Wednesday, October 31, 2012

More Info On "Superstar" Release


Apparently, a special edition single of "Superstar" called the "Keep Walking, Brazil Special Edition" will be released soon, which will feature cover art designed by a Brazilian artist who will be chosen by fan vote. The single will also feature remixes by top Brazilian DJ's. No word yet on any kind of USA release or how this special single will be distributed.

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

MDNA Tour / Billboard Touring Awards


Madonna, Guy Oseary and the MDNA Tour have been named as finalists in 3 categories for the 2012 Billboard Touring Awards:

Top Tour (MDNA Tour)
Top Manager (Guy Oseary)
Concert Marketing And Promotion (Madonna/Smirnoff)

The awards are based on numbers reported to Boxscore from Oct. 1, 2011, through Sept. 30, 2012. The Billboard Touring Conference And Awards will be held November 7-8th in New York.

Thursday, October 25, 2012

Chart News: Week of 11/3/2012


It's an uneventful chart week as MDNA falls off the Billboard 200 and Top Current Albums charts again. It also slides down a few notches to #14 on the Dance Electronic Albums chart.

BILLBOARD 200: OFF (From #181)
TOP CURRENT ALBUMS: OFF (From #161)
DANCE / ELECTRONIC ALBUMS: #14 (Down from #9)

I'd love to see some more singles chart action again soon! There are still rumors floating around about "Superstar" being the next single. According to our blog poll, however, "Love Spent", "Gang Bang", and "I'm Addicted" are your Top 3 favorite choices to be the follow-up release, and I have to agree. I think any of those choices would be much better!

Sunday, October 21, 2012

Archive Updates

Complete info for Open Your Heart, La Isla Bonita, Who's That Girl, Causing A Commotion, Like A Prayer, Express Yourself, Cherish, Oh Father, Keep It Together, Vogue, and Hanky Panky on the Hot 100 Airplay chart (which was previously missing) has now been added. A couple of peak dates have also been corrected for some of these titles on this chart as well.

UPDATES: Oh Father's run on the Hot 100 Airplay chart had an error that has now been corrected.
Complete info for Rescue MeJustify My LoveHanky PankyVogueKeep It TogetherOh Father, CherishExpress Yourself,  Like A PrayerCausing A CommotionWho's That GirlLa Isla Bonita  and Open Your Heart on the Hot 100 Singles Sales chart has now been added.

Final Week On Chart dates have been added for Madonna (Video Compilation) on the Top Music Videos and Top Video Sales charts.

Ask Billboard: "Luvin' MDNA"


Hi Gary,

I'm an avid Madonna fan, have been since her debut. I've noticed that her latest album, "MDNA," has re-entered the Billboard 200 a couple of times recently, surely due to her touring the U.S. I'm curious to know exactly how many units it has sold and how it compares to her three prior albums: "American Life" (2003), "Confessions on a Dance Floor" (2005) and "Hard Candy" (2008). I truly believe that "MDNA" is a brilliant album and is suffering in sales due to poor singles choices and little radio airplay. I have not heard one track off the set on any top 40 radio station.

Thanks,

John O'Sullivan
Sacramento, California


Hi John,

I agree that "MDNA" is likely underrated, with "Love Spent" a potential hit that, sadly, may never get its chance as a single. "Give Me All Your Luvin' " and "Girl Gone Wild" peaked at Nos. 24 and 38, respectively, on Pop Songs. Third single "Turn Up the Radio" looks unlikely to chart. (Perhaps "Superstar" might?)

Madonna's current tour has seemingly spurred sales. Three weeks ago, as Madonna toured the East Coast, "MDNA" was No. 94 on the Billboard 200 - but No. 21 in Boston and No. 29 in New York, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

This week, "MDNA" re-enters the Billboard 200 at No. 181. The set has sold 512,000, trailing "Hard Candy" (744,000), "Confessions" (1.7 million) and "Life" (680,000). (Remember, though, that "MDNA" has been out for six months and sales were heftier earlier in the 2000s).

Billboard.com

Saturday, October 20, 2012

Video Charts Section

Just a heads up that I've added a Video Charts section to the blog and I'll be updating it over time with Madonna's video releases. Some of these stats are already on some of the other singles or albums pages (for example: The Confessions Tour, Sticky & Sweet Tour, What It Feels Like For A Girl DVD single, etc), but they will eventually be moved into the video section with their own pages.

Ray Of Light (Video Single) (1998)


Madonna (Video Compilation) (1984)


Thursday, October 18, 2012

Update On MDNA's Sales

MDNA sold 2,659 copies last week (Billboard Issue Dated October 27, 2012) compared to 1,401 copies the week before, for an increase of 90%. MDNA's total sales currently stand at 511,821 copies sold.

UPDATE: Billboard confirms sales of 512,000 (approximate). Source

Chart News: Week Of 10/27/2012


Good news today as MDNA makes another re-entry on the Billboard 200 at #181 (its 13th week on the chart), no doubt aided by the West coast leg of the MDNA tour. The album also re-enteres Top Current albums at #161, and climbs up to #9 on Dance / Electronic Albums.

BILLBOARD 200: #181 (Re-Entry)
TOP CURRENT ALBUMS: #161 (Re-Entry)
DANCE / ELECTRONIC ALBUMS: #9 (Up from #12)

Archive Update

Complete info and chart run for I'm Going To Tell You A Secret on the Top Soundtrack Albums chart has now been added, which was previously missing. Thanks as always to contributor Maurice Gravelle for submitting this piece of info!

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

MDNA Certified Gold By The RIAA


After passing the 500,000 mark in sales a few weeks ago, MDNA has been officially certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America as of October 9, 2012. Congrats, M!

Thursday, October 11, 2012

My MDNA Los Angeles Show (10/10/12) Review (Updated with videos)


As I eagerly awaited for the doors to the Staples Center to open at 7:00 pm, the anxiety of securing a good spot in the Golden Triangle was starting to build up in me. All I wanted was to be in the front of the main stage! I looked at all the people around me and wondered how many of them had Golden Triangle tickets. All I knew was that I was going to run all the way down to the floor to try to get the best spot: Front Row, Center! More and more people started lining up and finally, at 7:00 pm on the dot, the woman inside gave the guy outside the go-ahead and he opened the door in front of me. I already had my phone and keys in hand, ready to throw in the plastic bucket as I went through the metal detector. Luckily, it didn't beep and as I was stepping through I asked the woman what the fastest way to the Golden Triangle was. She pointed straight ahead and said "You can take aisle 14". I saw the sign up ahead. Aisle 14! I started RUNNING. Earlier, I had said to my boyfriend Jonathan  "don't be upset if I don't wait for you, I'll save you a spot!" He understood. As I entered the doorway of aisle 14 and started racing down the stairs, I realized that my heart was beating fast.

As I was about halfway down I looked at the golden triangle up ahead and realized that not a single person was inside yet! I could hear a couple of the employees telling me to slow down, but I could also hear people running behind me so I kept running, but just then I realized that my legs were shaking so much that I had to hold on to the railing as I ran. I flashed my wristband at every attendant I passed, and finally I reached the Golden Triangle entrance, showed my wristband to one last person, made a mad dive for the front center area of the stage and gripped it with my hands. A few seconds later, people rushed to my left and right, and eventually, the entire front row was filled. Luckily, my boyfriend was able to squeeze in next to me. We had secured our spots. Front row center! I couldn't believe it!

Chart News: Week Of 10/20/2012


After a 3-week re-entry, MDNA falls off the Billboard 200 Albums Chart this week from last week's #142 position. It also falls off the Top Current Albums chart and falls down to #12 on the Dance / Electronic Albums chart. Elsewhere, "Turn Up The Radio" falls off the Club Play chart after an 11-week stay.

BILLBOARD 200: OFF (From #142)
TOP CURRENT ALBUMS: (OFF from #129)
DANCE / ELECTRONIC ALBUMS: #12 (Down from #6)

TURN UP THE RADIO
HOT DANCE / CLUB PLAY: OFF (From #43)

Thanks to Maurice.

P.S. I was at Madonna's Los Angeles show last night and it was amazing! Full review to follow soon.

Monday, October 8, 2012

"Superstar" Remixes In The Works?


Continuing with the rumors about "Superstar" possibly being the next single from MDNA, Drowned Madonna is reporting that official remixes of the song have been completed by Bimbo Jones and Eddie Amador. If true, it's interesting that Interscope are even bothering with a fourth release since "Turn Up The Radio" isn't really doing much on the radio, unless perhaps this will just be a club-only release. But if that were the case, one would think they would have gone with either "Gang Bang" or "I'm Addicted" instead. Could a remixed "Superstar" be Madonna's next Club Play #1 hit?

Saturday, October 6, 2012

Flashback: 30 Years Ago Today...


On October 6th, 1982, Sire Records released a 12" vinyl of Madonna's very first single, "Everybody". While the song wouldn't go on to set the charts on fire, it was an important stepping stone into what would become a legendary music career. "Everybody" marked Madonna's very first appearance on any Billboard chart when it debuted on the Dance/Disco chart (now known as the Club Play chart) on November 6, 1982, a chart in which she still dominates even today!

"I was living on the Upper West Side, 99th and Riverside, and about 7:00 at night I had the radio on in my bedroom, on WKTU, and I heard 'Everybody'. I said 'Oh, my God, that's me coming out of that box.' It was an amazing feeling." —Madonna

"Everybody" would go on to peak at #7 on the Bubbling Under chart on January 22, 1983.

 

Dance and sing, get up and do your thing! Give "Everybody" a few spins today in celebration :)

Thursday, October 4, 2012

Chart News: Week of 10/13/2012


BILLBOARD 200: #142 (Down from #94)
TOP CURRENT ALBUMS: #129 (Down from #88)
DANCE / ELECTRONIC ALBUMS: #6 (Down from #3)

TURN UP THE RADIO
HOT DANCE / CLUB PLAY: #43 (Down from #27)

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

MDNA Tour: North American Box Scores Part 1


The first round of box scores for the North American leg of the MDNA tour have finally been released, and they look good! All shows have been sold out so far. Here are the figures: