The first chart figures have been released for the John Lennon remasters and the news is excellent for the "Double Fantasy"/"Double Fantasy Stripped Down" combination, which debuted at number one on Billboard's Pop Catalog chart this week.
Also on the Pop Catalog Chart, according to figures from EMI, were "Imagine" at #3, "Milk and Honey" at #47, "John Lennon and the Plastic Ono Band" at #49, "Walls and Bridges" at #116, "Mind Games" at #142 and "Rock 'n' Roll" at #155.
The compilations showed up on the magazine's top 200 Albums Chart with the best showing by "Power to the People: The Hits," which rated #24. "The John Lennon Signature Box" hit #132, while "Gimme Some Truth" ranked at #166.
Billboard also reported that the Starbucks' Lennon compilation "Opus Legend" ranked #2 on the Pop Catalog Chart and #66 on the Billboard 200.
The Canadian chart rankings were "Power To The People" #7, "Double Fantasy" # 45 (this is listed as by Lennon/Ono), "Gimme Some Truth" #65 and "Imagine" #82.
First week sales (in order) according to figures from Capitol/EMI: "Power To The People: The Hits" 18,383, "John Lennon Signature Box" (11CD boxed set) 3,335; "Gimme Some Truth" (4CD collection) 2,487; "Double Fantasy Stripped Down/Double Fantasy" (2CD) 11,609; "Imagine" 5,661; "Milk and Honey" 2,093; "John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band" 2,047; "Walls and Bridges" 1,341; "Mind Games" 1,188; "Rock 'n' Roll" 1,143 and "Some Time In New York City" 683. Total of all sets not counting individual discs is 49,970 and 115,660 counting all discs, and counting "Power to the People" as a single disc.
Last year, during the first week of their release ending Sept. 13, the Beatles' remastered CDs sold 626,000 albums in figures sent to SoundScan. Cumulative first-week sales across all remastered Beatles titles (individual CD titles and boxed CD titles counted individually, along with DVDs in the stereo box) were 1,055,262.
(Thanks to Aaron Badgley for the Canadian numbers.)
Comments
Not bad for rereleases of a artist thats been dead for 30 years..RIP JL
I'm surprised JL/Plastic Ono Band didn't sell more. I got that and Double Fantasy.
Why is "Double Fantasy Stripped Down" on the catalog chart? Shouldn't it be considered a new release?
I think the other releases kind of stole it's thunder. If I had to choose between the box and DF, I'm not sure what I would have done. I had to have the rare alt tracks in the box. I was able to get both.
There are enough core fans to have made DF number 1 on the 200 Albums chart. If you passed it over for the box, you need to go back and get it at your first opportunity.
If you've bought one of the compilations, I'm not sure what to say.
Given the HUGE amount of publicity the Lennon reissues received these numbers are not at all impressive. No other reissues this year have gotten as much attention from the press, especially Double Fantasy. And all it sold was 11,609 copies? Seriously, you're calling that good?
It's depressing and clearly shows that (1) the CD is dead and (2) Yoko's hype machine didn't convince many people to repurchase music they've already purchased multiple times.
Steve: Your numbers are wrong. You wrote that "The John Lennon Signature Box" hit #132, while "Gimme Some Truth" ranked at #166."
But I just looked at the Billboard top 200, and the Signature Box set is at No. 148, and Gimme Some Truth is No. 196.
That's the information we got from Capitol. I'll double check it.
These numbers really do show the absolute decline of the CD in the past year. The sales success of the Beatles remasters this past year was an aberration for the record industry. Also, I think Lennon's sales were lower than they could have been because Yoko has reissued and reissued and reissued his songs over the years in multiple compiliations. There wasn't enough new here to merit buying it again for many people, including me.
I doubt the Band on the Run reissue will do that well either. Not as much hype behind it.
"Band on the Run" does have some previously unissued goodies on it like "One Hand Clapping" on DVD. The bonuses on the Lennon sets were minimal. But I have and love both the Signature Collection and Double Fantasy Stripped.
Tthe music industry, regardless of the format that the product is consumed, is just about dead. The lame sales of the Lennon releases doesn't surprise me at all, even though I purchased the Sig box, Stripped, GMST and the Hits CDs.
Even The Beatles re-mastered catalog last year didn't come close to what it could have done in sales, had they been released 5-10 years earlier.
Like John once said..."I don't know what will go first, rock and roll or".....Well, you get the idea! Anyway...we Beatles fans can always look back on our scrapbook of madness!
Yes, given the limp sales in the past year, the success of the Beatles remasters is starting to look astronomical by comparison. ... For the record, I didn't purchase any of the Lennon reissues. I just feel I have enough of his solo work, and I prefer his Beatles work by far. I am going to purchase the red and blue albums (for nostalgia/collector's purposes) and I am especially looking forward to the Apple compilation Come and Get it, that's coming out Oct. 26.
I didn't buy the remastered Beatles nor any of these. I won't buy the Band on the Run (I bought the 25th Anniversary edtion, though). I preordered the Come and Get It CD.
I'm done buying CDs that I already own.
Got something to say?
Examiner.com is looking for writers, photographers, and videographers to join the fastest growing group of local insiders. If you are interested in growing your online rep apply to be an Examiner today!