As for the second paragraph, why would the sale spike be historic?
Also, if it sold steadily, that would mean there was no sales spike from Hot Boys. That seems unlikely.
Either way, it was flopping. It was not selling like the first album did.
YOUR Top 10 Singles Of 1999
- Thread starter Wacky D
- Start date
Also, if it sold steadily, that would mean there was no sales spike from Hot Boys. That seems unlikely.
Either way, it was flopping. It was not selling like the first album did.
Nowhere did I say there was NO spike from "Hot Boyz". What I'm saying it was nowhere as huge of a spike as you're making it out to be. You're going by the gold and platinum certification of the album. It got a gold and platinum certification February 2000. There's no way that album sold 500K and another 500K at the same time. Those are certifications for units shipped not sold.
And no, not selling what your first album sold isn't a flop by no means. By your reasoning, most artists are flops because for most, their first album is usually their biggest. Same goes for artists not outselling their previous album. Vol. 3 didn't do Vol. 2 numbers. FOMFBOMB didn't do IDAHIH numbers.
There's a difference between a slow burner and a flop. Slow burners are something that isn't an instant hit, but more gradual, which would describe what Da Real World was. A flop is something that tanks upon arrival and rarely if ever picks up steam. Missy's Da Real World debuted with around 1.5-2K more than the first week sales of her previous album. It took longer to reach the certification of the previous album, but by no means was it a flop.
Last edited:
Old enough to know exactly where I was at in 1997 when I heard "The Rain" for the first time. It may have dropped earlier, but my first time hearing it was late spring/early Summer. They had that song and "Ladies Night" by Lil' Kim in rotation. It was crazy, because that particular Summer, Missy was on several songs, which included SWV's "Can We", Total's "What About Us", and Timbaland & Magoo's "Up Jumps Da Boogie".
You said it sold steadily. An album cannot sell steadily and also have a saws spike.
Technically it’s units shipped minus returns after 30 days.
I agree with you that it’s unlikely that it sold, at a minimum, 500,001 units with zero returns in the thirty days before it was certified both gold and platinum at the same time.
We have to assume that record labels will certify as soon as they can.
My assumption here is that the record label didn’t want to certify just gold as that would have looked like a flop since the last album went platinum in two months.
All we really know is that the first album was certified platinum in two months and the second album took 7 months. That is a very significant drop and you have to question whether the album would have gone platinum at all without Hot Boyz.
True. I didn’t mean any drop off from the previous album equals flop. If there is some kind of a significant difference though, that will fuel discussion of whether the album flopped. Platinum in 2 months versus platinum in 7 is significant.
Key word: assumption.
Fact: Albums often receive a Gold and Platinum certification on the same day. Why? When you reach the requirements for platinum, the requirements for gold have obviously been met. It defeats the purpose having to get a certification for one at one date and repeat the process at a later date.
What I'm saying is the album was likely around the 600-700K mark before it received a certification.
I kind of agree with this. Although an abum doesn’t need to “tank” The first week to be a flop.
To me, it’s clear Missy’s second album was flopping and then picked up steam when the third single connected.
I turned 17 that summer. I’ll take it you were much younger since you're not just saying a number. That explains to me why you aren’t able to tell the difference between The Rain and She’s a bytch.
Nothing personal. We are all too young at some point.
A 75% increase in sales is by definition a spike.
An album that ranks the first week would be considered a flop as would a movie that tanked opening weekend.
By your definition, every album that was a slow burner is in fact a flop.
True. Which is why I said all we really know is 2 months versus 7.
What I’m saying is that an album or movie can do good to even great number the first week but still flop.
No movie or album that does good or great numbers is going to be considered a flop. Again, good to great would have to be a drastic drop when compared to the standard.
We don't know what numbers Da Real World was at before "Hot Boyz". The only fact is that it sold a couple thousand more in week than her debut did and that Supa Dupa Fly went platinum quicker. We don't even know what Supa Dupa Fly had sold by 1999 to really make a fair comparison.