Posted on 05/31/2006 7:02:26 AM PDT by RabidBartender
According to this site, there were just over 515,000 sales for the Dixie Chicks album last week. This would put them at #1 on the Billboard charts. Of course this was expected, as they pushed the albums release date back so it wouldn't have to compete with the debuts of new releases by Toby Keith, Rascal Flatts, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
The question now is this: How many of these sales were 'sympathy' buys by Air America fans and faux journalists such as Leonard Pitts? I can't really see libs going out again this week and buying another copy, and without airplay - the Chicks won't get too much more exposure. We should start a pool to show where they'll be in the charts next week. Then again, I dont know of any other big releases coming out in the next few weeks (Billy Joel has one coming out soon, I have heard).
Incidentally, "Home", the Chicks' last studio release, sold 780,000 in its first week, going on to sell 5.9 million copies. Anyone think this new album will sell that many? Very doubtful. What is astounding was that it had over 5 million sales after only 3 singles were released (Long Time Gone, Landslide, and Travelin Soldier) it easily would have broke the 10 million mark, had Natalie Maines kept her mouth shut.
According to Ask Billboard (Ask Billboard), here are some pretty telling statistics about the sales of the Dixie Chicks since March 2003:
In total, the Dixie Chicks have sold 23.4 million units of their four Monument/Columbia Records releases that's three studio albums and one live set.
The trio's 1998 major label debut, "Wide Open Spaces," has shifted 8.5 million in the U.S., according to Nielsen SoundScan, while its follow up, 1999's "Fly," has moved 8.2 million. And 2002's "Home" has sold 5.9 million.
The incident you are referring to is when in March 2003, the group's Natalie Maines said onstage during a U.K. concert "We're ashamed that the President of the United States is from Texas."
Here is a look at the trio's sales since March 2003: "Wide Open Spaces" (420,000), "Fly" (320,351), "Home" (811,000) and "Top Of The World: Live" (922,000 it was released in November 2003).
That's right, their last album (albeit a live album), did NOT go platinum.
I'm not sure I agree that the Dixie Chicks don't need Country radio. That is where they earned their biggest following and no one outside of country really knew much about them (despite their playing the Grammy's, etc.) prior to their anti-Bush rant. They somewhat-rock style played well on a few songs, but their first two albums were mostly hard-core country, which is what they stated they were all about back then. Once they insulted Bush, their bread-and-butter fan base (country) abandoned them en masse and the MSM picked them up. Since then, they have been nothing but arrogant in their assessment of the whole mess and have continued to diss country music icons and belittle country music fans. Their album sales reflect this. For the most part, rock circles have not given them much airplay and no other genre really fits with their style.
As for playing on Adult Contemporary, I used to DJ at an Adult Contemporary station and I can tell you that MAYBE 1/2 of what they put out would be suitable for that format. From what I have heard, most of their current album is heavy on classic country riffs, with some rock mixed in. That doesn't play all that well on AC stations.
They country part of it also doesn't mix well with rock stations and hip-hop is completely out of their style. I just don't see them getting nearly as much air play as they once did precisely because they alienated their country fanbase. Coming out and slamming Reba was the icing on the cake. Prior to the release of the current album, there was talk in country circles of letting the past go and giving them airplay. THEY screwed that up by their comments just before the release and then slamming Reba and other country acts on top of it. I submit that is also one of the biggest reasons they pushed their release date back, because they would have to go up against albums from much bigger country stars. 515,000 in opening week sales isn't much to sneeze at. I suspect they could get that much in sales just on the "controversy" and from their willing accomplices in the MSM and lib circles. Let's see how much they sell in the next several weeks.
They were dissing other music stars even before the "incident." This thing always stuck in my mind. I was watching an interview and they were talking about how they play team bingo or poker or some card game and they have to have unusual names, like the OVER THE LINE GAMES, if you know what I'm talking about. OK, so their name was "KENNY CHESNEY STUFFS CHEESE IN HIS PANTS." Now, if that's some kind of inside joke between them, KEEP IT TO YOURSELVES. Even then, I realized they had no class.
I'm starting to understand the appeal they have for DUmmies.
Mostly from dedicated fans, and new Leftists "friends".
This was before they started ridiculing their fan base and poking fun at country music.[marketing geniuses they aint]
The next album[if there is one] will be the true test.Their old fan base will not like the new sound as much,and won't come back.Young "sassy" girls have already moved on to acts like Miranda Lambert.Their new "friends" in the rock and VH-1 world will ignore it.
Then the Chicks will know the true nature of what they have brought upon themselves.
Natalie will probably be alright, she comes from a music family and will somehow hang around.The sisters are toast unless they make major amends.I have been surprised they stood so solidly beside Natalie, but, Natalie was their meal ticket.So it was lose ,lose for them.
The Dixie Chicks can toss my salad. If you know what I mean.
Oh Lordy!''
I had to read that in my cubicle and bust out laughing with all kinds of people around...
That wuz funny, I don't care who ya are.
I would like to see some smart freeper who knows about such things to make a graphic comparing their album sales pre-insult to now.
Conservatives, and especially church goers, are only allowed to have dissenting opinions if they keep them to themselves and NEVER express them in public.
I worked a venue at a Kenny Chesney show recently. Those fans are a loyal bunch and would tolerate no dissin' of their idol. A large segment of these fans are women who would also jam to the female pop/twang of the Dixie Chicks if not for the childish, catty insults.
The Dixie Chicks have shown an uncanny ability for transforming their peers into their betters.
Their last album sold 780,000 copies in its first week. So this means raw sales were down 275,000 copies or 34%.
So bottom line, it looks like they lost a bit more than a third of their audience. Not bad.
It will hit them harder on their concert tour. Internet pre-sales of their concert tour tickets have been weak and regular sales begin in the next week or so.
They are definitely on their way down.
Is there a website that tracks ticket sales? I would love to keep track of that.
I saw the video of their new song when I was flipping past CMT .
If anyone is into whiny, insipid songs, they would have liked it very much.
We'll see how that flies.
Well cheer up now! Here's a link that'll put a smile on your face!
From the Wing Sings website. Yes she does accept paypal!LOL!!!
Oh. My. God.
That sounds like Yoko Ono had a love child with Alvin, of the Chipmunks.
Somehow I dont think English is even a third or fourth language for her. But she has more integrity and heart than all 3 of the ditsy bits put together!
If anyone wants to hear the Ditzy Twits whining away, they'll be on Larry King tonight.
I don't care what their sales are, I for one won't pay one thin dime to hear their music, or spend more than one second watching them on TV if they're on.
I consider myself to be fairly conservative but not fanatically so, but I've told the staff that they can play any music at work except the Dixie Hicks. I've had this policy now for going on three years.
I suspect I am not alone here.
In the bizzaro woulrd of chicks and their fans reporting a loss of a third of their businnes is a "huge success".
bump to check later...
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