Posted on 10/15/2014 9:42:32 PM PDT by a fool in paradise
U2 frontman Bono has said sorry after their latest album was automatically added to the libraries of all iTunes users around the world.
Speaking in a session on Facebook, the star said the move was a "drop of megalomania, a touch of generosity".
In response to a questioner who told him it was "rude" to impose their music upon everyone, Bono said: "Oops, I'm sorry about that."
Apple later released a one-click tool enabling iTunes customers to remove it.
Some users complained that the 11-track Songs of Innocence had been added to their music library without permission and that it was not clear how to delete it.
...The music was made available for free to more than 500 million iTunes customers in 119 countries last month. It has been reported that around 5% of those have downloaded U2's latest opus.
...Bono's apology comes after rock legend Iggy Pop criticised the band for "giving away music before it can flop, in an effort to stay huge"...
(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.com ...
wow... that free song must have been really bad
lolz
I think it was a whole album.
Well that sure backfired. U2 was so sure everybody would be just lovin it! Not so much. U2 is an old act, still good, but for many consumers, this is what their parents used to listen to way back when.
I saw an ad for the album and it sounded exactly the same as the song in the ad for their last album
His ‘apology’ was so laughable as to be a poster child for liberal apologies.
They were never good — but they hit a moment when whining disguised as singing and angst replacing meaning somehow rung a bell.
Luckiest no-talent group since Fabian.
How do you make money giving the whole album away? Did they try to record these as “sales”?
The Edge couldn't play a chord on the guitar when he joined U2. Since then, he has learned a total of six and how to use a digital delay.
Well, I’ m an Apple user from way back.
I think it has to do with the fact that non-Apple sellers add things onto their phones and computers that either cannot be removed or are a PITA to remove.
So Apple brags that the company never installs junk that you have to remove large. Except for this unwanted album.
I laugh. I’m not a Bono fan. I would remove the album. But, still, it is funny!
S/b later
Maybe this is like magazines propping up their subscription numbers with free givaways and 2 years for 1 deals to justify the advertising rates.
Spam millions of iTunes libraries and Voila! Everybody Loves Bono!
Apple paid the tab for each iTunes user, so yes, unfortunately, it did count as sales. (I was more than a little amused by the idea that “Weird Al” Yankovic had the #1 album before this little stunt.)
Also, people who don’t use iTunes would have to buy it themselves if they actually wanted it. (I’ve heard even from U2 fans, that this album was crap, but I am too lazy to find out for myself even though I have an iTunes account).
I’M guessing the data use for the transfer was the problem….
They haven’t had a good record since Joshua Tree...
Actually, I’d give them “Rattle and Hum”, but nothing since then...
Album Bloody Album.
I got it. The entire album sucks. I’m going to check into that one click removal.
And the price was right!
Arrrgh! It’s true. I have that crap on my phone now.
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