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Post by dougs on Jan 7, 2022 12:58:13 GMT
Update - January 10, 2020:
Elton & Dua Lipa & Pnau just saw "Cold Heart" return to #1 for the 6th week on Australia's Top 50 Singles Chart. "Cold Heart" has been on the Australian chart for an amazing 21 weeks and counting! It is currently at 2X Platinum certification status. "Cold Heart" jumped up from #45 to #13 on the UK Top 100 Singles chart this week, as well.
DIAMONDS jumped up to #17 on the Top 50 Albums chart and to #3 on the Top Catalogue Albums chart in Australia. DIAMONDS also jumped up to #7 on the UK Top 100 Albums chart - only 2 positions from its all-time peak on that chart; it has now been on the UK chart for 217 weeks!
Interesting note on vinyl album sales; 2021 has been reported as the highest selling year for vinyl since 1991! It was announced yesterday in the US that vinyl album sales comprised almost 40% of ALL album sales in 2021. Sales have increased over & over for 14 consecutive years. 2022 could be the year we see special vinyl re-releases for HONKY CHATEAU and possibly MADMAN ACROSS THE WATER. Most of Elton's most successful albums were re-released on vinyl in 2017 with original full packaging and have sold out - at least the classic 70s stuff did. We'll see what 2022 brings...
Doug
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Post by BiteUrLip on Jan 7, 2022 15:02:03 GMT
It is quite interesting that as soon as Elton's music gets modernized, he gets success. I don't know is "Cold Heart" an exception though, as Good Morning To The Night didn't spawn any number one hits. It is not easy to combine previous songs into new songs like this, although I admit I don't myself like it.
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Post by dougs on Jan 8, 2022 0:07:58 GMT
BiteUrLip:
re: modernizing Elton's music:
Yeah, you are right. This "modernization" usually requires the assistance of a relevant young artist either covering one of EJ's songs where Elton is only the guest vocalist or where Elton duets with such an artist as we have seen with "Cold Heart." Radio stations which play current hit pop music do not playlist Elton's songs anymore. It does take having someone like Dua Lipa guesting with him and the record company working hard to get his songs into rotation on air. You have to go back to the 90s to find any Elton single that he wrote, played on, did the vocals and released as one of his own singles that sold well and got a certification (platinum, gold, silver).
Pnau did a good job with "Cold Heart" but I still believe that they did an even better job on the 2012 album GOOD MORNING TO THE NIGHT which didn't have any songs which found their way onto heavy radio rotation, sales, or chart positions BUT that album did go #1 in the UK that summer. "Sad" did get to (only) #48 in the UK as one of the album's two singles. Maybe one of those mashed-up remixes by Pnau might have been a big single had EJ brought in a relevant young vocalist to guest with him as Dua Lipa did this past year on "Cold Heart." My favourite mash-up/re-mix (modernization) from GOOD MORNING TO THE NIGHT was actually the album's only instrumental called "Sixty."
Doug
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Post by BiteUrLip on Jan 8, 2022 16:07:30 GMT
Yes, I like GMTTN more too. It has a couple songs I don't like but some of them I really do.
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Post by dougs on Jan 15, 2022 6:34:51 GMT
Update - January 15, 2022:
"Cold Heart" took much longer to chart and gain momentum in Canada and the US than it did in Europe, Australia/New Zealand, and most of the world but the song has now crept up the charts in North America (so far) peaking at:
1. Canada: #1 (2 weeks) as of January 8, 2022 2. US: #7 as of January 15, 2020
"Cold Heart" has also been newly certified 2X Platinum in Poland and Gold in Portugal. "Merry Christmas" has also been newly certified Gold in Austria.
THE LOCKDOWN SESSIONS has been newly certified Gold in Poland.
Doug
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Post by dougs on Feb 4, 2022 17:59:38 GMT
Update - February 4, 2022:
A few updates:
1. "Cold Heart" just went Platinum (1 million units sold) in the US. 2. "Cold Heart" remains at #2 on the Australian Top 100 Singles chart 3. "Cold Heart" remains at #1 on the Canada iTunes Songs chart 4. DIAMONDS moved back up to #17 on the UK Top 100 Albums chart
Further Update:
In terms of UK Top 100 Singles "downloads" here are two EJ entries:
1. "Cold Heart" with Dua Lipa is back up to #8 2. "Finish Line" with Stevie Wonder in at #78
Doug
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Post by dougs on Feb 11, 2022 22:26:17 GMT
Update - February 11, 2022:
"Cold Heart"
* #2 on the Australia Top 50 Singles chart * #4 on the Canada iTunes Top Songs chart * #10 on the UK Top 100 Singles Download chart * #11 on the US Billboard Hot 100 Singles chart * #25 on the UK Top 100 Singles chart
"Finish Line"
* #62 on the UK Top 100 Singles Download chart
Doug
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Post by dougs on Feb 18, 2022 17:52:10 GMT
Update - February 18, 2022:
"Cold Heart" has returned to #1 on the Australia Top 100 Singles chart. It has now been #1 for 9 weeks. "Cold Heart" has dominated the Canada Hot 100 Singles chart recently. It has been #1 for 7 weeks.
"Finish Line" with Stevie Wonder is now up to #50 on the UK Top 100 Singles Download chart.
Surprisingly long staying power for "Cold Heart."
Doug
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Post by dougs on Feb 25, 2022 17:26:22 GMT
Update - February 25, 2022:
"Cold Heart" with Dua Lipa * #1 on the Australia Top 50 Singles chart (Now 10 weeks at #1) * #1 on the Canada iTunes Top Songs chart * #12 on the US Billboard Hot 100 Singles chart * #12 on the UK Top 100 Singles Download chart * #29 on the UK Top 100 Singles chart
"Finish Line" with Stevie Wonder * #93 on the UK Top 100 Singles Download chart
DIAMONDS: * The album was this week certified 3X Platinum in the UK (224 weeks on the chart) * #15 on the UK Official Top 100 Albums chart
THE LOCKDOWN SESSIONS: * The album was this week certified Gold in Switzerland
Doug
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Post by dougs on Mar 4, 2022 22:50:27 GMT
Update - March 4, 2022:
"Cold Heart" with Dua Lipa
* #4 on the Australia Top 50 Singles chart (10 weeks at #1) * #2 on the Canada iTunes Top Songs chart * #10 on the US Billboard Hot 100 Singles chart * #13 on the UK Top 100 Singles Download chart * #30 on the UK Top 100 Singles chart
Doug
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Post by dougs on Mar 11, 2022 17:52:01 GMT
Update - March 11, 2022:
"Cold Heart" with Dua Lipa
* back up to #2 on the Australia Top 50 Singles chart (10 weeks at #1) * back up to #1 on the Canada iTunes Top Songs chart * remains at #10 on the US Billboard Hot 100 Singles chart * #12 on the UK Top 100 Singles Download chart * #37 on the UK Top 100 Singles chart
DIAMONDS:
* #30 on the Australia Top 100 Albums Chart * #37 on the UK Top 100 Albums Chart
Doug
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Post by rocketman on Mar 11, 2022 22:37:05 GMT
I recently mentioned on a posted reply to a Facebook Group about Cold Heart that the main reason for the song's success sales-wise is Dua Lipa. Someone in the group seemed to take exception to what I wrote, but as DougS points out so correctly, Elton's solo efforts just don't get airplay and have not received such in a significant way since the 1990's.
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Post by dougs on Mar 11, 2022 23:27:01 GMT
rocketman:
Having "Rocket Man" and "Sacrifice" within "Cold Heart" (mashed-up by Pnau) can't hurt! But, as we saw with those great 2012 mash-ups of Elton's songs also by Pnau, none of those songs got much radio airplay or charted well. Elton didn't have any younger guest vocalists on that project. The album did amazing well but only in the UK. If "Cold Heart" had Elton doing all of the singing without Dua Lipa, I don't think many radio stations would even considered putting the song into their lowest rotation schedule. Radio stations in the US were VERY slow and reluctant to play "Cold Heart" but once they did the song started its slow burn up the charts and it is currently hanging around #10 for multiple weeks and has been certified Platinum (1 million) in sales in the US. Radio stations are excited to play Dua Lipa. Her name = listeners & buyers. She has had, for example, 9 top 6 songs (3 at #1) in the past 4 1/2 years in the UK.
The last newly written Elton song from an Elton album that charted well was "Something About the Way You Look Tonight" in 1997!!!
As mentioned, EJ has had hits since 1997, such as "Are You Ready For Love" in 2003 but that was an existing old (recorded in 1977 and released in 1979) song that got an amazing and rare regional re-birth in the UK. Other Elton hits this millennium were when he performed with younger artists or bands (eg. Tupac and Blue) on their songs or even new versions of EJ's older songs. He has had NO songs of his from his albums from this millennium to chart well and get much radio air play. Some of Elton's single releases this millennium got a degree of AC (Adult Contemporary) airplay but not airplay on hit radio. "Cold Heart" is, no doubt, aided tremendously by the presence of Dua Lipa. It has been getting lots of airplay on hit stations. This doesn't make "Cold Heart" less of a song but Elton's name on hit radio hasn't meant much for a long time - especially for an Elton song performed by Elton sans guest.
The nice thing about "Cold Heart" is that a lot of younger fans of Dua Lipa who bought or downloaded the song have been introduced to Elton's music, maybe for the first time. Elton's fans, also, have been introduced to Dua Lipa.
Doug
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Post by dougs on Mar 18, 2022 6:03:36 GMT
Update - March 18, 2022:
"Cold Heart" with Dua Lipa
* #3 on the Australia Top 50 Singles chart (10 weeks at #1) * #1 on the Canada iTunes Top Songs chart * #11 on the US Billboard Hot 100 Singles chart * #1 on the US Billboard Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart (22 weeks at #1) * #31 on the UK Top 100 Singles Download chart * #43 on the UK Top 100 Singles chart
DIAMONDS:
* #31 on the Australia Top 100 Albums chart * #11 on the Australia Top 50 Catalogue Albums chart * #21 on the UK Top 100 Albums chart
Doug
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Post by dougs on Mar 25, 2022 12:42:11 GMT
Update - March 25, 2022:
Happy birthday to Elton!
"Cold Heart" with Dua Lipa
* #4 on the Australia Top 50 Singles chart (10 weeks at #1) * #3 on the Canada iTunes Top Songs chart * #13 on the US Billboard Hot 100 Singles chart * #1 on the US Billboard Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart (22 weeks at #1) * #12 on the UK Top 100 Singles Download chart * #38 on the UK Top 100 Singles chart
DIAMONDS:
* #33 on the Australia Top 100 Albums chart * #10 on the Australia Top 50 Catalogue Albums chart * #18 on the UK Top 100 Albums chart
Note: Billboard Magazine just posted their TOP 75 ELTON JOHN SONGS on their site to honour EJ's 75th birthday. An interesting compilation but some brilliant songs are missing while some far from brilliant ones are on the list. It looks like some of the people who voted are not fully aware of Elton's catalogue. To be expected. Enjoy the list, regardless.
Doug
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