Comments on: EMI Fiddles, Smooches, And Wins The Hot 100 Race While Rome Burns

By: Anthony Miccio

Anthony Miccio — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 03:03:43 +0000

I think Doug and Howard would be a little more disturbed if Apple was able to make a pop hit without using prime-time ad space and a multiplatinum act.

By: Anthony Miccio

Anthony Miccio — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 02:57:42 +0000

sorry, it WAS in reference to the quote.

By: Anthony Miccio

Anthony Miccio — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 02:55:40 +0000

@Chris Molanphy: I didn't say they'd be disappointed they have a hit, I said they wouldn't be startled by the pop success of vida (a more accessible song in a TV ad) compared to violet (a dirge that was given away for free and sent to rock radio). And it wasn't reference to this: In short, any record executives rooting for a waning of Apple's influence over their industry have to look at this week's Hot 100 as very, very ominous news.

By: The Illiterate

The Illiterate — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 11:56:45 +0000

Chris: I actually wrote about the death of the "album bump" for singles on my blog today. Both Mariah Carey and Usher got no advantage from their album releases as far as singles chart action was concerned, and neither of their follow-ups has done very well so far. I think you're right about people going for the albums instead of the singles once they're available.

Also, not to kick you when you're down, but I pegged "Forever" as a smash the first time I heard it (and I hate Chris Brown). I even thought of suggesting it for the summer jam tournament, but I was afraid someone would throw bricks at me.

By: Chris Molanphy

Chris Molanphy — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 10:20:45 +0000

@Anthony Miccio: Um...yyyyyeah: I doubt very much that EMI execs are "shocked or distressed": they have a No. 1 hit.

Ask Doug Morris or Howard Stringer how happy they are with the idea of Apple being able to create a No. 1 Billboard hit entirely on its own.

By: Anthony Miccio

Anthony Miccio — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 10:00:31 +0000

Whether or not they enjoy Apple’s influence, I’m sure EMI knows that a heavy rotation video still won’t get a song as much attention as a heavy rotation TV ad, and that the choice of which song would be given free to fans and which would be shoved in the faces of prime time TV viewers wasn’t arbitrary. It’s worth comparing the different promotional directions the songs took, but I doubt very much that execs are shocked or distressed that Vida is doing better than Violet.

By: Chris Molanphy

Chris Molanphy — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 09:17:01 +0000

@Al Shipley: @Anthony Miccio: Not me - I definitely prefer "Viva." I guess I'm just saying, until this week, there was no data to suggest that people were hearing "Viva" on the radio much at all. In that absence, you had to attribute virtually all of the song's sales to exposure to the iTunes ad. People had to be exposed to the song to realize it was better than "Violet."

To back up Al - technically, "Viva" is a bigger radio hit than "Violet" already. The latter isn't on the Hot 100 Airplay chart at all. So even while "Violet" still has more modern-rock airplay ("Violet" is No. 11 on Modern Rock, "Viva" is No. 16), clearly the top 40 airplay they're picking up more than makes up the minor modern-rock deficit. By next week, even at modern rock, the two songs will likely switch places.

By: othertim

othertim — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 09:09:45 +0000

@Al Shipley: Me. I like Violet Hill better than Viva La Vida, but both songs are better than anything off X&Y. Yes, I am crazy, thank you for asking.

And wow, I was somewhat familiar with the Carolina Liar song, as it was getting some top 5 request play locally, but did not know about the Max Martin connection. I am now officially scared.

By: Al Shipley

Al Shipley — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 08:43:02 +0000

@Anthony Miccio: Well yeah, I thought that went without saying. Does anyone prefer "Violet" over "Vida"?

@othertim: I was just telling Maura yesterday, Carolina Liar broke the damn, now every Max Martin production has a chance of inexplicably crossing over to rock radio: [idolator.com]

By: othertim

othertim — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 08:38:29 +0000

According to Radio and Records’ website, I Kissed A Girl is #34 on the Modern Rock chart. The hell?

By: Anthony Miccio

Anthony Miccio — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 08:38:07 +0000

can we also note that Viva La Vida is a hell of a lot more accessible than Violet Hill? One song is a dirge, the other an anthem. That more people might be ENJOYING Viva La Vida than Violet Hill?

By: nonce

nonce — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 08:32:36 +0000

The question the "commercial" factor raises in this is whether sales and airplay are relable indicators of "popularity" anymore, especialy since the internet let me borrow both singles and the whole album to preview.

Should bands get points for landing tunes in commercials? And, (shudder) what would that mean retroactively to the chart stature of Moby's Play?

Also, am I wrong or is this the most classical'd-up chart smash since Annie Lennox' "Walking on Broken Glass?" I demand an expensive video with Chris Martin in a powdered wig.

By: Al Shipley

Al Shipley — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 08:13:32 +0000

You’re definitely right that Coldplay’s two-pronged single strategy is kinda working against them at the moment, but I think you’re selling “Viva” short as far as airplay: it just rocketed up almost 20 spots on the Modern Rock chart this week, while “Violet Hill” has been sinking down the chart for a few weeks. I’m not saying “Viva” will be a U.S. rock radio smash (few of their songs have been), but I think it just needs a little time to become a bigger hit than “Violet” in pretty much every format.