Idolator

How many ways can we bash Britney? LOL. This article makes the assumption that what ever sales are there for the Eagles would be greater. It's also true that they might be less.. Yet they won't be reported. So this means nothing. As much as I love the Eagles, there is no way of telling accurately here. So assuming this, is just another bash as far as I'm concerned. Also 30 year old groups rarely if ever would beat 124,000 units sold in one day. That would beat what they originally did in the 70's. It would also outdo Carrie Underwood. I'm not buying it.

Ok, I see that they still could release the figures. If they do, then that's different. But until they do, I'm not going to start making assumptions based on nothing.

Beyond this speculation, had Walmarts reported sales of other groups at other times, would the stars that were number 1, still be number 1? Is there someone that could have bumped Carrie out? My point is that there is all the speculation, but only because it's Britney.

Once again, "Britney" and "snatch" in the same headline.

@Swankster: Not to mention Don Henley.

Kick 'em when they're up, kick 'em when they're down.

My God, there's a first for everything.

After all of this Nickelback and Hinder bullshit we've been forced to deal with, I'm actually *hoping* that the 30+ crowd goes out and spends money on CDs.

Let's be very clear about all this...

If Wal-Mart chooses to report sales of its exclusive Eagles album, the veteran band could surpass Britney Spears next week on Billboard's Top Comprehensive Albums...Titles that are not generally available at retail are not eligible to appear on The Billboard 200, but are entitled to chart on Billboard's Top Comprehensive Albums, which includes catalog titles and proprietary albums from retailers willing to report those sales.

In other words, even if Azoff decides to order Wal-Mart to release sales figures to Billboard, the victory will be a Pyrrhic one, with a big ol' Barry Bonds-like asterisk next to it, because the Eagles album can't appear on the "official" chart. That's the price acts pay if they decide to release an album only through one retailer (Starbucks, Target, etc.).

Nonetheless, I could totally see Azoff releasing the sales figures to win headlines -- a total gimme with Boomer editors and audiences, who'd love to see Henley and Frey "defeat" Britney Spears.

But c'mon, even if Blackout was terrible, rather than the unexpectedly decent dance-pop album it turned out to be, only the most ardent Brit-hater could honestly be rooting for the friggin' Eagles to trump her at the last minute.

I can't stand the Eagles, but why are we supposed to root for a drugged out 25 year old who can't sing or dance and literally doesn't know she has an album out because she didn't show up to record it? I don't understand how someone who put absolutely no talent and effort in an album morally deserves the #1 spot over musicians who, despite their combined age of 560 and the biggest selling album of all time, still at least manage to get into a studio and do actual work. I bet Don Henley at least knows the name of his album and it's month of release, which is more than one could say for Britney.

ban drspaceman

No seriously, for someone who doesn't like Britney Spears, you sure do like to read every Idolator post about her, if only to make character attacks on her in the comments of each.

Yet I saw the new Eages album right there in the new release section at the 42nd St. Virgin.

dr spaceman is right and you all know it.

"snatch" . . . "Britney"

oh you guys are too much!

@dog door: He really is. And I love the Eagles, goddamnit.

maybe it has to do with the fact that the Eagles have been shoved down our collective throat for 35 FUCKING YEARS NOW and Britney hasn't.

I hate The Eagles with a deep burning passion. That being said, I hope they win. What's the prize? Do they get to keep Jayden James and Sean Preston?

@dennisobell: The always-insightful dennisobell has noted before -- and sorry I can't find it right now -- that the fan-bases of older-skewing acts like The Eagles disproportionately tend to buy CDs from Big Box stores on the weekends. So I think it very possible -- I'd even say likely -- that The Eagles record will outsell Britney this week.

Regardless of all of that, I'm not sure I understand why the retailers in these exclusive deals are so coy about releasing these sales figures. Surely they're contractually obligated to release the sales figures to the artists, so the only reason I can think why the retailers would not release the figures publicly is ... I can't really think of a good business reason. Is the embargo on these figures actually requested by the artists themselves, who want to be spared the public embarrassment if a new release underperforms?

@Matos: It sure seems like 35 years with Britney.

Madonna's American Life debuted at #1. Anyone remember it? Nah.
Just copy/paste this post in a year and substitite Blackout.
In the old days they called it: CUTOUT BINS!

MENYC, Madonna's American Life and Metallica's St Anger all debuted at #1 yet became the worst selling albums of their careers. Then again in 2001, Pink Floyd's 2-disc best of Echoes was outsold by the skank known as Britney at the big stores but online sales saw Floyd pound the crap out of the skank (most PF fans are older and buy the CDs online). Where Britney's albums stop selling, Floyd's albums keep on selling year after year. I think The Eagles can pull it off. I have always liked The Eagles and I feel they deserve #1. Britney, the wild partying (making The Eagles' 1970s excess look like a comedy in comparison), child neglecting, Captain Mauser wig wearing b*tch won't be selling for long.

ZoomZoom9, Pink Floyd's The Division Bell album sold 475,000 copies its first week. Floyd, if they had a new studio album, would slaughter Spears as PF haven't released a studio album since 1994's The Division Bell. Also, PF were entirely faceless as no one knew what the four Floyds looked like nor knew the names of the members of the band. If Britney's new CD somehow sells five million then it will be a comeback. If it sells less than her last album then it will be a FLOP! My bet is on latter!

Collective Soul had this same problem with their new album earlier this fall. It was exclusive to Target (why, I'm not sure) and would have charted #25. In their case, they simply announced it on their website (the placement, not the total first-week sales).