10.28.11 Countdown to Halloween

Want to comment a bit on my perspective about the EU situation, because I think that both sides are true to some degree.

The UK market is key for all of EU - true. Both the US charts and right behind that the UK charts are observed by everyone else around. So if Kelly Clarkson right now is #2 in US and #3 in UK (how did she manage to win this one????? wow....if Radio1 does not play American idols and gives US artists a hard time, then her success is pretty impressive!) Anyways, KC will therefore be given a listened by all Europan DJs now, but whether her success transitions over to continental EU is a different question. There is a chance, but not a guarantee.

The next biggest influencer is the German chart. It's reach is to all those countries where German is either the first of second language or is somewhat culturally or historically linked. And that is no only the 80 million Germans, but beyond that many more: Austria, Switzerland, Luxemburg, Lichtenstein, Belgium, Czech Rep., Poland, Estonia, Denmark, Holland, rest of Eastern EU and Russia......(this list is pretty much in declining levels of the influence, that is in Austria the German influence is almost complete, in most of Eastern EU the least of the ones on the list.

I may be forgetting certain areas right now or just not know much about them, but obviously that is a huge list. So, a DJ/PD in Holland will certainly look to US and UK, but they will also look at the German charts before making decisions for their own market. If Kelly Clarkson can make the transition to German radio and given her success in US and UK, she is a winner everywhere. But I am not sure she will, quite honestly. Don't think she is personality wise a good match. A bit too down to earth, homely, not edgy enough, so I would put her chances at 50/50. We'll see.

France has it own market and influences regions around it, especially the French speaking ones, but sometimes others too. They also watch US and UK, but care little about Germany. They also have a domestic market wanting to make it to the top of their own charts.

Spain is watching the US Charts, UK charts, and Latin American music first and also has some own domestic market, so it has its own thing.

Most smaller EU countries, and I can see how it makes sense for Greece too, are watching mostly US and UK, because for all other major countries (Germany, France, etc) there would be a language barrier.

So, bottom-line, all radio stations in the various countries make their own decisions for their domestic markets, but some decisions carry a lot of weight beyond these geographical lines. And after US and UK, Germany has the biggest reach beyond its own domestic market. France is second. These two both have a sizable domestic market as well as outside reach beyond that. Italy and Spain are big enough to have a significant own market, but they are not influencing other markets around them very much. Small countries are mainly watching US and UK.

Re: Adam's situation: I think that the lack of success in the UK was a bit a surprise during FYE roll-out for Sony. My own perception was that in hind-sight rolling out FYE (single) first and not WWFM was a mistake. And not only because its sexual undertone of the song paired with the gay message was too much for a new artist even for liberal UK, but Adam was still a no-name at the time and when anybody ran EU billboard numbers, then now the two songs in the different markets were both not adding together, but competing with each other, so neither WWFM nor FYE climbed to the top of the EU charts and Adam himself was too much of an unknown to overcome that. Somebody like Rihanna can overcome this, an unknown AL could not. The EU charts themselves are not followed by the public very much, but they are watched in the industry and influences and trends are noted there.

What was also a surprise for Adam, this time a positive one, was the success he had in Germany and from there in the rest of continental EU without having conquered the UK market. If an act charts very high in the US that is normal, but WWFM was not charting that high, in fact it reached its peak in the US time wise after the very successful release in Germany. I attribute Adam's success in Germany mostly two things:

a) very good work by Sony Germany behind the scenes, because their public media work was not all that great, imo, but they worked those radio channels brilliantly behind the scenes. And I don't think this was money at all, this was selling the message of what kind of artist Adam is. They at Sony Germany got it and the radio DJ's got it too, who Adam was as an artist. If Adam would have had a more sophisticated song than IIHY as second single, he would have ran up those charts too, but by then Sony had realized that splitting the EU into regions was dangerous for Adam's overall success and did not want to do that anymore and so they went with the common denominator IIHY.

b) The second reason Adam is successful in Germany is because people love something new, something edgy and they are open to something that is musically and lyrically a bit more challenging. And that is good news for the future.

I think that both the recent press coverage in the UK as well as over on the BBC website indicates that Adam is at least on everyone's radar. If Adam's music is convincing for them, BBC will come around and with it the UK. They are going to sync the roll-out this time and so I am hopeful that this time Adam can win over the UK as well.

Awww seoulmate They're not boring! We got these pics just a few months ago (well not promo look but amazing) remember? I'm sure that we will seem him again with that "promo" look. :D

craazyforadam - what you wrote is very interesting and eye opening. Just 2 questions:
WWFM was released as first single in Europe, wasn't it?
Wasn't SW released in Germany as a single as well?

Weirdly I was reading an article just today about the reason certain bands have steeply declining album sales and the main factor given was radio. And whether you are playlisted on Radio 1. It's the difference between selling 30,000 albums and 300,000 albums (platinum here).

Going back to Susiefierce said about restructuring, the only thing I can think of was that the BBC was talking for a while of closing Radio 6 as part of its restructuring to save costs and also to make room for more commercial stations. There was a campaign in support of the station though and they left it as it is. But Radio 6 is more alternative and indie music. Radio 1 still dominates pop.