downzy Posted March 22, 2015 Posted March 22, 2015 Seems like the current trend by top-tier music artists is to ditch the single and release an album all at once. Here's an article that outlines how artists like Drake and Beyonce have had success by forgoing the single:http://qz.com/367586/urban-artists-like-kendrick-lamar-are-saving-the-album-format/This strikes me as the way to go with the next GNR album. Or maybe, this would have been the better approach when Chinese Democracy was released. Everyone and their grandmothers knew about GNR's long lost next album. I'd argue that releasing the song Chinese Democracy as a single (and the first single at that) sucked all excitement out of the release and dampened first week sales. Had people been forced to listen to the entire album, and hence expose themselves to the albums' better songs (Better, TWAT, Madagascar, Catcher), the album would have been better received.So my question is whether GNR should forgo the single when it comes time to release their next album? Assuming the material is strong, would such an approach help endear the album to more fans? 2
Jakey Styley Posted March 22, 2015 Posted March 22, 2015 The surprise album release would've been really really good for Chinese Democracy. Not so sure about the followup.
Gordon Comstock Posted March 22, 2015 Posted March 22, 2015 Releasing a single probably wouldn't mean a lot for GNR, anyway - 'Better' was released as a single and I've never heard it on the radio. I think the best way to go is put a song out beforehand in a movie, TV show, game, whatever (like ITW and Shackler's), skip the 'radio single' and put out an album.
MrSoftie Posted March 22, 2015 Posted March 22, 2015 In the case of Guns it wouldn't matter, infact I honestly think it'd be better for them to drop multiple singles over 6 months then release an album.
RussTCB Posted March 22, 2015 Posted March 22, 2015 I definitely think the surprise route would be the best way for them to go.
ManetsBR Posted March 22, 2015 Posted March 22, 2015 (edited) Agreed. Early singles spoil the album. Even if you don't hear them, someone will, and they'll tell you about it. If they tell you it sucks you'll have no interest to hear the full thing.I also think streaming the full album for free on the release's eve at MySpace was a dumb move. I know they broke the MySpace record (which was something at the time), which is cool, but what if all those streams had been converted on album sales? Edited March 22, 2015 by ManetsBR
Rdeyahlxp Posted March 22, 2015 Posted March 22, 2015 Why put out singles for your musical lovechild which you mean for people to hear in it's eternity. Spoils everything about what a 'mythical album' should be imo. People loved the mystery around CD, why not build on that by giving them absolutely nothing but maybe a few 5 sec snippets or artwork beforehand? 1
tomfriend Posted March 22, 2015 Posted March 22, 2015 Exactly. And C.D. was a shite choice for a single. As an album opener it works. As a sampler for the whole album? No. 1
dando Posted March 22, 2015 Posted March 22, 2015 Releasing singles isn't what is used to be , but off chinese is should have been, Better, This I Love, Twat, SOD and maybe shacklersWhen it comes to releasing singles, look at led zep, they just released albums and toured them, I'm sure it was in the 90's when officially a single was released
Sixes Posted March 22, 2015 Posted March 22, 2015 TWAT would have failed as a single. Half the song is a guitar solo. That's not hit single material in 2008. There's no sing-a-long chorus, nothing that would make the radio listener want to hear it over and over again. There's no hook.SOD would have been a hit in 1990 when hard rock ballads were all the rage. Again, not in 2008. This I Love would have been a good single choice then too.Better was their best chance as it had a modern enough feel to it. They certainly needed to edit it though and cut out a lot of the fat
dando Posted March 22, 2015 Posted March 22, 2015 BBC Radio one played CD and Better , only a few times but they got on there
wkuk04 Posted March 22, 2015 Posted March 22, 2015 I was in the barber's when I heard CD, on Radio 1. I was with my cousin, I didn't mention anything but I was so pumped when I heard it.
liers Posted March 22, 2015 Posted March 22, 2015 (edited) Releasing a single probably wouldn't mean a lot for GNR, anyway - 'Better' was released as a single and I've never heard it on the radio. I think the best way to go is put a song out beforehand in a movie, TV show, game, whatever (like ITW and Shackler's), skip the 'radio single' and put out an album.Better and CD were both played non stop when CD first came out. Better got played a few months ago when I got enough people on the forum to vote for it to be played and then once after that (that I've heard, anyway). Street of Dreams might've been played a few times when it was first released, but not on the scale of CD or Better.I think radio singles help because they result in radio airplay which helps sell albums.... The issue is putting out good singles. CD kind of had to be released as one since it was the title track, Better was a good choice, SOD was an awful choice. Maybe the 2001/2002 version would've worked, but the 2008 version lacked something IMO. There Was a Time, Shacklers, IRS, or Prostitute would've however been Excellent choices....This was GnR's comeback album. A Rock single with screaming Axl vocals would be a better choice than a Ballad.I was in the barber's when I heard CD, on Radio 1. I was with my cousin, I didn't mention anything but I was so pumped when I heard it.It exited you so much that you got cornrows that day, right?Or did you go with the Robin Finck 2001/2002 style? Edited March 22, 2015 by liers
Sixes Posted March 22, 2015 Posted March 22, 2015 the long intro to CD killed it as a single...if they edited that out, maybe it could have been a very minor hit
wkuk04 Posted March 22, 2015 Posted March 22, 2015 Releasing a single probably wouldn't mean a lot for GNR, anyway - 'Better' was released as a single and I've never heard it on the radio. I think the best way to go is put a song out beforehand in a movie, TV show, game, whatever (like ITW and Shackler's), skip the 'radio single' and put out an album.Better and CD were both played non stop when CD first came out. Better got played a few months ago when I got enough people on the forum to vote for it to be played and then once after that (that I've heard, anyway). Street of Dreams might've been played a few times when it was first released, but not on the scale of CD or Better.I think radio singles help because they result in radio airplay which helps sell albums.... The issue is putting out good singles. CD kind of had to be released as one since it was the title track, Better was a good choice, SOD was an awful choice. Maybe the 2001/2002 version would've worked, but the 2008 version lacked something IMO. There Was a Time, Shacklers, IRS, or Prostitute would've however been Excellent choices....This was GnR's comeback album. A Rock single with screaming Axl vocals would be a better choice than a Ballad.I was in the barber's when I heard CD, on Radio 1. I was with my cousin, I didn't mention anything but I was so pumped when I heard it.It exited you so much that you got cornrows that day, right?Or did you go with the Robin Finck 2001/2002 style? Ha. No...just short back & sides and quick chat with the barber.
ManetsBR Posted March 22, 2015 Posted March 22, 2015 (edited) Better, IRS and If The World should have been the singles. An alternative, more pop ITW version with some famous rapper would work extremelly well too.As for the pre-release gameplan, I strongly agree. They should've pumped up the hype even more. The countdown was genius. Imagine if they had uploaded those bizarre artwork from the alternative booklets? One for each day before the release. With 14 songs and 2 alt. booklets + the letter and the art on the credits etc you'd have enough material to fill a whole month. It would have been amazing, people would be intrigued.But nope. Edited March 22, 2015 by ManetsBR
Rdeyahlxp Posted March 22, 2015 Posted March 22, 2015 Chinese Democracy had no singles or hit material. That's all there is to it really. 1
Facekicker Posted March 22, 2015 Posted March 22, 2015 Heard CD played once on Irish radio. Afterwards the DJ said that Axl's voice was gone. That was it. Never heard anything from CD on the radio again.
niceguy Posted March 23, 2015 Posted March 23, 2015 Let's be honest: the only roadmap for success is to take the nearest exit of the Fernando Freeway and make a u-turn back to the Slash Expressway by way of exit Izzy. 1
parisrocks Posted March 23, 2015 Posted March 23, 2015 The Beyonce business model of sudden album drops only favors the mega popular. The standard release plan of late is to release 3 - 4 songs ahead of album release at $1.29, so that when the album comes out you're committed and only have 6 bucks to go to complete the whole CD.Chinese Democracy is still a fantastic album no matter what haters will say 7 seven years after the fact. The lack of promotion sealed it's fate and that's it.
EvH Posted March 23, 2015 Posted March 23, 2015 Someone managing their social media who actually has a clue, would be a good start from the marketing side of things.This. We can say whatever we want, but this HAS to be the starting point anyway.
Słash Posted March 23, 2015 Posted March 23, 2015 Well if you talk about Axl's band then ANY NEW music will be good to hear, as for other bands, sometimes singles help people to look forward to the album, most of the songs were already played live before CD came out, so that took out the fun too, when I heard the actual album in 2008, I already knew half of the songsSo at this moment anything NEW coming out from Axl's band would be good to hear
majormayhem Posted March 23, 2015 Posted March 23, 2015 In no way am I joking here. The only way an album of new material will be successful is if Axl dies and it is released at the height of public mourning.
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