plus the AL song itself is pretty nasty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
promise to try Posted December 8, 2013 Share Posted December 8, 2013 AL, it only had one worldwide hit, DAD, and were used to another thing... but, the only thing, speaking bout numbers, that makes me curious about this era, is weather her duet with britney would have gone higher in the charts nowadays, when the sales count more... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Apples388 Posted December 8, 2013 Share Posted December 8, 2013 American Life wasn't her first 'flop' album (and I use inverted commas because this is a relative term of course; but we are talking about flops by Madonna album standards), because Erotica was her first flop album in that sense. However, the main thing about American Life was that it was her first album that opened with a flop first single. The title-track as the curtain-raising single was a complete mis-step (thanks Xanthie) because it was abrasive and just not a good first single choice. Fast forward to "Give me All Your Luvin'", however, and all of "American Life's" atonal buggery is all forgiven. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Apples388 Posted December 8, 2013 Share Posted December 8, 2013 MDNA was a great album and underperformed simply because not many people knew it existed due to "non-traditional promo" Erm, sorry but that's not true. MDNA flopped because of a shitty first single and, yes, the lack of proper promotion. But the main reason it flopped was because "Give me All Your Luvin'" is quite possibly her worst single ever. She had a fantastic opportunity with the Superbowl and huge public anticipation for the first Madonna album in years, and it was all wasted because the song is awful and everyone hated it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HolidayGuy Posted December 8, 2013 Share Posted December 8, 2013 "4 Minutes" is not M's longest top 10 in the USA; that would be "Take a Bow." On Billboard's list of Madonna's top-performing singles, it's at No. 20'. Hard Candy was not a big critical hit at all- the initial reviews were OK, but it did didn't make a blip on year-end best-of lists and such. I'd regard "Die Another Day" as a top 10 from American Life- it wasn't tacked on as an afterthought. Madge told Rick Dees that it would be on the forthcoming album when he interviewed her during DADay's chart run. "Nothing Fails" didn't have a video or anything, but, yes, it was a single. One that suffered from the consequences of the album's fate. Also, RE Erotica- it also suffered and was regarded as a flop because it didn't do nearly as well as the project with which it coincided- the Sex book. The mania that the book produced did not carry over to the album- had it been released one week later and sold 167,000, it would have been No. 1. Not that it matters, as everything's about timing. But, the 167K figure was disappointing given the hype. And RE GMAYL- not everyone, Suedey, but I know what ya mean. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest SecretGarden Posted December 8, 2013 Share Posted December 8, 2013 I am more inclined to say no it wasn't her first flop album, considering Erotica sold less than half of the sales of Like a Prayer (which sold 10 million less copies than it's predecessor, True Blue). Though surprisingly enough Erotica fared much better in Europe than Bedtime Stories did, which seemed to have more success stateside. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skin Posted December 8, 2013 Share Posted December 8, 2013 MDNA and Hard Candy might have sold less than American Life, but you have to look at the overall sales climate for all albums at the time to judge where they really stand. Globally weren't MDNA and Hard Candy the 11th and 12th best selling albums of the year when they were released? Where as American Life was the 32nd best selling album globally the year it was released. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pink Matter Posted December 8, 2013 Share Posted December 8, 2013 Yes AL is Madonna's first album that flopped, an album with no hits at all. Erotica might have been a flop for Madonna's extremely high standards, but Erotica, the song, went straight to number 2 on American Radio, that's still a record to this day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Xanthium Posted December 8, 2013 Share Posted December 8, 2013 misstep,as in? As in the music video situation was a disaster, the lead single was weak and there were no hit singles. DAD doesn't count because it was tacked on a la American Pie on Music. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Xanthium Posted December 8, 2013 Share Posted December 8, 2013 NF was not a proper single. What constitutes a proper single? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V.K Posted December 8, 2013 Share Posted December 8, 2013 As in the music video situation was a disaster, the lead single was weak and there were no hit singles. DAD doesn't count because it was tacked on a la American Pie on Music. well,the "video" debacle is probably the only career choice of hers i hold some resentment for.As for the song being weak,i don't think so.It just really wasn't what most people wanted to hear at the time Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nick00 Posted December 8, 2013 Share Posted December 8, 2013 Never thought of the album really as a flop. I thought that partly the reason it wasn't selling so much in the states was because it was not as mainstream as other music on the charts at the time. In most of America, AL album was too strange for the masses, and the country was much more conservative at the time. I always had the impression the album was better received in countries like France and the UK. I hold in very high regard the album, singles, videos, tour, tour book, and x-static process exhibition!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HolidayGuy Posted December 8, 2013 Share Posted December 8, 2013 "Erotica" entered art No. 2 when Hot 100 Airplay was just mainstream top 40 and rhythm-crossover stations- so it would be pretty tough for a track to blast right in at No. 2 these days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 8, 2013 Share Posted December 8, 2013 Jesus Herald Christ on a popsicle stick....NONE of M's albums have been flops! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supernatural Posted December 8, 2013 Share Posted December 8, 2013 Erotica was overshadowed by Sex, which sold out. American Life was more of a flop imo because the public just seemed disinterested. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madonnasuperfan01 Posted December 8, 2013 Share Posted December 8, 2013 No, i think Erotica was her first real flop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bluejean Posted December 8, 2013 Share Posted December 8, 2013 Suedehead is totally on the money. I enjoy the song American Life but it wasn't appealing to a wider audience at all. The general reaction from people was quite a strong dislike especially after the success of Music. Even with a video out or without the war theme or even the rap I'm almost certain it would have stalled in the US. And yes, it's better than GMAYL. The worst Madonna lead single ever by far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 8, 2013 Share Posted December 8, 2013 MDNA was her first flop in terms of numbers/financials. but records are only promo tools for the tours now. not the other way around like the long gone past. so she made millions in the end. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 8, 2013 Share Posted December 8, 2013 What constitutes a proper single? right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bluejean Posted December 8, 2013 Share Posted December 8, 2013 right? It was a proper single. I guess he just means that no effort at all was put into it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
material_boy Posted December 8, 2013 Share Posted December 8, 2013 American Life wasn't her first 'flop' album (and I use inverted commas because this is a relative term of course; but we are talking about flops by Madonna album standards), because Erotica was her first flop album in that sense. However, the main thing about American Life was that it was her first album that opened with a flop first single. The title-track as the curtain-raising single was a complete mis-step (thanks Xanthie) because it was abrasive and just not a good first single choice. Fast forward to "Give me All Your Luvin'", however, and all of "American Life's" atonal buggery is all forgiven. This is pretty much on the nose. "Flop" is a relative term, one that is defined by mass perception -- and anyone who says that "American Life" isn't identified as a "flop" by most people familiar with it are f-ing loons who are going say divorced-from-reality shit like "She's never had a flop!" and "Everything she does is the greatest thing ever!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Xanthium Posted December 8, 2013 Share Posted December 8, 2013 well,the "video" debacle is probably the only career choice of hers i hold some resentment for.As for the song being weak,i don't think so.It just really wasn't what most people wanted to hear at the time I think that's kind of a cop out because then one could say that all flop singles flopped because they weren't accepted by the masses and not because they sucked. AL flopped because it was tuneless, narcissistic, out of touch and had a rap that would make Vanilla Ice cringe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Apples388 Posted December 8, 2013 Share Posted December 8, 2013 "Erotica" (the single) was shooting up the airplay charts and was on its way to becoming a US Hot 100 Number 1 but the week the book was released it subsequently dropped like a lead balloon and it was all over. Quite sad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Xanthium Posted December 8, 2013 Share Posted December 8, 2013 "Erotica" is life. I want it played at my wedding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryan Posted December 8, 2013 Share Posted December 8, 2013 "Erotica" (the single) was shooting up the airplay charts and was on its way to becoming a US Hot 100 Number 1 but the week the book was released it subsequently dropped like a lead balloon and it was all over. Quite sad. It fizzled Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollhouse Posted December 8, 2013 Share Posted December 8, 2013 Yes AL is Madonna's first album that flopped, an album with no hits at all. Erotica might have been a flop for Madonna's extremely high standards, but Erotica, the song, went straight to number 2 on American Radio, that's still a record to this day. DAD and AL (spent 2 or 3 week at no.1 on Eurochart) were both hits. Even "Hollywood" went to no.2 in UK, so it was a hit too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollhouse Posted December 8, 2013 Share Posted December 8, 2013 "Erotica" (the single) was shooting up the airplay charts and was on its way to becoming a US Hot 100 Number 1 but the week the book was released it subsequently dropped like a lead balloon and it was all over. Quite sad. why? radio stopped playing it coz the book was released? Bizarre.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Xanthium Posted December 8, 2013 Share Posted December 8, 2013 The book offended so many people that radio stations balked at playing the song. Madonna was really a punching bag at the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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