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“[High School Musical 2] will have a hard time reaching the 3 million copy plateau, let alone equaling the 3.7 million sales total of the original last year – which ranked as the lowest-achieving chart topper since 1991. Indeed, while the original HSM soundtrack held the dubious distinction of being the first best-selling album of the year to fall short of the 4-million copy mark, its sequel could very well be the first year-end chart topper not to reach 3 million copies sold.” [NYP]
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I call shenanigans.
The article uses bad data to make an inappropriate comparison, and then conflates that comparison with the overall downward trend in CD sales.
First problem — “HSM2 will not sell as many copies in 2007 as HSM sold in 2006″. This is probably true. But HSM was released in January of 2006. HSM2 was released in mid-August. So it’s not surprising that HSM2 has only sold about 2/3 the number of copies that the original did in 1/4 the amount of time [digest that for a moment].
Second problem — the implication that HSM2 will not equal or surpass it’s older sibling. I suspect the opposite is true. Look at the numbers I cited above. Come back in a year and we’ll revisit the numbers.
Third problem — “If HSM2 does not sell 100K copies a week for the rest of the year, it won’t even hit the 3 million mark for the year, and the industry will be doomed! DOOMED!”. Seriously. HSM2 moved 183K copies last week. It’s well on pace to move 3 million units in barely 4 freakin’ months. Seriously NYP‘ers, get a grip!
I think the more pressing issue here is that either one of these sold more than 100 copies each. I’ve found only two redeeming things about the “High School Musical” franchise:
1. It’s given Robbie Nevil some work. (He co-wrote one of the tunes in the first one.) Actually, I’m not so concerned about Mr. Nevil’s work status, as much as I am about the opportunity to toss around his name to other knowing people while exchanging sly, deprecating winks.
2. It’s choreographed and directed by Kenny Ortega, who used to choreograph and dance for The Tubes WAY back in the day, when they were doing big elaborate stage shows. If you were involved in anything called “Mondo Bondage,” you automatically get a free pass from me for being involved with “High School Musical.”
@DHMBIB: Right on all counts and seconded by me. Total apples-and-oranges garbage from the Post.
If this article had been written by my man Brian Garrity (late of Billboard, now Lauria’s peer at the Post), he wouldn’t have cocked that up so badly.
Also! A heads-up to chart-watchers: Daughtry will still have the No. 1 album of 2007 according to Billboard – because of the December-to-November “chart year” the magazine uses to calculate its charts.