Likes: 
Faceplams: A Grammy win could draw attention to how underrated this album is, and perhaps attract some listeners.
Throbbing Member
A Grammy win could draw attention to how underrated this album is, and perhaps attract some listeners.
Active Member
I don't think it was critically underrated, it got 77% on metacritic, which is 3% off 'universal acclaim', that was pretty great I thought - however I don't think any of the promotion drew attention to how accessible the album actually is and how people who aren't already NIN fans might enjoy it - I love Came Back Haunted but it wouldn't make anyone outside the fanbase come in. And there weren't any other videos, no tv appearances until the tour was nearly over - just strange promotionOriginally Posted by SarahConnor
Banned
There was a lot of buzz for the album and Lollapalooza etc and then 'Everything' dropped....That's when buzz dropped dead
Melty Member
You seem to know a lot about the music industry. Have you thought about contacting the NIN crew/Columbia Records and perhaps giving them some advice on how to do their jobs?
Too Privileged to Get It
i picked up the vinyl for this yesterday, and since it came with a cd copy, i have to ask: is the cd copy the normal album master, or is it the vinyl master, just on cd? i figure it's a valid question considering they came packaged together. i already have both the standard cd as well as the audiophile download, so, if the cd that comes with the vinyl is no different from what i have, i don't really want to bother ripping it; i'd rather keep it 100% pristine.
Stubby Member
Go ahead and keep it pristine, its the same as the standard, and the deluxe.
Active Member
I can't be the only one who thinks the album performed exactly as expected, which is to say pretty well? Hesitation Marks has followed a pretty typical trajectory for NIN albums, and I think the sales are commensurate / proportionate with NIN's historical album sales and the state of album sales generally. Moreover, we're talking about a band whose giant mainstream hit ("Closer") was sort of a fluke to begin with… NIN has never been Beyonce, even at their peak. It's crazy to realize, considering how seismic it was on the critical landscape, but even TDS hasn't really sold *that* many copies. In (ugh) 20 years, the album has only sold about 5 million copies, and it came out and prospered in the *height* of record buying.
Look at a peer band like Soundgarden, whose comeback album -- their first in 16(!) years, a huge event -- sold 86,000 copies in week one, while Hesitation Marks sold 107,000. NIN has been playing reasonably full arenas, received rave critical reviews from a lot of publications, and, moreover, gotten a lot of primetime exposure. I think everyone deserves a pat on the back, from NIN to Columbia, for a really successful release.
Hairy Member
I would say that HM should have sold quite a bit more than the Soundgarden album. They might have been comparable bands in terms of popularity back in the mid-90s, but TR has kept the brand going with several releases in the meantime and a lot of touring, not to mention some highly regarded work in movies. I guess that most people would look at the Soundgarden reunion as a desperate cash grab after Chris Cornell's career had nowhere else to go. And after that Timbaland fiasco, do people really take Cornell seriously?
Active Member
they sold 20% more than the Soundgarden album. That seems like quite a bit more to me… Especially since Soundgarden had a string of hits in the 90s and grunge nostalgia is huge right now. But alas, we're both armchair quarterbacking here!
also, I'm not sure "most people" really look at Chris Cornell's career in the sense you're describing; at least, any more than the same "most people" also probably think a NIN reunion tour (5 years after his last US show!) is also a desperate cash grab.
Active Member
I never got the reaction to Reznor's "return". After all, there's only 5 years between the "last" album and Hesitation Marks, which is the usual time span between albums when Reznor isn't on override mode... Suddenly everyone reacted like NIN was usually releasing a record a year. The guy never left, and NIN technically wasn't even on hiatus, by NIN standarts... I know Reznor himself said he was taking a break back then, but i's not really retiring when the wait between two albums remains the same...
So, calling HM a cash grab ? Great display of ignorance there, in my opinion...
Throbbing Member
if you're referring to the post above yours, that's not what screwdriver was saying. the point is that that is a minority opinion.
about whether there was a hiatus, NIN being active isn't just about when albums are released. there was a relatively long span of time (even by NIN standards) when there were no shows performed, no releases at all, and (likely) not even an album in development.
Memb, Member, The Membest
would that be possible without 4 different cover designs?
Active Member
Well I certainly wasn't calling Screwdriver an ignorant.
And the funny thing about the whole Reznor=NIN, is that the line is extremely blurry. So, while there indeed weren't any NIN releases, we got a shitload of music from Reznor anyway. I do get your point though, I guess it's just me who couldn't comprehend the reactions to NIN's "return".
Remixes were never a "proper" release to me, and I didn't follow up on tours. So, from a subjective standpoint, the gap between The Slip and HM wasn't that impressive.
Active Member
Ha, fair question!
Banned
Before the album dropped, Trent was quoted in interviews saying NIN seems to be "bigger than ever". I think its safe to say that was a miscalculation
Throbbing Member
Truthfully, I think the people who bought all four covers made up a fairly small percentage of the overall album sales. I could be wrong, but it doesn't seem like the vast majority of people really care about that.. I have a collection of nine inch nails cd's and I didn't even buy ONE. Just purchased the vinyl..
Active Member
oh I completely agree, I just thought it was a funny flippant comment. Though it is interesting, right, if there were even 1000 people who bought all the copies week 1, that would be a pretty significant bump at that number of sales.
either way, I don't think it's terribly material to the overall sales.
can I also just say, I genuinely enjoy billpulsipher's additions to the board? always bring a smile to my face when he posts
Stubby Member
Albums across the board sell less now but that doesn't necessarily mean that music is less popular than it was in 2000.
.net (24.24.2.1447)
I believe that was the situation into which HM dropped. Sales of the entire catalogue are strong.
Active Member
you have a source for that?
Stubby Member
The album keeps revealing more and more after each listen! And I got it a couple days before it dropped hahaha.
Throbbing Member
Agreed!
At first I wasn't overly fond of Running, but the song is growing on me... I'm not even actively listening to the song, it just randomly starts playing in my head. I'm sure some of you know what I mean.
Throbbing Member
I'm pretty surprised there hasn't been more marketing for this album. Maybe before the tour starts up they will push a new single. I really expected more remixes this time around too.
Down, but not out.
As most Nine Inch Nails albums were that way with me, and still are that way with me, I'm also happy to see that I can still say the same thing about Hesitation Marks as well. It's grown on me a lot faster than I've expected it to.
Last edited by Halo Infinity; 01-05-2014 at 12:58 PM.
Administrator
I'm betting that is one of the reasons for the change in management companies. The marketing for Hesitation Marks has been terrible, if not non-existent.
Flaccid Member
I feel the same, most NIN albums sound great in the beginning - and fantastic after a while of listening to it. As for HM, I'm pleased to say that it sounds still very fresh to me - really love that record. I was afraid that it might pull a Year Zero on me (to me, Year Zero lost a lot of it's attractivity after a few weeks, though it's nonetheless a good album), but that didn't happen. Still love it. Still listening to it a lot.
Throbbing Member
Can you really blame the marketing? I really think it boils down to the album having very little appeal to demographics that are willing to spend $ on music.
NIN already has a name, so i doubt Columbia would let them go under-promoted if they thought they could make a buck.
Last edited by HurtinMinorKey; 01-05-2014 at 04:38 PM.
Active Member
You don't call not even having a decent video 'under promoted'? (although to be fair, not sure whether that was the fault of either management or Columbia) - maybe what he needs in management is somebody who will push back on some of his decisions
Last edited by WorzelG; 01-06-2014 at 04:07 AM.
Hairy Member
After countless listens: not bad, but nowhere as intensive as, say, The Fragile. The NIN as I knew it, is over for now. I can enjoy the new incarnation, but I do prefer older work. HM is a bit...tired? Trying to be trendy? I don't know. It didn't click with me - YET.
Member
How exactly is that a miscalculation?
Because you don't like HM?
Because CDs don't sell worth shit anymore?
Because NIN fans are technically savvy and likely pirated/stole/bought music from him?
Give me a break.
Tension sold better than Kanye West. Give me a damn break. Nobody sells out arenas anymore, concerts aren't as "cool" as they once were, Justin freaking Timberlake can't even sell out a show.
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