Album Sales predictions-What do you think?

[BITEYOASS]

I'd say it will go platinum in a month.

[BITEYOASS]

Now the album is No. 5 on the itunes albums chart, No. 6 on Amazon.com and the damn thing hasn't been released yet!

"Tattoo" is also now No. 25 on the itunes singles chart!

Now the damn video has had 700k views on YouTube in ONE DAY!

VAN HALEN = WINNING!

[Terry]

A million sold shouldn't be difficult to attain. Certainly not within the context of a major tour. Non-scientific, to be sure, but look at all the buzz surrounding the Cafe Wha? gig, the brief internet snippets and now the release of the new single and video. LOT of people are interested.
Also, this is the first full-length Van Halen album in 12 years. Even fans of the band who may have been more partial to Hagar than Roth...a percentage of those will scoop it up.
Yeah, free downloading and such have impacted sales, but I'd be willing to bet there are a lot of old-school Van Halen fans who will want the tangible cd in their hands so they can slip in the disc player and crank it up.
1 to 2 million sold throughout the course of the tour shouldn't be a problem. MAYBE 2 million +.
Over 5 million? That'd be something. Probably not very realistic in terms of expectations, but should that come to pass it'd be pretty neat (the thought of Hagar and Anthony trying to stammer through their next Chickenfoot interview attempting to shrug off THAT level of success certainly brings a smile to my face).

[binnie]

I think 5 million is not even in the realms of possibility.

The last Metallica record didn't do those kind of numbers....

[Golden AWe]

I don't know...the music industry of today...they'd have a hard time hitting a million even if they released "JUMP" today.

A pessimist won't be disappointed!

[Southpaw]

of course I'm gonna buy the CD ASAP.... but what am I gonna do with it?

[Golden AWe]

of course I'm gonna buy the CD ASAP.... but what am I gonna do with it?

Take the cd in your hand...turn it around...raise it in front of your eyes...there, you can see your own ass with it!

[conmee]

Brethren and Sistren,

It will come down to how many long-time fans come out and purchase. I don't envision Van Halen appealing to many new fans. Why? First, look at the musical landscape today. Just on YouTube (to give a little context, doesn't tell the whole story), LMFAO Party Rock has 350 Million views and even someone like "Tyga" with their "Rack City" video has 13 Million views. Tattoo is a respectable 1.7 Million for a rock act. in this day and age (and will likely increase over the course of the year). Van Halen will be lucky if they capture 2%-5% new fans. The rest will be folks like us that have been waiting forever. And quite a few of us have literally passed away sadly during the long wait, or have become completely disinterested.

Ok so that's my glass-half-empty preamble.

Having said all that, I agree with FORD, I do believe 4xPlatinum by year-end to not be unreasonable. Interscope is doing the right things including selling a deluxe version because I think fans are hungry to see some acoustic or jam videos and we all enjoy seeing and hearing the guys together and happy. Not meaning to sound like a chick all touchy-feely, but VH is like extended family for many, and seeing AND hearing David and Edward together again making NEW music is huge. Further, I'll say a higher percentage of Chickenfeed and Van Hagar fans will buy the new VH album then expecting Classic VH fans to buy Chickenfeed and Van Hagar albums. My point? There's likely a large latent fan base that just completely opted out of VH after DLR left and who may return and buy the new album out of hope, nostalgia, curiosity, etc. So I see it breaking down thus:

2,500,000 - Hard Core Classic VH Fans
1,250,000 - Chickenfeed / Van Hagar Fans (They'll buy anything, so why not a new VH album)
750,000 - Old School Fans who gave up but come back to the fold
150,000 - New/Young Fans and people who hit the wrong button on iTune and Amazon

4,650,000 - Total 2012 Album Sales
195,000 - Digital Download Single - Tattoo (People who can't wait until Feb 7 will buy the single, but most will buy whole album)

Or... They sell 599,000 total and beat out VHIII.

That is all.

Icon™©®

[clarathecarrot]

LMFAO is a good reason or example, of the state the industry, that is for sure the demographic they appeal to is the what 13-17 year old barbie dream house extacy dance party mix crowd? They have always been the largest purchasers of music as you well know.

Good shit for what it is.

Appealing to that demographic is out of the VH sphere. Thank you Jebus.
,
I think you are close with your predictions. I am going to buy all three things ,the CD, Bonus trac, and also the LP, I have seen pop up. Plus a show.

I have viewed, three of LMFAO videos and never watch or listen again..like I said good for what it is.

[ELVIS]

Ok it's linked now.
I am still pissed at No Vinyl! Maybe that should be the next POLL!

For real...

I have the new Blizzard and Diary on vinyl as well as CD...

The vinyl sounds awesome...

[VHscraps]

For real...

I have the new Blizzard and Diary on vinyl as well as CD...

The vinyl sounds awesome...

The vinyl edition of A Different Kind of Truth is only available at the moment via Live Nation:

http://www.store.livenation.com/Product.aspx?cp=13281_20623_54521&pc=XM03COMBO

somebody posted about this on another thread that I can't find now (it wasn't in Main), but I googled it up again ... only available to customers who have a US-registered credit card (I tried ordering, but my credit card is linked to my UK address, naturally - that's where I live!).

Coming soon to eBay at very inflated prices, no doubt, unless they release the vinyl everywhere, which I hope they will do eventually.

[BITEYOASS]

I think 5 million is not even in the realms of possibility.

The last Metallica record didn't do those kind of numbers....

Well for one thing, this ain't Metallica and Lars is a cunt. :D

[bueno bob]

Awe's right...industry being what it is today, it's going to be a hard sell. It'll race like a motherfucker out of the gate, but after a month, maybe less, I'm guessing it's going to dry up pretty quickly.

No matter, they'll make bank on the road, they always do.

[conmee]

I think Van Halen's situation is a bit different. If this were a new Van Hagar release, I'd agree that sales would be tepid, interest muted, and sales lucky to crack 1M. However, ADKOT is the follow-up, for all intents and purposes, to 1984. They will mainly sell to a hungry worldwide fan base that hasn't heard an album of new material from these guys in 28 years. Van Halen fans buy albums not just singles. We're such a starved community for new music I believe that demand will make sales of this album follow more of a pre-Napster/pre-iTunes sales trend.

Another thing, because I don't believe Van Halen will win a substantial number of new/young fans, most of Van Halen's older fan base IS USED TO PAYING for music. I don't know about the rest of you, but I've downloaded all sorts of music but AlWAYS paid for anything from Van Halen. So I think piracy will trend lower in the sense that most of us want to see the band do well and continue making music. Paying for tunes helps keep that process alive.

I doubt the sales will rival the likes of Lady Gaga, Kanye, Jay-Z, Katy Perry, but so what. It will still reach multi-Platinum status and even that doesn't matter except for people who see it as some sort of competition or comeuppance vis-a-vis Chickenfeed and Hagar (and that just shouldn't even be of concern to anyone... David is back and the nightmare is over so just enjoy the new music, videos, and tour).

That is all.

Icon~

[sadaist]

Well for one thing, this ain't Metallica and Lars is a cunt. :D

Metallica isn't even Metallica.


...and Lars is a cunt.