Things really must be bad - AC/DC are No 1 again

News Type: Event — Seeded on Mon Oct 27, 2008 12:10 AM EDT

Article Source: Guardian Unlimited

entertainment, economy, music, uk-news, united-kingdom, federal-government, statistics, ac-dc

First Gordon Brown and Mervyn King, the Bank of England's governor, admitted that Britain was on the verge of recession. Then food sales were reported to have seen their biggest fall for 20 years. Last night came final and irrevocable proof that the country is entering tough economic times, unseen since the 80s: AC/DC have returned to the top of the album charts for the first time in 28 years.

Even by the standards of a band whose commercial success is a given - the venerable Australian rockers have shifted more than 80m records since forming 35 years ago (in the midst of the 1973 oil crisis) - the circumstances of their 16th studio album's British success seem striking.

At one point last week, AC/DC's Black Ice was outselling its nearest competitor, Kaiser Chiefs' Off With Their Heads, by two to one, despite the fact that they declined to release it as a digital download, preferring vinyl and CD.

Those keen to draw wider inferences from its success might note that the last time AC/DC made No 1 in Britain, the country was on the brink of recession. Back In Black, the album that marked their commercial breakthrough and went on to become the second biggest-selling of all time, was released in 1980, just as inflation had reached 20% and unemployment inched towards 2 million.

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{"commentId":3713274,"authorDomain":"janeway77"}

Michael the Great

And if you add in all the torrent downloads, they are REALLY number one. Of course, if they had distributed their music legitimately through iTunes or Amazon or whatever, the would have gotten a share of that revenue too. instead, they get NOTHING, because they refuse to distro electronically. (Some nonsense about wanting to force people to buy the whole CD or nothing).

I just don't see how a band can have much hope for high revenue from their CD unless they distribute it electronically. It is unlikely that I will ever buy another physical CD again.

{"commentId":3713274,"threadId":"400154","contentId":"2042781","authorDomain":"janeway77"}

1 vote

#1 - Mon Oct 27, 2008 7:06 AM EDT

{"commentId":3713294,"authorDomain":"redwolf"}

Red Wolf

They don't care because they likely never would have seen that revenue. It goes to the recording industry. People getting their music via bittorrent or CD is likely all the same to them, they don't see any return for it, but people hear their music and spread the word.

Bands traditionally get sod all from CD sales. They make their money touring and, if they're lucky, merchandising elsewhere.

{"commentId":3713294,"threadId":"400154","contentId":"2042781","authorDomain":"redwolf"}

3 votes

#1.1 - Mon Oct 27, 2008 7:13 AM EDT

{"commentId":3714093,"authorDomain":"divbyzero"}

Division by Zero

Bands traditionally get sod all from CD sales. They make their money touring and, if they're lucky, merchandising elsewhere.

Exactly. Earnings from CD sales amount to less than a dollar per unit sold, which then gets split between an ungodly number of people before a few cents end up in the artists' wallets. Bands make their money from touring.

{"commentId":3714093,"threadId":"400154","contentId":"2042781","authorDomain":"divbyzero"}

1 vote

#1.2 - Mon Oct 27, 2008 9:07 AM EDT

{"commentId":3714076,"authorDomain":"brinsmaid"}

brinsmaid

Just wait until 11/23 when the new Guns N' Roses releases Chinese Democracy.

{"commentId":3714076,"threadId":"400154","contentId":"2042781","authorDomain":"brinsmaid"}

2 votes

#2 - Mon Oct 27, 2008 9:05 AM EDT

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RED WOLF

Backyard

Things really must be bad - AC/DC are No 1 again

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