How is it that some singles sell loads of copies even though the parent album has been out for months? One example: TGIF by Katy perry (Teenage Dream). The album had been released months prior but the single still managed to reach #1. Why would the public buy it if they already have the album?
Purchasing singles well after an album was released
The single of Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.) was remixed and features Missy Elliott. This helped it chart well because it's a different version to the one on the album which many people already had. It's exactly the same thing regarding the single version of E.T. which features Kanye West. Then there is the acoustic single version of "The One That Got Away" and the remix featuring B.o.B which both helped with its high chart position. It's sort of an extra incentive to keep buying the singles.
I guess some albums ("Thriller" being a good example) become so big that it feeds the success of the singles in a way. Adele could probably release two or three more tracks from "21" and have them all chart in the top 10 purely because the album is such a big deal at the moment.
I guess some albums ("Thriller" being a good example) become so big that it feeds the success of the singles in a way. Adele could probably release two or three more tracks from "21" and have them all chart in the top 10 purely because the album is such a big deal at the moment.
my guess is the people buying the single, didn't buy the album.
Originally Posted by RaptureRider:
“The single of Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.) was remixed and features Missy Elliott. This helped it chart well because it's a different version to the one on the album which many people already had. It's exactly the same thing regarding the single version of E.T. which features Kanye West. Then there is the acoustic single version of "The One That Got Away" and the remix featuring B.o.B which both helped with its high chart position. It's sort of an extra incentive to keep buying the singles.
I guess some albums ("Thriller" being a good example) become so big that it feeds the success of the singles in a way. Adele could probably release two or three more tracks from "21" and have them all chart in the top 10 purely because the album is such a big deal at the moment.”
“The single of Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.) was remixed and features Missy Elliott. This helped it chart well because it's a different version to the one on the album which many people already had. It's exactly the same thing regarding the single version of E.T. which features Kanye West. Then there is the acoustic single version of "The One That Got Away" and the remix featuring B.o.B which both helped with its high chart position. It's sort of an extra incentive to keep buying the singles.
I guess some albums ("Thriller" being a good example) become so big that it feeds the success of the singles in a way. Adele could probably release two or three more tracks from "21" and have them all chart in the top 10 purely because the album is such a big deal at the moment.”
Yeah, remixes are part of the reason singles after the album still keep selling, although the MIssy Elliott remix of Last Friday Night sold practically nothing really.
And people always talk like Katy Perry created remixes, but they've been going on for decades, and have always been used as a reason to get more people to buy a single. Usually dance remixes, rap remixes, piano ballad remixes, acoustic versions, etc. I guess one of the fun things about your favourite song on an album is hearing all the different remixes of it, so it can probably get people who bought the album to buy the song again.
Sometimes I may download the first single off the album depending how bad I want the song, but once I have the album I don't see the point of downloading the other singles.
I think the OP may be referring to the BB Hot 100. It is quite feasible over there to get multiple no. 1 singles off the same album as the chart is weighted approximately 55% towards airplay., In theory you can score a no. 1 without needing to sell anything! By the same token, some songs which sold well but received no radio support will not chart well. It also explains why a lot of songs managed to hold on to the number 1 spot for weeks on end.
a few weeks ago i bought a newly released cd single from an album released in 2009. beat that! it had new mixes on it. it was the first time the track had been released as a single
If a post-album release single has an EP then I'll sometimes download that, though usually only if there are B-sides/bonus tracks. Cee Lo Green's a good example for me: the EPs for Forget You and It's OK had B-sides which I liked (so I would've downloaded them even if they came out after the album release), and rather than getting the platinum version of The Lady Killer (I had the original already) I just got the Anyway EP, which had a remix and two performances from his Radio 1 Live Lounge Special a while back. It just makes logical sense to me. 
Also as a bonus, it's a more convenient way to get the single artwork than copying and pasting on Google images, and I'm a bit OCD about having those.
Also as a bonus, it's a more convenient way to get the single artwork than copying and pasting on Google images, and I'm a bit OCD about having those.
