Jump to content

Why wasn't ghosttown a hit for MADONNA


tricky ricky
 Share

Recommended Posts

The entire album was leaked months before it was released, and ghosttown was released on itunes months before it was released as a single, bad promotion, madonna was very weak in streamings (many of her fans refuse to listen her on Spotify, Apple Music or Youtube), and the radios don't play her music anymore, only if she release a featuring single, is not impossible, but i think that it will be very difficult make a new single hit.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 11/23/2018 at 10:08 PM, Régine Filange said:

Buying physical copies won't help that much in 2018. Rules changed. Her 35+ years old fans need to understand that only streaming will help her chart now. If they want her to chart first of all. That doesn't mean you can't buy physical copies too.

E-X-A-C-T-L-Y

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Seduction Surrender
On 11/24/2018 at 12:08 AM, Régine Filange said:

Buying physical copies won't help that much in 2018. Rules changed. Her 35+ years old fans need to understand that only streaming will help her chart now. If they want her to chart first of all. That doesn't mean you can't buy physical copies too.

2C286B41-FF4B-499C-A90F-903379791AE4.gif

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nice track, but generic production.

I think it was a number of factors, the album leaking months before, so by the time Ghosttown came out, the hype was over, the fact it was released in December and released as a single months later - that strategy might have worked in 1995 when physical sales ruled...but does not work now days. She would have had a bigger chart impact with a brand new song...

I also think releasing LFL as the first single was a bad choice too, radio ignored it in the UK (M claimed agism, they responded saying it was a shit song, I agree with them lol), Well actually the world ignored it, it was a bad first single choice, she obviously did not like the production, as she only ever performed a remix of it,, so I think it kinda set the stage for the era, that is, the general public, heard it, went nah don't like it, and assumed the rest of RH was the same.

I think the same thing happened with Kylie with 'Kiss me Once'.....Into the Blue nice song, but such a bad choice for the lead single, and it showed, with the entire era being underwhelmed....fast forward to Golden....Dancing was a good track, well produced, good choice, and sparked interest again.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 11/24/2018 at 3:36 AM, LikeAMelody said:

Just to make a comment about whether teenagers listen to older artists. When I was a teenager in the 80's I discovered older artists but mostly ones that were still active and radio and the general public weren't quite as ageist as they are now.  This is ironic if we are supposed to be evolving mentally and emotionally I would hope.

To discriminate against anyone outside of your "group" is quite conservative and music today seems very corporate and formula based disguised as art. People in the music business have tapped into one of the worse things to come out of 60's which is the notion that everyone older thinks the same way and they simply don't know "where it's at." It may have really started in the 50's but became a movement in the 60's. 

I think that has steadily grown but with the leadership today and the culture we are definitely in "dismiss whomever is not a part of my group society."

 

Which older artists? I have a hard time thinking of any over 40 that were being played on radio or making the charts. Maybe a song here or there, but none that were truly successful. Even Tina Turner's solo career in the US was short lived. After Private Dancer her chart career began to decline, then after Break Every Rule she tanked chart wise, even though she still toured successfully. Linda Ronstadt had a brief return in 89 and Bette Midler had a couple hits, but mostly it was still youth driven back in the 80's and 90's.

I honestly don't think anything has changed. The youth movement that started in the 50's and 60's never really went away. The massive rock bands like Led Zeppellin, The Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, Pink Floyd  and The Who etc... and solo artists like Linda Ronstadt, Barbra Streisand, Peter Frampton and so on were all MIA in the 80's and most of the 80's hit makers were dying off in the 90's. That's why Madonna's longevity has always been respected. Even in the 90's most people said once you hit 40, you're career is dead.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 hours ago, me1981 said:

Which older artists? I have a hard time thinking of any over 40 that were being played on radio or making the charts. Maybe a song here or there, but none that were truly successful. Even Tina Turner's solo career in the US was short lived. After Private Dancer her chart career began to decline, then after Break Every Rule she tanked chart wise, even though she still toured successfully. Linda Ronstadt had a brief return in 89 and Bette Midler had a couple hits, but mostly it was still youth driven back in the 80's and 90's.

I honestly don't think anything has changed. The youth movement that started in the 50's and 60's never really went away. The massive rock bands like Led Zeppellin, The Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, Pink Floyd  and The Who etc... and solo artists like Linda Ronstadt, Barbra Streisand, Peter Frampton and so on were all MIA in the 80's and most of the 80's hit makers were dying off in the 90's. That's why Madonna's longevity has always been respected. Even in the 90's most people said once you hit 40, you're career is dead.

 

A Billboard article on the subject of older artists:

https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/7453640/sia-hot-100-cheap-thrills-40-madonna-eminem-pharrell

Just a sampling of the article: 

"Noticeably, until the 1990s, it appears that veteran acts more commonly topped the Hot 100 than today."

"In the 1980s, several acts had built up long chart histories dating to the early rock era. (The Billboard Hot 100 chart was launched in August of 1958.) Take for example The Beatles George Harrison, who was 44 when he led with "Got My Mind Set on You" in 1988. Or, Bill Medley -- who had ruled the Hot 100 in the 1960s as half of The Righteous Brothers – as he led in 1987 at age 47 with the Dirty Dancing classic "(I've Had) The Time of My Life.”

I don't think I said they ruled the charts but we were definitely more open to hearing the music of older artists and that could quite possibly be because their music was featured on different shows. 

There is a great quote by Terry Jones of Monty Python on a televised PBS pledge week show in Dallas Texas where he says that Monty Python could not have gone out on any other network besides PBS. This was 1975. He goes on to say and I am paraphrasing...that there are people who think they know what the public likes and says that they, Monty Python don't even know what the public likes and they write to please themselves. I think the point was that when the show aired on PBS many people liked it but if it was left up to the "experts" on what people will like or not like it would have never been on TV in the United States.  

In the 80's I could listen to the top 40 station all day or I could listen to Breakfast with the Beatles on Sunday morning, listen to full albums from the 60's and 70's and thier history on the classic rock station in the evening... I could listen to A-Z Discography of the Rolling Stones or 500 countdown of favorite songs of all time.  I could switch over to VH1 from MTV and see videos of music from 50's 60's and 70's. I am mentioning this because there was just more of an openiness to older music although I agree with the article that it has been in a steady decline. The older artists in the 80's were definitely the "older artists" but I remember having tremendous respect for them and whomever is promoting current music today is not showing much if any respect for older artists. 

I think DJs and the like had more power to create interesting shows back then. Now everything is so controlled. I think today there are a bunch of money makers in suits deciding what people like based only on the trend obsessed. There have always been people obsessed with what's hot and trends but their influence and money rule almost everything now and art, history, and thinking for yourself are getting squashed.

I think the article points out that it has been in a steady decline...like I said I don't think older artists ruled the charts. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 hours ago, LikeAMelody said:

A Billboard article on the subject of older artists:

https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/7453640/sia-hot-100-cheap-thrills-40-madonna-eminem-pharrell

Just a sampling of the article: 

"Noticeably, until the 1990s, it appears that veteran acts more commonly topped the Hot 100 than today."

"In the 1980s, several acts had built up long chart histories dating to the early rock era. (The Billboard Hot 100 chart was launched in August of 1958.) Take for example The Beatles George Harrison, who was 44 when he led with "Got My Mind Set on You" in 1988. Or, Bill Medley -- who had ruled the Hot 100 in the 1960s as half of The Righteous Brothers – as he led in 1987 at age 47 with the Dirty Dancing classic "(I've Had) The Time of My Life.”

I don't think I said they ruled the charts but we were definitely more open to hearing the music of older artists and that could quite possibly be because their music was featured on different shows. 

There is a great quote by Terry Jones of Monty Python on a televised PBS pledge week show in Dallas Texas where he says that Monty Python could not have gone out on any other network besides PBS. This was 1975. He goes on to say and I am paraphrasing...that there are people who think they know what the public likes and says that they, Monty Python don't even know what the public likes and they write to please themselves. I think the point was that when the show aired on PBS many people liked it but if it was left up to the "experts" on what people will like or not like it would have never been on TV in the United States.  

In the 80's I could listen to the top 40 station all day or I could listen to Breakfast with the Beatles on Sunday morning, listen to full albums from the 60's and 70's and thier history on the classic rock station in the evening... I could listen to A-Z Discography of the Rolling Stones or 500 countdown of favorite songs of all time.  I could switch over to VH1 from MTV and see videos of music from 50's 60's and 70's. I am mentioning this because there was just more of an openiness to older music although I agree with the article that it has been in a steady decline. The older artists in the 80's were definitely the "older artists" but I remember having tremendous respect for them and whomever is promoting current music today is not showing much if any respect for older artists. 

I think DJs and the like had more power to create interesting shows back then. Now everything is so controlled. I think today there are a bunch of money makers in suits deciding what people like based only on the trend obsessed. There have always been people obsessed with what's hot and trends but their influence and money rule almost everything now and art, history, and thinking for yourself are getting squashed.

I think the article points out that it has been in a steady decline...like I said I don't think older artists ruled the charts. 

Oh yeah for sure, older artists in the 80's and 90's had a better chance for a hit, though maybe just one here or there, so I agree and change my position. It has definitely gotten worse in that respect. Mariah just released a critically acclaimed album that has pretty much tanked on the charts. This is why I have little hope Madonna, no matter how good the music is, will have a really hard time with chart success.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

While I love everything madonna has ever done (aside from hey you and I love New York) I think that all it would take for madonna to have a major hit again in the USA is to have a stellar first single paired with strong visualization that come out around the same time, followed only a short time later with another amazing song and video combination, with simultaneous album release. It’s not rocket science.

Everything about rebel heart was easy for fans to immediately fawn over, but somewhat like American life it was hard for average people to dive into. 

 

I am hoping the the new era pops off like ray of light or confessions. Strong and immediate in your face new-ness. Something that catches the general public off guard. Okay enough talking out of

my ass. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That iTunes EP damaged success of all singles. It also deserved more promo outside of USA.

Other things like radio and ageism are to blame too.

Yes, it is a basic song, but it is one of the best on the album. It is overproduced, the voice shouldn't have been autotuned and it should have been closer to organic sound of her classic ballads with orchestral feel.

It should have been the lead single.

If the song was released by someone else, it would have been a big hit. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, kesiak said:

Source?

Can’t remember what magazine but prior to LFL being announced, Diplo did a brief interview to hype the album and said the first single is done and ready. He described it as an unapologetic Reggae dance floor banger. While he didt name it specifically, the description leans towards UB

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 12/9/2018 at 8:42 AM, xavier said:

Madonna was officially gonna release Unapologetic Bitch as the first single, but was changed to LFL at the last minute. Wonder why the change..

 

 

On 12/9/2018 at 10:21 AM, xavier said:

Can’t remember what magazine but prior to LFL being announced, Diplo did a brief interview to hype the album and said the first single is done and ready. He described it as an unapologetic Reggae dance floor banger. While he didt name it specifically, the description leans towards UB

 

Perhaps, it was one of the songs considered to be a lead single.

Anyway, Diplo also claimed that the album would have had reggae feel. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Tina Turner, Dionne Warwick and quite a few others if I have a think...Patti Labelle !
They all had 'long gaps' between hits and 'comeback' ones.
Even if you HAVE been written off = with the right Management, Promotion and of course Song anyone can have a hit anytime even now.
One good thing about the rise of the d-l and shit or no royalties any more guaranteed.
Many acts have had to go back to touring.
After the 00's all previous eras ['coz of streaming etc] are fair game.
Was it Weezer who just re-made Toto's Africa  ?
all all these young folk have never heard of them = radio - wassat ?
Dusty Springfield !
She should go back to non-digital forms of recording.
Is that why her early stuff isn't so leaky in 'wave' ?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...
On 11/22/2018 at 8:28 PM, tricky ricky said:

I will never understand why the song ghost town wasn't a hit for MADONNA , i think its her best ballad since live to tell ...I also do not understand why she didn't fully add it to her setlist on rebel heart tour ...

why wasn't it a hit ? 

Was it a hit in any country ?

 

Because it was boring, middle of the road fare

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 11/22/2018 at 6:21 PM, fiercemighty said:

I don't understand why it wasn't a part of the tour setlist either. It was a single after all. I was lucky enough that she performed it at the show I attended in Philadelphia, where the crowd was very receptive to it. It was a powerful moment in the show because it's such an emotional song. 

I don’t think I she cared much for this song.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Write here...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Terms of Use