Jump to content

Albums that were well promoted, albums that did not..


Drownedboy
 Share

Recommended Posts

Since I´ve been a Madonna fan (1999) she has released many (great) albums, but while listening American Life the other day, how many gorgeous songs the general audience does not know at all. Then I thought the same about some Music songs, and then I thought: well, there´s many many albums of hers that could have been much more succesful, had they been promoted properly, even containing the same songs. For example. Music was mainly the main title and Don´t tell me, but what about the rest? What it feels like for a girl could have been much bigger, as it is phenomenal, but also other great tracks as Gone, Impresive Instant, or I deserve it. This album could have sold more copies but with the tour everything stopped. About AL, I know it got undeserving bad fame after the first single, but the album is simply gorgeous: how is it that people do not know Nothing fails or Love Profusion more? Hard candy the same: at first it was all well done but this album had very catchy tunes and besides the first single I don´t think it was properly promoted anywhere. MDNA was good for my taste, but some of its worst songs were the singles. Rebel heart: ok, she tried but the leaking incident changed it´s course forever, but one more time, some of the best songs were so much forgotten. 

 

So, for me, ROL promo was very good, as anyone just listening the radio could know most of its best stuff and had a great idea of it. Ok, but she did not do a tour at the same time. But with COADF the promo was quite good, all the singles were quite heard at least in Europe, and people had a good idea of it. And she did a tour almost at the same time, one of its best.

I don´t know about pre 1999, but I´ve got the feeling that True Blue was very nicely promoted in terms of singles and videos, but that LAP could have sold much more with another promotion, I feel she was very into Dick Tracy and the songs of it instead of promoting the album so properly, after putting all the care with the first two singles, which were amazing and smashing hits of course, as we know.

What do you think?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Commercially speaking, album/single promotion stops as the margin diminished, she utilized single promotion to boost album sales pretty well already. Gang Bang would be cool to have a sensational music video, but do you think it could help the song to chart top 50, and how many album sales it could move. Let's just be grateful for every music video and promo performance we have.

Edited by TakeYaSeat (see edit history)
Link to comment
Share on other sites

WIFLFAG in particular was amazing and baffling at the same time. When the album was released, the track in it's original form got universal praise. I thought it had potential to do great at radio, especially after the success of Don't Tell Me. 

At the same time, the Above & Beyond mix is one of her greatest remixes. I was so excited when I learned the video would be for the remix. Loved the video and it was absolutely ridiculous that MTV banned it. I sometimes wonder if that was the intent. It worked for JML. But this was violence. Not sex. And MTV had changed a whole lot. It was the end of the channel's actual music days.

I'm still baffled there wasn't an alternative video shot for the album version.  To capitalize on both. Mariah did that all the time (the main reason I became an undercover lamb. Don't tell anybody...)

Don't even get me started on them not releasing "Impressive Instant" as a single. The biggest bonehead move ever.  

The Music era felt like it was cut way too short. 

The American Life promo is fascinating. It went from that original AL video to children's books, jeans commercials, and the Britney kiss. I love the kiss. How could we not? But I will always wish she stood her ground and released the original video. IMO it is her most important video. It is still horribly accurate 20 years later. And I believe it was Guy Ritchie who did not want to rock the boat. Yes she had little kids to think about. I still think he influenced that decision. 

I always wonder how that album would have faired if it had been titled differently. Different single choices, themes etc.

It felt punk as fuck though that she would choose to release something like AL after riding the crazy wave of Evita/ROL/Music/DWT. 

I could go on and on (Too late).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

11 minutes ago, Pootz333 said:

WIFLFAG in particular was amazing and baffling at the same time. When the album was released, the track in it's original form got universal praise. I thought it had potential to do great at radio, especially after the success of Don't Tell Me. 

At the same time, the Above & Beyond mix is one of her greatest remixes. I was so excited when I learned the video would be for the remix. Loved the video and it was absolutely ridiculous that MTV banned it. I sometimes wonder if that was the intent. It worked for JML. But this was violence. Not sex. And MTV had changed a whole lot. It was the end of the channel's actual music days.

I'm still baffled there wasn't an alternative video shot for the album version.  To capitalize on both. Mariah did that all the time (the main reason I became an undercover lamb. Don't tell anybody...)

Don't even get me started on them not releasing "Impressive Instant" as a single. The biggest bonehead move ever.  

The Music era felt like it was cut way too short. 

The American Life promo is fascinating. It went from that original AL video to children's books, jeans commercials, and the Britney kiss. I love the kiss. How could we not? But I will always wish she stood her ground and released the original video. IMO it is her most important video. It is still horribly accurate 20 years later. And I believe it was Guy Ritchie who did not want to rock the boat. Yes she had little kids to think about. I still think he influenced that decision. 

I always wonder how that album would have faired if it had been titled differently. Different single choices, themes etc.

It felt punk as fuck though that she would choose to release something like AL after riding the crazy wave of Evita/ROL/Music/DWT. 

I could go on and on (Too late).

Great post thank you! I agree with you. I must add that starting with WIFLFAG video is like she was tired of being Kaballadonna and wanted to become darker and darker and so that video, Drowned world tour, Die another day, America Life single..they were great but seemed very dark and full of violence, one after one...She tried to seem lighter and sweeter with the love profussion video and the Reinvention tour and later with COADF. 

I think all this violence did not help her popularity at the time. She was in the news, but not so well seen as with Evita, ROL, BS, american pie and music and don´t tell me, a very succesful and beatuiful era for her, in my opinion.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

14 hours ago, Drownedboy said:

Great post thank you! I agree with you. I must add that starting with WIFLFAG video is like she was tired of being Kaballadonna and wanted to become darker and darker and so that video, Drowned world tour, Die another day, America Life single..they were great but seemed very dark and full of violence, one after one...She tried to seem lighter and sweeter with the love profussion video and the Reinvention tour and later with COADF. 

I think all this violence did not help her popularity at the time. She was in the news, but not so well seen as with Evita, ROL, BS, american pie and music and don´t tell me, a very succesful and beatuiful era for her, in my opinion.

"Violentdonna" was a direct result of Guy Ritchie's influence on her, it's not a coincidence that it all started with the BMW "Star" short film/commercial and the "WIFLFAG" video, both directed by him.

She clearly went dark and sort of "macho" and violent on her work just after meeting and later marrying him. She was exploring new territory but also doing work that he could "enjoy" too.

At the time it was sort of refreshing cause it was something "new" for her and also it was the "laughing at herself" bits (those look terribly bad nowadays knowing what happened with that divorce).

The "Drowned World Tour" itself is quite dark and violent in places, like never before. Again, it was new for her back then.

About the original topic... under promoted albums etc. (Super interesting, by the way!)

Keep in mind it's all about money, in the end. Promotion and music videos back then (and today!) costed a lot of $$$. The record company gives/advances the money to the artist BUT the artist later pays for it all back with the money from their royalties. All the promotional costs are later taken back by the record company from the royalties before giving the final amount to the artist. That's why she's always been careful with her music videos, cause in the end it was HER money, even in the 80s, and never wasted it on "minor" releases or albums that were "done". The only exception were the 90s, when she was on an artistic mission, sort of, and gave her all with all the videos for "Erotica", "Bedtime Stories" and "Ray Of Light". Except for those years, she's always been practical.

The "Music" album was hugely successful with only three singles. It sold 11 million copies worldwide. The music industry began to collapse in 2000 with Napster and illegal downloading. Could it have been more than 11 million? With another hit single, probably, yes. But remember that "What It Feels Like For A Girl" was already a minor hit, decent chart positions but definitely no "Don't Tell Me" and of course no "Music". When she wanted "Impressive Instant" as the 4th single but the company wanted "Amazing", she simply gave up and didn't want to spend HER money on a single that she didn't even wanted, on an album that probably had already sold its maximum and that it was going to have the support of a live tour anyway.

"American Life" era was both a blessing and a curse: super good for the fans (lots of singles and content) but also a mess. The "AL" video fiasco doomed the era from the start. She never gave up the album but after "Hollywood" it all got messy. There was a time, in October-November-December 2003 where there were all these releases going on at the same time, depending on the country: "Me Against The Music", the "Remixed & Revisited" EP, "Nothing Fails" and "Love Profusion". And then the "Nobody Knows Me" promo remixes. I mean, I loved it as a fan but the general public got absolutely no idea of what was going on.

"Hard Candy" feels to me her "wasted" album in terms of promotion: but she and Warner just didn't care anymore, with the end of her contract. That 2nd video for "Give It 2 Me", "Miles Away" with no proper video (and later that tour montage)... I mean, wasted potential.

Won't speak of the Interscope years cause that was a different contract anyway, they just distributed her albums and couldn't care less for her.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

21 minutes ago, Prayer said:

"Violentdonna" was a direct result of Guy Ritchie's influence on her, it's not a coincidence that it all started with the BMW "Star" short film/commercial and the "WIFLFAG" video, both directed by him.

She clearly went dark and sort of "macho" and violent on her work just after meeting and later marrying him. She was exploring new territory was also doing work that he could "enjoy" too.

At the time it was sort of refreshing cause it was something "new" for her and also it was the "laughing at herself" bits (those look terribly bad nowadays knowing what happened with that divorce).

The "Drowned World Tour" itself is quite dark and violent in places, like never before. Again, it was new for her back then.

About the original topic... under promoted albums etc. (Super interesting, by the way!)

Keep in mind it's all about money, in the end. Promotion and music videos back then (and today!) costed a lot of $$$. The record company gives/advances the money to the artist BUT the artist later pays for it all back with the money from their royalties. All the promotional costs are later taken back by the record company from the royalties before giving the final amount to the artist. That's why she's always been careful with her music videos, cause in the end it was HER money, even in the 80s, and never wasted it on "minor" releases or albums that were "done". The only exception were the 90s, when she was on an artistic mission, sort of, and gave her all with all the videos for "Erotica", "Bedtime Stories" and "Ray Of Light". Except for those years, she's always been practical.

The "Music" album was hugely successful with only three singles. It sold 11 million copies worldwide. The music industry began to collapse in 2000 with Napster and illegal downloading. Could it have been more than 11 million? With another hit single, probably, yes. But remember that "What It Feels Like For A Girl" was already a minor hit, decent chart positions but definitely no "Don't Tell Me" and of course no "Music". When she wanted "Impressive Instant" as the 4th single but the company wanted "Amazing", she simply gave up and didn't want to spend HER money on a single that she didn't even wanted, on an album that probably had already sold its maximum and that it was going to have the support of a live tour anyway.

"American Life" era was both a blessing and a curse: super good for the fans (lots of singles and content) but also a mess. The "AL" video fiasco doomed the era from the start. She never gave up the album but after "Hollywood" it all got messy. There was a time, in October-November-December 2003 where there were all these releases going on at the same time, depending on the country: "Me Against The Music", the "Remixed & Revisited" EP, "Nothing Fails" and "Love Profusion". And then the "Nobody Knows Me" promo remixes. I mean, I loved it as a fan but the general public got absolutely no idea of what was going on.

"Hard Candy" feels to me her "wasted" album in terms of promotion: but she and Warner just didn't care anymore, with the end of her contract. That 2nd video for "Give It 2 Me", "Miles Away" with no proper video (and later that tour montage)... I mean, wasted potential.

Won't speak of the Interscope years cause that was a different contract anyway, they just distributed her albums and couldn't care less for her.

Super mega interesting post and could not be agreeing more with you, even If I tried!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Drownedboy said:

Hard candy the same: at first it was all well done but this album had very catchy tunes and besides the first single I don´t think it was properly promoted anywhere.

I love people who tell the truth. Thank you. 

Hard Candy was full of interviews and had a few little performances at festivals, but that's it. Literally nothing more. Not even a real TV performance, nothing. 0. 4M was huge so we won't complain about that, but GI2M was literally abandoned after released and still outcharted a hit like Sorry in the USA and got big in Europe (it's played A LOT here in Italy even in 2022, being even more popular than 4M). Also, the CD tag highlighted Beat Goes On as if it was meant to be single, and it clearly didn't happen. Her problem since Music is that her team lets her focus on the tour ignoring everything after the first two singles. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ok so from what i remember (I'm only a fan since 2003 lol)...

Confessions was definitely well promoted. The videos were all over the TV channels and the songs were quite often on the radio. That's also the first time I can remember watching her perform live on TV (watched the Drowned World Tour before that, and the Britney Kiss I guess but nothing else). After that the only times I watched her live on my TV were when she performed during the Rebel Heart promotion (there was clearly effort put in the promotion for that one but for some reason I feel like it ended quickly) and Eurovision (which got people talking but not for the right reasons, just like her tardiness on the Madame X Tour).

As for the worst promotion I guess MDNA? Yes there was the Superbowl, the tour and Give Me All Your Luvin' charted great. But there were only 3 international singles and no live performances done on TV outside of the Superbowl. Even Jimmy Fallon when he interviewed her asked her why she was doing this. After she put the album out it felt like she gave up on it and switched directly to the tour.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I feel MDNA lands in the most unsupported and unpromoted album category. Outside the Super Bowl and lead single and Jimmy Fallon/Ellen, there was nothing out into promotion. And thinking, it was her first non Warner album in years and I wonder if her team and herself did not anticipate how much promo was required to support an album during the promo period. And does anyone ever notice once she’s on tour she doesn’t make any other appearances. During Madame X instead of showing for Met Gala in an eye patch to support her work… she was filming a music video. Which I’m glad because I loved Crave but her appearance in public would have drawn more attention than a music video at that point. Sometimes I think she underestimates what performing and making appearances does for her… when she’s not causing a commotion in the negative sense

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There was a lot done to help sell Hard Candy, but it pales in comparison to everything that was done in 2005-2006 for Confessions. After Give It 2 Me, it was like WBR closed up shop and Madonna only spent her time in rehearsals for the tour.

Dont forget, a video for Miles Away was produced, but never sent to TV. We didn’t see it till like a yr later when it leaked, and later released on Celebration lol

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, Prayer said:

"Violentdonna" was a direct result of Guy Ritchie's influence on her, it's not a coincidence that it all started with the BMW "Star" short film/commercial and the "WIFLFAG" video, both directed by him.

She clearly went dark and sort of "macho" and violent on her work just after meeting and later marrying him. She was exploring new territory was also doing work that he could "enjoy" too.

At the time it was sort of refreshing cause it was something "new" for her and also it was the "laughing at herself" bits (those look terribly bad nowadays knowing what happened with that divorce).

The "Drowned World Tour" itself is quite dark and violent in places, like never before. Again, it was new for her back then.

About the original topic... under promoted albums etc. (Super interesting, by the way!)

Keep in mind it's all about money, in the end. Promotion and music videos back then (and today!) costed a lot of $$$. The record company gives/advances the money to the artist BUT the artist later pays for it all back with the money from their royalties. All the promotional costs are later taken back by the record company from the royalties before giving the final amount to the artist. That's why she's always been careful with her music videos, cause in the end it was HER money, even in the 80s, and never wasted it on "minor" releases or albums that were "done". The only exception were the 90s, when she was on an artistic mission, sort of, and gave her all with all the videos for "Erotica", "Bedtime Stories" and "Ray Of Light". Except for those years, she's always been practical.

The "Music" album was hugely successful with only three singles. It sold 11 million copies worldwide. The music industry began to collapse in 2000 with Napster and illegal downloading. Could it have been more than 11 million? With another hit single, probably, yes. But remember that "What It Feels Like For A Girl" was already a minor hit, decent chart positions but definitely no "Don't Tell Me" and of course no "Music". When she wanted "Impressive Instant" as the 4th single but the company wanted "Amazing", she simply gave up and didn't want to spend HER money on a single that she didn't even wanted, on an album that probably had already sold its maximum and that it was going to have the support of a live tour anyway.

"American Life" era was both a blessing and a curse: super good for the fans (lots of singles and content) but also a mess. The "AL" video fiasco doomed the era from the start. She never gave up the album but after "Hollywood" it all got messy. There was a time, in October-November-December 2003 where there were all these releases going on at the same time, depending on the country: "Me Against The Music", the "Remixed & Revisited" EP, "Nothing Fails" and "Love Profusion". And then the "Nobody Knows Me" promo remixes. I mean, I loved it as a fan but the general public got absolutely no idea of what was going on.

"Hard Candy" feels to me her "wasted" album in terms of promotion: but she and Warner just didn't care anymore, with the end of her contract. That 2nd video for "Give It 2 Me", "Miles Away" with no proper video (and later that tour montage)... I mean, wasted potential.

Won't speak of the Interscope years cause that was a different contract anyway, they just distributed her albums and couldn't care less for her.

I kinda disagree slightly when it comes to her videos. I feel like as she entered the 90s she saw her music videos as a very big part of her legacy and she gave us much more than what was expected of her. Spending a lot of her money unnecessarily for the sake of art.
In 1989 she went against the label to make a video for Oh Father. And she made the ultra expensive video for Bedtime Story. Followed by Human Nature that was just a vanity project. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Remember that True Blue had no tv performances and only rare interviews, but 5 stunning videos that kept the attention high. Also, M was popular everywhere so the interest was kind of "natural". She didn't even need appearances, Warner pushed these song so much on the radio. Before I became a real fan, Into the groove and Papa don't preach could be heard everywhere, all the time.

When American Life came out, despite a lot of promo, people were losing interest. AL video was withdrawn, NF had no video (what a mistake!), LP had a nice video but that could be confused with the similar advert.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, LongIslandTea said:

All Interscope albums were not promoted well.

Can't blame them 'cos they only responsible for distribution whereas the promotion were done by M team and they simply did not want to spend much on it and just relied on the tour itself.

I always thought that Rebel Heart had an excellent promotion, despite of the apps fiasco for the videos. But it was all concentrated in 2 months, that didn't give time to the album for breathing. Then she dissapeared for the rehearsals... 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here is a comprehensive list of her promotional performances from 1982 to 2022

https://xstaticprocess.wordpress.com/list-of-all-madonna-live-performances/

From what I can see at first glance, her most promoted eras were definitely Ray Of Light, Music, American Life, Confessions and Rebel Heart.

Her 80's albums didn't get many TV performances but let's keep in mind it was a very different era. MTV exposure and magazine covers were probably way more effective promotional tools at the time.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

25 minutes ago, Robertthenurse said:

Yall don't think having a WEEK dedicated to Madonna on Ellen and various TV interviews/performances doesn't reflect her "promotion" in Rebel Heart Era?

True, SHE (not Interscope, her) promoted the hell out of that record, at least in the first few months before going into full tour mode. I remember she did more interviews than ever, she did both the Brits and the Grammys at the same time, etc. etc.

But without the support of a proper record company behind her on radios, playlists, syncs, etc., the singles failed to make any real impact.

I also think it's when she finally gave up and accepted that no matter how hard she worked, ageism was going to be now always against her. Remember there was also a little controversy when BBC Radio 1 refused to play "Living For Love" purely because of her age.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 hours ago, Prayer said:

True, SHE (not Interscope, her) promoted the hell out of that record, at least in the first few months before going into full tour mode. I remember she did more interviews than ever, she did both the Brits and the Grammys at the same time, etc. etc.

But without the support of a proper record company behind her on radios, playlists, syncs, etc., the singles failed to make any real impact.

I also think it's when she finally gave up and accepted that no matter how hard she worked, ageism was going to be now always against her. Remember there was also a little controversy when BBC Radio 1 refused to play "Living For Love" purely because of her age.

I think people just have this negativity towards Madonna and always have. Jennifer Lopez gets her newer music played on the radio. I suppose we will see in a couple years as she turned 50 in the last few years, so we will see. 

Guess she still pavin the way for deeze hoes.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well maybe the promotion is also influenced by the reception of the early material: ROL, COADF, LAP, TB, EROTICA, LAV, MUSIC, all these albums had excellent and long promotions also because the tv and radio audiences wanted her, asked for her and got fun dancing her stuff on the dancefloors. Of corse, in this as in many other aspects, Erotica/Sex was  a case of its own :lol: she was the media sensation of the moment, everybody talked and wanted to hear about her to be shocked and criticize, even if the album had a moderately cold reception.

AL, MDNA, HC, BS, RH were not succesful and maybe this also made it harder and less convenient to invest more time, money and media exposure promoting them. Imo, to be honest, the only good ones among them were Bedtime Stories, wich paid for the Erotica scandal, and PARTIALLY Rebel Heart, the most unlucky record in the history of music :lol: (I mean, the leaks, the Brits Awards falling, the plastic surgery critics,, the radio ban).

MADAME X ... well, that's the case of a complete mess, made of carelessness, lack of awareness and selfindulgence (and how I still love sooo many intentions and ideas of that fucking record, just a few steps of selfcritique to be contained and possibly brilliant). But, as I already said in the Maluma concert topic, that's who she is today and it's all another story: you can't parallell this with Madonna the icon of the 80s, 90s and 00s :broken:

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