Take That - This Life (New Album)

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I thought there was a thread about their new ERA but couldn't find it

Anyone care?

The first single Windows was quite crap but I love this one:

 
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I have spotified both the tracks- I don't know who's doing their plugging but you wouldn't know they had anything out!
 
Yep, they seem to be coming back with more and more diminishing returns. I personally feel the music isn’t up to scratch which is why I have totally lost interest. I assume they are still a massive touring force so people can go and watch them sing their old good songs.
 
I've only seen a video on Mike Read's Heritage Chart Show (that show being one of the worst things I've ever watched), but heard nothing else. It seems their stock has fallen massively, other than as a touring act, which obviously will make them far more money anyway.

It's dull. Barlow's voice really annoys me these days.
 
They were on Jools Holland the other week, which felt a bit odd. They didn't appear to have the vocals for whatever retro harmony Americana thing they were aiming for.
 
Their second imperial era is definitely over isn’t it?

The singles have done fuck all and the numbers on Spotify are pitiful!
 
Very much so.

I wouldn't count out a further renaissance, but it would probably need all 5.
 
Jason Orange is NEVER going back to that band, don't you worry.
 
Have they bundled with concert tickets? I think that's more than what their last studio album did.
 
Surprised Robbie hasn't taken any swipes about it (or has he?) He should make an album with Orange, starting with a cover of Rain, Tax (It's Inevitable).
 
Their second imperial era is definitely over isn’t it?

The singles have done fuck all and the numbers on Spotify are pitiful!
Take That score ninth No.1 with their biggest opening week sales since 2014

Take That score ninth No.1 with their biggest opening week sales since 2014
Take That have secured the biggest opening week for a British act on the albums chart in 2023. And they have done it in some style.

This Life (EMI) has become the Music Week cover stars’ ninth No.1 after debuting at the summit with sales of 116,163, according to the Official Charts Company.

That’s an increase on the 105,721 week one sales for their previous album release, No.1 greatest hits reworkings collection Odyssey, in 2018. This Life also improved on the 113,211 opening sales for 2017’s Wonderland, which peaked at No.2 in March of that year. In fact, it’s the biggest opening weekly sale for Take That since seventh studio album III debuted at the summit with 144,538 sales in December 2014.

With their ninth studio album, Take That moved 112,779 physical copies (97.1% of the total) in the past week, along with 1,987 downloads and 1,397 sales-equivalent streams.

The sales performance by Take That helped boost physical music releases to a 23.6% share of the albums market, compared to 17.2% in the prior week and 15.7% a fortnight ago.

EMI were comfortable market leaders in the past week, based on the crucial All Albums – All Music metric, with a 14.4% share. This Life is the band’s first album with the label.

Take That are at No.5 on the RadioMonitor airplay chart with the album’s title track, although it has surprisingly not made the OCC singles chart so far.

This Life surpasses 2023’s previous fastest-selling record by a British act, Lewis Capaldi’s second album Broken By Desire to Be Heavenly Sent (EMI), which opened with 95,882 sales in May.

Of course, EMI also secured the biggest overall week one sales this year with 1989 (Taylor’s Version) by Taylor Swift, which opened with 184,965 sales last month.

This Life is Take That’s third chart-topper as a trio. During their career, they have secured previous No.1 albums with Everything Changes (1993), Nobody Else (1995), Greatest Hits (1996), Beautiful World (2006), The Circus (2008), Progress (2010), III (2014) and Odyssey (2018).

As revealed in Alan Jones’ charts analysis, Take That’s biggest ever first week sale came in 2010 when Progress opened with 518,601 sales, the third highest of the 21st century behind Adele’s 25 (800,307, 2015) and Ed Sheeran’s Divide (671,542, 2017). Their biggest seller is 2006’s Beautiful World, which had first week sales of 168,954, which surged to 443,070 three weeks later in the pre-Christmas chart week. It has since gone on to accumulate 2,940,045 sales.

The group have now drawn level with Bob Dylan, Coldplay and Kylie Minogue on the list of acts with the most UK No.1 albums, each with nine. The Beatles are out in front with 15.

:hostage:
 
That is a huge number I don't think many people (certainly seemingly nobody here) expected, particularly because from what I can see, they don't appear to have overdone the formats.

But that figure is massively frontloaded isn't it? It had sold 103k in the Monday midweeks, so that's nearly 90%. Isn't that even higher than Kylie's Tension?

It'll be interesting to see how well it holds, and whether Christmas gift sales keep it more buoyant than it otherwise may be. I'm not sure if there are any big releases or if we've had them all now. Its lead is so big over the rest of the chart that even if it collapses massively in terms of sales, it may well still hold #1.
 
Front loaded or not over 100K sales in week one is pretty amazing even if it drops like a stone.
 
Their comeback really was one of the most successful of all time, wasn;t it? Even I liked 'Patience' and the album went like the proverbial off the shovel. That first week of "Progress" shows you how streaming has decimated sales too.
 
Particularly when you consider the drop off in the market in the 6 years since their last studio album, which it narrowly outsold. And the fact that there's no hit single.

I think with the album sales market contracting so much (and as the post above states, nearly 99% of total sales were from sales), releases are going to get more and more frontloaded - very much so for acts who depend on physical sales rather than streaming. Apart from anything, there are so few opportunities for casual sales any more, as retail outlets have been decimated. People who like owning physical copies have to be more proactive. People who previously may have thought 'Take That have a new album coming out, I'll pick that up when I'm in town/the supermarket' are far more likely to go to Amazon or the artist website and pre-order.
 
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I definitely was not expecting those first week numbers. Mostly all physical too. I did doubt them in terms of new releases but not as a touring act, with those figures their next tour will be as gigantic as ever
 
I had no doubt their tour would be massive. They have announced two stadium dates here, and from my Facebook it's easy to see they have the market for middle aged women who never otherwise show any interest in music sewn up.
 
Sales drop to 8,082 in week two as it falls 1 - 6. That's a drop of 93% from last week :o

They could have sustained a drop of 85% and remained at #1, as Peter Gabriel only sold 15,645.

What piss poor sales for Christmas. Bublé is at #3 with 14,402, so presumably he's got Christmas #1 in the bag.
 
Gabriel has released his album a track at a time over the last year which will have impacted his sales a bit. Still poor for early December. Music just isn't gifted any more.
 
Crap second week sales yes but a drop 1-6 can't be scoffed at these days, especially an act like Take That being so front loaded
 
It is a big drop for an album which opened so well, with a huge lead over the rest of the chart - and which hasn't been forced down by large sales or strong competition.

But I guess the crucial difference for Take That (compared to Taylor Swift or Lewis Capaldi for example who both opened 100k plus this year) is that they had streaming to fall back on in week two.
 
On Strictly now. I think this belongs in the Pop Toilet now, artistically. I know Gary started out playing his keyboard in working men’s clubs. Seems like he’s come full circle.
 

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