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Bruce Springsteen’s Magic has an official release date of Oct. 2, but the vinyl version of the album is now in stores, which one can either see as a tribute to the format (a la Pearl Jam’s week-early vinyl release of Vs. back in the day) or a sneaky way for the album to get Grammy consideration (because the album is available before Sept. 30, it’ll be eligible for the 2007 edition of the awards). Either way, I’m quite curious to see what sort of numbers Magic will put up on next week’s SoundScan chart–the Times piece on Magic’s vinyl release says that copies of the album are available at the indie store Amoeba, but will superstores like Best Buy and Wal-Mart clear shelf space for the album? And what will those numbers say about Springsteen’s fanbase, and where–or whether–its members are buying records these days?
Bruce Springsteen Works ‘Magic’ With Grammy Deadlines
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Vinyl releases really haven’t had much of a chart impact since the ’90s – the third Pearl Jam record, Vitalogy, was the last one to make a big dent. Jack White is a notable proponent of vinyl, and you’d think his release of certain White Stripes albums slightly early might’ve shown up on the charts, but they haven’t.
Then again, as we’ve been saying all year, the hurdle to make the Billboard 200 chart is so low now; where it used to take 5,000 in sales to make the chart’s bottom rung, now as little as 1,000-2,000 will do it (some weeks I think it’s even in the three digits). So we’ll see.
The thing about Bruce’s aging fanbase is, they’re listening to music either on home PCs or car stereos now; Baby Boomers may have held onto their old vinyl for nostalgia’s sake, but how many have hooked up the turntable recently? The 21st Century vinyl fetish is a Gen X/Y phenomenon, and unless Bruce’s revived relevance (post-Badly Drawn Boy/Killers) is bigger than I suspected, I just don’t see anyone except the biggest Bruce diehards plunking down for vinyl.
i am celebrating 24 years of hating bruce springsteen. fuck that guy. when i was 8, ‘born in the usa’ was all over the place, and even then i thought it was really embarrassing drivel. yeah yeah, he’s been around a lot longer than that. still don’t care.
i’m still waiting for rodney anonymous to drag him by his ankles through the streets of his earthen utopia, leaving him looking like a side of beef when it was all said and done.
The vynil version of ‘Vitalogy’ sold enough copies to make the Top 50, but yeah, that was 1994.
Actually, to enter the Billboard 200, about 3,300 copies are needed lately. Not sure if people are aware of the early release of Springsteen’s album though, in order to make it debut on next week’s chart.
Edit: ‘Vitalogy’ entered the chart at #55, fell to #173, finally rocketing to #1 when the CD version was released.
@Aleb: Actually, to enter the Billboard 200, about 3,300 copies are needed lately.
I’m pretty sure that’s an average, although you’re probably right for this time of year (fall is generally pretty healthy). Believe me, last winter, when we kept setting those weekly records for lowest-chart-total-ever, the #200 hurdle was considerably lower.
@dennisobell: unless the sales figures that leak weekly are fake, I’ve yet to see an album sell less than 3,2-3,3k in the #200 position.
It’s true, though, that the figures for the bottom of the chart are steadily declining, from the 5k you mentioned to a little above 3k lately.
Also, even though the healthier (sales-wise) part of the year has begun, sales for albums other than the big debuts haven’t gone up (yet, I guess). Had Kanye, 50 and Kenny not released albums on September 11, sales would have been roughly the same as the week before.
@Aleb: Yeah, the charts that I have from last week show that the No. 200 album (Kellie Pickler’s Small Town Girl) sold 3,300 copies.
If a tree falls in the forest and it’s released on vinyl, will anyone hear it?
I’m with Lucasg on hating bruce, since I had to experience East Coast worship of him in college c. 1980, both him and the Dead. zzzzzzzz.
Knowing how they shaft Bruce at the Grammys every year, I doubt he would have anything to do with it. BTW…I’ve spent 20 years hating people who hate Bruce.
See? That’s what I’m, talking about!
didn’t something happen with kid a being released on october 2 and getting nominated anyway? or am i just delirious? i might be delirious. i also might be replying to something from four days ago that nobody’s going to read. i lost track. damn, this jamelia best-of is good.