Shouldn't Gravity be selling like hotcakes?

OLP4AM · Post by **OLP4AM** » 1/12/2003, 12:15 am

The whole thing is an album full of singles.

luckyJQ9 · Post by **luckyJQ9** » 1/12/2003, 12:17 am

I don't agree. If I wasn't an OLP fan, I probably would not have bought it.

OLP4AM · Post by **OLP4AM** » 1/12/2003, 12:19 am

Yeah, but the first two singles are such radio attention grabbers.

committed · Post by **committed** » 1/12/2003, 12:20 am

actually, i agree.

but look what is played on the radio these days.

gravity nearly fits right in.

i guarantee i would not have bought gravity if it wasn't our lady peace or i wasn't already an our lady peace fan.

luckyJQ9 · Post by **luckyJQ9** » 1/12/2003, 12:21 am

SOT was a radio attention grabber, but Innocent didn't do nearly as well. It got a decent amount of play, but it wasn't one of the highly requested songs or anything. The play it got was normal radio play, not listener requested.

Johnny · Post by **Johnny** » 1/12/2003, 12:22 am

Yeah. I dont think Gravity is full of singles either. Like lucky said if I wasnt a OLP fan I wouldnt have bought the disc either. hey,I still like the other songs off the disc though. Besides, isn't 500,000 cd sales alot now a days? I suppose not

luckyJQ9 · Post by **luckyJQ9** » 1/12/2003, 12:24 am

I don't know if the other songs on the album are catchy enough to be radio hits. Except Sorry. I think that Sorry is fairly radio friendly.

But I can't really judge fairly cause I've listened to the album so many times that I'm kinda washed out from it. I'd have to listen to it again as if for the first time.

StarCrash · Post by **StarCrash** » 1/12/2003, 8:13 am

I think 'All For You' and 'Sorry' would have been better as the first two singles. 'Innocent' is my least favourite song on the record, it just seems kind of pointless. 'Not Enough' would be an amazing single, they should have released 'Are You Sad?' from SM as well - they could have made an amazing video for that song.

starseed_10 · Post by **starseed_10** » 1/12/2003, 9:23 am

I agree that innocent is the worst sng IMO. I think all for you, sorry, do you like it, Not enough and made of steel could all be single with today's radio market.

ajk · Post by **ajk** » 1/12/2003, 9:55 am

Depends on what country you are talking about....

In the States, Gravity is going to be the biggest OLP album. That being said, the public has only heard the two singles, and from the only SOT really made a big dent. If you look at it, when it comes to rock music, one breakout single doesn't really guarantee a multi-platinum record. You do have the odd exceptions like Nickelback, but most of the times you have bands with one hit single that just barely make Platinum (Oleander, Vertical Horizon, American Hi-Fi)......... Point is most of the public hasn't heard the record, so they won't now how radio friendly it is.

That being said, i think the single choices were pretty bad. I think they should have lead off with All For You and then Sorry. And throw in Not Enough.

In Canada, OLP's popularity has been fading ever since Clumsy. Their record sales have dropped, whether it be the popularity of Rock fading, or the whole downloading music issue... Happiness, sold less than Clumsy and Naveed, SM sold less than Happiness...... and Gravity had the lowest opening week sales for OLP since Naveed.

Sufjan Stevens · Post by **Sufjan Stevens** » 1/12/2003, 10:00 am

Do you listen to the radio? I can't possibly see how All For You can fit into what is on the radio, seeing that the alternative and hard rock stations here are dominated by garbage like Avril Lavigne and Puddle of Mudd. To put a heavy song on the radio when you have pop punk and flacid rock on the radio just wouldn't make sense and would pretty much have the same fate as In Repair in America or Carnival.

Just because the long time OLP fans like All For You doesn't mean that it would attract the most people. If OLP wants attention and to fit in with mainstream music, something like Sorry or Do You Like It would have to be released, seeing that it has catchy lyrics and poppy beats. If OLP were to release what would be the best song off the cd, they'd come out with Bring Back The Sun and no one would ever hear it on the radio, because no one wants to hear soft, depressing music in an industry dominated by catchy power chords, half-assed lyrics, and lack of singing ability.

Mechanical Thought · Post by **Mechanical Thought** » 1/12/2003, 10:06 am

ajk wrote:That being said, i think the single choices were pretty bad. I think they should have lead off with All For You and then Sorry. And throw in Not Enough.

i really agree with that. Innocent and SOT are just so ... :uh:

Sufjan Stevens · Post by **Sufjan Stevens** » 1/12/2003, 10:09 am

Stop and think about this. If you were MTV and had to choose a video to play all the time, what would you take? The heavy song that most people wouldn't understand, or the poppy song that everyone can sing along to and love? Really, think about this. Put yourself in the situation. Hell, put yourself in the band. They wanted to gain some recognition after making an album that scared a lot of people away from their music, so SOT was the realistic choice.

Mechanical Thought · Post by **Mechanical Thought** » 1/12/2003, 10:17 am

i know, that is exactly what they are doing! it just pisses me off to see the guys waste all this talent that they have shown me in the previous records, and come out with a record that is made, maybe even only partially, for mindless teenagers who will listen and like anything you shove in their face.
i do realize though, that they do want some recognition. isn't that what most bands what though? but if they want to gain some new fans by altering their music to fit the persona of just any old poppy rock band, then whoop de doo for them.

Sufjan Stevens · Post by **Sufjan Stevens** » 1/12/2003, 10:53 am

Is Gravity that bad of a record? I personally like it. You can't ecpect everything to be as offbeat and different as Spiritual Machines. Think about it, if you were moderately popular in the northern states of America, and you come out with a record that couldn't even reach 100,000 copies sold in America, wouldn't you feel like a complete waste and flop, especially after you have sold over 1,000,000 copies with Clumsy. This isn't the necessary sound that OLP will take with their next cd. They could have come out with Gravity just to prove that they can sell records and haven't lost their fans because of SM. Just remember, a great cd was released after OLP hit it big the first time, it sure as hell can happen again.

areusad831 · Post by **areusad831** » 1/12/2003, 11:29 am

When I heard SOT for the first time I was actually excited maybe because it was the first time new OLP came out in a while and I also did not think it would become so popular. Innocent did nothing in the states and that is by far the most catchy song on the cd. Alan is right that after Clumsy came Happiness so we can hope that the same thing may happen again.

cor3y · Post by **cor3y** » 1/12/2003, 11:37 am

Gravity IS a good CD. SOT was a great choice for a single, Innocent wasn't as good. All For You would be a terrible choice for a single. Sorry, Do You Like It, and Made of Steel would be the best choices. I love Gravity and I really dont see what people are complaining about in relation to it besides the fact that they're trying to sell more copies. It's their career and anyone in the same position would try to do the same. They didn't team up with Justin Timberlake or Nelly yet, so stop it.

areusad831 · Post by **areusad831** » 1/12/2003, 11:40 am

its called an opinion :mrgreen:

ajk · Post by **ajk** » 1/12/2003, 11:52 am

OLPFan420 wrote:Do you listen to the radio? I can't possibly see how All For You can fit into what is on the radio, seeing that the alternative and hard rock stations here are dominated by garbage like Avril Lavigne and Puddle of Mudd. To put a heavy song on the radio when you have pop punk and flacid rock on the radio just wouldn't make sense and would pretty much have the same fate as In Repair in America or Carnival.

I'm not sure about the American radio stations, so i won't comment on what the playlists are like there.

In Canada, i guess we aren't getting that much pop-punk kind of stuff on the rock stations. Our stations still have more of a modern rock thing going on (Foo Fighters, OLP, RHCP...) So i guess that plays into that sense. OLP's height in popularity was during the Clumsy era. Since then they've released poppier songs (albeit good songs..) and their sales and radio play has decreased. The only exception to that was OMA, which was more of a rock song and benefitted from the massive hype that Happiness..... was getting.

As for the song, for whatever reason All For You has always struck me as the kind of song that does have that "hit single" sound to it. Maybe it's just me.

I guess i'm looking at it from a different way. In the States OLP is just starting to make a name for itself and SOT certainly did that, and if that's what the rock stations are playing then by all means they should release a single to fit that mold.

But in Canada, their popularity has shrunk. Like it or not, by realising an album like Happiness... , as good as it was, they lost a bunch of fans who thought it was "too different", and then by realising SM (another great album), they lost even more interest (due mostly to the singles..). I think in Canada at least they need to release a rockin' song to gain back that public. There are a LOT of people that used to love this band, but hate the new sound.

I'm not sure what the situation in the States is though, i'll take your word on that.

cor3y · Post by **cor3y** » 1/12/2003, 12:00 pm

I know but this topic comes up at least once a week and nothing gets solved. I'm in a bad mood I guess.