It definitely is. The top selling album last year was Carrie Underwood's and both Kenny Chesney and Johnny Cash were in the top 10 as well. Except for Eminem's "best of" collection, there were no rap albums in the Top 12 and besides Mary's album, no other R&B albums in the top 10 (Mariah was at 11).
Here's what Soundscan reported in 06: 1. High School Musical, Soundtrack 3,719,071 2. Me and My Gang, Rascal Flatts 3,479,994 3. Some Hearts, Carrie Underwood 3,015,950 4. All the Right Reasons, Nickelback 2,688,166 5. Futuresex/Love, Justin Timberlake 2,377,127 6. Back to Bedlam, James Blunt 2,137,142 7. B'day, Beyonc?? 2,010,311 8. Hannah Montana, Soundtrack 1,987,681 9. Taking the Long Way, Dixie Chicks 1,856,284 10. Extreme Behavior, Hinder 1,817,350 .
I'm assuming you are refering to 2 different charts here, but I also assume Timberlake & Beyonce were in the top ten on both charts - aren't they R&B?
That chart shows me how disconnected I truly am now ... I have literally never even HEARD of "Hannah Montana" or "Hinder" even though they were 2 of the top-selling releases of last year. For that matter, I had never heard of "High School Musical" until this thread. Disconnected and loving it!
"High School Musical" seems like the type of thing somebody's 75 year old aunt would buy copies of for all her nieces and nephews.
Haha! Bless M******'s aunt, I know she means well, but she stays flooding the house with this crap for I******. How am I supposed to raise a cool kid when every other week I get some Hannah Montana Disney dvd mailed to my house?!
Also, "High School Music" was either #1 or 2 (depending on which charts you choose). I doubt that it's selling to only the "very old" and "very young." There has to be a pretty significant "middle" portion of consumers going for this as well.
Dude, only the very old and very young buy CDs anymore--teenagers sure don't. Hence the inflated sales of someone like Bow Wow, who caters to an audience that is too young to download, or the continued success of certain R&B artists, who are able to draw sales from an older female audience. "High School Musical" seems like the type of thing somebody's 75 year old aunt would buy copies of for all her nieces and nephews. I just can't see teenagers--even those in the drama club--going for something like this. You sound wildly disconnected from the high school experience.
Well, that last point is probably true but I also think you're underestimating the popularity of this stuff for 13 year olds. Provided, I can't explain to you why this would be that appealing to said 13 year old but then again, as just noted, I'm disconnected from the (junior) high school experience. But I just doubt this translates into "7 year olds and 70 year old" buying demographics. I mean, the first soundtrack went 4x platinum. That's all grannies and pre-tweens? Really?
Oliver, if the top end of the demographic that you're referring to is defined by 13, then you're not really talking about teenagers at all--you're talking about preteens. Even so, I have a hard time imagining many middle schoolers getting with this, and I do have a vague recollection of what middle school was like. I suspect a lot of the purchases can be attributed to kids younger than that.
I should have specified, yes, two diff charts. The first was what Billboard reported, the second was Soundscan. Both should, of course, be taken with a grain of salt since there's major paths of circulation that don't ever map onto either source.
And I overlooked Timberlake's album as an R&B CD by accident.
And yeah, I had no idea who "Hannah Montana" either. Disconnected from Disney/Nickelodeon!
It definitely is. The top selling album last year was Carrie Underwood's and both Kenny Chesney and Johnny Cash were in the top 10 as well. Except for Eminem's "best of" collection, there were no rap albums in the Top 12 and besides Mary's album, no other R&B albums in the top 10 (Mariah was at 11).
Here's what Soundscan reported in 06: 1. High School Musical, Soundtrack 3,719,071 2. Me and My Gang, Rascal Flatts 3,479,994 3. Some Hearts, Carrie Underwood 3,015,950 4. All the Right Reasons, Nickelback 2,688,166 5. Futuresex/Love, Justin Timberlake 2,377,127 6. Back to Bedlam, James Blunt 2,137,142 7. B'day, Beyonc?? 2,010,311 8. Hannah Montana, Soundtrack 1,987,681 9. Taking the Long Way, Dixie Chicks 1,856,284 10. Extreme Behavior, Hinder 1,817,350 .
I'm assuming you are refering to 2 different charts here, but I also assume Timberlake & Beyonce were in the top ten on both charts - aren't they R&B?
That chart shows me how disconnected I truly am now ... I have literally never even HEARD of "Hannah Montana" or "Hinder" even though they were 2 of the top-selling releases of last year. For that matter, I had never heard of "High School Musical" until this thread. Disconnected and loving it!
"High School Musical" seems like the type of thing somebody's 75 year old aunt would buy copies of for all her nieces and nephews.
Haha! Bless M******'s aunt, I know she means well, but she stays flooding the house with this crap for I******. How am I supposed to raise a cool kid when every other week I get some Hannah Montana Disney dvd mailed to my house?!
"High School Musical" seems like the type of thing somebody's 75 year old aunt would buy copies of for all her nieces and nephews.
Haha! Bless M******'s aunt, I know she means well, but she stays flooding the house with this crap for I******. How am I supposed to raise a cool kid when every other week I get some Hannah Montana Disney dvd mailed to my house?!
See--I tried to tell these fools!
My kid was in first grade last school year and HSM was mega-huge among the elementary set. It started with the girls and eventually spread to the boys, so much that one night during a school activity I overheard two kids arguing over who was going to be who in the pretend game they were setting up. Shit, I haven't had cable in my house for three years now but my kid is still up on this. We use to be all about PBS kids, but once she got a taste of that Disney crack at a relatives house its been all over. "Dad can we get Disney?! When are we getting Disney?!" over and over. Fuck, I've become that parent!
I don't really know where the top end of that demographic is. "Tweens" have been skewing younger (from a marketing point of view) for well over a decade now (which frankly, scares the living hell out of me as the father of a daughter) but I'm not convinced that the traditional teenage consumer demographic (for music I mean) is a non-factor in all this though I guess, "HSM" is meant to appeal to the younger end of the spectrum rather than, say, your average 17 year old. At least I hope it would, just for the sake of teens.
Regardless, I like what a friend of mine wrote about "HSM":
""HIGH School Musical" was the most popular album of last year that featured no truly memorable music"
Also, "High School Music" was either #1 or 2 (depending on which charts you choose). I doubt that it's selling to only the "very old" and "very young." There has to be a pretty significant "middle" portion of consumers going for this as well.
Dude, only the very old and very young buy CDs anymore--teenagers sure don't. Hence the inflated sales of someone like Bow Wow, who caters to an audience that is too young to download, or the continued success of certain R&B artists, who are able to draw sales from an older female audience. "High School Musical" seems like the type of thing somebody's 75 year old aunt would buy copies of for all her nieces and nephews. I just can't see teenagers--even those in the drama club--going for something like this. You sound wildly disconnected from the high school experience.
Well, that last point is probably true but I also think you're underestimating the popularity of this stuff for 13 year olds. Provided, I can't explain to you why this would be that appealing to said 13 year old but then again, as just noted, I'm disconnected from the (junior) high school experience. But I just doubt this translates into "7 year olds and 70 year old" buying demographics. I mean, the first soundtrack went 4x platinum. That's all grannies and pre-tweens? Really?
Oliver, if the top end of the demographic that you're referring to is defined by 13, then you're not really talking about teenagers at all--you're talking about preteens. Even so, I have a hard time imagining many middle schoolers getting with this, and I do have a vague recollection of what middle school was like. I suspect a lot of the purchases can be attributed to kids younger than that.
"High School Musical" seems like the type of thing somebody's 75 year old aunt would buy copies of for all her nieces and nephews.
Haha! Bless M******'s aunt, I know she means well, but she stays flooding the house with this crap for I******. How am I supposed to raise a cool kid when every other week I get some Hannah Montana Disney dvd mailed to my house?!
See--I tried to tell these fools!
My kid was in first grade last school year and HSM was mega-huge among the elementary set. It started with the girls and eventually spread to the boys, so much that one night during a school activity I overheard two kids arguing over who was going to be who in the pretend game they were setting up. Shit, I haven't had cable in my house for three years now but my kid is still up on this. We use to be all about PBS kids, but once she got a taste of that Disney crack at a relatives house its been all over. "Dad can we get Disney?! When are we getting Disney?!" over and over. Fuck, I've become that parent!
This is just one step from forking over $150 for Hot Line OG Al Green LPs.
"High School Musical" seems like the type of thing somebody's 75 year old aunt would buy copies of for all her nieces and nephews.
Haha! Bless M******'s aunt, I know she means well, but she stays flooding the house with this crap for I******. How am I supposed to raise a cool kid when every other week I get some Hannah Montana Disney dvd mailed to my house?!
See--I tried to tell these fools!
My kid was in first grade last school year and HSM was mega-huge among the elementary set. It started with the girls and eventually spread to the boys, so much that one night during a school activity I overheard two kids arguing over who was going to be who in the pretend game they were setting up. Shit, I haven't had cable in my house for three years now but my kid is still up on this. We use to be all about PBS kids, but once she got a taste of that Disney crack at a relatives house its been all over. "Dad can we get Disney?! When are we getting Disney?!" over and over. Fuck, I've become that parent!
This is just one step from forking over $150 for Hot Line OG Al Green LPs.
JUST SAY NO!
I hope you meant that in jest, because that's a huge stretch!
The inter-family politics of gift recieving are difficult territories to navigate.
"High School Musical" seems like the type of thing somebody's 75 year old aunt would buy copies of for all her nieces and nephews.
Haha! Bless M******'s aunt, I know she means well, but she stays flooding the house with this crap for I******. How am I supposed to raise a cool kid when every other week I get some Hannah Montana Disney dvd mailed to my house?!
See--I tried to tell these fools!
My kid was in first grade last school year and HSM was mega-huge among the elementary set. It started with the girls and eventually spread to the boys, so much that one night during a school activity I overheard two kids arguing over who was going to be who in the pretend game they were setting up. Shit, I haven't had cable in my house for three years now but my kid is still up on this. We use to be all about PBS kids, but once she got a taste of that Disney crack at a relatives house its been all over. "Dad can we get Disney?! When are we getting Disney?!" over and over. Fuck, I've become that parent!
This is just one step from forking over $150 for Hot Line OG Al Green LPs.
JUST SAY NO!
I hope you meant that in jest, because that's a huge stretch!
The inter-family politics of gift recieving are difficult territories to navigate.
You need to see the thread about the "Male Veruca Salt" to get the joke here.
I don't really know where the top end of that demographic is. "Tweens" have been skewing younger (from a marketing point of view) for well over a decade now (which frankly, scares the living hell out of me as the father of a daughter) but I'm not convinced that the traditional teenage consumer demographic (for music I mean) is a non-factor in all this though I guess, "HSM" is meant to appeal to the younger end of the spectrum rather than, say, your average 17 year old. At least I hope it would, just for the sake of teens.
Oliver, I respect the fact that you yourself were on that HSM tip as an eighteen year old, but you must recognize that you were wildly anomalous. Kids over ten years old or so are going to find listening to it just as embarassing, if not more so, than most adults.
And yeah, I had no idea who "Hannah Montana" either. Disconnected from Disney/Nickelodeon!
Not for long!
as the father of a 4 year old daughter, i watch a lot of hannah montana, and it's not that bad... it's way better than like dora the explorer and the backyardigans and the shit she was into a year or two ago... drake and josh is good, too, and spongebob is awesome
I think some people in this thread that are surprised by country and Disney hits selling millions of copies are severly disconnected from Middle America in general.
All you have to do is look at the track record for the Now Thats Music comps selling millions upon millions every release and you can see middle america never changed its focus. It likes crappy music, crappy tv, nothing really that adventurous.
country has been taking over rap music in terms of sales for years now as it reaches its peak of poopularity. HSM is just filling the void that Britney and company left open as they aged and became more embarressing.
I think some people in this thread that are surprised by country and Disney hits selling millions of copies are severly disconnected from Middle America in general.
All you have to do is look at the track record for the Now Thats Music comps selling millions upon millions every release and you can see middle america never changed its focus. It likes crappy music, crappy tv, nothing really that adventurous.
country has been taking over rap music in terms of sales for years now as it reaches its peak of poopularity. HSM is just filling the void that Britney and company left open as they aged and became more embarressing.
Is any of this really that surprising?
The success of "Now That's Music" is jaw-droppingly depressing (not to mention a bit surprising in a digital-song-download" age but I guess it works b/c it's even simpler than just buying the same shit online.
Is country reaching the peak of its popularity though? I think country has always been popular and hip-hop managed, for a few years, to trump it, but now the pendulum has swung back.
And Britney captured an older audience demo than HSM seems to be aimed at, no?
But yeah: never count out the power of country AND Disney.
All you need now is "High School Musical: Arkansas."
I think some people in this thread that are surprised by country and Disney hits selling millions of copies are severly disconnected from Middle America in general.
All you have to do is look at the track record for the Now Thats Music comps selling millions upon millions every release and you can see middle america never changed its focus. It likes crappy music, crappy tv, nothing really that adventurous.
country has been taking over rap music in terms of sales for years now as it reaches its peak of poopularity. HSM is just filling the void that Britney and company left open as they aged and became more embarressing.
Is any of this really that surprising?
The success of "Now That's Music" is jaw-droppingly depressing (not to mention a bit surprising in a digital-song-download" age but I guess it works b/c it's even simpler than just buying the same shit online.
Is country reaching the peak of its popularity though? I think country has always been popular and hip-hop managed, for a few years, to trump it, but now the pendulum has swung back.
And Britney captured an older audience demo than HSM seems to be aimed at, no?
But yeah: never count out the power of country AND Disney.
All you need now is "High School Musical: Arkansas."
"High School Musical: Arkansas." cash cow.
The only reason I think that country hasn't reached its peak yet is I know some people that are getting into country music that were never into it until the past year. They also got into NASCAR as well which I think is another major reason Country has gained a much bigger audience in the past 5 or so years.
As far as britney, I think she started with the younger preteen audience and they grew up with her into high school etc. I think it directly parallels HSM and you'll see all sorts of side projects from it and it morph into something that the aging preteen audience will stick with through at least part of high school.
As far as britney, I think she started with the younger preteen audience and they grew up with her into high school etc. I think it directly parallels HSM and you'll see all sorts of side projects from it and it morph into something that the aging preteen audience will stick with through at least part of high school.
Countdown for Miley Cyrus becoming US Weekly fodder begins now...
I also think you're overstating how many teens illegal download music. I don't doubt it's high but I don't think I've seen any reports that supports the idea that this consumer demographic has disappeared within the music industry.
I had to comment on this. To be honest most people I meet are retarded when it comes to computers and a good portion of them dont know how to download music, dont know how to burn the music, dont know where to get the music etc... I have had to teach mad people how to get it how they know they want it. Which sometimes was like pulling teeth.
People especially in towns away from metropolitan areas are somewhat disconnected to all this new fangled computer shit. So yeah there is massive downloading going on, but there are a lot of people who dont want to be bothered with a spyware ladden pc due neglect/retardation, so they just cop the cd at best buy.
Comments
I'm assuming you are refering to 2 different charts here, but
I also assume Timberlake & Beyonce were in the top ten on both
charts - aren't they R&B?
That chart shows me how disconnected I truly am now ... I have
literally never even HEARD of "Hannah Montana" or "Hinder" even
though they were 2 of the top-selling releases of last year.
For that matter, I had never heard of "High School Musical" until
this thread. Disconnected and loving it!
Haha! Bless M******'s aunt, I know she means well, but she stays flooding the house with this crap for I******. How am I supposed to raise a cool kid when every other week I get some Hannah Montana Disney dvd mailed to my house?!
billy ray cyrus' daughter.
ohhhh ...
Oliver, if the top end of the demographic that you're referring to is defined by 13, then you're not really talking about teenagers at all--you're talking about preteens. Even so, I have a hard time imagining many middle schoolers getting with this, and I do have a vague recollection of what middle school was like. I suspect a lot of the purchases can be attributed to kids younger than that.
And I overlooked Timberlake's album as an R&B CD by accident.
And yeah, I had no idea who "Hannah Montana" either. Disconnected from Disney/Nickelodeon!
See--I tried to tell these fools!
My kid was in first grade last school year and HSM was mega-huge among the elementary set. It started with the girls and eventually spread to the boys, so much that one night during a school activity I overheard two kids arguing over who was going to be who in the pretend game they were setting up.
Shit, I haven't had cable in my house for three years now but my kid is still up on this. We use to be all about PBS kids, but once she got a taste of that Disney crack at a relatives house its been all over. "Dad can we get Disney?! When are we getting Disney?!" over and over. Fuck, I've become that parent!
I don't really know where the top end of that demographic is. "Tweens" have been skewing younger (from a marketing point of view) for well over a decade now (which frankly, scares the living hell out of me as the father of a daughter) but I'm not convinced that the traditional teenage consumer demographic (for music I mean) is a non-factor in all this though I guess, "HSM" is meant to appeal to the younger end of the spectrum rather than, say, your average 17 year old. At least I hope it would, just for the sake of teens.
Regardless, I like what a friend of mine wrote about "HSM":
""HIGH School Musical" was the most popular album of last year that featured no truly memorable music"
This is just one step from forking over $150 for Hot Line OG Al Green LPs.
JUST SAY NO!
Not for long!
Am I the only one who's shocked by this? I thought that band disappeared 10 years ago.
I hope you meant that in jest, because that's a huge stretch!
The inter-family politics of gift recieving are difficult territories to navigate.
You need to see the thread about the "Male Veruca Salt" to get the joke here.
Oliver, I respect the fact that you yourself were on that HSM tip as an eighteen year old, but you must recognize that you were wildly anomalous. Kids over ten years old or so are going to find listening to it just as embarassing, if not more so, than most adults.
Adult Contemporary, I believe.
I think the name change happened when somebody noticed how uncool the term "easy listening" sounds.
my sarcasm meter needs recalibration
Most country music fans vote Republican.
as the father of a 4 year old daughter, i watch a lot of hannah montana, and it's not that bad... it's way better than like dora the explorer and the backyardigans and the shit she was into a year or two ago... drake and josh is good, too, and spongebob is awesome
did i just type that out?
All you have to do is look at the track record for the Now Thats Music comps selling millions upon millions every release and you can see middle america never changed its focus. It likes crappy music, crappy tv, nothing really that adventurous.
country has been taking over rap music in terms of sales for years now as it reaches its peak of poopularity. HSM is just filling the void that Britney and company left open as they aged and became more embarressing.
Is any of this really that surprising?
The success of "Now That's Music" is jaw-droppingly depressing (not to mention a bit surprising in a digital-song-download" age but I guess it works b/c it's even simpler than just buying the same shit online.
Is country reaching the peak of its popularity though? I think country has always been popular and hip-hop managed, for a few years, to trump it, but now the pendulum has swung back.
And Britney captured an older audience demo than HSM seems to be aimed at, no?
But yeah: never count out the power of country AND Disney.
All you need now is "High School Musical: Arkansas."
"High School Musical: Arkansas." cash cow.
The only reason I think that country hasn't reached its peak yet is I know some people that are getting into country music that were never into it until the past year. They also got into NASCAR as well which I think is another major reason Country has gained a much bigger audience in the past 5 or so years.
As far as britney, I think she started with the younger preteen audience and they grew up with her into high school etc. I think it directly parallels HSM and you'll see all sorts of side projects from it and it morph into something that the aging preteen audience will stick with through at least part of high school.
Countdown for Miley Cyrus becoming US Weekly fodder begins now...
I had to comment on this. To be honest most people I meet are retarded when it comes to computers and a good portion of them dont know how to download music, dont know how to burn the music, dont know where to get the music etc... I have had to teach mad people how to get it how they know they want it. Which sometimes was like pulling teeth.
People especially in towns away from metropolitan areas are somewhat disconnected to all this new fangled computer shit. So yeah there is massive downloading going on, but there are a lot of people who dont want to be bothered with a spyware ladden pc due neglect/retardation, so they just cop the cd at best buy.