Why Surfin Bird' is likely to fail
1) Popularity of Matt - Last year's X-Factor was a much closer contest. It's been obvious from week one this year that Matt was going to win, and by quite a large voting margin as well. He will certainly sell more than Joe did last year.
2) Surfin' Bird - A Novelty Song - Killing In The Name was a genuinely good song, a 90s alt-metal classic, that a lot of people enjoyed regardless of the campaign. Surfin Bird', even when first released, was never intended to be anything other than a novelty track. People are less likely to buy those.
3) Many Of Horror - In contrast to last year's dire Miley Cyrus cover, Matt has actually chosen a good song to cover.
4) Will it ever work again? - Last year was a great achievement, but whether people will be prepared to go through it all again is another issue. There was a lot of money spent by some people on getting RATM to No. 1, and I just can't see that same level of fervour for Surfin' Bird.
5) No rock/metal support - Don't underestimate this: rock and metal fans were out en-force to support RATM last year. Surfin' Bird doesn't have that same level of fan support.
Just to clear things up, I'm not an X-Factor fan in the least - I hate what it stands for and shall not be buying Matt's single (although I will buy the Biffy original) - and I supported RATM last year, but this year's campaign seems doomed to failure.
2) Surfin' Bird - A Novelty Song - Killing In The Name was a genuinely good song, a 90s alt-metal classic, that a lot of people enjoyed regardless of the campaign. Surfin Bird', even when first released, was never intended to be anything other than a novelty track. People are less likely to buy those.
3) Many Of Horror - In contrast to last year's dire Miley Cyrus cover, Matt has actually chosen a good song to cover.
4) Will it ever work again? - Last year was a great achievement, but whether people will be prepared to go through it all again is another issue. There was a lot of money spent by some people on getting RATM to No. 1, and I just can't see that same level of fervour for Surfin' Bird.
5) No rock/metal support - Don't underestimate this: rock and metal fans were out en-force to support RATM last year. Surfin' Bird doesn't have that same level of fan support.
Just to clear things up, I'm not an X-Factor fan in the least - I hate what it stands for and shall not be buying Matt's single (although I will buy the Biffy original) - and I supported RATM last year, but this year's campaign seems doomed to failure.
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well said.... i agree with your reasoning.
heres over 620,000 people who are aware.
The media have blacklisted us
http://www.facebook.com/birdbirdbirdistheword
1. I'm not aware how popular Matt is. I despise X Factor and group everyone as the blank canvas manufactured Cowell ass-kissing puppets as I see them to be.
2. Surfing Bird is a novelty song. You could argue novelty sells well at Christmas, we just need to look back as far as 93's Mr Blobby.
3. For me, Many of Horror is the worst track on Only Revolutions. I just skip it when I'm listening to the CD these days.
4. Will it work again? It might, it might not?
5. The Rage facebook campaign from last year still has an active Facebook presence and they have been promoting Surfing Bird on their page. Plus Rage have a right to be pissed off with X Factor this year as the "Vote Wagner" campaign were saying that they were backed by Rage, of which Rage actually complained to Facebook to get that page removed.
Just my thoughts
2. Maybe a novelty song but it's christmas so there's an appeal for that.
3. To recent, people may aswell just buy the original biffy clyro one, maybe changing the name is a way of duping people into thinking it's original.
4. Despite what I've said above it wont work again simply because last year was about knocking x factor down a peg and they succeeded, alot of people have moved on, and with all the new campaigns the buys will be divided.
5. agreed although there still are many intent knocking x factor down.
Personally I don't think there is a need for another campaign, I'd like for something else to get number 1 just because it's; new, original and not a gimmick. Let's be honest if people were buying Matt's first single based on how it sounded alone, nothing to do with who he is or how talented he is then he would be lucky to break top 10.
I'm very disappointed that BBC3 didn't do a Family Guy night last night opposite X-Factor, I think they missed a trick there.
The main reason is that the winner is not Mary or Aiden, or Cher. Matt is generally respected and is expected to become a legitimate artist in his own right and I think the public will give him this chance.
Scott Mills will be backing it too on his show.
Now the 4million plus fans on the shows will have a chance of fliping the Bird to the x factor
Yes, this is true.
Look at the main story on the BBC website today - it's about the X-Factor, and next to it they have a link saying "Chart battle: Cage vs. Cowell". It's as if the media haven't done their homework and just are going with the first campaign that was created, rather than realising that Surfin Bird' is the main contender.
There's not much media attention this year which will be the biggest reason it fails if it does.
Being the biggest one, they obviously avoided it on purpose.
#3 on iTunes now.
If you liked alt metal, yes... but plenty of people don't - they're more likely to recognise Surfin' Bird. And historically, LOADS of people buy novelty records, whether it's Agadoo or the Crazy Frog song.
No-one I know had ever heard of the song before, let alone the band! That may work in Matt's favour as some might think it's "all his own work". When X Factor chose to slaughter Halleluiah, people rushed to buy decent versions of it - unfortunately there were two or three of those so it diluted the effect.
I can see where you're going with that. Generally single sales aren't as high as they used to be and a concerted group of fans could definitely have an effect. I don't see that so much this year although if the 600k fans all buy a copy of Surfin Bird it must get there surely?
However this idea of a silent record, whilst clever, is a complete loser. You'd have to be pretty daft to buy a record of silence (or coughs and splutters), even if it is for charity. If I want to listen to a soothing noise there's a really good website that plays white noise - free....
Also, Family Guy and that 'song' is the biggest pile of animated turd I've ever witnessed.
Let's hope they get onto it as well (although I'm not sure if they'll be able to buy digital tracks which contribute to the UK's chart)