Is anyone else out there, shocked that certain Stones songs didn't do better on the charts? I'm talking about 1981 onwards. I really have a hard time believing that Miss You and Start Me Up were the last really great number 1 worthy songs from the Stones in the record buying public's eyes. I mean, Vanila Ice, Milli Vanili, Trio, Dokken, Lisa Lisa And The Cult Jam, Ashley Simpson? Where did it all go wrong. Oh wait..Vanila Ice. Answered my own question.

the last #1 the Stones had in the UK was Honky Tonk Women, so its even worse over here!

Not shocked at all...after '81 (SMU in the US)..the days of #1 hits were OVER. The music quickly became less relevant as they headed towards being the mainly nostolgic(sp) act that they are today

I thought SME peaked at #2. It was certainly worthy of #1 status.

You're correct, Shawn. It was kept off the number 1 spot by...(drum roll please)..

Endless Love by Diana Ross and Lionel Richie...

"Miss You" was number 1 for a week in August 1978, sandwiched in between "Shadow dancing" by Andy Gibb and "Three Times a lady" by the Commodores (Lionel Richie proving to be the Stones' nemesis once again!)

keefstheman Wrote:
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> Not shocked at all...after '81 (SMU in the
> US)..the days of #1 hits were OVER. The music
> quickly became less relevant as they headed
> towards being the mainly nostolgic(sp) act that
> they are today


Well stated--sounds right to me, of course the 6 yr break between Undercover and Steel Wheels did not help. Yes, I am forgetting Dirty Work...so did everyone else...which is not necessarily a bad thing.

Undercover wasn't a number 1 in England????? I'm shocked..

2 1 2 0

Come On Wrote:
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> Undercover wasn't a number 1 in England????? I'm
> shocked..


Why? the days of the Stones having even top 3 singles were long over by then.

Undercover only made about #11 as I recall. Having the video banned didnt help.

The last hit single they had was Mixed Emotions. Highwire, Love is Strong, Like a Rolling Stone, Anybody Seen My Baby, Don't Stop, and Streets of Love have all tanked as singles.

The albums still sell well though with Voodoo Lounge and Forty Licks certified multi-platinum; Stripped, Bridges to Babylon, and A Bigger Bang certified platinum; Flashpoint and Live Licks certified gold; and No Security on the verge of being certified gold. They certainly outsell their peers who are still active in their 60s.

People who like the Stones buy cd boxes, not singles

They bought both througout the 80s. That's the difference.

I though, "Rain Fall Down" might get a hit-single.

I thought, "Rain Fall Down" might get a hit-single.

anybody seen my baby was nr one in Poland

Generally the music chart toppers have declined in quality since the seventies.

JumpingKentFlash

> Having the video banned didnt help.<

That's why I'm shocked. It's England we're talking...

2 1 2 0

Streets of love was no 1 in Italy, right?

Putting a bag over someone and then shooting them through the back of the head tends to make the producers of prime time pop programmes a bit nervous, I guess.

Come On Wrote:
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> Undercover wasn't a number 1 in England????? I'm
> shocked..


The charts in England were different until 1988 with TWO official charts at the time.
Undercover (album) made #1 on NME and #3 on Music Week/Record Miror, Undercover Of The Night reached #8 on NME and #11 on Music Week/Record Mirror.
Since 1989, Music Week became the official chart in England so the peak position for Undercover and the single were #3 and #11.

JK: "People who like the Stones buy cd boxes, not singles"

Correct. People who like the Stones buy the entire albums, atleast in the last 25 years. Sign of maturity? Maybe. That's why the success of a Stones album doesn't depend on the success of the singles. Just an example: Voodoo Lounge has sold much better than Undercover or Dirty Work, despite the fact that "Undercover of the Night" (#9 USA, #11 UK) and "Harlem Shuffle" (#5 USA, #13 UK) had been strong singles. Also, ABB has sold better than Undercover and Dirty Work, despite the fact that it's singles went to ...nowhere.

But i repeat: Do you want to see how successful an album really is? Fine, then look at the whole sales. Look at clear numbers of units sold, not at peak positions on charts. Peak position is just a statistical fetich, nothing more. In UK the peak position of Some Girls was #2. Voodoo Lounge got #1. But everyone knows that Some Girls has sold better. In a particular week, at US market, an album can be #1 selling 120,000 copies. In another week an album stays at #2 selling 310,000 copies- just like 40 Licks. So, peak positions are not so important to me.

I wrote "Also, ABB has sold better than Undercover and Dirty Work"

I suppose USA is a exeption

Stickydion has good points.

Btw When Voodoo was number two Lion King was number one.
Why? When a middle aged Stones fan bought Voodoo he had to buy Lion King for each of his kids as they always want a copy of their own.

If I remember correct My Generation "only" made it to number two in UK as Get Off Of My Cloud was number one.

stickydion Wrote:
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> I wrote "Also, ABB has sold better than Undercover
> and Dirty Work"
>
> I suppose USA is a exeption


Hardly a suprise....

ABB had a MASSIVE tour behind it.

Dirty Work--no tour

Undercover--no tour.

Would think there is more than a coincidence.

JK wrote: "When Voodoo was number two Lion King was number one.
Why? When a middle aged Stones fan bought Voodoo he had to buy Lion King for each of his kids as they always want a copy of their own."


I think that we have to count another serious factor: many fathers who weren't into the Stones, who don't even like rock music, bought ONLY Lion King. For each of their kids. So...

Actually, Harlem Shuffle was a top ten hit peaking at #5 in the States and staying in the top ten for about 4 weeks.

I am still convinced the advent of MTV actually killed the stones singles sales. After 1981 they started competing single wise with no talent(but cute to look at) video stars. Who was more cute...i.e. young Madonna or these wrinkled 40 year old men. Music took a definate back seat to looks by the earlier 80's thus current radio playlists and since then overall we have been stuck with mainstream mediocrity aka Britney and Justin etc etc etc.

Does anyone really believe Madonna would have had the huge hits that she did without MTV? Young cute hair bands killed the stones on the radio.

Glass Slide wrote: "ABB had a MASSIVE tour behind it. Dirty Work--no tour.
Undercover--no tour."

Yes, but think: Emotional Resque- no tour. But if i remember correctly it had sold much better than Undercover and Dirty Work.
Anyway. After all these years, the Stones remain solid enough as album sellers. I mean worldwide. That's enough to me. ABB has sold 2.7 million copies. This isn't a huge number, of course, but ABB sold better than the Stones albums from 1986, 1983, 1976, 1974 (am i right, georgelicks?). And then the level of the whole sales was much higher than nowadays.

stickydion Wrote:
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> Glass Slide wrote: "ABB had a MASSIVE tour behind
> it. Dirty Work--no tour.
> Undercover--no tour."
>
> Yes, but think: Emotional Resque- no tour. But if
> i remember correctly it had sold much better than
> Undercover and Dirty Work.
> Anyway. After all these years, the Stones remain
> solid enough as album sellers. I mean worldwide.
> That's enough to me. ABB has sold 2.7 million
> copies. This isn't a huge number, of course, but
> ABB sold better than the Stones albums from 1986,
> 1983, 1976, 1974 (am i right, georgelicks?). And
> then the level of the whole sales was much higher
> than nowadays.


Emotional Rescue is a fair point--but, would it have sold more/better if their had been a tour in the summer of '80? In liklihood, yes. Also, ER was the first new release following their biggest seller, Some Girls.

As for "good looking/no talent types dominating the singles charts---that was going on long before MTV; which undoubtedly, did not help matters especially once MTV decided to more or less stop playing videos from rock artists.

Still--some artists transcend all that--case in point Led Zeppelin--hardly any singles, no videos, no press relations, yet the biggest selling act of their time. Vastly outsold the Stones, Who etc during the '70's.

Bashlets Wrote:
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>
> I am still convinced the advent of MTV actually
> killed the stones singles sales. After 1981 they
> started competing single wise with no talent(but
> cute to look at) video stars. Who was more
> cute...i.e. young Madonna or these wrinkled 40
> year old men. Music took a definate back seat to
> looks by the earlier 80's thus current radio
> playlists and since then overall we have been
> stuck with mainstream mediocrity aka Britney and
> Justin etc etc etc.

Can't say i completely agree with this. it seems to me that the ONLY reason love is strong was a hit at all was the very neat video. i remember seeing it a lot back in the day.

The LOVE IS STRONG video got some airplay, but the song was not a hit as far as single sales went. MIXED EMOTIONS in 1989 was the last top 10 single in 1989 in the States.

where do you know from that ABB sold 2.7 mio copies