Disappointing. Especially considering how good this album is. I was hoping they would be rewarded with good sales/charts.
I don't really find it disappointing, I believe it's a conscious decision by the band. They could have pushed different songs to radio and different radio stations. A few lyrical tweaks and shortening of songs could make them top hits but they prefer the artistic approach.
The marketing strategy of pointing your phone at the sky is wasted effort if you are looking for broad appeal. It just feels to me like they are choosing to fly under the radar at this point in life. Never worked once on my phone. I must be too outdated with Galaxy S21 being over 3 years old. That stuff might appeal to GenZ for newer bands but most of us between the age of 38 and 58 is like WTF and needs tech support to figure it out.
I mean they did team up with CBS to have their music played during March Madness. I am sure they would want as many sales as possible.
Disappointing. Especially considering how good this album is. I was hoping they would be rewarded with good sales/charts.
I don't really find it disappointing, I believe it's a conscious decision by the band. They could have pushed different songs to radio and different radio stations. A few lyrical tweaks and shortening of songs could make them top hits but they prefer the artistic approach.
The marketing strategy of pointing your phone at the sky is wasted effort if you are looking for broad appeal. It just feels to me like they are choosing to fly under the radar at this point in life. Never worked once on my phone. I must be too outdated with Galaxy S21 being over 3 years old. That stuff might appeal to GenZ for newer bands but most of us between the age of 38 and 58 is like WTF and needs tech support to figure it out.
I mean they did team up with CBS to have their music played during March Madness. I am sure they would want as many sales as possible.
And Hockey and MLB. They need to have their song in a Marvel or DC movie like Nirvana. Or go full Queen
From a market and economy standpoint, I would also look into what PJ fan demographic is spending $45 for a vinyl copy(s), when it can be streamed or downloaded.
I bought a TC pre-sale copy but did not go out for Record Store Day or buy multiples. My wife would kill me. I don't have this kind of Swiftie money!
Meadowlands, MSG 1, MSG 2 - '98 Jones Beach NY 1 + 3 - '00 MSG 1 + 2 - '03 Boston Garden - '04 Montreal - '05 Boston Garden 1, Meadowlands 1 + 2 - '06 Mansfield 1 - '08 (EV solo) Boston 1 - '08 Chicago 1 - '09 MSG -'10 Brooklyn 1+2 - '13 Central Park - '15 MSG - '16 Fenway - '16 Wrigley - '16 (RRHOF) Brooklyn - '17 Fenway - '18 MSG - '22
Both of my adult daughters are Swifties, and asked me if I thought Pearl Jam's record would sell as many copies as Taylor's. My guess was that she would sell more copies in the first couple of weeks than PJ would sell for the rest of the year. Looks like it might be in just the first week.
She probably sold more pre-orders in the two hours after she announced the album at the Grammys than Dark Matter will ever sell.Her album "officially" sold 1.4 million on the first day.
You can’t compare Taylor Swift sales to Pearl Jam. Taylor has a chokehold on largest demographic in music consumption, teenagers. Pearl Jam maybe had some pull in that demographic in early 90’s, if ever. I would instead compare PJ to sales of other similar artists, Green Day, Foos, Metallica, etc. who are rock acts still putting out new material. All of those albums sold in 50-60k range I believe.
Metallica sold 146,000 total their first week for 72 Seasons. As much as Metallica fans complain about their music at least they show up
You can’t compare Taylor Swift sales to Pearl Jam. Taylor has a chokehold on largest demographic in music consumption, teenagers. Pearl Jam maybe had some pull in that demographic in early 90’s, if ever. I would instead compare PJ to sales of other similar artists, Green Day, Foos, Metallica, etc. who are rock acts still putting out new material. All of those albums sold in 50-60k range I believe.
Metallica sold 146,000 total their first week for 72 Seasons. As much as Metallica fans complain about their music at least they show up
What was the step down from Hardwired to 72 Seasons? If there was one.
282,000 in pure sales (291,000 total units) for Hardwired; 134,000 for 72 Seasons (146,000 total units).
i was sold a copy 2 months ago (i assume pre-orders count in the first week sales), but now seems unlikely will actually receive said copy in the first week of release. pathetic.
Also, just wanna say that when the CD business is "gone" and you charge 51 dollars in Sweden for the LP from a 35 year old band you are not going to get others than the JAMILY to buy the album.
51 dollars is a Rubicon crossed to have someone pick up the album because Dark Matter was a great single or just to get someone to pick it up because it's a new PJ album on the shelf while their strolling through the store. Even with them liking PJ and remembering an album with an avocado on it that they enjoyed.
And I imagine pushing 15-20 variants on the little JAMILY POND is only gonna take you so far (and the album is still a lot of dollars in Sweden also for the Jamily).
Maybe a lot cheaper in the US, or a different type of musicbuying culture. But but but
The CD business is far from gone. We don't have the numbers yet for Dark Matter, but of Gigaton's 57,000 in first-week sales, only 14,000 were on vinyl. Anyone can buy Dark Matter on CD very easily. If you have chosen to throw away your CD player because you want to listen exclusively to vinyl, and then complain that vinyl costs too much, that is a choice you do not have to make. It's a first-world problem. This music is available in physical form on CD at a fraction of the vinyl price.
Separate topic:
As I have written here many times, it is still not clear to me to what extent direct-to-consumer sales are getting reported to Luminate. In other words, the Ten Club may have sold 50,000 copies directly to consumers, none of which will show up in the reported totals. Without getting too far into the weeds on this, I have reason to believe that these sales are not reported (although I do not know with certainty).
You can’t compare Taylor Swift sales to Pearl Jam. Taylor has a chokehold on largest demographic in music consumption, teenagers. Pearl Jam maybe had some pull in that demographic in early 90’s, if ever. I would instead compare PJ to sales of other similar artists, Green Day, Foos, Metallica, etc. who are rock acts still putting out new material. All of those albums sold in 50-60k range I believe.
PJ maybe hd some pull on teenagers in the 90s? Vs had the record for album sales in the first week when it came out. It's more than a maybe. But they lost that hold in the late 90s.
Also, just wanna say that when the CD business is "gone" and you charge 51 dollars in Sweden for the LP from a 35 year old band you are not going to get others than the JAMILY to buy the album.
51 dollars is a Rubicon crossed to have someone pick up the album because Dark Matter was a great single or just to get someone to pick it up because it's a new PJ album on the shelf while their strolling through the store. Even with them liking PJ and remembering an album with an avocado on it that they enjoyed.
And I imagine pushing 15-20 variants on the little JAMILY POND is only gonna take you so far (and the album is still a lot of dollars in Sweden also for the Jamily).
I think that's what hurt Gigaton as well. Almost $40 for the vinyl over here. They need to do a deal with Target where they sell it for 19 99
It's not selling at target. It's the packaging and double vinyl that drives the cost up. You can get 10 and Yield on Amazon for $20 and $25. Simple packaging, single record.
Another thing to consider is that, since the sales-tracking changes of Luminate on Jan. 1, nearly all of the recorded sales are at big retailers such as Target and Wal-Mart. The Indie Record stores, for now, are vastly under-represented in the tally.
My Pearl Jam Road: 10/22/90 Seattle | 12/22/90 Seattle, Moore Theater | 9/29/92 Seattle, Magnusson Park, Drop in the Park | 9/5/93 The Gorge, with Neil Young and Blind Melon | 7/20/06 Portland, Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall with Sleater-Kinney | 7/22/06 The Gorge, 10/21/06 Mountain View, Shoreline Ampitheatre, Bridge School Benefit | 9/21/09 Seattle | 9/22/09 Seattle | 9/26/09 Portland, OR | 7/14/2011 Eddie Vedder, Portland, OR | 11/29/13 Portland, OR
Luminate Expands How It Counts Indie Retail Sales for Billboard Charts Via New Partnership
The data firm will now collect indie physical music sales data from StreetPulse as Billboard's Tastemakers Albums chart is rebranded Indie Store Album Sales.
Luminate Expands How It Counts Indie Retail Sales for Billboard Charts Via New Partnership
The data firm will now collect indie physical music sales data from StreetPulse as Billboard's Tastemakers Albums chart is rebranded Indie Store Album Sales.
Luminate Expands How It Counts Indie Retail Sales for Billboard Charts Via New Partnership
The data firm will now collect indie physical music sales data from StreetPulse as Billboard's Tastemakers Albums chart is rebranded Indie Store Album Sales.
Also, just wanna say that when the CD business is "gone" and you charge 51 dollars in Sweden for the LP from a 35 year old band you are not going to get others than the JAMILY to buy the album.
51 dollars is a Rubicon crossed to have someone pick up the album because Dark Matter was a great single or just to get someone to pick it up because it's a new PJ album on the shelf while their strolling through the store. Even with them liking PJ and remembering an album with an avocado on it that they enjoyed.
And I imagine pushing 15-20 variants on the little JAMILY POND is only gonna take you so far (and the album is still a lot of dollars in Sweden also for the Jamily).
I think that's what hurt Gigaton as well. Almost $40 for the vinyl over here. They need to do a deal with Target where they sell it for 19 99
It's not selling at target. It's the packaging and double vinyl that drives the cost up. You can get 10 and Yield on Amazon for $20 and $25. Simple packaging, single record.
Dark Matter is available at Target in CD and LP formats. The CD was $17.99; the LP was $39.99. Ten and Yield are catalog albums. Also, isn't Dark Matter a single LP? I haven't opened mine yet, but I have read people complaining about the sound because Side B has 26 or 28 minutes of music on it.
Comments
I bought a TC pre-sale copy but did not go out for Record Store Day or buy multiples. My wife would kill me. I don't have this kind of Swiftie money!
Jones Beach NY 1 + 3 - '00
MSG 1 + 2 - '03
Boston Garden - '04
Montreal - '05
Boston Garden 1, Meadowlands 1 + 2 - '06
Mansfield 1 - '08
(EV solo) Boston 1 - '08
Chicago 1 - '09
MSG -'10
Brooklyn 1+2 - '13
Central Park - '15
MSG - '16
Fenway - '16
Wrigley - '16
(RRHOF) Brooklyn - '17
Fenway - '18
MSG - '22
Toronto - '96, '00, '03, '05, '06, '16, '20, '22
Ottawa - '16, '20, '22
Hamilton - '20, '22
Separate topic:
As I have written here many times, it is still not clear to me to what extent direct-to-consumer sales are getting reported to Luminate. In other words, the Ten Club may have sold 50,000 copies directly to consumers, none of which will show up in the reported totals. Without getting too far into the weeds on this, I have reason to believe that these sales are not reported (although I do not know with certainty).
Vs had the record for album sales in the first week when it came out. It's more than a maybe.
But they lost that hold in the late 90s.
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/state-of-love-trust-a-pearl-jam-podcast/id1515671275?i=1000652592465
So will this cover the first Darm Matter sales week?