Posted on 05/31/2006 7:02:26 AM PDT by RabidBartender
According to this site, there were just over 515,000 sales for the Dixie Chicks album last week. This would put them at #1 on the Billboard charts. Of course this was expected, as they pushed the album’s release date back so it wouldn't have to compete with the debuts of new releases by Toby Keith, Rascal Flatts, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
The question now is this: How many of these sales were 'sympathy' buys by Air America fans and faux journalists such as Leonard Pitts? I can't really see libs going out again this week and buying another copy, and without airplay - the Chicks won't get too much more exposure. We should start a pool to show where they'll be in the charts next week. Then again, I don’t know of any other big releases coming out in the next few weeks (Billy Joel has one coming out soon, I have heard).
Incidentally, "Home", the Chicks' last studio release, sold 780,000 in its first week, going on to sell 5.9 million copies. Anyone think this new album will sell that many? Very doubtful. What is astounding was that it had over 5 million sales after only 3 singles were released (Long Time Gone, Landslide, and Travelin’ Soldier) – it easily would have broke the 10 million mark, had Natalie Maines kept her mouth shut.
According to Ask Billboard (Ask Billboard), here are some pretty telling statistics about the sales of the Dixie Chicks since March 2003:
In total, the Dixie Chicks have sold 23.4 million units of their four Monument/Columbia Records releases – that's three studio albums and one live set.
The trio's 1998 major label debut, "Wide Open Spaces," has shifted 8.5 million in the U.S., according to Nielsen SoundScan, while its follow up, 1999's "Fly," has moved 8.2 million. And 2002's "Home" has sold 5.9 million.
The incident you are referring to is when in March 2003, the group's Natalie Maines said onstage during a U.K. concert "We're ashamed that the President of the United States is from Texas."
Here is a look at the trio's sales since March 2003: "Wide Open Spaces" (420,000), "Fly" (320,351), "Home" (811,000) and "Top Of The World: Live" (922,000 – it was released in November 2003).
That's right, their last album (albeit a live album), did NOT go platinum.
I live in Dallas, and they used to play at a local restaurant I frequented when they were a (much better) Maines-free cowgirl quartet. Nat and the two sisters have always had a wide streak of arrogance, a huge sense of entitlement and no gratitude. Read up on their history and you'll find that...
They fired the woman who started the group because they wanted even bigger success and she was holding them back...that when Natalie first met the other two, she was really snotty and blew them off because country music was beneath her...and they gave interviews slamming Dallas for not appreciating their genius and making them "play on streetcorners," when in fact, they were the most popular band in town at that time, selling independent albums, getting radio and TV exposure (I was in the live audience when the quartet chicks appeared on a Dallas broadcast of Garrison Keillor's "American Radio Company" show), and playing the best venues in town, including the State Fair Main Stage.
The liberal Dallas Observer even did an article a few years ago about how they've tried to rewrite their history and erase a lot of people who contributed to their success. But it just makes you look so much bigger yourselves when you belittle others, doesn't it, Chickies?
Hey, but did you know that the girl who was "fired" from the band, the original singer, hit the lottery (literally) a couple of months after they sacked her? She's a millionaire.
Seriously?!!!
And when the whole "incident" happened, she had a message on her website giving W praise for the leg up he helped give the chicks when they were "up and coming". A little history the chicks have all but re-written.
who buys CDs anymore?
It's all about the IPod now :)
Besides nearly 59 million people voted for Kerry. They aren't even at 1% of that yet.
"We'd rather be the rock stars of country than the lame-asses of rock."
They could also be lying too.
What I find amusing is they claimed to be done with country radio, yet ads for their upcoming concert is all over the 2 country stations here.
Just like every other liberal moonbat.. they want it both ways.
I'm more than a bit disturbed by the fact that my daughter (age 23 and conservative) is still a supporter but that's her choice.
I dont know how ebay works, but the "Extra" copies everyone bought for whatever reason are already being unloaded on ebay. I was told that those are "professional" ebay sellers. So, how many copies would a "professional" ebay seller have to buy and flip to make a profit off of selling them for a penney? 100 each? 1000 each?
Last week, dfwgator said:
"Everybody that wanted to buy the CD bought it this week, sales will drop by at least 80% next week. It won't break a million in sales."
Excellent prognostication. According to the sales website listed in post #1, the Chicks sold approximately 110,000 in their second week, after moving over 520,000 their first week. That's a drop of around 80%.
Of course, they will still be number one on the Billboard charts, but I don't think anything new was released last week. This week Ice Cube has his first album in a long time, while Cheap Trick, Elvis Costello, and the New Cars (with Todd Rundgren replacing Ric Ocasek as lead vocalist) all have debuts this week. Still, it was a smart move by the Chicks to push their debut back so they wouldn't have to compete with Rascal Flats and Toby Keith in April, or the Red Hot Chili Peppers in early May.
Expect the media to trumpet the Chicks being #1 again, but to convienently leave out the sales totals. To be honest, I expected them to go platinum in 3-4 weeks, and have 2 million in sales after 7 to 9 weeks, but it doesn't look like that is going to happen if they don't get on the radio. It should be interesting to find out how their concert ticket sales are going, as well.
Yes, schadenfreude is alive and well in my house.
I don't think I've ever the Dixie Chicks do a song, but I've heard original versions of some of their songs. I tend to shy away from Nashville hit-machine/image conscious type artists.
The concert is bombing. Most venues have been on sale since Saturday, the only venue so far to sell out is the first one in London, where the incident happened, it only seats 2500. In contrast, their last tour sold out in one day.
Their *ahem* success on the charts is manufactured and driven by people who have admittingly bought several copies of the cd as a "statement". Yet another angle the MSM refuses to discuss.
The funnny thing is, Sony is making a mint off the chicks with libs buying their cd and using them as political pawns, while the chicks are losing millions from lack of sales of concert tickets. Poetic Justice!
Thats what the ywant you to beleive, but in reality they had a small army putting this album together. Their writing credits most likely come from real talented artists allowing them to sit in on the creative session.
The Cars without Mr. Paulina Porizkova? That just ain't right.
I haven't listened to their new songs, save "Not Ready To Make Nice". I'd venture to guess that they probably are pretty good, with all the talent they had working on the album, plus the Chicks' natural harmony and blend of mandolin/fiddle. Rick Rubin produced the record, and he is very successful at putting them together.
I just can't listen to them without thinking how mean-spirited they are and how hard they play the victim card. Also, the numbers I posted may be premature - the website I referenced shows that they have 109,000 sales with 45% reported, so it may go up a little.
We'll see later today or tomorrow.
I know what you mean. I can't listen to Mark Olson, formerly of the Jayhawks, for the same reason.
193,000 with 77% reporting in.
This bunch couldn't carry the shoes of people like Loretta Lynn and Tammy Wynette etc. They are plain and simply the product of others. There are countless others who can play and sing rings around them. Fact is, none of them would even make it to the first round of Amerrican Idol.
PS-And throw that lame Larry King in the mixture too. Even he can't raise them.
They came throw our Satellite radio station last week. I stopped right in the middle of what I was doing...walked over to the unit and turned it off until their pitiful song was over. I heard like one or verses about "kissing @ss" and knew right away it was them. They sounded like high school kids.
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