2008.12.03 - Blabbermouth - 'Chinese Democracy' Lands At No. 3 On Billboard Chart (& other related articles)

Guns N' Roses: 'Chinese Democracy' Lands At No. 3 On Billboard Chart

Guns N' Roses' long-awaited new album, "Chinese Democracy", sold 261,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release (including a reported 25,000 downloads at iTunes on November 23 not counted towards the opening week) to debut at position No. 3 on The Billboard 200 chart — right behind Taylor Swift's "Fearless" at No. 2 (with 267,400 sold) and Kanye West's "808s & Heartbreak", which opens at No. 1 with sales of 450,000 and change.

The first-week sales of "Chinese Democracy", which was released through an exclusive deal with the Best Buy chain, puts it on par with that of the opening number registered by "Contraband", the 2004 debut from Velvet Revolver, which features in its ranks Rose's former Guns N' Roses bandmates Slash, Duff McKagan and Matt Sorum. That CD sold 256,000 copies in the U.S. during its first week of release to debut at No. 1 on The Billboard 200 chart.

According to some reports, Best Buy's promotion of the CD was lacking. Many stores did not feature any special floor displays or banners for the record, and it was not highlighted in advertising circulars.

https://archive.blabbermouth.net/news/guns-n-roses-chinese-democracy-lands-at-no-3-on-billboard-chart/

MTV News, Dec. 3:
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Kanye West, Taylor Swift Top Guns N' Roses On Billboard Albums Chart

In its third week, Swift's Fearless beats the long-awaited Chinese Democracy.

By Chris Harris

After nearly 17 years in the studio, one truly odd MTV VMA appearance, a failed world tour, a riot in Philadelphia, a lot of defensive talk from Sebastian Bach, a leak facilitated by Mike Piazza and DJ Eddie Trunk, a much-ballyhooed exclusive deal with Best Buy, a lawsuit involving the Offspring, the apparently empty promise of free Dr Pepper for all, innumerable and mysterious delays, $13 million in reported production costs, a Greatest Hits album, a change in managers, five possible producers, five guitarists, two bassists, three drummers, the invention of the iPod, a guy with a KFC bucket on his head, zero promotion from the album's mastermind, and now, rumors of a potential reunion of the original lineup, Guns N' Roses' sixth studio album, Chinese Democracy, sold a whopping 261,200 copies its first week on store shelves.

That's right, just 261,200 copies.

Two weeks ago, it seemed like the #1 position on Billboard's weekly albums sales chart could have gone to either Guns or Kanye West. Chinese Democracy was released on November 23, and West's 808s & Heartbreak dropped November 24. It was a battle that pitted one of hip-hop's biggest stars against one of rock's most enigmatic ringleaders, and in the end, GN'R just couldn't contend.

When Nielsen SoundScan issued the latest national album sales data on Wednesday (December 3), it was West's latest at #1, opening with sales of more than 450,100, leaving the #2 slot wide open for Guns ... or so it seemed. Unfortunately, no one factored country crossover cutie Taylor Swift into the equation. In its third week out, her new one, Fearless, climbed from #4 to #2, thanks to sales of close to 267,400 — meaning GN'R's first appearance on the chart in close to 20 years will be at #3.

Whether it was to pick up Kanye's new one or Axl Rose's magnum opus, consumers made their presence felt at record retail last week — one of the biggest shopping weeks of the year. Virtually every album in Billboard's Top 200 experienced either increased or stronger sales, with 22 new efforts cracking the chart. Beyond 'Ye and GN'R, two other albums debut in next week's top 10: Ludacris' Theater of the Mind bows at #5, selling 213,500 units, with The Killers' Day & Age following at #6, scanning 193,400 copies.

Among the other newcomers to next week's chart are Coldplay's Prospekt's March EP, which enters at #15 with 76,700 sold. Entering at #41 with 30,900 scans, is Linkin Park's Road to Revolution: Live at Milton Keynes. E-40's Ball Street Journal follows at #42, with sales clocked at 30,400 and change. The Fireman, the moniker given to electronic music experiments created by The Beatles' Paul McCartney and producer Youth, open at #67, selling 17,300 copies of their new one, Electric Arguments, while Paramore's live CD/DVD set The Final Riot! comes in at #88 with 12,100 sold.

Kevin Rudolf's In the City bows at #93, with 10,800 copies snatched up, while Linkin Park's Songs from the Underground EP follows at #95, scanning 10,600 copies. Stone Temple Pilots frontman Scott Weiland's new solo offering, Happy in Galoshes, opens at #96, with 10,500 copies sold. Stephen Colbert's A Colbert Christmas enters the chart at #119, having sold nearly 8,200 units, while Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo's Alone II: The Home Recordings of Rivers Cuomo pops up at #174 with 5,600 sold.

https://web.archive.org/web/20081225234020/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1600588/20081202/index.jhtml

MTV News Blog, Dec. 3:
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Chinese Democracy’s Sluggish Sales: What Happened To Guns N’ Roses’ Long-Awaited Release?

By Chris Harris

The sales figures are finally in, and after a nearly 17-year wait, Guns N’ Roses’ Chinese Democracy scanned just 261,200 copies, earning the album the #3 position on Billboard’s weekly albums sales chart — right behind Taylor Swift’s Fearless at #2 (with 267,400 sold) and Kanye West’s 808s & Heartbreak, which opens at #1 with sales of 450,000 and change.

Two weeks ago, GN’R’s latest was considered a strong contender for the chart’s peak position, with some predicting the album would outperform West’s 808s in a close race for #1. Instead, history may show Chinese Democracy’s first-week sales as an epic failure.

So, what exactly went wrong? Was it a byproduct of an exclusive deal with Best Buy? Recent albums by the likes of AC/DC and the Eagles were both released exclusively through Wal-Mart (which boasts more locations than Best Buy), and both debuted at #1 with more than 700,000 sold. Did Rose sign an exclusive deal with the wrong retailer?

Did the complete lack of music videos and mainstream press (Rose had not granted any media interviews around the album’s release) hurt the album’s sales? Or did the LP’s extensive delay stymie interest? After all, 17 years is a long time to wait; some spouses don’t even wait that long for incarcerated loved ones.

Was it the innumerable online song leaks over the years, or will the economy be blamed for the album’s third-place finish? Perhaps, for a band that was popular 20 years ago, selling 261,000-plus records is a real achievement — especially in this day and age, when albums aren’t always bought, but illegally downloaded.

https://web.archive.org/web/20081204233256/http://newsroom.mtv.com/2008/12/03/chinese-democracys-sluggish-sales-what-happened-to-guns-n-roses-long-awaited-release/

Blabbermouth, Dec. 3, about the charts/sales in the UK and New Zealand:
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Guns N' Roses' 'Chinese Democracy' Is Big In New Zealand

Guns N' Roses' new album, "Chinese Democracy", has topped the New Zealand chart in its first full week of release. The CD, which debuted at No. 2, has already been certified platinum in the country for sales in excess of 15,000 copies.

"Chinese Democracy" looks set to drop out of the UK Top 5 this Sunday (December 6) based on the midweek figures released by Music Week. The CD debuted at No. 2 in the UK after failing to outsell "Day & Age", the latest album from Las Vegas rock group The Killers.

https://archive.blabbermouth.net/news/guns-n-roses-chinese-democracy-is-big-in-new-zealand/

Blabbermouth, Dec. 3, about the Canadian charts:
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Guns N' Roses: 'Chinese Democracy' Tops Canadian Chart

Guns N' Roses' "Chinese Democracy", sold 70,000 copies in Canada in its first week of release to debut at position No. 1 on the national album chart.

As previously reported, "Chinese Democracy" has topped the New Zealand chart in its first full week of release. The CD, which debuted at No. 2, has already been certified platinum in the country for sales in excess of 15,000 copies.

"Chinese Democracy" sold 261,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release (including a reported 25,000 downloads at iTunes on November 23 not counted towards the opening week) to debut at position No. 3 on The Billboard 200 chart.

Only singer Axl Rose remains in the current GUNS roster, having taken some 15 years to complete "Chinese Democracy" with a revolving cast of musicians.

https://archive.blabbermouth.net/news/guns-n-roses-chinese-democracy-tops-canadian-chart/

Earlier article (Dec. 1, 2008) in Undercover (Australian site):
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Guns n' Roses Dismal First Week Sales

By Paul Cashmere

Guns n' Roses 'Chinese Democracy' only managed to entice 20790 fans into stores in Australia last week and that wasn't enough to topple stalwarts Pink and Kings of Leon.

Even if we give G n’ R a break and add in the figures sold before embargo (3,454), the tally for ‘Chinese Democracy’ is still less than last week’s sales for ‘Funhouse’ (27184) or ‘Only By The Night’ (24579).

The simple message here is Axl Rose waited way too long to release the epic ‘Chinese Democracy’ album and in doing so, many of the old G n’ R fans simply switched off.

By Gunners standards, ‘Chinese Democracy’ is not a great album, but in all fairness to Guns n’ Roses, this is as much a Guns n’ Roses album as Mick Jagger’s ‘She’s The Boss’ was a Rolling Stones album.

Face it; ‘Chinese Democracy’ is GnR lite.

You’ve all heard the album by now. Yes it has three great songs (Chinese Democracy, Madagascar and IRS). It is also no coincidence that the three best songs on the album are the three oldest songs as well. Those tracks have been given a serious amount of road testing whenever Axl performed over the last 8 years.

In the UK, ‘Chinese Democracy’ debuted at number 2 behind The Killers ‘Day & Age’.

By waiting way too long, over producing an album that would have sounded pretty much the same had it been released 8 years ago, by promising numerous false starts to fans and constantly letting them down and by saying the album is by a band that no longer exists was all too much for the fans Axl.

They got bored waiting and moved on.

https://web.archive.org/web/20081204003407/http://undercover.com.au/News-Story.aspx?id=7028

Another article in Undercover, Dec. 3, 2008:
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Guns N' Roses May Debut At 4 In America

By Paul Cashmere

Considering it is the most talked about new album on the planet, Guns n' Roses 'Chinese Democracy' is having a real tough time grabbing interest. In the USA later week, it may even debut at number 4.

Hitsdailydouble.com finalised this week’s Building Albums Sales Chart today and the Gunners are a long from the top if they want to rock and roll.

Hits has ‘Chinese Democracy’ behind Beyonce ‘I Am … Sasha Fierce’ at 3, Taylor Swift ‘Fearless’ at 2 and Kanye West ‘808s & Heartbreak’ at 1.

Kanye is well in front. ‘808s & Heartaches’ has expected sales of 443,559 compared to the Gunners ‘Chinese Democracy’ on 254,341 sales.

Positions 2, 3 and 4 will be close. There are less than 3,000 units between 2 and 4, so when the industry standard SoundScan chart is released later this week, places may juggle.

What won’t change though is ‘Chinese Democracy’ missing the top spot in its own country.

Elsewhere around the planet, first week chart positions for the album mirror the US reaction to the first Guns n’ Roses release in 15 years.

Maybe that is the problem. ‘Chinese Democracy’ is not a Gunners album by the fans standards. ‘Chinese Democracy’ is the first solo album from Axl Rose, released under the GnR brand.

Fans aren’t stupid and maybe Axl was just that little bit too smart for his own good.

In calling ‘Chinese Democracy’ album, he has drawn comparisons with this release to the benchmark GnR moments of ‘Appetite For Destruction’ and ‘Use Your Illusion’.

There is more venom in the first 30 seconds of ‘Right Next Door To Hell’ than in the entire ‘Chinese Democracy’ album.

‘Chinese Democracy’ is missing a ‘Coma’, a ‘Back Off Bitch’, a ‘Paradise City’ or a ‘It’s So Easy’ to be taken seriously.

What the hell is ‘Better’? Axl’s audition Nickelback?

‘Chinese Democracy’ failed because Axl tried to put one over on the audience. In the 21st Century, the audience has way too much access to information to be fooled.

https://web.archive.org/web/20091020050735/http://www.undercover.com.au/News-Story.aspx?id=7050