It's kinda weird how HEAVEN and B&D rebounded back then..

I don't think so...I think that's just been the precedent for some of Ayu's album releases. I am... and (miss)understood were released officially on the first of January as well.

Why is everybody so worked up over Ayu losing her #1 streak? She already did. "A BEST 2 -BLACK-" didn't got #1 because "A BEST 2 -WHITE-" did. Therefore, she now have an album that didn't get #1.

And I'm starting to be a little worried that the sales won't go up on the 01.01...

^ okay streak aside..the heavy promotions stated the release of GUILTY is at 01012008..so there's quite a high chance that the sales may go up.

yea but that's a compilation album anyways. GUILTY is an original album and it'd be nice to have that at #1 but if not oh well. All this stuff was gunna happen sooner or later anyways :shrug

Sorry, I didn't read all 16 pages, but why there is x1,75 not 1,5 as usual... Or It counts preorders?

It has always been 1.75? Some people count 1.7 too. I've never seen people count it with 1.5.

For 1.75, I found it in some of the previous threads about Sales. I do think it's common for people to count 1.75 or 1.7, but never 1.5.

It's x1.7 for albums, x1.75 for singles.

Yeah, if the difference is small. but there is a chance that the difference could get bigger.

Well I guess studio albums only since she already lost the streak with the remix albums anyway.

Compilations never accounted for the no. 1 streak. It's always her studio albums. (and the fact is that all her studio albums went straight to no. 1 on the first week everytime).

So that is why we care about the streak. I dun see why you don't. It's a statue in Japan.

I think this is one of the many reasons why I like the American industry more than the Japanese industry. It seems that the Japanese industry is more about competition. It really doesn't matter if you don't get #1 on the charts, people here are more tuned to the artist's songs. I'm not saying that the American industry isn't like that either (ie Kanye vs 50 Cent) but with the American industry, the artist tries to get known everywhere rather than just the states. With the Japanese industry, it's just in Japan or rather Asia.

I guess one of the main reasons is because Japan still has pretty good sales + high prices, so why bother?

Well, we've all seen how it goes when artists try outside of japan.. there's a reason they stay in asia.

have you heard of something called the Language barrier :innocent

edit: and not only because of the language, also because the cultures are VERY different

Bad promotion is another factor.

Look at hikki. She speaks English fluently. But her English album did really really bad in US/Europe.

And I agree with Luv that Japanese music industry look on the number of no.1s more important than the number of sales. We all know that ayu's sales are declining, so her no. 1 streak is the thing to maintain her current statue. :no

well theres a reason why japanese industry ( and all the music industry around the world as a matter of fact) takes great notice of #1's and sales, because thats is the feedback of certain approach to the consumer with the product X, with those results you can decide to stick with the approach ( a.k.a. Marketing strategy) or change it. And of course, more sales means more sponsors. but again, its not just japanese music.

I think the reason #1 streaks are so important in Japan is because it isn't only about marketing or measure of success, but it is something that seperates that artist from their competition. It's like saying Ayu and Koda are very popular music acts that follow the same formula (pop song, ballad, rock song), however Ayu has the national record for consecutive #1's, whereas Koda was nobody until a few years ago. So while Koda has high sales now, she doesn't have the guaranteed #1 debuts that Ayu is known for. (It isn't very effective using Koda as an example since she is Ayu's labelmate and the whole "Ayu vs. Koda" thing is waaay overdone, but she was the first artist I could think of that would be close to Ayu's level. Hikki isn't applicable because she has a more stable fanbase and wider appeal and there aren't many other superstar female acts out there who aren't Avex affiliated. :|)

So yeaaah, it's just about prestige - and it is a great honor to be able to have such a record to your name.

well I don't want to read the other pages....is the streak over or not? not that I care...all I care about is the music...i don't need ranks and sales to tell me how good an artist is...ayu could flop and she'd still be amazing..

It isn't over, the album has only been out for four days and has ranked #1 on the daily charts for the first three (day four sales aren't out yet) and she is just behind Kobukuro in overall sales for the week. There is another 8 days until the final sales will be released.

^ They count it for two weeks? If that is the case then I don't see why she wouldn't get #1.