[from @U2Any band these days would love to sell a million records, but for U2, that high number is not enough. The multi-platinum rockers told the Associated Press that they're displeased with the sales of their latest album, 'No Line on the Horizon.' Recent U2 albums have been selling in the three to four million range, while 'No Line' has only broken the million mark. Bono and company see factors such as the lack of a hit song and the fickle public's need for a "diet of pop" are contributing to this so-called slump. "We weren't really in that mindset," Bono said about the lack of a commercial hit from 'No Line.' "We felt that the album was a kind of an almost extinct species, and we should approach it in totality and create a mood and a feeling, and a beginning, middle and an end. And I suppose we've made a work that is a bit challenging.""The commercial challenges have to be confronted," bassist Adam Clayton said. "But I think, in a sense, the more interesting challenge is, 'What is rock 'n' roll in this changing world?' Because, to some extent, the concept of the music fan -- the concept of the person who buys music and listens to music for the pleasure of music itself -- is an outdated idea."That said, this isn't the first time that U2 is failing their own high expectations. Remember the group's 1997 album 'Pop'? Widely considered the group's worst album, that too failed to yield a mega-commercial hit that they had achieved with 'The Joshua Tree' and 'Achtung Baby.' That Bono says the new material is more challenging is indicative of this facet, but still, the band continues to try and reach new audiences with a recent partnership with BlackBerry and an appearance on 'Saturday Night Live.' So they're not giving up hope. All of this said, U2 probably doesn't have much to worry about. They're currently enjoying record-setting numbers for their '360 Tour' and have an ace up their sleeve -- next week will mark the release of the deluxe version of 1984's 'The Unforgettable Fire,' which featured a little song everyone might have heard of called 'Pride (In the Name of Love).'U2 will broadcast the October 25 date on their 360 Tour from the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. live on YouTube at 8:30PM PT.]

from @U2

Any band these days would love to sell a million records, but for U2, that high number is not enough. The multi-platinum rockers told the Associated Press that they're displeased with the sales of their latest album, 'No Line on the Horizon.' Recent U2 albums have been selling in the three to four million range, while 'No Line' has only broken the million mark. Bono and company see factors such as the lack of a hit song and the fickle public's need for a "diet of pop" are contributing to this so-called slump.

"We weren't really in that mindset," Bono said about the lack of a commercial hit from 'No Line.' "We felt that the album was a kind of an almost extinct species, and we should approach it in totality and create a mood and a feeling, and a beginning, middle and an end. And I suppose we've made a work that is a bit challenging."

"The commercial challenges have to be confronted," bassist Adam Clayton said. "But I think, in a sense, the more interesting challenge is, 'What is rock 'n' roll in this changing world?' Because, to some extent, the concept of the music fan -- the concept of the person who buys music and listens to music for the pleasure of music itself -- is an outdated idea."

That said, this isn't the first time that U2 is failing their own high expectations. Remember the group's 1997 album 'Pop'? Widely considered the group's worst album, that too failed to yield a mega-commercial hit that they had achieved with 'The Joshua Tree' and 'Achtung Baby.' That Bono says the new material is more challenging is indicative of this facet, but still, the band continues to try and reach new audiences with a recent partnership with BlackBerry and an appearance on 'Saturday Night Live.' So they're not giving up hope.

All of this said, U2 probably doesn't have much to worry about. They're currently enjoying record-setting numbers for their '360 Tour' and have an ace up their sleeve -- next week will mark the release of the deluxe version of 1984's 'The Unforgettable Fire,' which featured a little song everyone might have heard of called 'Pride (In the Name of Love).'

U2 will broadcast the October 25 date on their 360 Tour from the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. live on YouTube at 8:30PM PT.




If i was U2, if im concerned about sales, i would think:

Old sound-Sells
New sound-doesnt dell


my concern is, will they not experiment on SOA now, or rush it out to be out for the holidays?

First off- the interview is with AP and can be located here:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gF22idat1O1yi7KZ1BQ3XPcbupxAD9BGS90O0

I think Bono and the band are the only people surprised by low album sales.
GOYB was a terrible single.
And when he gets on about "we've made a work that is a bit challenging for people who have grown up on a diet of pop stars." I think I want to vomit.
He completely negates any type of ownership or thought that hey- maybe the album wasn't so good. The album as a whole is dull and lyrically weak  compared to previous U2 albums(yes my musical diet contains a strong dose of good song writing).  Coldplay and Radiohead have both sold more albums then U2 with their latest releases..so its possible to generate good sales with good material.

I agree that it looks bad (at least to me) that he didn't even entertain the possibility that maybe they had made some mistakes, which I definitely think they did. I mean, this album isn't anywhere near perfect.

I disagree with whomever said the album is not perfect.  It is.
I do, however,think that the band should not be too disappointed with the album sales figures
considering very little advertising (I am not including the concert) has been done for the album since the initial release.
There has been virtually no radio play of any of the songs on the album to assist in generating the exponential interest
in it. The name of U2 will automatically bring sold out concerts--which does not necessarily = fantastic
album sales figures without advertising dollars and releases to radio to put it in the public ear.

there's an air of entitlement about the whole thing, as if somehow they were immune to criticism and the possibility that, hey, maybe it's really NOT as good as they think

We're in a single-loving instant gratification individual song for the mp3 player society, that's one reason why dross like htdaab can outsell a better work like nloth

interesting article. I think I agree with with most of what Adam said. I think U2 may have to change the way their promote their albums in the USA in they want to increase their sales figures there in the future. How exactly? I'm not so sure

The singles havent done very well at all in the Uk , the promotion for the singles [first 2] was awful , magnificent didnt get a cd release , get on your boots didnt have a music video until the single was acutally out. Crazy Tonight had the Blackberry advert so you cannot say the same about that one

Single downloading people [98.6 % of single sales are downloads] are mainly young [below 16]  , people who download basically dont give a damn about U2. U2 havent got a young audience anymore and that has reflected on the singles.

U2 have a massive fanbase but they aint going to be downloading singles unless there an avid fan.

As far as No Line being a failure goes  that is untrue , it hasnt lived up to expectations is the better pharse to use.

Its the biggest selling album released this year by quite a distance. Its the 2nd biggest selling album of the year behind Lady Gaga who does have the massive singles being played 24/7 on the radio and tv.

U2 have never had the biggest selling album of the year and nloth will proably come in 2nd this year , which maybe u2's best ever performance on an end of year chart [tjt and ab werent the biggest seller in the years they came out]

It would be a failure if it wasnt near the top of the list and other artists where selling loads more.

Compare the albums sales to the market not past album sales, cd sales are dying very quickly not just for u2 for everyone
Lady Gaga The Fame 3.811.000
U2  No Line On The Horizon 3.463.000
Michael Jackson Thriller (25th Anniversary Reissue) *since july 2009 counted together at "Thriller" 3.156.000
Kings Of Leon Only By The Night 3.037.000
Michael Jackson  Number Ones (since 2009) 2.962.000
Black Eyed Peas The E.N.D. 2.784.000
Eminem Relapse 2.783.000
Taylor Swift Fearless 2.755.500
Soundtrack Hannah Montana: The Movie 2.597.000
Beyoncé  I Am... Sasha Fierce 2.584.000
Michael Jackson The Essential (since 2009) 2.433.500
Green Day 21st Century Breakdown 2.428.000
Soundtrack Twilight 2.194.000
Pink Funhouse 2.119.000
Michael Jackson King Of Pop 1.828.000
Nickelback Dark Horse 1.726.000
Michael Jackson Bad (since 2009) 1.628.500
Bruce Springsteen  Working On A Dream 1.622.500
Lily Allen  It's Not Me, It's You 1.584.000
Jason Mraz We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things. 1.469.000
Coldplay Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends 1.466.500
Michael Jackson Dangerous (since 2009) 1.383.500
Jay-Z  Blueprint 3 1.372.000
Michael Jackson  Off The Wall (since 2009) 1.370.000
Soundtrack Mamma Mia! 1.328.000
Seal Soul 1.275.500
Kelly Clarkson All I Ever Wanted 1.271.500
Britney Spears  Circus 1.246.500
The Killers  Day & Age 1.145.500
Katy Perry One Of The Boys 1.120.500
Depeche Mode Sounds Of The Universe 1.079.500
Duffy Rockferry 1.078.500
Akon  Freedom 1.076.500
AC/DC Black Ice 1.069.500
Rascal Flatts Unstoppable 1.058.500
Whitney Houston  I Look To You 1.048.000
The Fray The Fray 1.010.500

whoever said its perfect, they are right...

they made it TOO perfect, they tried to make everything perfect, they made songs like SUC that could have had a nice rough edge to it sound clean

still a good album

whoever said its perfect, they are right...

they made it TOO perfect, they tried to make everything perfect, they made songs like SUC that could have had a nice rough edge to it sound clean

still a good album

I agree, none of the songs sound like spur of the moment magic; they all sound way too shiny and clean cut. I wish they would stop trying to make good songs and just let good songs come to them. Even Moment of Surrender, recorded in one take, seems too polished. I mean, it's obvious you're trying to make a song perfect when it has a 2 minute intro, three choruses broken by a guitar bridge slide solo and a one minute outro. As good of a song as MOS is, it hears pretty by the books to me, and that's why I think they will never make another With or Without You, One, or even Acrobat (which ironically, Bono was not happy with the recording).

Let's stay away from the whole "the album is good or isn't good" statement for right now.  I think a lot of it has to do with advertising.  This album wasn't heavily advertised like HTDAAB, no radio play, nothing.  You can have the best album in the universe but if no one knows its out there, no one will hear or buy it.  Yes, GOYB isn't up there with Beautiful Day or Vertigo, but how is the mainstream supposed to know if its not in heavy rotation.  The whole Blackberry thing came after the third single and should've came with the release of the album.  The band still has this 1987 mentality of selling records.  U2 has to change with the times, advertising wise.

NLOTH hasn't sold well, eh Bono? Cheer up! (Where's Mr T with his charts to prove Bono wrong?)

Let's stay away from the whole "the album is good or isn't good" statement for right now.  I think a lot of it has to do with advertising.  This album wasn't heavily advertised like HTDAAB, no radio play, nothing.  You can have the best album in the universe but if no one knows its out there, no one will hear or buy it.  Yes, GOYB isn't up there with Beautiful Day or Vertigo, but how is the mainstream supposed to know if its not in heavy rotation.  The whole Blackberry thing came after the third single and should've came with the release of the album.  The band still has this 1987 mentality of selling records.  U2 has to change with the times, advertising wise.

What about Letterman, SNL, and renaming a street?

Let's stay away from the whole "the album is good or isn't good" statement for right now.  I think a lot of it has to do with advertising.  This album wasn't heavily advertised like HTDAAB, no radio play, nothing.  You can have the best album in the universe but if no one knows its out there, no one will hear or buy it.  Yes, GOYB isn't up there with Beautiful Day or Vertigo, but how is the mainstream supposed to know if its not in heavy rotation.  The whole Blackberry thing came after the third single and should've came with the release of the album.  The band still has this 1987 mentality of selling records.  U2 has to change with the times, advertising wise.

What about Letterman, SNL, and renaming a street?

Not to mention Good Morning America, the Blackberry Commercial, and releasing the album in 5 formats. I actually think they did MORE advertising for No Line than Bomb, but they just didn't have that big 'hit' like Vertigo and the Itunes Commercial.

i just can't dig why many consider GOYB sucks. gosh, it's just so beautiful! so unique! the meaning per se of "Get On Your Boots" is much more relevant compared to other songs where the literal meaning of "boots" is explicitly stated.

"the future needs a big kiss" - from who else and where else can we get that very important line from? no one but U2 and Bono!!!

i really just feel so upset why even most U2 fans today don't want to expand their horizons...Bono says there's "no line on the horizon"... and i believe it.

I disagree with whomever said the album is not perfect.  It is.

LOL, whitewave - my thoughts exactly!  

Seriously, this little article to me is quite reassuring. I know the thing the headlines all seem to want to pick up on is "U2 album sales disappointing" and "U2 disappointed by lack of singles", but to me what's more exciting is the fact that Bono is acknowledging the fact that they've made an album that's a cohesive and challenging work, and that they're proud of that. Of course that's going to have a harder time connecting in a culture which is headed very much the other way, where instant gratification is easier and easier and twitter-length dialogue is increasingly the norm. But a lot of people DO still value a challenging work, and while I know that having a broad appeal is very important to U2, and I understand why, I'm so grateful that they haven't sacrificed all depth to that cause. You hear so many quotes from Bono, about his belief in the pop single, and all of that - sometimes I get freaked out hit singles ARE all that really matters to them, and that they'll ditch their experimental side, and like Shock said, scrap Songs of Ascent, and come out with an album of bubblegum and end up looking pathetic. I should really give them more credit than that, though, shouldn't I?