How smart a choice was MYM as first single?

[Sgt. Crackpot]

[McParadigm]

"What songs are good" and "what songs will make good singles" are totally separate questions. The Fixer, remember, was a very good choice for a single.

The Fixer.

Mind Your Manners was a good choice, for what a first single needs to do for them at this point in their career.

Don't the same 400,000 or so people just buy every Pearl Jam album at this point?

It's hard to know what the "fanbase" is at this point. The last number I saw suggested there were about 80,000 active members of the fanclub. Ed's Uke Songs record sold less than 120,000 copies overall (it moved 69,000 in its first week). None of these numbers really tells us how big the "I buy the new Pearl Jam album every time" group is, but they certainly suggest that it's less than 400,000 people.

I'm really not sure how the industry is going to analyze success in the future. As I've said before, radio is still a powerful measurement tool for how impactful a song is (Just Breathe, the band's biggest radio hit of the decade, is also their most popular post-2000 release for downloading and streaming. The Fixer, their second biggest single of the era, is their second most popular). But now that streaming sites are expanding rapidly while both physical and download sales diminish, it's going to get even stickier.

[stip]

so youtube views and metacritic, I guess.




I think MYM was a strong choice for a first single. It has the angry edge people associate with the band. Sirens was a pretty good second choice for a single, since pearl jam has also had great success with sentimental ballads. I prefer Yellow Moon to Sirens, but yellow moon is a contemplative and atmospheric mood piece. Not the best thing for radio, especially since radio can't really capture an audience anymore either.

[LooseGroove927]

I think MYM worked well as a first single. I think Sleeping By Myself would have been a better choice for a second single.

[stip]

that's the only other song I can really think of.

Unless they went with a more aggressive second single (lighting bolt/getaway/infallible) and saved the slow song for the third.

[bada]

Doesn't the normal rock band single release format go --- fast song, slow song, cross over song....Woman, Animal, Pour Some Sugar On Me = Mind Your Manners, Sirens, Infallible.

[stip]

i can't remember the last time pearl jam had a successful third single.

[McParadigm]

Doesn't the normal rock band single release format go --- fast song, slow song, cross over song....Woman, Animal, Pour Some Sugar On Me = Mind Your Manners, Sirens, Infallible.

It all depends on where you're at in your career. In 1998, the story on Pearl Jam was that they'd been a great rock band and totally pussied out, so when they followed up Given to Fly with Wishlist it was a very positive thing that they also put out DTE as a video (but not a single). Otherwise, even as much as Wishlist did alright at radio, it wouldn't have done anything for record sales.

At this point in their career, the first single is always the "still got it" single. Each successive single will have a harder time getting any attention or making any waves har har, so the second one typically reaches for the mass appeal and the third should either be as close to the midpoint between the two previous songs as possible or be a totally unexpected surprise "left-field but engaging" kind of moment.

[OmegaprimeVKM]

Mind Your Manners is a terrible lead choice because A) it isn't representative of the album (frankly none of the tracks are but MYM is the furthest out) and B) it's the kind of track that will only get played on specialist stations.

PJ gets very little play in the UK but the Adult Contemporary stations are playing Sirens. No one touched Mind Your Manners.

If you're looking for a big crossover radio hit, it might be Infallible, if there could be a 3 and half minuite radio edit.

[McParadigm]

If Pearl Jam's goal was to be successful in the UK they'd have to start by making entirely different records.

[digster]

Don't the same 400,000 or so people just buy every Pearl Jam album at this point?

I would think so. It speaks to a point McParadigm (I think) bought up in another thread; bands like PJ have found that there record sales are less impacted than younger artists without the same level of devotion or commitment from their fanbases. Most PJ fans are older and have the income and inclination to be buying their music anyway. PJ has managed to maintain its sales figures overall, despite a drop across the board in record sales. I think it's because there's a ton of people who are always going to buy the record no matter what.

[OmegaprimeVKM]

Don't the same 400,000 or so people just buy every Pearl Jam album at this point?

I would think so. It speaks to a point McParadigm (I think) bought up in another thread; bands like PJ have found that there record sales are less impacted than younger artists without the same level of devotion or commitment from their fanbases. Most PJ fans are older and have the income and inclination to be buying their music anyway. PJ has managed to maintain its sales figures overall, despite a drop across the board in record sales. I think it's because there's a ton of people who are always going to buy the record no matter what.

Same applies for Madonna - needs to resell herself to the next generation every record she produces. Relies heavily on promotion and image - what is on the actual record virtually being irrellevant. As music purchases for her target demographic are quickly becoming of the variety to not purchase music but download it illegally or stream it from a free service like Spotify, youtube etc. she will lose out.

[Mine]

If Pearl Jam's goal was to be successful in the UK they'd have to start by making entirely different records.

you mean Ed should start working on his accent right?

also:
UK Midweek Album Chart, Top 10:
1/ John Newman – ‘Tribute’
2/ Pearl Jam – ‘Lightning Bolt’
3/ Cher – ‘Closer To The Truth’
4/ Sir Paul McCartney – ‘New’
5/ Jonathan & Charlotte – ‘Perhaps Love’
6/ The Saturdays – ‘Living For The Weekend’
7/ Arctic Monkeys – ‘AM’
8/ Miley Cyrus – ‘Bangerz’
9/ Chase & Status – ‘Brand New Machine’
10/ Gary Numan – ‘Splinter’


http://www.live4ever.uk.com/2013/10/sir ... z2hzVFzVkT

Backspacer peaked at #9

[evenslow]

If Pearl Jam's goal was to be successful in the UK they'd have to start by making entirely different records.

you mean Ed should start working on his accent right?

also:
UK Midweek Album Chart, Top 10:
1/ John Newman – ‘Tribute’
2/ Pearl Jam – ‘Lightning Bolt’
3/ Cher – ‘Closer To The Truth’
4/ Sir Paul McCartney – ‘New’
5/ Jonathan & Charlotte – ‘Perhaps Love’
6/ The Saturdays – ‘Living For The Weekend’
7/ Arctic Monkeys – ‘AM’
8/ Miley Cyrus – ‘Bangerz’
9/ Chase & Status – ‘Brand New Machine’
10/ Gary Numan – ‘Splinter’


http://www.live4ever.uk.com/2013/10/sir ... z2hzVFzVkT

Backspacer peaked at #9

Who the fuck is John Newman?

[mastaflatch]

If Pearl Jam's goal was to be successful in the UK they'd have to start by making entirely different records.

you mean Ed should start working on his accent right?

also:
UK Midweek Album Chart, Top 10:
1/ John Newman – ‘Tribute’
2/ Pearl Jam – ‘Lightning Bolt’
3/ Cher – ‘Closer To The Truth’
4/ Sir Paul McCartney – ‘New’
5/ Jonathan & Charlotte – ‘Perhaps Love’
6/ The Saturdays – ‘Living For The Weekend’
7/ Arctic Monkeys – ‘AM’
8/ Miley Cyrus – ‘Bangerz’
9/ Chase & Status – ‘Brand New Machine’
10/ Gary Numan – ‘Splinter’


http://www.live4ever.uk.com/2013/10/sir ... z2hzVFzVkT

Backspacer peaked at #9

Who the fuck is John Newman?

i have no idea but he should start making entirely different records.

[McParadigm]

Sirens is on the Hot 100 finally. #76. Doing well in Spain and Germany, too.

Yeah, I'm sure we all realize that it will ultimately be weeks 2-5 that determine the album's fate. The band's post-No Code success stories (Yield and Backspacer, mostly) both managed multiple weeks in the top 10, and lengthy stays on the chart after that. Those are the records that continue to do well at streaming and download, and that have some level of recognition outside the fanbase. Binaural and S/T both debuted strong and then saw brutally fast slides down the chart.

The first weeks definitely lean heavy on the fanbase, but not many die-hards will wait until three weeks in to buy the record, so it's those follow-up moments that will really show us if it's having any impact beyond the dog collar purchasing sirenmonkeys.

Who the fuck is John Newman?

i have no idea but he should start making entirely different records.

He definitely doesn't sound ironic enough.

[mray10]

It's not representative of the album at all (then again what track would you say is?) but I feel like Swallowed Whole could have had some traction as a single. Not my favorite song, but it also fits into a niche of Pearl Jam songs people are pretty familiar with.

[Mine]

Yeah, I'm sure we all realize that it will ultimately be weeks 2-5 that determine the album's fate.

Yup. Do you think they can achieve that the way they usually work? I presume being present in the media is more important then ever when prolonged chart success is in question.

[McParadigm]

Yeah, I'm sure we all realize that it will ultimately be weeks 2-5 that determine the album's fate.

Yup. Do you think they can achieve that the way they usually work? I presume being present in the media is more important then ever when prolonged chart success is in question.

It really just comes down to exposure to the music. However you do that is up to you. TV appearances, strong-performing singles, touring...all of these things can work in your favor if your new material is strong, and you don't just absolutely suck at playing Got Some in front of millions of people.

[EJ]

...all of these things can work in your favor if your new material is strong, and you don't just absolutely suck at playing Got Some in front of millions of people.

Well, if your fans won't allow you to not suck, what are you supposed to do?