[News] AKB48 breaks the record for total singles sold by a female artist in Japan

[mizuki-7]

Originally Posted by emi♡

that's kind of the point though. They're supposed to be like, the girls next door. Not some divas who normal people can't relate to, like Ayu, for instance.

You have not totally wrong and it's quite a shame that ayu has adopted the "Diva style" while it's her simplicity which has made her popular among young people ...

[YUKARI]

^ yeah, seems like Japanese enjoyed her "girl next door" image way more than her diva's one

[emi♡]

12 years ago when she still had that image...

[CoriKaru]

Lulz. Bye ayumi. One less trick in the bag for ayustans to whip out whenever they feel threatened which is all the time now in this new "era" of ayumi.

#ThreadFullOfTears

[pimenta]

They are cute-innocent looking girls (though I really don't think they're good looking) with way too little clothes, I see how they make so much success...

[Mirrorcle Monster]

Originally Posted by CoriKaru

Lulz. Bye ayumi. One less trick in the bag for ayustans to whip out whenever they feel threatened which is all the time now in this new "era" of ayumi.

#ThreadFullOfTears

Must be hard to have no friends and spend your days in a forum dedicated to a woman you seem to hate, right? Don't worry my friend, it gets better

[NintendoHTF1242]

Originally Posted by CoriKaru

Lulz. Bye ayumi. One less trick in the bag for ayustans to whip out whenever they feel threatened which is all the time now in this new "era" of ayumi.

#ThreadFullOfTears

omgggggggggggggg l0l0l!! my hero

[Amrai-chan]

Cool so 2/3 of my faves then. I like Namie but...

A lot of Ayus singles suck if compared to songs that are album only. A lot of AKB singles suck if compared to stage only songs/or stage song instrumentals (then again it depends on the stage.) so. The Bsides on singles (for Ayu too) are usually better. I guess it just depends on what someone prefers. It's a bit of a pointless record but I'm enjoying the comments anyway.

[Polyrhythm]

^It's kind of interesting how ugly things are getting.

I'm more concerned with what will happen when they (inevitably) break's Ayu's consecutive #1 singles streak in 2 years time...

[tokyoxjapanxfan]

I live in Japan, so I figure I can have a little bit more insight on the subject, but feel free to disagree.

I'm finding that AKB has been losing their...magic? as of late. Like I said earlier in this thread, I haven't actually been hearing their new songs lately. Where as previous singles like Flying Get, Manatasu no Sounds Good, etc. were played regularly.

Obviously they're still extremely popular, but it's actually very hard to tell just how popular because of the way they sell. But I also wonder what'll happen as (if) more of the popular members graduate.

For instance: Ayu and Namie were selling -amazingly- back when other singers were also selling great. They weren't necessarily the only people doing well during their peaks. Also, the majority of their highest selling singles and albums only had one version, cd only. It wasn't until 2004 that people started using cd/dvd combos. So when they were selling millions of copies of singles, it was one type (Ayu was using sales strategies too, though, with multiple versions of A and H. However in H's case, it didn't have any music videos, just commercial tie-ins.)

But now, AKB are truly the only group doing well. And because they package their singles in such a way, it's actually hard to say how truly popular they are with general buyers.

If a singer is able to sell one million copies of a single that's only one version, it shows a bit more in terms of their popularity because most people aren't going to be buying two (or 2 or more) of the exact same things.

Morning Musume, during their peak, achieved million selling singles, but they used the trading card aspect--which is/was a more "normal" form of first press editions, especially for idol groups both then and now.

AKB is an outlier in the way they release. Sure, other bands may have various handshake events or chances to go to concerts packaged in their music, but it's generally not with every release.

Where as AKB depends on such things as determining the members for the next single or what have you to fully form the AKB concept.

So while I personally don't care about who has the sales record, I just wish everyone would realize and accept that AKB's sales are extremely skewed--it has nothing to do with their hard work, which I don't want to take away from them. However I'd personally say any artist in the spotlight is working hard.

I just wish everyone could walk in to -any- Book Off (a re-sale shop) and look at the AKB section, because there are shelves and shelves and shelves of the same single, multiplied by how ever many singles they have. Because people buy various versions and then re-sell them to Book Off (and like stores) because they don't actually need anything except the first press bonus inside.

So while they are selling millions, they are doing it in an extremely, as some might say dirty, way.

A lot of people dislike Ayu, but they don't generally deny her of her success in sales (at least at the beginning of her career). But AKB haters bring it up constantly. It's obviously something people have problems with. Especially in a Japan where arguably much more musically talented/respected/involved/etc. singers and bands can't possibly reach the same success.

For instance, many comments talk about how Kyari Pamyu Pamyu or Golden Bomber would have been -huge- successes in the 90's/early 2000's--but because of the way the Japanese music market is now, it's impossible for even them, who have huge hits, to get millions in sales.

Sorry to have written a novel, but I actually don't have an issue with AKB. Some of their songs are catchy. Do I support them financially? No. I also find many of them funny when they appear on TV. But I don't think what I've written here is bashing them in anyway. But like I said, people can disagree.

[emi♡]

Originally Posted by tokyoxjapanxfan

So while I personally don't care about who has the sales record, I just wish everyone would realize and accept that AKB's sales are extremely skewed--it has nothing to do with their hard work, which I don't want to take away from them. However I'd personally say any artist in the spotlight is working hard.

I just wish everyone could walk in to -any- Book Off (a re-sale shop) and look at the AKB section, because there are shelves and shelves and shelves of the same single, multiplied by how ever many singles they have. Because people buy various versions and then re-sell them to Book Off (and like stores) because they don't actually need anything except the first press bonus inside.

So while they are selling millions, they are doing it in an extremely, as some might say dirty, way.

A lot of people dislike Ayu, but they don't generally deny her of her success in sales (at least at the beginning of her career). But AKB haters bring it up constantly. It's obviously something people have problems with. Especially in a Japan where arguably much more musically talented/respected/involved/etc. singers and bands can't possibly reach the same success.

For instance, many comments talk about how Kyari Pamyu Pamyu or Golden Bomber would have been -huge- successes in the 90's/early 2000's--but because of the way the Japanese music market is now, it's impossible for even them, who have huge hits, to get millions in sales.

Sorry to have written a novel, but I actually don't have an issue with AKB. Some of their songs are catchy. Do I support them financially? No. I also find many of them funny when they appear on TV. But I don't think what I've written here is bashing them in anyway. But like I said, people can disagree.

thank you for saying this. I don't think people realise sometimes, and as much as I don't care for AKB, the bashing gets so annoying.

It's not their fault what the industry's become.

[SURREAL__RAINBOW]

Thank you so much tokyoxjapanxfan.

I saw the shelves and shelves and shelves of their singles in every book off that I went to, around Hokkaido, in Osaka, Nagoya, Kyoto, and Tokyo... Just overwhelming. I don't even want to imagine how many more copies they have ready to go on the shelves.

It's just interesting how desperate things are getting, back in the 90's and early 2000's you could really see how thousands if not millions of people supported their favourite artists/bands by buying their music, even the casual listeners had to buy singles and albums then.

But nowadays with digital downloads, being able to rent stuff from book off as well, and many other things that have been mentioned already in this forum before, it's understandable why some just have to go for it if they want to succeed.

AKB are achieving records, that's what really matters now apparently? Not even the number of sales but being on the spotlight by topping charts, taking spots from other legends and such.

TBH I wish music was more important again, imo ayu, koda, utada and many other artists, even if they were somehow manufactured their music was and is still genuine, AKB has literally raped the term artist (if they use that term at all).

[Bigtop]

Originally Posted by SURREAL__RAINBOW

Thank you so much tokyoxjapanxfan.

I saw the shelves and shelves and shelves of their singles in every book off that I went to, around Hokkaido, in Osaka, Nagoya, Kyoto, and Tokyo... Just overwhelming. I don't even want to imagine how many more copies they have ready to go on the shelves.

It's just interesting how desperate things are getting, back in the 90's and early 2000's you could really see how thousands if not millions of people supported their favourite artists/bands by buying their music, even the casual listeners had to buy singles and albums then.

But nowadays with digital downloads, being able to rent stuff from book off as well, and many other things that have been mentioned already in this forum before, it's understandable why some just have to go for it if they want to succeed.

AKB are achieving records, that's what really matters now apparently? Not even the number of sales but being on the spotlight by topping charts, taking spots from other legends and such.

TBH I wish music was more important again, imo ayu, koda, utada and many other artists, even if they were somehow manufactured their music was and is still genuine, AKB has literally raped the term artist (if they use that term at all).

Yeah, it seems in my other mind is this: why are you stealing Ayu's spotlight (or just about any other artist, and maybe possibly Johnny's)?

[pimenta]

Originally Posted by tokyoxjapanxfan

I just wish everyone could walk in to -any- Book Off (a re-sale shop) and look at the AKB section, because there are shelves and shelves and shelves of the same single, multiplied by how ever many singles they have. Because people buy various versions and then re-sell them to Book Off (and like stores) because they don't actually need anything except the first press bonus inside.

This explains a lot... People buy lots of copies of their singles and don't even want to keep it because they only wanted the bonus gifts. If their singles didn't come with so much bonus stuff and in so many versions they wouldn't sell half of what they do...

I'm not saying they're not popular, of course they are, but it's like tokyoxjapanxfan said, they sell this much because their company makes their singles thinking in how to make the same fans buy many and many copies of the same CDs. That's way so many people don't take their sales seriously...

[Yumsushi]

Originally Posted by Mirrorcle Monster

Must be hard to have no friends and spend your days in a forum dedicated to a woman you seem to hate, right? Don't worry my friend, it gets better

LOL!