Comments on: Such Great Hoots? Owl City Is A Rare Boy-Pop Chart-Topper

By: Kyle

Kyle — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 20:01:36 +0000

Can we just get over the Postal Service comparisons? Yes, Owl City sounds like the Postal Service, great.

In my opinion, Owl City writes super-catchy, well written, pop songs. That’s a talent, whether those songs sound similar to another artist’s style or not. I’ve yet to hear anyone claim that Owl City has ripped off any melodies or lyrics.

Besides, I would argue that there are plenty of completely unique/original elements in Owl City’s music.

Fact is, the only reason he (Adam) continues to get flack for this is because there haven’t been any other musicians to have success with the sound/style.

Think about this, every hip-hop/rap artist is a rip off of Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five. Every rock band is a rip off of Chuck Berry. (or whoever you consider the first of those genres)

Eventually, when enough artists share a similar style, it becomes a genre. Who knows, in 5 years we may be crediting Owl City for popularizing the electro indie pop genre that The Postal Service created.

By: nancy b

nancy b — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 17:10:55 +0000

I looove Owl City!!! Adam’s songs are so catchy…Matt from Relient K co-produced/sang on “Fireflies”…two of my favorite musicians together I can’t get enough.

By: DocStrange

DocStrange — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 19:51:58 +0000

@Chris Molanphy: I'm not looking at a book, I'm looking at Billboard and Allmusic's websites, neither of whom feature that Sundays track on their chart listings.

By: trapper

trapper — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 18:06:51 +0000

I think I have said this in a comment on a previous 100 & Single column – it’s curious that people don’t take the free song on iTunes. This Owl City number was the free single of the week back in July. Interesting then that sales are what propels it to #1 now, some four months later. Take the free single of the week, people.

By: joshservo

joshservo — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 07:13:07 +0000

#1 hit? Solo guy? Suckily ripping off indie tropes?

It’s ’96 all over again.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standing_Outside_a_Broken_Phone_Booth_with_Money_in_My_Hand

(Well, #1 on Modern Rock, anyhoo.)

By: dabug

dabug — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:58:19 +0000

LOWL

By: Poubelle

Poubelle — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 20:15:55 +0000

“Such Great Hoots” is still making me laugh, a day later.

By: kicking222

kicking222 — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 19:34:40 +0000

@Chris Molanphy: Maybe Billboard's listings only reflect the Soundscan era? I have no idea- that's a total guess.

By: Chris Molanphy

Chris Molanphy — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 15:10:05 +0000

@DocStrange: What book are you looking at? Mine (Rock Tracks: Maunstream Rock 1981–2002, Modern Rock 1988 –2002, Whitburn) has exactly the three records you list, at those positions, plus "Here's Where the Story Ends" listed first, at No. 1, for one week. Plus, trust me, I lived through this. Was reading Billboard back then, remember the track topping Modern Rock fondly.

By: DocStrange

DocStrange — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 13:59:01 +0000

Actually, according to Billboard, The Sundays never topped the Modern Rock chart. In fact, “Here’s Where the Story Ends” never appeared on the chart.

The band’s only chart singles on that chart were:
“Love” (#2, 1992)
“Goodbye” (#11, 1993)
“Summertime” (#10, 1996)

By: ObtuseIntolerant

ObtuseIntolerant — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 04:01:29 +0000

Verrrry interesting. Thanks as always, Chris!

By: Thierry

Thierry — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 02:28:37 +0000

Speaking of wonky charts – two large classical collections were found in the Canadian Top 100, thanks to an iTunes pricing error: a 55-disc collection commemorating the 111th anniversary of Deutsche Grammophon was mistakenly priced at $9.99 on the iTunes store (it was corrected on Tuesday, when it went back to $119.99!) and placed at 39 in this week’s album chart (it topped the iTunes album chart most of the weekend), and a 10-disc collection of Beethoven sonatas by Vladimir Ashkenazy that was coincidentally an advertised special on the iTunes front page last week and was probably purchased by many of those who took advantage of the DG pricing error was at 55.

By: othertim

othertim — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 22:19:36 +0000

The iTunes top ten got all wonky this week as people bought all the new songs on the re-released Taylor Swift album individually and they flooded the top ten, which ruined an experiment I wanted to see. iTunes’ free video of the week is “Whatcha Say,” which is a current top ten seller. I was curious to see how giving away the video would affect song sales, but everything got kneecapped position wise by Taylor Swift, but as of right now “Whatcha Say” is 8th with only two Swift songs above it, whereas it was the #4 seller for the above chart.