Current H!P Acts Album Sales

Having already looked at the singles sales recently I thought I should look at the album sales too. So here is a pdf…

Morning Musume Cute Berryz Buono Albums

The one big surprise for me is how low Platinum 9 Disc is. Okay we all know sales are nothing like what they were during the early years of MM but Platinum 9 Disc has sold less than both of Buono’s albums so far. The album hasn’t been on sale as long but with only 14704 copies sold in it’s first week compared to Cafe Buono! with 18413 first week sales and Buono 2 with 15631 first week sales it’s clear that MM’s last studio album has proven less popular than Buono’s last two. MM may still rule the singles chart for H!P but the albums chart currently belongs to 3 members originally from the kids rank.

Away from Platinum 9 Disc it’s quite a similar pattern to the singles sales. MM mostly rule (except their poor covers album which comes in 4th to bottom) and C-ute again own the Berryz with C-ute’s 3rd and first albums outselling any Berryz album. C-ute also have a top ten album to their name (their third album) whereas the best Berryz have managed is 11th with both their Special Best Of and their imaginitively titled 5 (Five) album. Although I have to say I’m disappointed in C-ute’s 4th album sales. Especially since it’s their best album in my opinion. Then again I think Forever Love is their best single and that sold disappointingly so what do I know?

I can’t wait for C-ute’s 5th album though just to see what it’ll be called. With Morning Musume we had the outstandingly original title No.5 and with Berryz Kobo the amazing title 5 (Five). I can’t begin to imagine what wonders await us with the naming of the next C-ute album. Go 5? Five (5)? C-ute have 5 members? I’ll go with 5 Go C-ute. Although I’d like a departure. Even if they do stick with the traditional numbered approach (like with every other H!P album) maybe they should try something different.  The famous C-ute Five Run Away Together (with Morningtime)? The Famous C-ute Five Go Off in a Caravan (with Mornintime)? The Famous C-ute Five Go Off to Camp (with Morningtime)? The Famous C-ute Five Have Penty of Fun (with Morningtime)? Hmm…some of those later titles might be quite adult rated.

On a final note the sales figure for MM’s first best of album is absolutely staggering. I think there’s a danger in looking at the earlier figures too much as record sales have dropped worldwide for virtually everyone during this period. Probably because of the internet and piracy. Even so MM really are a shadow of their former selves these days. I still like a lot of the members but with several poor singles in recent times and now no regular tv show this past two years have been a dodgy period. Even so their recent single sales have shown a rallying and they do seem to keep getting tv guest appearances and top 5 positions in the singles chart but I think it’s easy to see why Tsunku seems to be setting them on a more wider international quest for fans now. Hopefully that approach will continue and will reap rewards. Also hopefully it’ll bring all the groups closer to the UK. 😀

To sum up it’s clear across both the singles and album charts that Morning Musume are still a lot more popular than the two young upstarts C-ute & Berryz Kobo. But the gap isn’t quite as big as it could have been.