They did have a ticket bundle on sale yesterday but like Steps' vinyls I doubt they'd have shipped yet plus Manics have another ticket bundle for another gig which will no doubt push a few more sales.
I'm really surprised they haven't done a HMV price reduction yet like they did for What The Future Holds (part 1), especially when the gap is much closer than it was with Gary Barlow.
Steps are being let down by vinyl sales, and to a lesser extent cassette sales. It’s unfortunate that BMG didn’t consider it worthwhile to do variants of those formats on this occasion. In Tuesday’s midweeks, this was the formats breakdown: 1. 19,962 - Manic Street Preachers 12,094 CDs 5,738 Vinyl 1,102 Cassettes 752 Downloads 276 Streaming 2. 18,864 - Steps 14,459 CDs 1,804 Downloads 1,441 Vinyl 795 Cassettes 365 Streaming (I’m pleasantly surprised that Steps are achieving higher streams!)
If "So Pop" would've gone ahead I think they would have had a bit of a resurgence here. People seemed really perched for them.
They should do comps with digital albums being given, isn't that easier as they don't have to ship. Unless they then rely on the person actually downloading it to count.
I think they made the right decision - if you're going to do individual member covers it's better to do them on CD than tape. Unless you think they should have done an extra 5 vinyls and 5 cassettes as well? Wouldn't that be taking the piss?
They needed a standard black vinyl in wider distribution. An Amazon exclusive picture disc vinyl. And a digital deluxe. They had great potential for number one this week. Such a shame. But a win on downloades and streaming.
It would be great for the number 1 but 23 years later to still hit top 2 (even if the sales are all from the members of this thread) is still phenomenal.
If I’m honest, top 2 is great? I mean I don’t see why they desperately need to be number 1 when it’ll likely drop like a stone next week anyway? Had they prepared an alternate blue CD cover, blue cassette and even a vinyl sleeve (they could have used the same clear vinyl and just alternated the artwork) maybe it would be a different story, but for what they’ve done and the fact it could have just been a deluxe edition, they’ve done well.
It'd be fascinating to know how many individuals bought at least 1 copy. It's sad that album sales have dwindled so much that artists are having to do this sort of thing to make them viable. It's also surprising that OCC haven't stepped in and tweaked the rules yet. That's what they did with singles in the 80s. Wasn't there a Bros single released on about 20 different formats.
Yeah, I'm surprised they didn't do one for general circulation. Splatters feel like a preorder exclusive format.
At the very least there should have been a standard black vinyl for HMV / Amazon, and maybe a picture disc. Just one vinyl in this market is quite unusual, particularly restricting it as an official store exclusive. 5x member CDs instead of cassettes was the right call, but even having two cassettes with different colour shells could have been slightly beneficial. Although I think a price cut for the existing cassette would be a wise move at this stage.
Free UK delivery code for the Steps Store would be ideal to shift some copies and usually postage prices puts off some online shoppers
If we think Steps are bad - look at the 78 different formats/tracklistings/covers Little Mix are releasing for their greatest hits to buy them all you'd need a bank loan.
I just can’t get my head around there being no standard vinyl / picture disc. Who made that decision?!
Seeing the extra oomph going to #1 gave Kylie last year (hitting #1 in 5 consecutive decades) then the extra bump going into next week with headlines and stuff would help keep them in the spotlight, sell a few more albums and tickets and extend their record of #1's in 4 consecutive decades by a UK mixed group (and matching Abba). Like the Manic Street Preachers chart battle, it writes itself.
Lets be realistic. Its still possible for them to get a number 1.... but.... if they don't, the inevitable Greatest Hits next year will likely do it for sure.
