Ayu not in Oricon's "Top 20 Favorite Artists"... losing popularity?

[ストロボ・EdGE]

http://www.oricon.co.jp/news/music/60075/

Oricon does this survey every year to see the most liked artists; 20,000 people were asked who their favorite artists were and Ayu... wasn't there... Do you think she's losing popularity? Come to think of it, when was the last monster hit ayu had? You know, like REALLY REALLY popular? Wasn't it BLUE BIRD? What do you think of this? ...I'm a little sad and shocked.

If anyone is curious, here are the top positions:

1. utada hikaru
2. kobukuro
3. aiko
4. mr. children
5. dreams come true
6. southern all-stars
7. amuro namie (WOAH! didn't expect that one so high...)
8. b'z
9. spitz
10. arashi
11. fukuyama masaharu
12. shibasaki kou
13. exile
14. pornografitti
15. ayaka
16. yui
17. hirai ken
18. yuki
19. kuwata keisuke
20. yuzu

[Delirium-Zer0]

She's been losing popularity very very steadily since mid-2002.

I really wish ayu's fans didn't freak out like the sky is falling every time something like this happens.

Ayu's career is currently mostly driven by the die-hard fans - casual listeners are, for the most part, no longer interested. That's how it goes.

[Gus-tave]

Originally Posted by Delirium-Zer0

Ayu's career is currently mostly driven by the die-hard fans - casual listeners are, for the most part, no longer interested. That's how it goes.

Yes, I think that's true... to an extent. She is still a huge force in Japan, even with her declining sales. I was in Japan when Blue Bird came out (the first time I listened to Ayu or had even heard of Ayu!!!) and I was shocked how I heard it being played everywhere I went!!! Stores/restaurants/radio... I even heard it being played at a store in a temple I visited!!!

Anyways, I am also hopeful that she continues doing well in China and Taiwan!

[terra]

Originally Posted by Gus-tave

Yes, I think that's true... to an extent. She is still a huge force in Japan, even with her declining sales. I was in Japan when Blue Bird came out (the first time I listened to Ayu or had even heard of Ayu!!!) and I was shocked how I heard it being played everywhere I went!!! Stores/restaurants/radio... I even heard it being played at a store in a temple I visited!!!

Anyways, I am also hopeful that she continues doing well in China and Taiwan!

Well, if that's the case then Ayu maybe don't really have to have those winning positions in polls...I mean look she is a very clear picture of Japan's Pop as people always listening to her in public places, she became a 'Common Artist' like when you ask someone "Do you know Celine Dion or Madonna?" and then everyone would say "Yes". Everybody enjoys her as a part of a public culture IMO

[SunshineSlayer]

Originally Posted by terra

Well, if that's the case then Ayu maybe don't really have to have those winning positions in polls...I mean look she is a very clear picture of Japan's Pop as people always listening to her in public places, she became a 'Common Artist' like when you ask someone "Do you know Celine Dion or Madonna?" and then everyone would say "Yes". Everybody enjoys her as a part of a public culture IMO

Yes, that's true, the same happens for every other major artist though. If Southern All Stars has a new single out, you hear that everywhere you go, Arashi you hear that, Ayumi you hear that, etc etc.

[ストロボ・EdGE]

Originally Posted by terra

she is a very clear picture of Japan's Pop as people always listening to her in public places, she became a 'Common Artist' like when you ask someone "Do you know Celine Dion or Madonna?" and then everyone would say "Yes". Everybody enjoys her as a part of a public culture IMO

that's true, that's true.

[Heldin]

I think, that it's impossible to support a person without apreciating her deeds.
I mean, if Ayu has been loosing her popularity steadily for about 6 years,why do so much people still buy her Cds and pay a rather big money in order to visit her shows?
For example, if i don't like her song, why do i need to pay 40$ for a Cd just to make her life wealthy?
To my mind as long as people buy her Cds and visit her shows we can speak about her popularity. Doesn't matter weather she appears in polls or not.

[emi♡]

^you have a good idea...

Originally Posted by Delirium-Zer0

She's been losing popularity very very steadily since mid-2002.

I really wish ayu's fans didn't freak out like the sky is falling every time something like this happens.

Ayu's career is currently mostly driven by the die-hard fans - casual listeners are, for the most part, no longer interested. That's how it goes.

Your's is the best post to quote Lauren.

You said everything that needed to be said saying the least crap and stating it like it is.

My post should have been like this, I should have just agreed with you to begin with

[Delirium-Zer0]

Originally Posted by emiko

^you have a good idea...

Your's is the best post to quote Lauren.

You said everything that needed to be said saying the least crap and stating it like it is.

My post should have been like this, I should have just agreed with you to begin with

LOL! And here I was worried it came across too...terse, I guess? I just wanted to sum it up without going into the whole explanation of why ayu fans who are really worried need to not be so spoiled.

Every artist has their peak and their downfall, and that's the reality of it. Ayu's downfall wasn't sudden or sharp enough for a huge backlash resulting in a premature retirement, and I'm amazed more fans aren't thankful for that. Any artist who's consistently as low as number 5 on the charts is arguably doing AMAZINGLY as far as popularity. Many artists alot of ayu fans like very rarely even break into the top 10, and they're worried about ayu's number 1 streak. She's already broken records, I don't see why she needs to continue being number 1 at absolutely everything all the time.

As for these polls, they're crap anyway. But seeing ayu fall out of people's top 5, 10, 15, or 20 lists - and then coming back occasionally, but it'll be less & less often over the next few years - should never cause anyone to get so upset over it that they feel the need to share it with other people. You don't see threads like this at alan's forum, because her fans appreciate if she so much as makes it into the top 5.

When your favorite artist is always the best all the time, it's hard to congratulate them on their successes, because those successes come to be accepted. It's easier to find occasions where she sinks in popularity, or has a sales slump, and then be upset about it.

The movie "Searching for Bobby Fischer" said it better than I'm saying it... at one point, Josh is worried about a chess tournament, and he says this to his dad.

"If I win, everybody will say, 'Well, of course he won, he's a top-ranked player.' But if I lose... Maybe it's better not to be the best. Then you can lose, and it's okay."

If ayu loses from time to time, fans need to learn to let it be okay.

[terra]

Originally Posted by Delirium-Zer0

As for these polls, they're crap anyway. But seeing ayu fall out of people's top 5, 10, 15, or 20 lists - and then coming back occasionally, but it'll be less & less often over the next few years - should never cause anyone to get so upset over it that they feel the need to share it with other people. You don't see threads like this at alan's forum, because her fans appreciate if she so much as makes it into the top 5.

When your favorite artist is always the best all the time, it's hard to congratulate them on their successes, because those successes come to be accepted. It's easier to find occasions where she sinks in popularity, or has a sales slump, and then be upset about it.

The movie "Searching for Bobby Fischer" said it better than I'm saying it... at one point, Josh is worried about a chess tournament, and he says this to his dad.

"If I win, everybody will say, 'Well, of course he won, he's a top-ranked player.' But if I lose... Maybe it's better not to be the best. Then you can lose, and it's okay."

If ayu loses from time to time, fans need to learn to let it be okay.

Gosh, yes that's CORRECT!!!! Your post is like the most poetic post I've ever read here on AHS (with the exception of lyrics and poems thread)

Yea, we should learn how to lose...despite of the crappiness of the polls lol

[ストロボ・EdGE]

But I don't want it to be like that! She's going to be like that one old singer that ayumi surpassed at most consecutive number ones: a living legend, but a living legend with bad sales. I don't want that to happen.......

[njanjayrp]

Originally Posted by ストロボ・EdGE

But I don't want it to be like that! She's going to be like that one old singer that ayumi surpassed at most consecutive number ones: a living legend, but a living legend with bad sales. I don't want that to happen.......

But it happens ti everyone. Ayu will always remain famous for her songs/success. Oh and that list doesn't make much sense, I mean Ken Hirai's sales are pretty weak, and as someone said KAT-TUN's not there~

[Melon Panda]

Her sales haven't reached the "bad" level yet. Anyways, plenty of artists on the list don't sell as well as she does, so it's arguable how popular or not popular she is.

[SunshineSlayer]

I would say that Step You was her last really popular song, not Blue Bird.

[andre2907]

Originally Posted by SunshineSlayer

I would say that Step You was her last really popular song, not Blue Bird.

I disagree. Fairyland was playing absolutely EVERYWHERE you went to in Japan when it was released: on the super market, on record stores, on the streets. I think that was her last really popular song.

[SunshineSlayer]

Originally Posted by andre2907

I disagree. Fairyland was playing absolutely EVERYWHERE you went to in Japan when it was released: on the super market, on record stores, on the streets. I think that was her last really popular song.

That's true of pretty much any major pop artist when they release a new single in Japan.

Originally Posted by ayuayu798

I wouldn't be worried 20,000 out of the whole population of Japan isnt a lot at all!!

It's still enough to get a general sense. I mean people here follow the Ninki polls, and that is only 400 people.

Originally Posted by ストロボ・EdGE

Well, you see, I didn't know this. I figured she wouldn't be called the Empress of JPop if she wasn't the Queen anymore. You know, that the title would be passed to one of the new hot-shots in the same way that it was passed from Amuro to Ayu.

A lot of the people commenting here have gotten a little hostile, c'mon please,,

Seiko Matsuda and Akina Nakamori are still called the Queen's or Empresses of J-Pop, yet obviously they aren't popular anymore.

[pommy48]

um...i don't think she's at the point of having bad sales....sometimes i think fans worry more about her career than she does...

[zoomzoom]

Originally Posted by pommy408

um...i don't think she's at the point of having bad sales....sometimes i think fans worry more about her career than she does...

lol that's a really good point.

I'm a bit surprised not to see her there, but she hasn't really been doing much this year anyway.

[prussian blue]

Originally Posted by zoomzoom

lol that's a really good point.

I'm a bit surprised not to see her there, but she hasn't really been doing much this year anyway.

i dont remember hikki had released anything else beside her album and a single. what make her popularity so steady?

[ImpactBreaker]

Originally Posted by prussian blue

i dont remember hikki had released anything else beside her album and a single. what make her popularity so steady?

Flavor of life was a very succesful single (and I agree, the ballad version is a pretty excellent song) and her HEART STATION album is close to reaching a million copies sold. Not too sure about Prisoner of love though.

To be honest, the best album released this year in JPOP that I listened to was without a doubt, HEART STATION. I feel that Hikki songs have a good radio playing feel too. I'd love it if I were to hear the song HEART STATION playing on a radio here.

I personally can't understand ayaqa's popularity that much though..she has some good singles, an amazing voice, but her albums suck tbh.