roadhouse
Rocker Rollin'
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Post by roadhouse on Oct 14, 2024 21:37:41 GMT
There were three Quo singles that stuck at Number 2.
What your proposin'
In the army now
Anniversary waltz
Had they been number 1 Quo would have notched up 4 number 1's
Ok I know I'm stating what we already know, but I find it incredible that Down down was Quo's only number 1.
I remember seeing Francis interviewed years ago, and he was asked what was so special or different about Down down, and I think Francis more or less said maybe we shouldn't question it. Somehow the planets all aligned that week.
Surely it couldn't have been low sales by the other artists because sales were huge in the mid 70's.
So Down down had that something special that other Quo songs didn't have, or was something else going on?
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mortified
4500 Timer
Posts: 6,547
Favourite Quo Album: Hello!
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Post by mortified on Oct 15, 2024 4:45:04 GMT
There never seems to be any rhyme nor reason for singles getting to no.1 or just falling short. But usually it's because the one above them has sold bucket loads. Look at Vienna. And Elton John didn't have a no.1 until Sacrifice, which I think was 1989. I think Barbara Streisand stood in the way of What You're Proposing and Nick Berry kept Army at arm's length . Two syrupy ballads. Josephine Public, eh?  Anniversary Waltz was actually no.1 in some charts but, admittedly, not the BBC one which is the one we all tend to go by. As for Down Down, Francis is right. There was nothing particularly special about it when compared with, say, Caroline or Rain. Things just aligned that particular week. And it was only one week. I can't remember what it replaced. Was it Mud or something? I do remember Tymes knocked Quo off their brief moment in the winter sunshine. |
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Post by kursaal75 on Oct 15, 2024 7:22:56 GMT
DOWN DOWN'S CHART POSITION ....
Entered the chart Dec'74 at 34-20-15-15-10-3-1-5-6-26 and 44. .
The single stayed at 15 for 2 weeks, as there was no chart at Christmas.
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roadhouse
Rocker Rollin'
Posts: 970
Favourite other bands.: Thin Lizzy, Saxon, AC/DC, Iron Maiden, Def Leppard, Whitesnake, Queen, Black Sabbath, Rainbow, Deep Purple
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Post by roadhouse on Oct 15, 2024 13:19:46 GMT
DOWN DOWN'S CHART POSITION .... Entered the chart Dec'74 at 34-20-15-15-10-3-1-5-6-26 and 44. . The single stayed at 15 for 2 weeks, as there was no chart at Christmas. Thats even more incredible because it would have meant becomming number 1 even more of a challenge having stalled at number 15 for two weeks. |
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mortified
4500 Timer
Posts: 6,547
Favourite Quo Album: Hello!
Favourite other bands.: Talking Heads, Rolling Stones, Sheryl Crow, Gary Numan, Alabama 3, ZZ Top, Paul van Dyk, Jeff Beck, Bowie, Gerry Rafferty, Band of Skulls, UFO, S.A.H.B
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Post by mortified on Oct 15, 2024 13:41:02 GMT
DOWN DOWN'S CHART POSITION .... Entered the chart Dec'74 at 34-20-15-15-10-3-1-5-6-26 and 44. . The single stayed at 15 for 2 weeks, as there was no chart at Christmas. That's even more incredible because it would have meant becoming number 1 even more of a challenge. Those were the days when entering the charts at no.1 was almost unheard of. Certainly quite rare. Even entering the top 10 was something to behold. Quo rarely came into the charts in a high position. They usually climbed steadily. One exception was Whatever You Want, which raced from something like 38 to about 4 in a week - and then sort of got stuck and went back down again. It all changed and straight in at no.1 jobs became relatively common, although I couldn't pinpoint when. Maybe the 80's. I'm sure I remember The Jam and maybe The Police (not sure) doing it. But from 2000 onwards, it seems to have happened every other week. Or at least, that's my perception. I've never looked at the stats. Of course, I'm sure there will have been exceptions in the 70's and before with the likes of The Beatles and Slade. |
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Post by backwater67 on Oct 16, 2024 9:08:51 GMT
There were three Quo singles that stuck at Number 2. What your proposin' In the army now Anniversary waltz Had they been number 1 Quo would have notched up 4 number 1's Ok I know I'm stating what we already know, but I find it incredible that Down down was Quo's only number 1. I remember seeing Francis interviewed years ago, and he was asked what was so special or different about Down down, and I think Francis more or less said maybe we shouldn't question it. Somehow the planets all aligned that week. Surely it couldn't have been low sales by the other artists because sales were huge in the mid 70's. So Down down had that something special that other Quo songs didn't have, or was something else going on? What your proposin’ …475k uk sales. Just missed out on a gold disc at the time (gold 500k) In the army now…395k uk sales…Again just missed out on a gold disc at the time (gold 400k) Anniversary waltz…401k uk sales..Just made gold in 1990 (gold 400k) These single sales figures are all based on physical sales at the time & don’t include any future download/YouTube & Spotify ect add ons. Down Down made no’1 in 1975…With 295k sales (silver) Sales are always traditionally lower in Jan/Feb time. Singles used to build slowly in the 1970s/80s, usually starting outside the top 40, then depending on radio & maybe a top of the pops appearance would climb into the top 10. In Quo’s case, big tours would escalate single & album sales. Incidentally Quo’s biggest selling uk single is Rockin’all over the world, 750k & made no’3, 16 weeks on the charts starting in Oct’77 & leading into the Christmas market. (Must be well over a million now inc all download formats) Surprisingly the longest Quo charting single is Down the Dustpipe, 17 weeks on the chart. |
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roadhouse
Rocker Rollin'
Posts: 970
Favourite other bands.: Thin Lizzy, Saxon, AC/DC, Iron Maiden, Def Leppard, Whitesnake, Queen, Black Sabbath, Rainbow, Deep Purple
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Post by roadhouse on Oct 16, 2024 14:04:22 GMT
There were three Quo singles that stuck at Number 2. What your proposin' In the army now Anniversary waltz Had they been number 1 Quo would have notched up 4 number 1's Ok I know I'm stating what we already know, but I find it incredible that Down down was Quo's only number 1. I remember seeing Francis interviewed years ago, and he was asked what was so special or different about Down down, and I think Francis more or less said maybe we shouldn't question it. Somehow the planets all aligned that week. Surely it couldn't have been low sales by the other artists because sales were huge in the mid 70's. So Down down had that something special that other Quo songs didn't have, or was something else going on? What your proposin’ …475k uk sales. Just missed out on a gold disc at the time (gold 500k) In the army now…395k uk sales…Again just missed out on a gold disc at the time (gold 400k) Anniversary waltz…401k uk sales..Just made gold in 1990 (gold 400k) These single sales figures are all based on physical sales at the time & don’t include any future download/YouTube & Spotify ect add ons. Down Down made no’1 in 1975…With 295k sales (silver) Sales are always traditionally lower in Jan/Feb time. Singles used to build slowly in the 1970s/80s, usually starting outside the top 40, then depending on radio & maybe a top of the pops appearance would climb into the top 10. In Quo’s case, big tours would escalate single & album sales. Incidentally Quo’s biggest selling uk single is Rockin’all over the world, 750k & made no’3, 16 weeks on the charts starting in Oct’77 & leading into the Christmas market. (Must be well over a million now inc all download formats) Surprisingly the longest Quo charting single is Down the Dustpipe, 17 weeks on the chart. So really this confirms that actual chart positions such as having a number 1 for example doesn't really mean a thing in terms of overall units sold. So in reality Quo's only number 1 in terms of sales was Rockin all over the world, as Down Down peaked at number 1 when in January sales from the rest of the charts we're low. All this is quite amazing really as it could either mean Quo had more number 1's in terms of sales compared to other number 1's from other artists, or on the other hand Quo hasn't really had a number 1 at all. So over the years since the singles charts began in 1952, are they really an accurate gauge of how well an artist has done? For example it could mean Quo's Marguerita Time which was a number 3 in 1983, in another week or month or year it might have sold more singles than say Rick Astley's Never gonna give you up which was number 1 in 1987. Remember this is purely an example. But are units sold really that disjointed from the charts? Or does it simply depend on week by week how well they did, and just simply missed out on potential higher positions? In other words The party aint over yet which stuck at number 11, was a breath away from being a top ten hit single, and indeed could have been in another time altogether? Its quite mind blowing to think all these years I have used the charts to gauge success, but this blows it out of the water for me. I used to buy those Guiness book of Official UK hit singles and study them. Would it have been better if they released books on actual final sales sold, and make up a new chart? This would mean re-wrighting history. And can I ask where do you get your figures from? |
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Post by backwater67 on Oct 16, 2024 18:20:49 GMT
Figures from Music week, Buzzjack & Pip Williams (proposin’ only) Regardless of the artist, in the UK single & album sales are always stronger on the lead up to Christmas than any other time of the year. I always remember reading an article on the Quo single Rock n Roll (1981). One week it was no’8 selling 65k copies, a week later it dropped to no’13 & sold 75k. These were all physical sales purchased over the counter. The same can be said for albums. Jan/Feb are the quietest months for sales & that’s why Down Down hit no’1 & only manage to sell 295k. In terms of sales in the UK Quo have far bigger hits. Rockin’ Proposin, Army, Waltz (1) Marguerita time 😂 & Whatever you want ect. Caroline, Rain, Lies & Burning bridges to name just a few, will have similar sales to Down Down (over 250k). Most official sales figures are usually kept in house & not available to the general public.
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Post by cactuspete on Oct 19, 2024 20:17:17 GMT
Stuck at number 2?
Stuck at 45 might be more apt.
Dreadfull releases from record companies(not the band)
The band sold out,end of.
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