I'm not saying it's "so easy" or "just marketing strategy"... I'm just saying IMO it's strange for her to have "number 1 hits" that sometimes sold less than singles that didn't reach number 1... and IMO this whole "single streak record" not only to Ayu, but the overall idea, is pretty meanless...

Nice... she is breaking a record and everything but... what else does it means to her career? This is not making her a living legend, she already is one since A Best... this is not giving her smashing hits (japanese general public doesn't even know most of the songs of the streak)... So, she is just picking her releasing dates based on "wich competition is weaker" for some years now and breaking a record of someone who did the same and... what does it changes?

Someone made fun of the other countries #1 streaks, while some of those women have more song recognized by their countries population than Ayu has on Japan...

*hope no fan gets offended* Mariah Carey has the most #1 singles at Billboard charts, but what does it gives her besides reason for her fans to brag? General public doesn't remember most of her #1 hits...

Do you live in the US or Canada?
Because over here EVERYONE knows ALL of Mariah Carey's songs, when they are released every girl is singing them, and the guys are staring at her music videos.......
small flaw in your theory

I did not even know about this... So Japan has the longest consecutive single streaks in the world...

Heck, I live in Holland and I could easily name all of her songs that reached no. 1. In my time, at least.

Did someone got 2 nº1# at singles in two weeks with different singles before? Maybe Ayu will get that "record" too!

Of course the points are true. Somehow those streaks are not meant to show the artists' selling power. They are just a proof the artists' positions in the music industry. They used to be power sellers, and everything they sold were like golds back in the old days. That's why now they have the power to pick weaker weeks to release stuff. And that is the sarcasm for this "system". Their streaks are real (at least the first half for sure), yet to save the streaks they had to avoid those new power sellers..

That's why I really hope ayu will have a single to sell over 300K in the future. All her recent singles are bought from hardcore fans, and I think probly only 10% or less from those sales are bought from casual listener. I want her to release a song that even the general public love so much and can't resist to buy a physical copy.

Ok back to topic. In about 8 or 9 hrs we'll get the half day sales of L... Cross my finger and hopefully it will have a BIG number :D.

Nope, there are several examples of that happening. The most recent one I can think of is Bump of Chicken, that released HAPPY and Mahou no Ryouri one week apart in May, both hit no. 1.

Sorry, but on the same way I really doubt everyone knows every Mariah Carey song (considering she has 13 full albums), I doubt everyone can sing by heart, or even name all of her 18 #1 singles... A hardcore fan? Yeap... A casual listener? Unlikelly... Neither? Nops...

On the same way, I doubt anyone but hardcore fans (and maybe not even those) can name by heart all the singles Ayu has on her streak...

Actually that's wrong. Japan actually has a lower % of 'young people' people
as compared to 'old people' than the rest of the world.

The real reason is because Japan practices blanket marketing. They don't stretch their promotions over 3 months are more like in most other countries, and instead do most of it within a week or two. Everybody that wants the single will know about it virtually immediately.

Radio is a dead factor, in Japan. Over in America, Radio is the greatest and main promotional tool. While TV show performances and product tie-ups do certainly help a bit, it was Radio that got TiK ToK, Poker Face, and I Gotta Feeling to 5,000,000, 5,500,000 and 6,000,000 sales respectively.

^ Blanket marketing? I did not even know about that either...

That is not wrong. I never said Japan has MORE young people.

It is simply a fact that the average age of the music buyer is YOUNGER than int he rest of the world. I can find numbers if you need them. The buyers are generally younger, more fickle, and are quicker to change their appetite. It's been looked into many times.

GOOD sales!!!!!
congratz ayu

I live in Canada and only know...we belong together and touch my body...

^O__O

Sales, sales, sales, where are the sales? XD (yeah, I care about stuff like this, sue me)

LOL i know a few, but ya, mariah songs are old man.... maybe i'm too young but sooo many people thought she was a new artist when we belong together came out LOL

I was a child of the 90s so I grew up with Mariah, she's a talented artist!

and I agree, the number 1 singles streak is mainly for bragging rights of the fans... as are all records in the music world. I don't see why Ayu would want to point it out often, it's just for marketing. I don't think Ayu is that obsessed with the streak, but AVEX.

also this whole world value fight is pointless...
different charts use different methods etc etc
who cares, as long as she has it in japan then anyone who cares to know will know she's the highest female =D

That was her big comeback song; she had been in a horrible slump for a long time. From then on, this has been like her Second Coming where she's had a couple really big songs again.

Kind of similar to Namie Amuro actually, where her popularity was kind of dormant and then exploded with 60s70s80s/Best Fiction.

Yeah, maybe it's because I'm a child of the 90's but it's so weird to see these comments since most (if not all) people I know recognize Mariah for stuff like Hero, Always be my Baby, Vision of Love, Daydream, etc. lol Learn new something everyday, I really am getting old. :P

When it does come down to it, stuff like high sales and rankings really are just there for bragging rights because in the larger picture, do we really need stuff like Oricon and Billboard? Nothing about who's on top says anything about the quality of their music or their relevance in the industry. For older acts though, it can to some extent show their longevity in the industry like "hey we've been around for so-so years and this new act may be the hot thing right now but people still get hype whenever I release something yea". Not true for everyone though, acts like Madonna show their weight more on tour then on music charts but I feel I'm rambling now. lol I personally just think it's good fun and competitiveness and I like to brag about artists I like so to that extent stuff like rankings and streaks matter to me but just for artists I care about. /last thing she'll say on the topic XD

Yay it's doing a little better than MOON/blossom :luv2!