[2013] ayu loses sales record to AKB48 (Article)
 

Original article [here].

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[Oricon] AKB48 breaks records for highest initial sales at 1.763 million and overall bestselling female artiste at 21.85 million copies sold
28 May 2013. 04:00

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Popular idol group AKB48's 31st single "Sayonara Crawl" (released 22 May) broke the Oricon record for the highest first week sales with 1.763 million copies sold, and made its debut as No.1 on the weekly rankings for the week of 3 June. The previous record was also held by AKB48's single, "Manatsu no Sounds good!" (released May last year), with first week sales of 1.617 million, 0.146 lower than this new record. Adding up sales for this current single, the group's total sales reached 21.85 million copies. This has surpassed the previous record holder, Hamasaki Ayumi's 21.416 million, to take the title of overall bestselling female artiste. This record has come 7 years 4 months after their debut in February 2006.

This new single is the 13th consecutive release to reach the million sales mark, starting with "Sakura no ki ni narou" (released February 2011). As female artistes, they also hold the record for "highest number of consecutive million releases" and "highest number of overall million releases". Counting all artistes, they still lose out to B'z, who holds 13 consecutive million releases and 15 overall million releases. As for their record of No.1 singles, this latest release in the 18th consecutive one, starting with "RIVER" (released October 2009). This has earned them the titles "highest number of consecutive No.1 singles" and "highest number of overall No.1 singles" in the female group category.

When member Takahashi Minami (22) heard the news that "Sayonara Crawl" had broken the record for the highest first week sales, she felt immensely proud. She expressed humble thanks to all the fans who have been supporting the group all this while. She also announced that AKB48 will be proud to hold this record, and will continue to work hard to bring energy and courage to all their fans.

This single contains a serial number voting card to allow fans to decide who gets to be centre in the "AKB48 32nd single general elections" (vote counting to be held on 8 June at Yokohama Nissan Stadium). The four contenders are Watanabe Mayu (19), Shimazaki Haruka (19), Ooshima Yuuko (24) and Itano Tomomi (21). The 16 members with the highest votes will be selected to sing the cover song for their next release (to be released in August).

■ Overall bestselling artiste for singles (Female) TOP 3
1. AKB48... 21.85 million (Manatsu no Sounds good! / 1.822 million)
2. Hamasaki Ayumi... 21.416 million (monochrome / 1.631 million)
3. Amuro Namie... 16.558 million (CAN YOU CELEBRATE? / 2.296 million)

thanks for translations! man this is a really shock, I never thought AKB48 would break her record... it just seems to me that I would accept it if it's koda kumi or namie, but akb48? ...
but no matter what, we all know hamasaki still beat them by her songs ,but it really is, quite a shock.

I don't know how they can compare one person to a group; that's definitely not a fair or reasonable comparison. At least we can say it took a group the size of a small country selling like 10 versions of each single to beat her.

Exactly :yes

I won't put too much into it. The sales went skewed when they started the general elections thing. Crazed AKB48 fans actually do buy tens of thousands of copies just for that voting ticket to support their fav girl.

This single, and the previous record holder (Manatsu) were both election singles, which I think is what pushed them to reach the record mark. I've heard both, they're really quite mediocre generic pop for me..

Totally agree buddy:innocent

Good for them, I guess. I'm not upset, its just sales. It doesn't change Ayu's music.

This doesn't make any sense... How is a group of people considered one single artist?

Ayu is still first, they are a group not a solo female singer.

yeah, you can't compare mega-pop group consisting of 200+ girls (with all the affiliates) and one tiny 156cm woman.

I'm still happy for AKB though. but it's just good management strategy and the power of synergy. alone, nobody can't beat ayu! :)

Once again, congratulations to the producer. Without him, none of this would have been possible.

wow. i am not shocked at ayu's loss of the record. i am shocked at AKB48's popularity!!

i mean, records are meant to be broken. its a different decade now. ayu will be replaced eventually.

This so much, you can't compare 300+ people to one person

Can we get a 2ch reaction to this?

Flop, Ayu still making better music than them.

Ayu's highest yearly (2001) sales are 10 million

AKB's highest yearly (2012) sales are 8 million

Ayu still wins to 300 people ;)

my question exactly...o_O aren't they a GROUP, no wait an ARMY? i thought Ayu held the record for a SOLO female artist....

also this was kind of expected since they are so crazily popular for god knows what reasons, 90% of them don't even have singing vocals *shrugs* on the other hand good pop music is so long gone already from the whole world, shouldn't be a surprise that these would be record breakers considering what tactics they use, they don't sell MUSIC here xD

21.85 million / 48 members = 0.455 million per member

21.1 million / 1 Queen Bee = 21.1 million

***** be rollin' with her $$$

^ haha THIS EXACTLY!

Don't AKB48 change their members quite often, like Morning Musume? I had the impression that it's more of a brand, rather than an actual group of singers?