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Re: 'Chinese Democracy' Officially Drops out of the Billboard Top 200
Only that the vast majority of people simply don't give two shits about an Axl Rose solo Gn'R. Fans on these sites can sit around and say the sales were pretty good actually considering.
Well I think you pretty much said it there. People don't care about Axl Rose solo GNR, ergo the sales were good considering they don't care.
What came first, the chicken or the egg? People not caring about New GNR in the first place or buying the album and then not caring about new GNR?
Both likely. It's no surprise the album sold 500 000 units. It had the name to push it. ALOT of people bought this album with no idea who's in the band or furter more who wasn't in the band. They bought it cause it was in their eyes Guns n' Roses. It was labelled Gn'R afterall. I'd also wager alot that once many people heard it they no longer cared about it. Obviously some loved it but alot don't. Sales were not good. To say sales have been good is Gn'R fan spin and denial and manipulating thinsg to fit their own need. CD had a base amount of sales that were gonna come regardless based on the name. The fact the album didn't pick up any steam afterwads speaks volumes. People don't care. Nothing caught on, nobody bought in. Sales aren't good considerng. If you have to add the word "considering" at the end it means sales sucked.
I mean let's be real. 500 000 copies sold is "good" for a Guns N' Roses record? 500 000 copies is shit for a brand like Gn'R. There's no if's and's or buts about it.
Re: 'Chinese Democracy' Officially Drops out of the Billboard Top 200
They band argument doesn't hold water. Everyone knew Slash and Duff were not in the band. I think it sold on fans who actually enjoyed the music and at the end of the day that is all that matters.
Re: 'Chinese Democracy' Officially Drops out of the Billboard Top 200
I'd also wager alot that once many people heard it they no longer cared about it.
When they put the entire album on myspace and most people heard at least some of the songs in finished form that also led to people just not buying it. Look at the corrosponding number of plays on the site the second half of the album has far less clicks/listens than the first half.
It's an epic fail because there were alot of factors in their favor. Reviews were generally positive--there were no real scathing reviews. Old bands like Metallica and AC/Dc proved that you can move significant amounts of cds even in this economically challenged time we live in. Yet GNR with an extra two day advantage-album dropped on a Sunday--couldn't even get to #1 on the chart. Metallica did 470,000 in 4 days and AC/DC sold close to 800,000 in their opening week.
This speaks to an erosion in the fanbase. The old fans (87-93) have moved on for the most part and the new fans (2000-present) are becoming restless and disenchanted. The end result with the silent years of 1994-2000 and 2003-2006 (honestly, its whenever the band did nothing) is that the band did not draw many new fans and what fans/market they had slowly eroded to the point where they wouldn't have made any difference whatsoever in sales. If GNR is in fact a brand name then they need an injection of new ideas fast otherwise they will be suffering a slow and painful death.
Re: 'Chinese Democracy' Officially Drops out of the Billboard Top 200
They band argument doesn't hold water. Everyone knew Slash and Duff were not in the band. I think it sold on fans who actually enjoyed the music and at the end of the day that is all that matters.
This just isn't true. A buddy of mine(not a close friend) bought the album thinking they were back together. He's not on the internet reading about Gn'R every day, he doesn't buy music magazines. He's just a guy like the majority of people who listens to the radio and buys a cd here and there. He walked into HMV bought the album, thought it was Guns N' Roses. I promise you alot of people who don't care the way we do saw that album on the shelf and thought "wow Gn'R are back together" And then there's those who did know and didn't bother. You can't tell me EVERYONE knew that Slash and Duff weren't in the band. 90% of the population probably doesn't even know who Duff is. I mean even on this site where we have educated music fans some peope didn't even know how many members were in U2 and even less had a freaking clue who Larry and Adam were. We gotta step outside the walls of the online fanbase. Everyne didn't know who was and who wasn't in Gn'R. And the majority of those who did know wanted nothing to do with a Slashless GnR. 
I have no basis for this but I'd say sales break down somthing like this
Peopel who thought it was Gn'R w/ Slash - 50%
People who knew it wasn't - 30%
People who didn't care but liked what they heard - 20%
Impulse buys have got to count for alot and people who know how was in the band were not just buying CD on an impulse whe they saw the display.
Of course I'm just guessing here so......
Re: 'Chinese Democracy' Officially Drops out of the Billboard Top 200
I dont why, because I do love agressive music, but I prefer the more reflective songs like Madagascar and Prostitute on CD.
I think he just sounds whiny on Sorry.
And that right there shows why CD is the definitive mixed bag of an album.
Now we've got a Madagascar guy, who doesn't like Sorry.
I'm telling you the combinations of preferences vs. non-preferences on this album is infinite.
So many different people like so many different combo of songs, diehards and casuals alike, it's virtually impossible to pinpoint down where the album stands strong, with a widespread agreement.
Like with AFD, just about everyone could agree, diehards and casuals, that they all really liked Jungle, City & Sweet Child.
CD has some amazing songs, but what I find amazing, might totally differ to the next person. Nobody can find a general consensus with this album.
I'd also wager alot that once many people heard it they no longer cared about it.
When they put the entire album on myspace and most people heard at least some of the songs in finished form that also led to people just not buying it. Look at the corrosponding number of plays on the site the second half of the album has far less clicks/listens than the first half.
It's an epic fail because there were alot of factors in their favor. Reviews were generally positive--there were no real scathing reviews. Old bands like Metallica and AC/Dc proved that you can move significant amounts of cds even in this economically challenged time we live in. Yet GNR with an extra two day advantage-album dropped on a Sunday--couldn't even get to #1 on the chart. Metallica did 470,000 in 4 days and AC/DC sold close to 800,000 in their opening week.
This speaks to an erosion in the fanbase. The old fans (87-93) have moved on for the most part and the new fans (2000-present) are becoming restless and disenchanted. The end result with the silent years of 1994-2000 and 2003-2006 (honestly, its whenever the band did nothing) is that the band did not draw many new fans and what fans/market they had slowly eroded to the point where they wouldn't have made any difference whatsoever in sales. If GNR is in fact a brand name then they need an injection of new ideas fast otherwise they will be suffering a slow and painful death.
Not the streaming (which is normal for artists), but the reviews were a HUGE shocker for me. I thought this album would be RAPED out of spite by critics. In fact, it was quite the opposite. Most critics, even high profile mags, were very fair, supportive, and promoted the album. It was the audience that didn't give a fuck.
The bottom line is the casual fans spoke. This ain't GN'R to them, and the album sales reflect that.
Re: 'Chinese Democracy' Officially Drops out of the Billboard Top 200
I'd give you 10 percent didn't know. But it's 2008 and Axl and new GNR references have been all over TV and radio. They played the VMAs in 02 and toured through out the 00's.
They toured the equivalent of two full years out of 10. That's not "throughout the 2000's" imo.
- Arcade Roses
- Rep: 5
Re: 'Chinese Democracy' Officially Drops out of the Billboard Top 200
I said from day one Sorry should've been a single. For the most part that opinion got laughed at while others pushed for that cheese SOD.
About which no one - NA or the rest of the world - seems to have heard anything about since that supposed artwork leaked. It hasn't even been discussed on the forums.
Anyone still wanna doubt this comeback was a failure?
The only saving grace for them now is the 'AFD effect' or new interest being gained and garnered in the possible tour/s next year. But this album faced an uphill struggle even before the 'promotion-less' CD was released - due to a music industry crippled by illegal downloading (*ahem*), credit crunch, and various factors. Cultural change - the decline of MTV, for instance, is another moot point. And, of course, according to Axl, the record company's own unwillingness to promote and push a project that has put the out of pocket to the tune of some $13 million.
It beggars belief, really. I'm just so sorry for the fans: and all who put their effort and faith into this project, well, some since 1993.
AR
