Pet Shop Boys Community

MartinWright66 wrote: Tue 14 May 2024, 3:04 pm Add Paul Simon to that list too.

Bloody "The Rhythm of the Saints". At least I *think* that's what stopped Behaviour from hitting top spot.

Yes it was Paul Simon. Behaviour sold more than 60,000 copies that week, normally enough, at that time to guarantee top billing, but Paul Simon sold 80,000 copies ( Music Week data)

Disco. wrote: Tue 14 May 2024, 4:39 pm

MartinWright66 wrote: Tue 14 May 2024, 3:04 pm Add Paul Simon to that list too.

Bloody "The Rhythm of the Saints". At least I *think* that's what stopped Behaviour from hitting top spot.

Yes it was Paul Simon. Behaviour sold more than 60,000 copies that week, normally enough, at that time to guarantee top billing, but Paul Simon sold 80,000 copies ( Music Week data)

Can that really be true? 60k would surely make it the best album opening of their career - didn't Very do something like 35-40 in week 1 or have I imagined that? I thought the narrative around Behaviour was that it had sold relatively poorly but 60k would have given it a silver certification in week of release - if not sooner, because certifications are for copies shipped to retail rather than sold.

If it is true, isn't it funny how a difference of 20,000 copies sold in a week, whilst admittedly a lot, can affect the 'narrative' (hate that term, but sue me) of an album's success? I remember people saying how 'Behaviour' was a bit of a flop, or at least a disappointment sales-wise. I wonder how it would have been regarded if it had been released a week before/after and hit #1? Don't tell me that people don't buy records when a band has momentum - I reckon it would have sold more in the following weeks be virtue of being #1, and historically would be considered a hit record (which it is, if you consider PSB's overall sales per album).