This week we’re waiting for the total sales numbers on Harry Styles’ new album, “Harry’s House.” Predictions are between 400,000 and 500,000 including streaming.
Indeed, the individual tracks for “Harry’s House” were very big on streaming. They were not that successful on paid downloads.
Seven of the top 10 streaming tracks on the hitsdailydouble chart for this week came from “Harry’s House.” The balance of the album in individual tracks, are scattered in the top 25. Four of top 5 are from Styles’ album.
It’s a different story at iTunes. The lead single, “As It Was,” has been in the top 3 all week, and for the last few weeks. But that’s it. Another single, “Late Night Talking,” a very close cousin to Dua Lipa’s “Levitating,” is number 29. “Boyfriends,” which borrows Simon & Garfunkel’s guitar from “I Am a Rock” and “Old Friends/ Bookends,” is number 51.
And that’s it.
I am advised that kids no longer download or buy tracks. They have Spotify subscriptions and just play these songs over and over. But even millions of streams add up to many fewer dollars than purchases.
This is why Styles is doing 10 dates at Madison Square Garden, another 10 in LA and a couple of other cities. His live shows will make money for him. Record sales will not.
