While some in the music industry may be disappointed by the weak ratings for the Feb. 13 Grammy Awards telecast, merchants say the event is producing a nice pop in sales, with some winners’ and performers’ albums enjoying as much as a 300% lift.
In terms of sales increases, the two biggest winners appear to be Green Day and Ray Charles, who may be in a tight race for No. 1 next week on the Billboard 200.
Most retailers that Billboard contacted after the awards show say that Charles and his Concord album “Genius Loves Company” will enjoy the biggest sales benefit. But at least one distribution executive predicts that, based on Feb. 14 sales at the major accounts, Green Day’s “American Idiot” (Reprise/Warner Bros.) will hit No. 1 with about 245,000 units and “Genius Loves Company” will land at No. 2 with about 230,000.
In fact, some merchants expect Charles’ album to pick up momentum through the week, because the late artist has an older audience, which might take its time in buying the album.
At the Super D one-stop in Anaheim, Calif., VP of purchasing Thuy Satterfield says, “Ray Charles is probably the biggest story.” David Riesenberg, music marketing manager at Hastings Entertainment in Amarillo, Texas, adds, “We are definitely seeing some lifts,” with Charles getting the “best” one.
Amazon.com reports that “Genius” increased from No. 3 to No. 1 in its top-sellers list, while “Ray Charles Sings for America” soared from No. 875 to No. 246.
TRIPLING EFFECT
Some chains cite Green Day as enjoying a big sales gain. But its album has been a steady seller since it blew up again in mid-December, so while “American Idiot” almost doubled its sales at Newbury Comics after the Grammys, buyer Carl Mello notes that the album was already “huge.” He adds that Joss Stone’s “Mind Body & Soul” and John Mayer’s “Heavier Things” albums tripled in sales in the first three days after the telecast.
Usher’s “Confessions” and the “Grammy Nominees 2005” CD are also expected to have large gains, with units projected to increase by 80%-90%, according to one veteran sales handicapper.
Most merchants say that sales are stronger this year in the week following the Grammy broadcast than they were in 2004.
“We are having a better week so far this week than last year, and the Grammys are a large factor,” says Dave Alder, executive VP at Los Angeles-based Virgin Entertainment Group North America. “Week on week and year on year, we are feeling it quite strongly this year.”
But Jerry Kamiler, divisional merchandise manager for music at Trans World Entertainment in Albany, N.Y., says there was a built-in sales boost anyway because of Valentine’s Day.
Kamiler expresses concern about the drop-off in viewership for this year’s Grammys. According to Nielsen Media Research, the latest edition drew its lowest total viewership in a decade and the second-lowest in the history of Nielsen’s tracking.
MARKETING ANGLE
Still, Kamiler thinks the show was wonderful and suggests that its producers rethink the marketing of the broadcast. “It was a three-hour spectacular, filled with live performance showing the best of what the music industry has to offer in all genres,” he says.
Instead of an awards show, he suggests, maybe it should be marketed as a show with performances from the biggest stars in the business.
Virgin’s Alder says his chain benefitted by the “return of the rock artist” performing at the show. With a high profile for rock at the Grammys this year, the chain saw increases in albums by Maroon5, Green Day, Franz Ferdinand, U2 and Los Lonely Boys. Green Day scored the best-selling title for the chain in the post-Grammy days.
Amazon.com also reports that Alicia Keys, another performer from the event, jumped 53-6 on the online store’s top-sellers list with “The Diary of Alicia Keys.” Other big post-Grammy album sellers for the merchant include Kanye West (“The College Dropout,” 108-26), Los Lonely Boys (its debut spiked 51-7) and Mayer (43-15).
The merchant says that Stone’s album jumped 277-52, thanks to her duet with Melissa Etheridge that paid tribute to Janis Joplin. Even Joplin’s “Greatest Hits” album got a boost, jumping from No. 1,189 to No. 90 on Amazon’s sales list.