Countdown to the new album - first indication of commercial/critical success

The singles chart has become pretty meaningless since streaming was included (people inevitably watch stuff before they know whether it's any good) but the album chart is still a fair indicator. Sales remain very meaningful though, unfortunately. If the new album only sells 30,000 in total (UK), it could be 5 years before any follow up. If it sells well (100,000+) a follow up could come as soon as the songs are ready as happened with Ringleader. If you self-release albums on the internet, sales don't matter much but Morrissey won't do that.

A fair indicator of what, exactly?
 
Charts... what a meaningless concept in the post-internet era...

Charts have always been meaningless and I never understood how people could care about something that was so clearly rigged. It was many years ago that they revealed how record labels managed to buy their own records to boost the position in the charts.

This has always been done but do people really care about it?
 
Charts have always been meaningless and I never understood how people could care about something that was so clearly rigged. It was many years ago that they revealed how record labels managed to buy their own records to boost the position in the charts.

This has always been done but do people really care about it?

No.
 
Charts have always been meaningless and I never understood how people could care about something that was so clearly rigged. It was many years ago that they revealed how record labels managed to buy their own records to boost the position in the charts.

This has always been done but do people really care about it?

People don't actually care about it, but the industry seems to make a lot of fuss about it, so people eventually pay attention. If artists would give a damn about charts, good or bad, people would care even less, but artists are part of the industry. It's natural because most artists need applauses, they live for public recognition. It's not about money, like some people here think, it goes beyond it and at certain point it may become unhealthy.
 
People don't actually care about it, but the industry seems to make a lot of fuss about it, so people eventually pay attention. If artists would give a damn about charts, good or bad, people would care even less, but artists are part of the industry. It's natural because most artists need applauses, they live for public recognition. It's not about money, like some people here think, it goes beyond it and at certain point it may become unhealthy.

You are right and the use of drugs says it all. Most are in many ways mentally ill and seeing Moz at the airport acting like a clown tells me he has a whole range of mental disorders.

Not that anyone cares of course.
 
You are right and the use of drugs says it all. Most are in many ways mentally ill and seeing Moz at the airport acting like a clown tells me he has a whole range of mental disorders.

Not that anyone cares of course.

Morrissey managed to have a great career out of all that crap. Lots of people here said multiple times he could have achieved more money or back from the industry if he would have done this or that. Well, he did his own thing in a great way and people love him independently of chart positions. Many number ones are now forgotten for good. Meanwhile he is a legend by his own merits.
 
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Chart position says absolutely nothing about the quality of a song or album. Plenty of shit songs and albums rule the charts while amazing music goes largely unnoticed. I'd rather Morrissey release an exceptionally good album than see him top the charts.

Not to mention the charts are largely dictated by what 14-24 year olds are buying. 90% of them don't know who Morrissey is.
 
Chart position says absolutely nothing about the quality of a song or album. Plenty of shit songs and albums rule the charts while amazing music goes largely unnoticed. I'd rather Morrissey release an exceptionally good album than see him top the charts.

Not to mention the charts are largely dictated by what 14-24 year olds are buying. 90% of them don't know who Morrissey is.

It does show somewhat reflect an artists ability to motivate and reach people which I think it part does say something to the quality of a song or an album
 
OMD's latest album went in at 4, so I'm sure LiHS will at least be top 5, possibly and probably be 3 or 2.
It doesn't really matter that much as long as it's good, and it gets reasonable reviews.

Problem is if is doesn't make 1 or 2, Moz will blame BMG for not promoting the album properly and the relationship can sour, so I agree with Maurice that it's in our own interest that the album does well :)
 
OMD's latest album went in at 4, so I'm sure LiHS will at least be top 5, possibly and probably be 3 or 2.
It doesn't really matter that much as long as it's good, and it gets reasonable reviews.

Problem is if is doesn't make 1 or 2, Moz will blame BMG for not promoting the album properly and the relationship can sour, so I agree with Maurice that it's in our own interest that the album does well :)

It won't be. Did you hear the last one? And the three before that?

Face it, it's going to be dreadful.
 
So Radio 2 and 6 Music are playing the new single tomorrow. It's a nice scoop for them but doesn't mean they'll add it to the playlist. It's hard to believe that 6 Music wouldn't (especially as he's doing a live session for them in a couple of weeks) but Radio 2 will be more cautious. If they A-list it, the album is almost guaranteed to do pretty well commercially. And for all those who keep saying this stuff doesn't matter, a commercially successful Morrissey album means there's a very good chance of a follow-up within two years - a relative flop means it's likely to be a lot longer. This becomes more of an issue the older Morrissey gets as we don't know how much longer he'll keep recording/performing.
 
So Radio 2 and 6 Music are playing the new single tomorrow. It's a nice scoop for them but doesn't mean they'll add it to the playlist. It's hard to believe that 6 Music wouldn't (especially as he's doing a live session for them in a couple of weeks) but Radio 2 will be more cautious. If they A-list it, the album is almost guaranteed to do pretty well commercially. And for all those who keep saying this stuff doesn't matter, a commercially successful Morrissey album means there's a very good chance of a follow-up within two years - a relative flop means it's likely to be a lot longer. This becomes more of an issue the older Morrissey gets as we don't know how much longer he'll keep recording/performing.

I agree it does matter. I'm still amazed sometimes how much people still listen to the radio in the u.k
 
Oh dear. The playlists for R2 and 6 Music have been released for next week, and the new single isn't even on either station's C-list.
Perhaps this is because the single was too late for their weekly playlist meetings (which possibly happen on a Monday or Tuesday).
It's hard to believe that 6 Music wouldn't even add it to theirs, especially with the exclusive live session/concert coming up in a couple of weeks.
 
Oh dear. The playlists for R2 and 6 Music have been released for next week, and the new single isn't even on either station's C-list.
Perhaps this is because the single was too late for their weekly playlist meetings (which possibly happen on a Monday or Tuesday).
It's hard to believe that 6 Music wouldn't even add it to theirs, especially with the exclusive live session/concert coming up in a couple of weeks.

guess BMG didn't offer them enough... payola. Oh well, it was nice while it lasted. ;)
 
Absolute Radio have started playing the single on their daytime shows. They haven't done that for a Morrissey song since First of the Gang. If Radio 2 decide to A-list it this Fri (a big 'if'), it will probably be his biggest airplay hit since 2004.
The single won't do very well in the charts (now that streaming counts) but airplay drives album sales so the post-Quarry decline in album sales could well be halted/reversed. What does this actually mean for people who don't care about sales/charts etc? Mainly that any follow-up to this album could be released pretty quickly and with the same record label rather than another 3-5 year break. It's still early days but the campaign is looking pretty positive...
 
Absolute Radio have started playing the single on their daytime shows. They haven't done that for a Morrissey song since First of the Gang. If Radio 2 decide to A-list it this Fri (a big 'if'), it will probably be his biggest airplay hit since 2004.
The single won't do very well in the charts (now that streaming counts) but airplay drives album sales so the post-Quarry decline in album sales could well be halted/reversed. What does this actually mean for people who don't care about sales/charts etc? Mainly that any follow-up to this album could be released pretty quickly and with the same record label rather than another 3-5 year break. It's still early days but the campaign is looking pretty positive...

Nobody cares. Grow up.
 
Absolute Radio have started playing the single on their daytime shows. They haven't done that for a Morrissey song since First of the Gang. If Radio 2 decide to A-list it this Fri (a big 'if'), it will probably be his biggest airplay hit since 2004.
The single won't do very well in the charts (now that streaming counts) but airplay drives album sales so the post-Quarry decline in album sales could well be halted/reversed. What does this actually mean for people who don't care about sales/charts etc? Mainly that any follow-up to this album could be released pretty quickly and with the same record label rather than another 3-5 year break. It's still early days but the campaign is looking pretty positive...

Like you say early days but so far things are going in a very positive direction and it's frankly, refreshing to say the least. As a fan since 2007 I missed the comeback hype and have been on-board during what has felt like a decline in the mainstream popularity of M - which no doubt has impacted on his ability to get a proper record deal. The wheels can always fall off at any moment but it's great to enjoy a release going to plan, sounding pretty good and with a good amount of effort and PR around it.
 
BMG are running an impeccable campaign so far.
The single is doing very well, streaming-wise, and could very well be his most succesfull one since First of the Gang to Die.
Now all we can hope is that the next teaser off the album (presumably All the Young People...) will be even better and nothing can go wrong.
 
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