Why did Nothing Really Matters flop in America?

[Prayer 16,568]

[steady75 10,277]

Because after four amazing singles everybody had gone out and bought the album. NRM was released for another album sales push really and probably to nudge the Grammy panel.  

[Justice 361]

19 hours ago, Donna said:

Clearly, more negativity from a "newcomer"

What negativity?

The single flopped. It is a fact.

[Adonna 20,504]

8 minutes ago, Justice said:

What negativity?

The single flopped. It is a fact.

You're right!  Unfair of me to make such an accusation.  Despite prior and posts after.

[MikeyK 957]

5 hours ago, Ian said:

Heartbreaker was 69 cents back then '(99)

btw One Sweet Day ('95)  was 49c for the cd single and 99c for the cd maxi

 

Madonna at the time was charging 2-3.99usd for a CD single and 6-7.99usd for a CD maxi

Correct. People online talk about Mariah discounting her single circa Glitter but I distinctly remember her doing it even during her big period.

I worked at a Blockbuster Music for a few months in early 96 when I was a teen. I remember her singles being discounted lower than the standard discounts for popular titles. This was during her Daydream mega hit period.

There was one day I was stocking product w/an asst mgr who was updating price stickers. Can’t remember if it was One Sweet Day or Always Be My Baby but he was like, “they’re reducing the price so low they’re not even making a profit. They just want to move units.”

[I am madonna 384]

One of reason is that the music video was too ahead of its time. I watched this old video on YouTube I think its some kind of MTV's show?" I don't know what it exactly is and who they are. MTV VJs? I don't know They are just nobody. Anyway at the time these people said that "did you see Madonna's new music video? And her weird dance move? that's weird" And they ridiculously imitate Madonna's nothing really matter music videos dance moves by saying that it were weird. I hope that someone saw that video too.

They imitate dance move 0:54~1:00 and 3:26~3:30.

 

 

Edited June 2 by I am madonna (see edit history)

[I am madonna 384]

I wonder what it would have been like if the this song was a lead single or a second single

[NRMX 5,508]

[Adonna 20,504]

1 hour ago, I am madonna said:

I wonder what it would have been like if the this song was a lead single or a second single

That's a good question.  Though Frozen was a such a departure of what we've heard from Madonna before that I think it was the right choice to go with Frozen. 

[Blue Jean 16,868]

8 hours ago, mysweetaudrina9 said:

the explanation makes no sense at all. 

Go back and keep re-reading it until you understand it. We will have a comprehension quiz when you are ready.

[Blue Jean 16,868]

8 hours ago, Ian said:

Heartbreaker was 69 cents back then '(99)

btw One Sweet Day ('95)  was 49c for the cd single and 99c for the cd maxi

She's always been cheap 

[Blue Jean 16,868]

2 hours ago, I am madonna said:

I wonder what it would have been like if the this song was a lead single or a second single

The single choices were perfect imo. Except for Drowned World which killed momentum internationally. I think Sky Fits Heaven would have been a good single outside of the US too.

 

[Alpha 1,893]

8 hours ago, mysweetaudrina9 said:

also, do you think chart position is the reason why she ignored this song for 30 years?

There is literally no debate. It charted low because of the lack of the physical single while it was peaking on radio play. The fact that it charted at all showed the song was still popular. She performed it at the grammys, it got radio play and video play and was popular. I do think ultimately she ignored it because of its chart position and the other singles felt more significant. HOWEVER...it was originally going to be performed on RIT either as second song or third song with similar choreography to NKM with its backdrop being the same as NKM but with NRM lyrics obviously while NKM's original backdrop was going to be a video montage like Music or the then recent NKM adviddiva video.

Love the song fyi and its maxi is definitely one of her best.

[Blue Jean 16,868]

49 minutes ago, Alpha said:

There is literally no debate. It charted low because of the lack of the physical single while it was peaking on radio play. The fact that it charted at all showed the song was still popular. She performed it at the grammys, it got radio play and video play and was popular. I do think ultimately she ignored it because of its chart position and the other singles felt more significant. HOWEVER...it was originally going to be performed on RIT either as second song or third song with similar choreography to NKM with its backdrop being the same as NKM but with NRM lyrics obviously while NKM's original backdrop was going to be a video montage like Music or the then recent NKM adviddiva video.

Love the song fyi and its maxi is definitely one of her best.

I do remember being surprised when it was excluded from Drowned World. I'm really glad she gave it the attention it deserves, finally.

[MDNA22 1,268]

The remixes were amazing and loved the cover art for the CD single

Maybe charted low as everyone had already got the Ray of Light album by then

Don't think the Grammy performance really did the song justice - she seemed to oversing it and just didn't seem to work live was a bit flat to me  - but absolutely loved how she performed and sang it on the Celebration tour. 

Think may have done better if it was the third single after Ray of Light. In the UK it was the 5th single after Power of Goodbye and Drowned World

[Blue Jean 16,868]

44 minutes ago, MDNA22 said:

The remixes were amazing and loved the cover art for the CD single

Maybe charted low as everyone had already got the Ray of Light album by then

Don't think the Grammy performance really did the song justice - she seemed to oversing it and just didn't seem to work live was a bit flat to me  - but absolutely loved how she performed and sang it on the Celebration tour. 

Think may have done better if it was the third single after Ray of Light. In the UK it was the 5th single after Power of Goodbye and Drowned World

She had a tendency to over sing during that era. She really perfected her voice by the time she went out on tour though.

[sweetfantasybaby 8]

7 hours ago, MikeyK said:

Correct. People online talk about Mariah discounting her single circa Glitter but I distinctly remember her doing it even during her big period.

I worked at a Blockbuster Music for a few months in early 96 when I was a teen. I remember her singles being discounted lower than the standard discounts for popular titles. This was during her Daydream mega hit period.

There was one day I was stocking product w/an asst mgr who was updating price stickers. Can’t remember if it was One Sweet Day or Always Be My Baby but he was like, “they’re reducing the price so low they’re not even making a profit. They just want to move units.”

Always Be My Baby didn't had, but it was OSD, so Honey/My All/Heartbreaker and TGIF , these singles were discounted, strategies are strategies as long as the public likes the song (Callouts), but I think Honey or TGIF didn't had good callouts

[Sheridan1980 1,201]

Because everybody already bought the album 

[MPowered 7,717]

15 hours ago, Ian said:

Heartbreaker was 69 cents back then '(99)

btw One Sweet Day ('95)  was 49c for the cd single and 99c for the cd maxi

 

Madonna at the time was charging 2-3.99usd for a CD single and 6-7.99usd for a CD maxi

So, most of Moo‘s "hits" aren’t organic? Must be why they are all forgotten.

[Prayer 16,568]

8 hours ago, I am madonna said:

One of reason is that the music video was too ahead of its time. I watched this old video on YouTube I think its some kind of MTV's show?" I don't know what it exactly is and who they are. MTV VJs? I don't know They are just nobody. Anyway at the time these people said that "did you see Madonna's new music video? And her weird dance move? that's weird" And they ridiculously imitate Madonna's nothing really matter music videos dance moves by saying that it were weird. I hope that someone saw that video too.

They imitate dance move 0:54~1:00 and 3:26~3:30.

 

 

It was an UK TV show with Cher as guest, where they were commenting on new music videos. Everyone was laughing at Madonna's moves on "NRM" and Cher said: "you laugh now but you'll be doing those in 6 months!".

Can't find the video now on YouTube!

[Alpha 1,893]

5 hours ago, MDNA22 said:

The remixes were amazing and loved the cover art for the CD single

Maybe charted low as everyone had already got the Ray of Light album by then

Don't think the Grammy performance really did the song justice - she seemed to oversing it and just didn't seem to work live was a bit flat to me  - but absolutely loved how she performed and sang it on the Celebration tour. 

Think may have done better if it was the third single after Ray of Light. In the UK it was the 5th single after Power of Goodbye and Drowned World

No, in the US it is definitely because of the lack of the physical single. Not saying it would've been #1 but for sure top 20. The complete opposite happened with Power of Goodbye in the US where they released the single waaaay too early before radio play peaked. Had the physical single for POG been released a week or two later it wouldve been top 10 and if timing was perfect top 5. Back in the 90s like someone mentioned, physical singles were IMPORTANT. Beautiful Stranger is the biggest travesty and victim of this. Had there been a physical single I'm pretty confident it wouldve been a #1 or top 3 single at the very least.

[LongIslandTea 1,866]

WB should've used "Like an Angel Passing Through My Room" as B-side since they'd screwed up the commercial single release.

[FrozenRain 359]

Her autobiographical singles have all underperfomed in the charts.. NRM, Human Nature, Oh Father, American Life.. suppose GP can't relate.

[Tudors 553]

When I was 13 and discovering Madonna through ray of light I begged and pleaded for this to be single. Thought it was her next dance hit. Then it went to 93 and I was all is this my fault? BS was kinda a comeback. That song was everywhere

[Prayer 16,568]

I found the segment of Cher defending Madonna's "Nothing Really Matters" video on UK TV:

Cute.

Fun fact: the song was indeed a hit in the UK - Top 10 peak and 12 weeks in the Top 100 in total.