Is M's next single a "surefire" Top 10 hit?

[horn]

As long as they still willing to pay for the radio payola, M might get lucky again.

Maybe not a top 10 but top 20.

I think they will focus more on the album sales.

UMG will not issue full single releases i.e. CD single/Maxi CD Single/7"/12" etc. They don't really care if she scores a top 10 whereas WB will always make sure her singles get a top 10 in either US or Outside US.

[Larkspur]

^?????????? Whaaa? The Mariah thread is over in General Madonna discussion or if you prefer to discuss her weight the flop princess section.

[horn]

???

Who's talking about MC here?

[Music]

Well, in a way with the Confessions era, she began to bring dance music to the US charts, didn't she ?

[Music]

How many times do we have to say there is no such thing? Do you have any receipts? Other radio companies did not support Hung Up much either. Have you heard what kind of music US pop radio played in 2005? 80% of the songs they have been playing today would have flopped in 2005 and the opposite. It was a completely different climate. Top20 on two formats, HOT AC and POP, was a great accomplishment under the circumstances.

Some of Hung Up's biggest supporters, like KBIG in LA, KTU in NY and Y100 in Miami are CC stations. CC was also producing her tours. Why would they ban their own artist.

Well, not only clear channel but a large portion of americans did'nt like her at that time because of the american life video and political comment she made.

She really had to catch up with you, did'nt she ?

So maybe not a clear channel conspiracy but she was rejected by age and for patriotical reason too !

Technically not the same, but it had the same results... she won't be played !

I guess everything can change today, everything's possible... let's be optimistic !

[vocalism]

I really don't think there was much backlash regarding AL, at least not enough to make an impact. I remember it was a weird time, and as a fan I was really disappointed that she pulled the video, but I honestly don't remember people tearing her apart for it. The Dixie Chicks got much worse and they still sold more than Madonna. If the single had been good (or resonated with the public, however you want to define it), the album would have done better.

[horn]

I really don't think there was much backlash regarding AL, at least not enough to make an impact. I remember it was a weird time, and as a fan I was really disappointed that she pulled the video, but I honestly don't remember people tearing her apart for it. The Dixie Chicks got much worse and they still sold more than Madonna. If the single had been good (or resonated with the public, however you want to define it), the album would have done better.

Because they apologized to Bush, the republican:

Dixie Chicks singer apologizes for Bush comment

M didn't give a fuck about Bush even after pulling the AL video.

[vocalism]

^ Apples and oranges. Their "apology" (I don't remember that) had zero impact.

[Icykiller]

Somrthing happened the moment she decided to pull of the AL video. I remember several tracks from the album were getting airplay in the US radio, particularly I recall both Hollywood and Love Profusion getting some notice. Suddenly the project sort of died. Something similar happen to MDNA after the superbowl, but I think it had to do most of all with how GGW was percieved. Also, by then people just made up their minds about the album, andthe consensus didn't seemed to be positive at all (outside M fandom, of course).

The strategy this time should be releasing 2 singles before the album, IMO.

[Larkspur]

^ As much as some people talk about Madonna I believe that most people respect her because she always stood by her work. People can say how much they love an artist but if they are wishy washy with their work then people will lose respect for them. They might not say it or even think that they have. Respect I feel is more valuable than love for an artist. Love is more valuable than respect for the person.

I don't know what Madonna's reasons were to pull the American Life video in full. I don't know what was going on and I don't accept basic reasons because I also do not believe Madonna just became a different person overnight. There had to be a valid reason for her but that doesn't stop the public from forming an opinion about it and I'm telling you, an artist's work should please the artist, not the public. Otherwise what is the point?

MDNA was getting good reviews, I think the public just didn't know that she had an album out. Nobody was really promoting it at all. I think the public would be more positive about MDNA than her fans are now. Their not worried about Madonna's chart positions or what others think of her so I believe a casual fan would be more open to some of the songs on the album.

Madonna should know that her fans would only support a song like Girl Gone Wild if it's released by other female pop stars. Some of her fans say it sounds generic. MDNA is a riot and starts to get serious and for me more relatable towards the end. I love MDNA and love that Madonna is doing what she wants to do regardless of opinion which is way more important than charts.

IF charts for Madonna are the goal then good songs that people can relate to are the way to go for Madonna. Madonna's strength in the charts has always been combining her artistic vision and emotionally relatable songs.

[5iVe Elements]

I heard Don't Tell Me on the radio this morning, which was cool. She should make songs like that again, good melody and rhythm and at the same time has that uniqueness that other songs don't have. Those will get airplay and will stand the test of time.

[horn]

^ Apples and oranges. Their "apology" (I don't remember that) had zero impact.

It helps them to sell more than M.

The Dixie Chicks got much worse and they still sold more than Madonna.

[vocalism]

^ Oversimplification of situation. Two totally different situations, with many other factors. My point is that fans love to play the blame game - CC conspiracy, etc. etc. But I don't think the video had much of an impact. People didn't respond to the music. Period. I like AL, but it's not hard to see why it flopped.

[blowjob]

I seriously doubt it that she will be able to hit Top 40 this time... I am not even sure that her album will top the charts, regardless of how good the album will be. All I care for is good music - please Madonna, make something decent this time, no more hard candies or mdna's...

[Samo]

^ her last 5 albums debuted at #1, Madonna will hit #1 EASILY with her new album and at the low end will opem with at least 200,000 copies in the US sold

If Anything Madonnas albums are extremely front loaded when it comes to sales

[iasonas]

The difference is that the Dixie Chicks controversy was everywhere. People just didn't care about American Life. A huge chunk of the general public does not even know this album exists. I have even met GAYS who know nothing about American Life and have never heard songs like Love Profusion. It was pure indifference.

There were anti-Republican, anti-Bush albums that clicked with the public. Look at American Idiot by GreenDay. The singles were HUGE on radio. Timing helped though... By the end of 2004-beginning of 2005 everyone was jumping on the anti-Bush bandwagon.

[Jumpb4uthink]

I truly believe that her first single will be a message track. She is and has been in that state of mind. And it will be Epic not weak like GMAYL.

[Music]

^ Oversimplification of situation. Two totally different situations, with many other factors. My point is that fans love to play the blame game - CC conspiracy, etc. etc. But I don't think the video had much of an impact. People didn't respond to the music. Period. I like AL, but it's not hard to see why it flopped.

It's hard to see it, yes... considering how wonderful, soulful and yet cacthy it is... it just can't be the music. DAD was played a few months before...

Whatever you understand it or not, america had a real problem with M, seeing her are anti-american since AL. It didn't help cause radio would'nt play the song. She got less airplay from there than anywhere else in the world... right ? The audience cannot connect when radio chose not to play her new songs... There is no conspiracy, but a global american reject of what was seen as a patriotic provocation... It's hard to be provocative in politics for artists. She really had a comment in the video....

And then HOLLYWOOD, the song should have been a big hit, but then again so challenging... The singles did have some better charts outside of the US.

It was a particular problem for many years...

[vocalism]

^ It's hard to see why AL didn't do well? You just explained it! DAD did okay, but it wasn't very well liked. It did well because it was Madonna/Bond and she was coming off of a huge peak. But while I love that song and have grown to love it even more over time, it wasn't exactly a huge hit and is hardly remembered today. I'm not saying that the political climate in the U.S. wasn't a factor, but I don't think it was THE factor, and I believe that if the music was accessible and people liked it, AL still could have been a hit. It wasn't. It was a difficult album lyrically and musically. And while I like/respect it, it's not her best by a mile. It's like that conversation some of us had in another thread recently, about whether M's Letterman appearance in '94 helped or hurt "I'll Remember." I think that song was a smash in SPITE of the negative press. It almost always comes back to the music. Everyone heard "Hollywood" and saw all the press she got after the MTV performance, but the song flatlined. People weren't interested.

Age is also a factor. "Music" was a hit IN SPITE of her age. She didn't suddenly get old after that album, but eventually things tipped against her.

[Kurt420]

^ It's hard to see why AL didn't do well? You just explained it! DAD did okay, but it wasn't very well liked. It did well because it was Madonna/Bond and she was coming off of a huge peak. But while I love that song and have grown to love it even more over time, it wasn't exactly a huge hit and is hardly remembered today. I'm not saying that the political climate in the U.S. wasn't a factor, but I don't think it was THE factor, and I believe that if the music was accessible and people liked it, AL still could have been a hit. It wasn't. It was a difficult album lyrically and musically. And while I like/respect it, it's not her best by a mile. It's like that conversation some of us had in another thread recently, about whether M's Letterman appearance in '94 helped or hurt "I'll Remember." I think that song was a smash in SPITE of the negative press. It almost always comes back to the music. Everyone heard "Hollywood" and saw all the press she got after the MTV performance, but the song flatlined. People weren't interested.

Age is also a factor. "Music" was a hit IN SPITE of her age. She didn't suddenly get old after that album, but eventually things tipped against her.

Exactly! I've always felt the controversy about this album in America was a bit overstated by fans. It was more indifference than anything else. Anybody who was offended by the AL video prob never would've bought a Madonna album in the first place and I only recall it being talked about by O'Reilly on Fox News for like 2 seconds. It's not like this was a "water cooler" topic in America. In fact, due to lack of a hit song most didn't even know she had an album out at all. AL isn't an easy album for a casual listener to get into. Hollywood was the only song that had even a glimmer of hope of getting some play and all the press from "The Kiss" couldn't even save that.

Even though MDNA sold less and HC didn't sell that much more than AL, I still consider to be her least successful album commercially. While sales were already taking a hit in '03 generally speaking, AL's sales for that time were pretty paltry in the USA.

[mnino]

It's all about the buzz and the previous project. DAD was as successful as it was in the US because it followed the huge Music era, as it was mentioned already. With the bad buzz already circling the project and after a song that had a lot of push (DAD) but that the public in general did not embrace, it was already expected that AL would not fare as well. I also think that the whole Che Guevara inspired artwork may have misrepresented the album. A Marxist hero is a tough sell in the center of the capitalist world. So, it was a perfect storm. The music was less accessible, there was bad buzz, the timing was unfortunate, the video was pulled, her age became an issue and believe it or not, a lot of long time fans were disappointed with the DWT and GHV2. I, for one, was taken aback by all of her seemingly gratuitous aggressiveness. It didn't seem to have a reason or a target. It was like she was channeling Guy's movies but without a clear context. That is, until AL came out, and the anti-war message was obvious. Anyway, as much as it is easier to blame Clear Channel for the commercial flop that AL was in the US, it is not the what killed the album. It may have happened and if it did, it surely contributed to the outcome but definitely it was not the cause.

Back to topic. I don't think it's a surefire Top 10 but it can most likely become one.

[Music]

^ It's hard to see why AL didn't do well? You just explained it! DAD did okay, but it wasn't very well liked. It did well because it was Madonna/Bond and she was coming off of a huge peak. But while I love that song and have grown to love it even more over time, it wasn't exactly a huge hit and is hardly remembered today. I'm not saying that the political climate in the U.S. wasn't a factor, but I don't think it was THE factor, and I believe that if the music was accessible and people liked it, AL still could have been a hit. It wasn't. It was a difficult album lyrically and musically. And while I like/respect it, it's not her best by a mile. It's like that conversation some of us had in another thread recently, about whether M's Letterman appearance in '94 helped or hurt "I'll Remember." I think that song was a smash in SPITE of the negative press. It almost always comes back to the music. Everyone heard "Hollywood" and saw all the press she got after the MTV performance, but the song flatlined. People weren't interested.

Age is also a factor. "Music" was a hit IN SPITE of her age. She didn't suddenly get old after that album, but eventually things tipped against her.

Completely denying the problem between M and America at that time... how can you erase it so easily ?

I don't think at all that the album was difficult musically or lyrically, it was full of potentiel hits, and singles were hits in various countries when they simply didn't exist chart-speaking in the USA.

In 94, negative press was not about political statement, it was less sensitive... You can't deny M was seen as anti-patriotic with AL and that it was a factor. Age is an other, obviously...

For a long time I had the feeling that this album was not particularly loved by american fans... much less than anywhere else. It has to do with this as a whole... it seems you just don't even know it.

[DIRTY PIG]

I can confirm it will be 100 times better than GMAYL, worst lead single of her entire career, without question.

[vocalism]

Completely denying the problem between M and America at that time... how can you erase it so easily ?

I don't think at all that the album was difficult musically or lyrically, it was full of potentiel hits, and singles were hits in various countries when they simply didn't exist chart-speaking in the USA.

In 94, negative press was not about political statement, it was less sensitive... You can't deny M was seen as anti-patriotic with AL and that it was a factor. Age is an other, obviously...

For a long time I had the feeling that this album was not particularly loved by american fans... much less than anywhere else. It has to do with this as a whole... it seems you just don't even know it.

Well, I'm American, extremely into politics, and follow M's career closely. So I have some sense of what things were like in the U.S. in 2003.

[Roland Barthes]

[jacket]

The most interesting post in the last few pages, tbh.

[dollhouse]

are these man?

[Apples388]

If it's good, it will go Top 20.

If it's great, it will go Top 10.

If it's not very good and there's no promo, it will not go Top 20.

If it's not very good but they repeat the GMAYL NTP strategy and deal, then it will go Top 20 and then fall right out.

Moral of the story:

1. Madonna is not invincible

2. Madonna is still relevant and the public will root for her and buy her records if they're good

3. Payola works but its effect is short term

[Arnian]

Besides American Life, every lead single has made the top 10 minimum. So, I'm sure if the music is higher quality this time (which I believe it will be based off the presented facts) then we should be talking about longevity and sales not just top 10 placement. To me she's practically guaranteed a top 10 placement.

I think the bigger question is can she crack the top 2 again.

[MPowered]

I heard Don't Tell Me on the radio this morning, which was cool. She should make songs like that again, good melody and rhythm and at the same time has that uniqueness that other songs don't have. Those will get airplay and will stand the test of time.

I agree.

The difference is that the Dixie Chicks controversy was everywhere. People just didn't care about American Life. A huge chunk of the general public does not even know this album exists. I have even met GAYS who know nothing about American Life and have never heard songs like Love Profusion. It was pure indifference.

There were anti-Republican, anti-Bush albums that clicked with the public. Look at American Idiot by GreenDay. The singles were HUGE on radio. Timing helped though... By the end of 2004-beginning of 2005 everyone was jumping on the anti-Bush bandwagon.

Well...

Love Profusion isn't really one of her most memorable songs and it's also not the best song from AL. However, alot of AL-haters seem prefer it over the other tracks, because it's one of the more radio-friendly tracks of the album.