12.12.13 Adam to perform @ LA Family Equality Council Awards

Adam could have done the 2012 QAL dates and toured for Trespassing starting in August.

You wrote, "When Adam's first era was successful and people asked him about Queen he didn't hesitate to say his career comes first we'll see in the future."

This is not what Adam said. In August 2010 during the GNT, Adam responded to the rumors that Adam was going to be the new lead signer for Queen. If you listen to the interview at the link below, he said, "I would not rule it out."

Listen to the Queen-Rolling Stone iHRMF backstage interview -- they were not asked a question about Adam, Roger and Brian are the ones who bring Adam up and credit Adam for being the reason they were there.
ive
If you know for a fact that Queen would have been there, with or without Adam, please provide a link or source. As I posted previously, the FUN collab was put together after they were booked. Source is the iHRMF interview with Natt Ruess.

"Queen music in the US still sells well because we are now in a digital age. A lot of those sales are from people who already had the albums and are updating to their electronics."

Current digital sales are low, but steady: Nothing from Queen is on the top 400 in the US on iTunes or Amazon right now. The Platinium Collection is #51 on the ROCK album chart -- a genre which is mostly catalog sales. Five tracks are on the iTunes ROCK singles chart: BoRap (1975), WWRY (1976), WRTC (1977), ABTD (1980), STL (1976).

Sales from 1975-1980 in the US, plus sales of the Greatest Hits albums (GH1, PC), make up most of the Queen US sales. Queen music sold very well in the US until they shifted from rock and rock ballads to whatever genre "Hot Space" is in 1980. This was a time period when the US and UK musically diverged.  The post 1980 music has never sold well here.

Regarding MSG -- You wrote, "As for Queen selling out arenas here in US. that's a complete contradiction to your past post where you said no way can Queen sellout MSG which I agreed with you than." I never wrote that. Here is what I wrote on 11.19.13 --

** And you can tell I wrote it because it contain a typo!

I still believe QAL needs to be a special event or a multi-artist concert or for a compelling cause or something else to sellout MSG. That is not a contradiction with my most recent post that Queen + AL would need to promote the concert.
 

Daenerys - you're kinda bamf like the original Daenerys:). Thought provoking discussion and some good points I think. Hope you post more often.

I could not give you the verbatim quotes, but I certainly remember when the rumors were flying that Adam would be "Queen's new lead singer" I am remembering the time right off idol.....Adam initially responded he was not interested in doing that and wanted to focus on his own music, a future collaboration might be nice, etc.. That future collab happened with his appearance at EMAs, in my mind anyway. Then we see the European and London gigs...the Iheart... and more speculation about QAL. For a fan like me, I ponder what happened and I have very mixed feelings. I don't think we would have seen this if his sophomore album (or FYE for that matter) had be the anticipated success it wasn't. And for an Adam Lambert fan, that bums me out. But as was astutely pointed out paths may change. Performing with Queen was, I can only imagine, a financial success for Adam, not to mention a great experience. And obviously a lot of Adam's hardcore fans were/are ecstatic about it. The dialogue on this thread has been interesting. Seeing and hearing Adam with "Queen" has been ok, but I would rather Adam not need to go there. And I think that is what is at the heart of this discussion.


Onward to 2014!

Just wanted to join in the conversation and say I am sure Adam wants superstardom, the whole reason he auditioned for idol was to become a recording artist. Obviousley he diddnt predict his fame after the show, I see alot of people talking about his US success, yes that is a very important market to break into, but its also the hardest and most harshest. Its also not the only market, internationally Adam is as current as all the contemporary pop stars, particularly in Asia, NZ, and Australia. Adams career trajectoey is very different from the likes of jb or swift. Their demographic and audience is much broader and bigger then Adams, he has the potential to be their but he needs to expand his fanbase, and gigs like Glee and Queen all go a long way. Can I also say too I am glad Adam diddnt take the mid-ballad route in 2009, it would of garnered him fame, but I think it would be very boring for Adam and his fans.

Say what you want about his Ama performance but it gave him international attention. It also was the first time he was given the freedom to break away from the "idol kid", so he could be ADAM LAMBERT. It also stopped the industry and the public from labelling him as the nice gay kid from idol, it allowed him to be himself something most reality star singers dont get, particularly with the tag of "only here because of American Idol". Adam is not the kinda artist who is going to sell billions in a week, or go #1 on the Billboard Chart in a week, or sell out all the biggest arenas around the world like Taylor Swift, Gaga, Beyonce, Madonna, Jb are presently. How can he its just not where is career is at right now, so its unrealistic to expect that kinda mega star status from him.

He's a big picture artist, a potential multi platnum selling arena artist. It is true image sells, for Taylor shes the sweet, down to earth southern belle country girl sweet heart who girls look up to. Country is huge in the states, so she has a blueprint, she has also managed with Red to fuse it with a more folk sounding pop sound she has sold millions around the world. With Adam his image if you ask anyone is the rocker guy from idol, hes kinda a throwback to the 70's, yet at the same time theirs something very current about him. Rca really screwed up his rollout in 09, particularly his Uk release, releasing no music in two years was stupidity at its finest. Trespassing his a great pop album, but it could be the next Thriller but if your label are not putting money into your music, and radio are not playing you then your DOA.

I think Adam too and his management made a huge mistake with the pop/dance genre, its a female dominated genre, if radio can play KP or Gaga why would they play Adam Lambert. Another factor is Idols dont get a lot of airplay anymore, P2 was a rare exception, but generally dont. Theirs just too much competition in the reality show market now, why play last years winner when they can play this years. As a society we are very thickle our conciousness goes in and out, I remember an interview Adam had with Lyndsey Parker back in 2010 he said, most people who come off these shows fade away, I dont want to, I want to stake my claim, I want to be in it for the long haul.

When he came off idol everyone thought he was going to be the new metal guy, then he went really electronica with glam rock infusion, not to mention that cover haha. These things are hard to shake off even four to five years later, a big part of an artists theology is their story. Take KP she seemed to come from no where, to instant megastardom although she had been dropped by 3 labels. With Adam people see he came off idol, so theirs this misconception he diddnt work for his success (we all know he did). I think Queen has been invaluable for Adam, not just for the exp of working with legends but the connections he is making too. IHR regardless if he was their on his own merit or because of Queen doesent matter.

Point is he was their and making the right impressions to the right people, and Imo that well go a long way in having a radio presence in era 3. I also think he is a media darling at the moment, he seems to have built a good raport and relationship with the media. Regardless how long the collab with Queen goes for I dont think its a deadend, the response at iheart was pretty impactful, and their is demand in the states at least for QAL. Do I think their is enough demand for say MSG? No unless it was a festival or a multi artist event.

But they are big enough to sell out 7-8k in clubs. But I also want to see more focus on his own music, he needs to stop genre hopping, pick a lane. Their is a genre for him, I think a Darker Rock fused with Pop or Alt Rock Pop/Rock would be the way to go. I think also collabs with big names to break onto radio could help, love to see a KP collab. Sorry for the long post haha, but just end with saying Adams not at Taylor level yet, but in the longrun he could be this generations MJ IMHO, but he needs a label who well support and trust his vision.