Are Madonna's first-week sales numbers a disappointment? Blame Mariah.

While Madonna scored yet another No. 1 album, it may not have been the blockbuster opening that some were expecting.

She sold 280,000 copies of "Hard Candy," according to Nielsen SoundScan, in its first week in stores. First things first: With the days of the CD as the music format of choice seemingly numbered, any album that sells in the six-figure range is a bonus for the music biz these days.

And those who rolled their eyes at yet another blog alluding to the death of the CD, ask Madonna herself, who last year signed a $120-million deal with a touring company in Live Nation. And this summer, fans will get to see that deal start to pay off. Madonna will be generously coming to a whopping  16 North American markets, according to Billboard.

Great Diva Sales Race of 2008

Yet it's also hard not to note that Madonna's "Hard Candy" sold about 180,000 fewer copies than Mariah Carey moved two weeks ago. She's still significantly ahead, though, of the 181,000 copies sold by Janet Jackson's "Discipline" when it debuted in March.

But back to Carey. Her "E=MC2" scored the highest debut of the year when it opened at No. 1 after selling 463,000 copies. In just three weeks on the chart, "E=MC2" has sold more than 740,000 copies.

Album sales may be down across the board, but Madonna would certainly be expected to be closer to Mariah than, say, Leona Lewis on the diva totem pole. Newcomer Lewis entered at No. 1 a few weeks ago, her debut, "Spirit," selling 205,000 copies.

To compare "Hard Candy's" stats to Madonna's last record: In 2005 her Euro-influenced "Confessions on a Dance Floor" opened with 350,000 copies, according to Billboard. It's rare these days for an artist to actually top the first-week sales of a prior album, but if anyone could do it, it would certainly be Madonna. And Mariah just did it.

So it's easy to view Madonna's sales tally as a disappointment, a sign that she's losing her grip on the pop marketplace. But don't.

CD sales just an added bonus

Billboard downplays Madonna's sales dip, noting that "Confessions" opened during the holiday season. The trade also fairly points out that Mariah may have benefited from appearances on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" and "American Idol."

On one hand, Madonna is a bigger international brand than Mariah will ever be, and she was just inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

But on the other, the marketing campaign for "Hard Candy" was one based less on promotion than on partnerships. The album may not have been endorsed by Oprah, but the marketing campaign leading up the release of "Hard Candy" has been far from what anyone would call subtle. There are the Sunsilk commercials, the branding promotions with Verizon, the odd YouTube video and the video gift to gossip blogger Perez Hilton.

Additionally, Madonna's lead single, "4 Minutes," has been inescapable. It's still a top-10 hit, and her second single, "Give It 2 Me," has just debuted in the top 100. But even more important, "4 Minutes" has given Madonna something she didn't have at all with "Confessions on a Dance Floor," and that's a hit on U.S. radio. 

But if there's a problem -- if this is a problem -- with "4 Minutes," it's that it is as much a Justin Timberlake or Timbaland single as it is one from Madonna. It's also a song that will spur download sales, but not necessarily album sales.

For instance, as fun and silly as it may be, "4 Minutes" also could have appeared on Timbaland's 2007 album "Shock Value," or Timberlake's "FutureSex/LoveSounds." It's a song fit for an iTunes playlist as much as it is a new Madonna album.

Indeed, by lining up today's top producers and superstars -- Timberlake, Timbaland, Pharrell Williams, Kanye West, etc. -- Madonna has created an album that may sound swell stacked up with everyone else on the radio, but it also risks the danger of failing to set itself apart.

But "Hard Candy" doesn't really need to stand alone in order to be a success. The end result is an album seemingly built to sell millions of single-track downloads, ring tones, videos and bits of whatever digital accessories exist. And for pop music as business plan, that may prove to be one of Madonna's smartest moves yet, whether intentional or not.

Photo:  Madonna performing in Paris on May 6 / Associated Press

Comments

[John]

Need to correct this reporter, who did not do his homework. CONFESSIONS did yield one US hit...the top 10, HUNG UP (#7). It was #1 the world over too.

Yes, US radio shunned the rest of her singles, which - stand back - all charted very highly the world over.

While very smart to work with Timbaland and Timberlake, she had no choice. You can't have a single played on US radio these days without sounding black or having a guest hip-hop artist. And if you're over 40 - forget it. So she did what she had to do. It will be harder this go around for DJs and station managers to deny this "older woman" airplay b/c she her songs feature today's hottest hip hop artists. Now, that's shrewd! You go Gurl!!

[allan]

Madonna's last tour 200 million. Mariah 30 million. Mariah made the most money being bought off her contract. Now they'll buy her off again, because songs are free. Madonna sells her songs for commercials and TV shows and Movies like Get Smart to offset piracy. Madonna's going to get half of the profits for her albums for Live Nation. Assuming Mariah Carey continues to sell 3 million in the states, she'll only receive 2 percent of that. Madona outsells her worldwide. Who cares where the money's coming from. Madonna's going to Texas on her next concert. She's like Dietrich, the rednecks she abandoned will come running back again.

[David]

Todd Martens is obviously a Madonna fan and also obviously hatin' on Mariah. Give it a rest honey. Mimi has certainly, hands down the better album than Madonna...and Leona... and Janet. So puhleez stop the hatin on Mimi okay Doc Martens?

[Paul Nicholas]

madonna - long gone are the days when you you were the only diva in town, you have always been behind Mariah since she debuted in 1990, perhaps that is why you dont like her? Competition is too much for you?? Who knows eh!? MC will always come out better, the hype surrounding you may always be a bit bigger but it still dont bring you out ahead on top, if your album sales are anything to go by i neednt say any more...

[jd]

Excellent analysis there! I think that Madonna really doesn't care about CD sales anymore. For her it's all about concert ticket sales. Mariah doesn't sell concert tickets so she has to rely on album sales. Mariah's album sales are decreasing though and her single "Bye Bye" is a flop. I don't think her sham marriage is helping her cause.

[anonymous]

her new album sucks. she is an old woman trying to act like she is 21. look at her face. she looks messed up and she's too muscular.

[Drewbaby]

Analysis is NOT THOROUGH as it missed 2 major points

(1) 'Hard Candy' did not sell as well as expected because Madonna was not promoting it enough. She had the MSN concert with JT that played only to her base. She should have done that on Letterman, MTV, or in some format more visible to the masses. I believe her only TV promotion was BET's 106 & Park. Plus, her magazine covers were almost a month old.

(2) Mariah did better out of the gate because, upon the release of her last album, she still had not fully come back from "Glitter." Remember, it was that album's second single "We Belong Together" that brought her back in full force. The first single "It's Like That," was only a modest hit that did not make the Top Ten.

[Blue]

Madonna's fans don't buy cds because we don't use cd formant anymore!!!! It all about itunes and other electronic formats. Think in demographic groups. Pop followers have more recourses thus are more computer oriented, so either itunes or free copies from friends. Basically, most of them don't need to buy her music to get it. However, they are willing to pay $120 to see her live. She knows that, but it is not politically correct to talk about it!.

[didier]

HARD CANDY is number one in 33 countries. How much for Carey? In addition, Carey'first single was played 4 times more than Madonna's one in the US. Why? The downloads are much much higher for Madonna. This is not normal. This is not transparancy. Anyway, I do not really care, MADONNA is first class and do not play in the same division as Carey.

[JustMe]

To John: There's nothing shrewd about using whatever and whomever is hot right now.

A more accurate term to describe Madonna's reliance on Timbland et al for this Hard Candy album would be "desperation" and "sell out."

Ageism is a lame excuse to explain why American radio doesn't play Madonna songs.

American radio is happy to play tunes by other gals age 50 or over, such as Tina Turner, Donna Summer, and Cher. The problem isn't Madonna's age, it's Madonna. And her lack of talent, musical skill, decent songs, etc.

[susan]

Unless you've been living under a tree you know madonna did not a single television performance. Had she done the whole American Idol, Oprah, SNL, GMA and Leno, Letterman, Ellen, etc. I'm sure her sales would have been alot higher. What you failed to mention is Madonna opened at #1 in 27 countries around the world. Mariah opened in 3 countries at #1. I think that said it all.

[ramiro]

Mariah is a succesful artist only in USA. Outside USA she's almost unknown. While Madonna is the bigger artist of the World, that is the difference.

[jonathan]

madonna paved the way for the likes of mariah. ok so mariah has the better voice but madonna is a multi talented entertainer and performer. the worldwide queen of pop. she will reign a lot longer yet and it aint gonna be mariah to take the crown!!!!

[mike]

TATATA LOL
MADONNA IS INTERNATIONAL NOT A LOCAL SINGER LIKE mariah.
MADONNA IS ON TOP OF THE WORLD GET REAL

[Adam]

Ramiro said it well. Madonna is known internationally and sells internationally! She's a true pop artist and is at her best when she does pop. Mariah is an RnB artist who is only big in the US where RnB is big. RnB isn't big internationally like it is in the US.

Madonna' still the most successful female artist of all times, Mariah is listed as the third. Mariah's contract does not give her the artistic freedom and 50/50 partnership Madonna's new 120 million deal does. Those stats don't lie.
At the end of the day, let's not forget Mariah's Charmbracelet and Glitter albums were failures because they bombed in her biggest market: the US. Madonna's 'failure' records American Life and Erotica still sold 5 and 6 million copies but they sold internationally, just not as well in the US.

Mariah has an amazing voice. Madonna is a marketing machine and smart business woman. For a woman with an ordinary voice, Madonna is still debuting in 27 countries with a new Cd!

Let's just give them the respect they deserve. They have both acheived great things!

[Andrew]

Madonna rocks people she sold almost 200k more copies her 1st week worldwide than Mariah, that cow only beats her in the USA because of all that payola airplay the cow buys to promote her albums which all sound the same!

That cows new album only went to #1 in 2 countries while Madonna has went to #1 in 33 so far! Madonna has the #1 selling single in the entire world for a month now! AND NOW THE #1 ALBUM TO!

Screw Mariah!

[Spanky]

Mariah Carey might have a better voice than Madonna but she certainly doesn't have better songs. Madonna's music always sounds so much better than Mariah Carey's because of the heart and care Madonna puts into the recording of her records. Mariah's music, on the other hand, is as superflous, superficial, shallow and as lightweight as Mariah herself singing in a high register. She can't record a decent single if her life depended on it.

[ProducerOne]

This album in the states will not be a sucess for the following reasons: Madonna's career is pretty much over in the states. Her initial fan base in the states is now changing diapers and trying to figure out how their going to fule their cars and pay their rent with the government rapeing their pocket books! This along with a plethera of other problems makes a woman like Madonna really out of tuch with that demographic (the only demographic left out there to buy cd's in a store). So, what she and her business partners decided to do with the "Hard Candy" album was a good strategy, but really it's over for her in the states. She is now a European household name. Even if she has super musicans, producers, sound, lighting and directors behind her, she ain't gonna be in touch with the youth of the states. Her time for that in the staes is over. The youth in the states look at her as the cool mom rather than the hot pop star. Secondly, Madonna needs to figure out what her sound is!!! This current album will not sell in the states because its such a departure from her past albums and more importantly, her last album. "Conmfessions" as an album worked so well because the music loved Madonna and Madonna loved the music. "Hard Candy" is a supped up album that results in it being just a "product " much like the last horrible Justin Timberlake album. These platinum stars fall for whatever is pettled to them in order to make muney! Madonna is really akward on this album! She takes no ownership in these songs. It's like her producers told her to do collaberations with all of the top hip hop/rap/and r&b hit makers to make money! When I hear the tune "4 Minutes", I do shake my rump with the rest of the public, but I can't help but to wonder what that tune would sound like if Britney Spears would have recorded it! That tune is fit for Britney, not Madonna! Simularly to "Incredible". That song is not incredible. It's incredibly wrong for Madonna (or any other "artist" for that matter- what the hell was Pharell thinking on that track)? The only tune that works on the album is "The Beat goes on". This tune is a natural extention of the tunes that are on her Confessions album. The only problem with the track is the misguided/misplaced Kayne rap. Couldn't
Pharell have gotten some unrecongonized British rapper to spit 16 or more on that tune? All-in-all, I think the album is a good long distance driving record. Its really good getting ready for the club music- thats about it ,and I can say that I would fast foward and or ommit about 85% of the album. Most of the trunes are really forgettable. Sorry Madonna, the other M-named diva (Mariah) is selling more than you in the states because she stays true to her style, and more importantly here fan base!!! She's also aging much better than you too.

[MC]

like it said,
SHE sold more than anyone else internationally, where the CD is much more expensive... Selling is selling, it doesn;t matter where... MARIAH can kiss MADOONA's butt... only salers in USA... all those OBAMA Fans.. I am sick of OBAMA and MARAIH... I am all abot HILLARY and MADONNA.. also remember, Mariah even cancelled her last tour because she could fill the place where Madoona kept adding dates... SHE IS INTERNATIONAL STAR not only in USA.... $$$$$$ is $$$$$.. She can bring much more than Mariah or Michael Jackson... BTW, Mariah Two other singles are dropping out of the chart like crazy exept the that stupid song(TOUCH her FAT body)... Even single, Madonnal sold more with 4 minutes not only here in USA but all over the world

[JustME]

I'm not a Mariah fan, but I find this bickering hilarious.

It really, really eats you up, doesn't it, Madonna fans, that Carey has had more #1 songs than Madonna and that she sold 400,000+ units in the first week while Madonna sold only about 200,000.

I also find it funny that Madonna has not been popular in the USA since about 1985.

Only Europeans like washed up, has been American entertainers.

Madonna noticed - as her last album tanked in the USA, so what does she do, but deliberately try to appeal to the American market by using popular American producers/singers for her new album?

[BogusMadonna50]

Madonna has always made albums for gay guys who would feign to imitate and do drag shows in tribute to her. The rest of her appeal is directed to be seductive. Her lyrics are not really inclusive of women. She doesn't seem to know the difference between love and sex, or that there is one. It's likely someone has been paid by Warner or even Madonna to take this poll! Madonna should knock-it-off with the overt sexuality. It makes her come off as being perverted and is enough to "embarrass" anyone. Instant karma! We'll live to see that, in the same way Sonny and Cher had to deal with a gay daughter. What to expect when she turns 60? She'll be "frenching" her own privates (or gay dancers dressed up as privates and/or vaginas) as she whips them.

[Mark]

I personally know that some radio station DJ's are ageist pigs....i called my local radio sation and asked them why they didn't play "4 minutes" and he personally said that she was old tha's why....What a retard he must have sounded like mid forties....but anyways I told him to look at "Radio & Records" the chart stations use to see what music is hot....and Madonna's single was way up there....so he said maybe he's spin it......if enough people asked for it...people need to ask for the songs....It's true for Ray of Light Madonna went on Oprah....and did lots of TV .....maybe she will for her next single...I love this album.....different

[John]

This is to JustMe:

Um, what radio station are you listening to? Oldies 101? Those are the only stations playing artists over 40 like Cher and Tina.

Let me dumb it down for you, what I was saying is that the HOT pop stations - the only ones that matter according to BILLBOARD magazine, are not playing artists over 40. NAME ONE ARTIST. And I mean - from the modern era, and from your HOT POP station. I live in LA, and KIIS FM is the hot station. They snubbed Madonna's last album. HOWEVER, they gave great air time to 4 MINUTES.

Which brings me back to my point - she was shrewd, smart and clever to use Timbaland & Timberlake, Kanye, and Pharell to help get her spins on the HOT stations.

The only artists getting play today are young artists of any sex/race, black, R&B, hip/hop artists, or have a guest hip-hop artist on their song.

Regardless, Madonna continues her 25 years of hits, and hate all you want - she isn't going anywhere. I'm buying my tickets on Monday!!

And I agree with your comments Mark. Glad you called your DJ.

[Ramiro]

Since the beginning of her career Madonna's haters said she was over (like right now). Over 25 years later we continue talking about her....She's a myth, a legend and the only one queen of the music world. She will be remembered in 100 years. Mariah will be quickly forgotten.

[Roger]

It was a matter of time before anti-gay bigots like BogusMadonna50 would show up spouting their hate. Madonna appreciates all her fans including gay men. Gay men have been loyal to her so it is understandable that she recognizes them.