Pop Talk - General Music Discussion

[InFamous]

She may have had 'only' six totally solo #1 hits, but let's take a look at the other eight and see who was the main driver behind them.

Umbrella - I think we can agree Jay-Z's presence for commercial purposes was pretty much a non-factor. This would've gone #1 without him.
What's My Name? - Drake didn't get another #1 hit until 2016 ("One Dance"), so I think it's safe to assume Rihanna was the main driver here and this would've gone #1 without Drake.
S&M - the Britney remix definitely helped, but as MrL pointed out, this was a top 3 hit with RiRi alone and the way RiRi's team was operating during the 'Loud' era, I think they would've done a discount or something else to take it to #1 without Brit Brit.
We Found Love - I'm sure close to 0% bought the song because they saw Calvin Harris, fairly unknown in the US in 2011, as the featured act.
The Monster - Eminem's last US #1; he needed RiRi here.

Live Your Life - T.I. was huge at the time so maybe he didn't need RiRi on the hook, but having her there definitely made it much bigger.
Love the Way You Lie - same as above.
Work - I actually think Drake fuelled this more than RiRi, so I'll put this in the 'she actually needed help' column.

Well I mean we can analyse it till the cows come home but doesn't change the fact that she had six solo number one hits and eight with features/ duets/hooks. And if you were to look at solo stats only, which people do a lot here when critiquing other artists, and indeed using that to discredit them ( which I have not done with Rihanna btw), it does bring her numbers down quite a lot.

[JSparksFan]

Well I mean we can analyse it till the cows come home but doesn't change the fact that she had six solo number one hits and eight with features/ duets/hooks. And if you were to look at solo stats only, which people do a lot here when critiquing other artists, and indeed using that to discredit them ( which I have not done with Rihanna btw), it does bring her numbers down quite a lot.

While it would be accurate to say RiRi only had six solo US chart-toppers, I guess my question is two-fold: (1) why the "solo" and not "lead" qualifier and (2) what is the conclusion to be inferred from such a framing? And I know the natural conclusion would be that if fewer than half of her #1 hits are "solo", then she clearly "needs" features/duets and I think that's where analysis of the facts and circumstances of the other #1 hits comes into play to challenge the credence of that thesis. I think RiRi's chart history would disprove that "natural conclusion", but everyone is entitled to objectively review the data and leave with their own opinion on the matter.

[InFamous]

Katy Perry Teenage Dream singles in Europe :

Austria / France / Germany / Italy / Switzerland / Uk
California Gurls 3 5 3 3 4 1
Teenage Dream 2 75 6 9 8 2
Firework 3 7 4 4 3 3
E.T. 7 10 9 9 14 3
Last Friday Night 7 22 15 9 20 9
The One that got Away 19 30 34 39 33 18

So from one album in six European Regions that I have data from Katy Perry amassed 24 Top 10 Hits.
To claim that the era was a local one with no European success is a complete fabrication and trolling.

[MrLeonix]

While it would be accurate to say RiRi only had six solo US chart-toppers, I guess my question is two-fold: (1) why the "solo" and not "lead" qualifier and (2) what is the conclusion to be inferred from such a framing? And I know the natural conclusion would be that if fewer than half of her #1 hits are "solo", then she clearly "needs" features/duets and I think that's where analysis of the facts and circumstances of the other #1 hits comes into play to challenge the credence of that thesis. I think RiRi's chart history would disprove that "natural conclusion", but everyone is entitled to objectively review the data and leave with their own opinion on the matter.

Exactly ... it’s not just “solo” but the word “leading act” counts too.

There is a big difference between “Umbrella” and another song where she is the featured act (example: “The Monster”). Very different cases and certainly not the same.

Rihanna has at least 11 #1 solo / lead act singles:

1. S.O.S
2. Umbrella
3. Take A Bow
4. Disturbia
5. Rude Boy
6. Only Girl
7. What’s My Name
8. S&M
9. We Found Love
10. Diamonds
11. Work

But people like to troll.

[MrLeonix]

Katy Perry Teenage Dream singles in Europe :

Austria / France / Germany / Italy / Switzerland / Uk
California Gurls 3 5 3 3 4 1
Teenage Dream 2 75 6 9 8 2
Firework 3 7 4 4 3 3
E.T. 7 10 9 9 14 3
Last Friday Night 7 22 15 9 20 9
The One that got Away 19 30 34 39 33 18

So from one album in six European Regions that I have data from Katy Perry amassed 24 Top 10 Hits.
To claim that the era was a local one with no European success is a complete fabrication and trolling.

She barely had any #1 hit there compared to the bunch of #1s she had in US single after single.

Literally Janet’s “Control” and “Rhythm Nation” teas!.

[InFamous]

While it would be accurate to say RiRi only had six solo US chart-toppers, I guess my question is two-fold: (1) why the "solo" and not "lead" qualifier and (2) what is the conclusion to be inferred from such a framing? And I know the natural conclusion would be that if fewer than half of her #1 hits are "solo", then she clearly "needs" features/duets and I think that's where analysis of the facts and circumstances of the other #1 hits comes into play to challenge the credence of that thesis. I think RiRi's chart history would disprove that "natural conclusion", but everyone is entitled to objectively review the data and leave with their own opinion on the matter.

I never once said that Rihanna "needs" features though. The chart discographies of many artists have been analysed here many times with different criteria being used at particular times - be it solo/ feature, pure sales/ digital sales, streaming/ SPS etc etc. At the end of the day Rihanna's chart record states that she has 14 number one singles in the US, so that is all that matters ultimately .

[InFamous]

She barely had any #1 hit there compared to the bunch of #1s she had in US single after single.

Literally Janet’s “Control” and “Rhythm Nation” teas!.

After Baby one more time ( the single ) Britney had a grand total of one number ones in the US or in any of those six European Territories from the rest of her released singles.
Born to Make you Happy - 1 in the UK. What teas does that give you ?

[Goldmoney]

MrLeonix, whose SB performance would you rather see: Kitty Purry or Prince’s?

[MrLeonix]

After Baby one more time ( the single ) Britney had a grand total of one number ones in the US or in any of those six European Territories from the rest of her released singles.
Born to Make you Happy - 1 in the UK. What teas does that give you ?

Well I don’t know what Britney has to do with Katy and why you have to bring her in every page whenever someone posts something about Katy ...

... But Britney’s singles (up until 2008) always did better internationally than in the US. “Sometimes” for example only peaked at #21 in US yet it peaked at #3 in UK and was Top 10 nearly everywhere in Europe and the globe (same case with many of her singles).

Katy’s singles always did better in US.

[MrLeonix]

MrLeonix, whose SB performance would you rather see: Kitty Purry or Prince’s?

Prince, of course.

[DnBLover]

Only someone who has never set foot on Europe would claim that Katy Perry was not massive during her first three eras, with multiple back to back radio smash hits.
Also looking for #1s in countries in which English is not even the first language and where you are competing with local artists is just stupid.

Actually, even her recent single Never Really Over was played a lot.

[InFamous]

Only someone who has never set foot on Europe would claim that Katy Perry was not massive during her first three eras, with multiple back to back radio smash hits.
Also looking for #1s in countries in which English is not even the first language and where you are competing with local artists is just stupid.

Actually, even her recent single Never Really Over was played a lot.

Exactly right.Katy was massive all over Europe for those three eras before fading off.

[MrLeonix]

It’s simple ... if you have a bunch of #1s in US and just a few ones in other countries then you did better in US. There’s no other way to spin it. It doesn’t mean the artist performed bad or anything it just means you did better in one specific market in the same way it happened to Janet.

I personally don’t need to set a foot in UK in order to know Kylie Minogue is more popular there than in Canada. It’s pure logic and common sense through actual data and numbers that are public.

[InFamous]

Bro .. It’s all over for Kitty since 2014 and she was quite local.

Claiming that Katy Perry was a local act is pure trolling, plain and simple. As if all of those songs that peaked in the top 5 in European territories were not huge hits. She had three massive eras all over Europe which her stats and sales clearly show.

[MrLeonix]

Claiming that Katy Perry was a local act is pure trolling, plain and simple. As if all of those songs that peaked in the top 5 in European territories were not huge hits. She had three massive eras all over Europe which her stats and sales clearly show.

I did put the word “quite” in there though.

[InFamous]

Miley snapped on this track, loving it - Nightcrawling.
Did anyone else notice the little throwback to S&M by Rihanna?

[spiritboy]

I gave Miley album a listen, sounds like it's not my cup of tea though people seem to be loving it. Happy for her that she's heading for a relatively successful era.

[aRat]

Miley snapped on this track, loving it - Nightcrawling.
Did anyone else notice the little throwback to S&M by Rihanna?

Hm no. How?

[InFamous]

Hm no. How?

" come on, come on " It's like a lil vocal sample , surprised you didn't catch it. I noticed it straight away.

[stevyy]

Exactly ... it’s not just “solo” but the word “leading act” counts too.

But people like to troll.

you mean like those who call Mariah local? Or discredited her for having 4 non-solo #1's (out of 19)?

Or those who claim that Janet's Rhythm Nation era was local?

Or who create a distinction of global and quite global... or local and quite local?

Someone is either global or not... there is no such thing as "quite" this or that.

The other day two people in this thread called Merry Christmas (1994) a fad.... (and we are speaking of an album which has sold something between 13 - 15 million traditional copies, depending on what source you're using).

I mean right back at cha, gurl. U either be consistent or you are trolling.

[stevyy]

I gave Miley album a listen, sounds like it's not my cup of tea though people seem to be loving it. Happy for her that she's heading for a relatively successful era.

I enjoy the album. <3 Miley won me over for good now.

[Goldmoney]

I enjoy the album. <3 Miley won me over for good now.

I can see through her shtick tho.

[Enzolorenzo]

you mean like those who call Mariah local? Or discredited her for having 4 non-solo #1's (out of 19)?

Or those who claim that Janet's Rhythm Nation era was local?

Or who create a distinction of global and quite global... or local and quite local?

Someone is either global or not... there is no such thing as "quite" this or that.

The other day two people in this thread called Merry Christmas (1994) a fad.... (and we are speaking of an album which has sold something between 13 - 15 million traditional copies, depending on what source you're using).

I mean right back at cha, gurl. U either be consistent or you are trolling.

Who said that Mariah was local? Lol

[MrLeonix]

you mean like those who call Mariah local?

Well .. outside 1993-1995 years (and the Xmas song) yep she was local.

Or who create a distinction of global and quite global... or local and quite local?

Someone is either global or not... there is no such thing as "quite" this or that.

The other day two people in this thread called Merry Christmas (1994) a fad.... (and we are speaking of an album which has sold something between 13 - 15 million traditional copies, depending on what source you're using).

I mean right back at cha, gurl. U either be consistent or you are trolling.

Yeah .. people only care about “We Belong Together” in the states ... don’t blame it on me

[MrLeonix]

Who said that Mariah was local? Lol

Mariah definitely had some global eras ... “Music Box” is one of the most global eras EVER!

but she’s also done plenty of local stuff. Like “The Emancipation Of Mimi” = 8million sales worldwide (6x Platinum in US)