Comments on: Sales Don’t Lie: People Really Like Buying Shakira Songs

By: Fleshlight

Fleshlight — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 19:49:34 +0000

Good he needs to be off the streets, but please take that awful picture of Paris down, now after the Dr. Murray scam pic. yesterday this may not even be Paris.

By: LaMareada

LaMareada — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 23:28:52 +0000

Shakira is more popular on continental Europe than I think some of the posters realize or anywhere dance pop is the dominant pop music. (of course she dominates Latin America). The most suspect song is Stan, too slow and talky, it must have American and Anglophone popularity. Most rap songs that cross over big in non-English speaking countries are more danceable and easier to “sing” along with.

If it weren’t for their total unpopularity in the US, Oasis and Robbie Williams would be on that list too, its astonishing how mega popular they still are in European and Latin countries. Their singles and albums since 2000, not re-releases of Angels and Wonderwall.

Coldplay, TaTu, Blink182, Juanes and more songs by Green Day and Kylie would be more representative of everywhere else too. During the Bush admin everyone LOVED American Idiot, doesn’t hold up as well anymore.

By: fre2daa

fre2daa — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 22:43:58 +0000

I love that one of the songs is in spanish. The thought of 5+ million people (minus the spanish speaking) shaking their asses to something they may not know what’s about it’s kinda funny.

Go Shakira!

By: dusty vinyl

dusty vinyl — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 20:32:17 +0000

The measured biggest music markets by IFPI are all the major western countries as you might expect with most other territories being swamped in terms of size, so as such you’d expect a western preponderance. The absence of Japanese artists, whose sales in their own market are incredible, sticks out like a sore thumb though.

As to the list, Well the multiple Shakira inclusions were a bit dubious. “La Tortura”? Really? “Underneath Your Clothes”? Really?

Also “My Humps” by Black Eyed Peas is surely an error at #3. Of the “major” markets it only hit #1 in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and Israel – and that was before the digital boom. Compare to Bleeding Love a little lower down the list for instance which hit #1 in 34 countries, had long chart runs at the top in many and benefitted from the digital boom. A more likely candidate should surely be “Where Is the Love” from BEP.

Where is Coldplay’s mammoth Viva La Vida (which easily sold more than Low worldwide)? And Apologise by Timbaland/One Republic which had huge sales everywhere and topped so many charts?

By: Audif Jackson Winters III

Audif Jackson Winters III — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 19:08:39 +0000

No Band Aid 20?

By: 2ironic4u

2ironic4u — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 18:45:59 +0000

@brasstax: I think plenty of songs from both AI and 21st Century have bite (St. Jimmy, Know Your Enemy, Horseshoes and Handgrenades, Holiday, etc.) Or is your argument more along the lines of "they don't rock like they USED to, maaaaaan"?

By: bcapirigi

bcapirigi — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 18:43:27 +0000

I think the craziest thing about this list is that I actually like 16 of the 20 songs. I didn’t think I liked that much of ANY sales-related list.

By: Maura

Maura — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 18:32:44 +0000

10 not 20.

By: Maura

Maura — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 18:27:23 +0000

Truth: I did think about the non-sourcing of the list before posting it, but I thought its framing of “the biggest singles of the past 20 years” would be at the very least an interesting thing to debate. What songs did you think were missing? (Also, all Anglophone artists? Worldwide? I know piracy is a problem in other countries, but hmm.)

By: clarknhilldaleredux

clarknhilldaleredux — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 18:24:13 +0000

This shit is NOT bananas!

By: dusty vinyl

dusty vinyl — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 18:11:32 +0000

A highly dubious list in terms of both some inclusions and some exclusions.

Notably non-sourced as well.

By: johnlempka

johnlempka — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 18:07:12 +0000

Love to see the numbers on these.

By: Spacejam

Spacejam — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 17:36:43 +0000

where’s that one Kid Rock song? …oh wait, never mind.

By: baconfat

baconfat — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 17:31:04 +0000

@brasstax: yeah but you couldn't buy it as a single in the states (except on vinyl) and at the time it came out the itunes music store was only about 6 months old, which means it was not being used to the same extent it has been lately. look - it took itunes music store 3 years to get its first billion downloads sold, and the second billion came in less than a year after that. it was also only released as a cd single in the uk, australia, and germany.

By: chachwitablog

chachwitablog — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 17:22:35 +0000

I take back what I said (in the pitchfork “top singles of the decade” post) about not thinking “Crazy in love” was really all that enormous. Looks like it was! (Not that I mind!)

I’m also thinking Britney got totally robbed on “toxic” not being her second #1 hit – (digital?) sales weren’t being counted by billboard at that time, were they? (Or maybe Oops should have made #1 too?)

By: brasstax

brasstax — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 17:10:33 +0000

@2ironic4u: Calling "Boulevard" a rock song is a stretch. Green Day haven't had any real bite in over 12 years. I'm honestly surprised Hey Ya! isn't in there, because it was certainly inescapable when it was charting (and I didn't mind that one bit).

By: 2ironic4u

2ironic4u — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 16:08:45 +0000

Kinda bummed that there’s only one real “rock” entry in there and it’s the power ballad.