Queen Madge has done it again!
Madonna‘s new album, MDNA, debuted at the top spot of the Billboard 200, selling 359,000 units in its first week. It’s a strong showing for the album, especially given that Madonna only did one media appearance—a livestreamed Facebook interview with Jimmy Fallon.
Writes Billboard magazine:
In terms of release-week promotion, Madonna was basically off the radar, instead focusing her energy on rehearsals for her upcoming world tour… Since headlining the Feb. 5 Super Bowl halftime show, she’s been laying low. Her only significant recent media appearances have been via a live Facebook chat with Jimmy Fallon (March 24) and a brief drop-in at the Ultra Music Festival in Miami the same night.
It seems that Madonna, knowing that album sales will never be quite what they were in years past, is focusing on lucrative concert appearances.
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I, for one, have already got my very expensive nosebleed ticket for her performance at Yankee Stadium in September, so she better be prepared to rock my world.
jason
Apparently there was an album-for-ticket deal in which albums were paired with tickets purchased for her concerts. This may explain the higher-than-expected sales.
David
So? The sales are going to drop big-time next week and it probably won’t even each platinum status. The last album she had that sold over a million was like 7 years ago I believe. Americans don’t care about her anymore, well except her diehards that have loved her since the 80s. Young people aren’t all that aware of her either.
Seth
@jason: People that pay $200 to see her live should get the album. Not like she was selling it at 99 cents to boost sales like GaGa
Spike
Desperate and sad. Faux #1 album, sales linked to the purchase of concert tickets that
while assumed to be ‘free’ in fact included in the ticket price. Fact is she is no
longer the talent she use to be and can’t be a #1 album without a gimmick.
Fab
Haters will be haters… What “gimmick”?? People that paid AT LEAST $300 for a show ticket would have bought the album in the first week anyway!!!
It’s not like she was giving the album away for 99c like Gaga or Mariah did… Geeez
steve sydney
The Queen sits on top of the throne AGAIN!
Bow down haters..
Erik
Madonna is a legend, but lets be real. She is a nostalgia act now. She garners most of her support from longtime fans. She’s not making new ones, nor is she making hit records.
Case in point? Madonna hasn’t had a top 10 hit on Billboard’s Radio Songs chart, the chart that tracks radio airplay, since “Don’t Tell Me” in 2001.
Her last #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100? 2000’s “Music.”
She’s not popular with kids anymore. Her fans, like Madonna herself, are getting older. That’s life.
JT
She’s number one in billboards because all her diehard fans still buy albums.
/wink wink.
Vevar
@Seth: for the millionth time it was amazon’s own decision to do that not hers… they suffered the loses of selling it that cheap… i repeat it was their decision
samo
According to Billboard madonna was the top selling singles artist of the 2000s meaning she sold more singles than any other act in America this past decade! The fa t that us radio doesn’t support her much anymore means mothing because radios stops playing artists when they turn 40 anyway! Give me all your love also be ame madonnas 38th top ten hit on the billboard charts that’s more than any artist in history in fact the last time an artist in their 50s scored a top ten on the Billboard Hot 100 was Santana. In 1999! It is very rare as for those complaing about the album redemption it is only for the US abd if you don’t eedeem your coupon it doesn’t count. Supposedly only 50000 copies sold are for the redemption meaning even without the promotion she would still be number 1 with over 300000 copies sold! Also in the UK she just scored her 12th number 1 album beating Elvis record to become the most successful solo artist in the histiry of the UK albums chart! All hail the queen of pop haters still gonna hate!?
Franco
I don’t believe many people with strong opinions about Madonna yay or nay no very much what they are talking about. She sold a lot of records, it’s music people, there’s a lot more important causes to focus your energies on.
Franco
whoops know not no.Oy.
Red Meat
@Seth: Lady Gaga didn’t sell it for 99cents, Amazon did. Get it right. And if you take out those sales it’s still 600k+ so stay mad.
Erik
@samo: I’m a Madonna fan. I’m not a “hater.” I have all her albums.
However, I am realistic. “Give Me All Your Love” was Madonna’s shortest stay for a single on the Hot 100 in her career. The single charted for only 5 weeks. She is the top selling singles artist of the 2000’s because she was selling maxi singles (REMIXES!) at a time when the maxi single format was dying.
I’ll also relate a particularly eye opening anecdote. Last month, I met a younger gay who was just 18 years old. When I mentioned about Madonna’s new album, he said he had never listened to her music. That really crystallized it for me — Madonna is no longer popular with younger audiences, even in her core demographic of gay men. Not only is she not popular with them, they are totally unfamiliar with her music. This was the second time in as many months I met someone like that.
I think Madonna is becoming the Barbara Streisand for the new gay generation. When I came out, a lot of older gays loved Barbara Streisand. I was mostly unfamiliar with her and didn’t really care for her music. I’m old enough now I’m starting to see myself on the opposite side of that generational gap.
Maybe you want to deny it and still think Madonna rules the pop charts, but she doesn’t. She is older and so are we.
Joe
I’m 48 years old and the kids don’t like her as much as they do younger artists. Who gives a fuck? I like working out, dancing and screwing to her music. She makes me happy. That’s all I care about. All of this “she’s not relevant” crap is just petty.
samo
I didn’t say madonna still dominates the charts I said for her age this kind of continued success is amazing. According to the Guinness book of records she is the biggest selling female artist of all time. According to Billboard she is the highest grossing solo touring artist of all time. Her last tour playes to 3.5 millipn people a record for her with only 85 shows her new tour is likely to beat that record! As for the maxi single thing every dance pop artist released maxis in the 2000s madonna just happened to outsell them without much radio suppory because of ageism. By the way madonna has 38 top ten songs on the Billboard Hot 100 that’s more than any artisist in history! In fact she has more top ten hits than Barbra Cher and Tina combined! Bow down to the Queen!
Ty
Are we bashing Madonna for being irrelevant in the age of Gaga? Hate to burst your bubble by Gaga is going the way of Paula Abdul and Debbie Gibson herself. I know so many gay men flocked to her because of her courting of the gay fanbase but we’ve seen in the past six months what a huge drop in popularity she’s had.
Ty
@Erik:
I understand what you’re saying, but one thing you can’t forget is that Barbra still has huge debuts as well, she had a #1 album in 2009. Babs is good company for Madonna to be in IMO.
One thing you can’t judge her on is the US boycott of all over-40 artists. People demand Madonna to get the same airplay Katy Perry and Rihanna do, but do any over-40 diva? Janet hasn’t had a top 10 since 2001, Celine hasn’t had a top 10 since 2000, before Whitney died, her last top 10 had been 2001. Mariah has been the most successful of those, but even she doesn’t quite score instant immediate hits like she used to and she’s become a Madonna type who has a hit leadoff and nothing else takes off. Do not blame Madonna for US radio’s well-publicized blacklisting of artists over 40 because they’re afraid Justin Bieber fans might have a meltdown if they hear someone their mom used to listen to.
Ty
Speaking of the radio blacklisting of “old” artists… I honestly think radio programers should look at gay clubs to see the melting pot that people can enjoy music of people of all ages if they like the music. I remember in 2008-2009, you had “young gay icons” like Gaga, Rihanna and Beyonce all over the clubs…. yet at the same time, those same 22 year old gay men responded positively to artists like Cyndi Lauper and Donna Summer who had new music out that year as well and had huge club hits. US radio plays these young pop stars but is afraid to play older artists because they don’t think a teen would like it… but these 22 year old clubgoers have absolutely no memories of the disco era and yet loved Donna Summer’s music she put out, same with them having absolutely no memory of when Cyndi was Madonna’s biggest rival (and in fairness they probably barely remember a time before Madonna had a British accent) yet they got their asses on the floor when Into The Nightlife played. If a 22 year old who sees Beyonce, Gaga, Katy and Rihanna as “his icons” can respond positively when an artist who came from a different generation releases a song he might like, why can’t radio assume that mayve a teenage Beyonce/Gaga/Katy/Rihanna fan might not also feel the same way when they hear a new Cyndi Lauper song?
I was a child in the 80s… Madonna, Cyndi, Whitney and Janet amongst others were *my* icons, yet I remember also adoring Cher and Tina Turner and thinking that they were all the more cooler for being my moms’ age and yet still being able to put up such a valiant fight against artists young enough to be their children.
Steve
You Gaga fans (commenting)are seriously sad people. It’s Music, you just like to bitch about everything. WAH WAH my Icon is better than your Icon WAH WAAAAH. Get other it! Katy Perry is the real hit maker right now, not Gaga.
Ty
@Steve:
quoted for truth. Gaga’s going the way of Debbie Gibson and Taylor Dayne. Look forward to her playing Pride in five years and doing Celebrity Apprentice.
Like or hate Madonna, she’s still viable enough. Does anyone think with or without ticket sales that at 53 Gaga will still be able to have #1 albums?
samo
Um the only time that Cyndi was a rival to Madonna was from 83-84 then Madonna put ou the Like a Virgin album and the rest was pop culture history leaving Cyndi and evert other female artist in the dust! By the way the first week numbers for MDNA were higher than the first week numbers of Beyonce Katy Perry Rihanna Britney and Christinas latest albums. You know the girls that were supposed to replace madonna as queen of pop! LOL!
Ty
@samo:
umm… that’s why I said the average 22 year old clubgoer who liked her songs in the club had no recollection of when Cyndi and Madge were rivals, yet liked her.
Stop being defensive.. I’m on your side. Madonna’s #1 to me too… I’m just not one of those gays who only likes one artist… I was condemning radio’s treatment over over-40 females
samo
David madonnas las studio album Hard Candy should be certified platinum but Warner Brothers is always behind updated their certs. At the end of 08 it was reported to have sold 800000 copies in the US jin the 3 plus years since then the album miat have sold at least another 20000 not to mention shipped well over a million copies if she were on Sony it would be certified platinum trust me they always hook their artists up with certs! And if US doesn’t care about Madonna anymore how come her upcoming tour is sold out all over the country including dates at Yankee Stadium something Gaga only wishes she could do! Billboard has already said that Madonna will have the top grossing tour in THE US AND WORLDWIDE this year and it will place on the top 5 allyime highest grossing tours list and can also become THE HIGHEST GROSSING TOUR OF ALL TIME depending on how many dtes she will add to the schedule in 2013! Oh and Madonnas halftime performance was watched by 117 million people that’s more than the game itself and more viewers than any other US TV broadcast in history so much for the US not caring about her anymore!
Red Assault
One TV appearance?
Did you miss the Super Bowl?
DouggSeven
It’s not a good album though. I’m guessing it’s selling because there is literally nothing else happening in music right now.
Allen D.
The album is phenomenal. Good on her.
velocifero
Lady Copycat, or Lady Reductive, must be throwing back more Jim Beam and snorting the coke she says she doesn’t do as she watches the world lose interest in her and look at Madonna. At least Madonna didn’t go on an insane press junket and tell the world her record was going to be the album of the decade like Lady Haha did. And at least Madonna doesn’t lie about her past – Lady Xerox having been proved she came from an upper middle class New York family, was popular at her High School and never had to struggle or pay dues to get herself a record deal. Madonna’s a true progressive and a symbol of integrity for everyone. Lady LookAtMe is a closet Republican who cynically steals money from the LGBT community and does nothing real in return to support it other then create tax havens like her Born This Way Foundation…
Allen D.
@velocifero: Exactly. I love the picture of her and all of her friends, wearing her Abercrombie shirt. HILARIOUS.