The music industry wants what it wants. It really wants One Direction’s Harry Styles to be a hit. And so he is: his self titled album finished it debut week at number 1. Hitsdailydouble says it sold 240,000 copies including streaming, downloads, and CDs. Billboard is going to say something similar.

It’s kind of a Columbo mystery, though. “Harry Styles” was number 1 on iTunes from last Friday though Tuesday. Then it dropped like a rock. None of its singles except “Sign of the Times” made the iTunes top 100. Unlike other recent hit albums that spawned multiple download singles on the charts, “Harry Styles”: produced nothing.

On the hitsdailydouble Song Revenue chart, “Sign of the Times” finished 17th this week, up from 26. It made $78,403 total from streams and downloads. It was Styles’ only song in the top 50. On the Streaming chart, “Sign” is number 21. “Sweet Creature,” an abomination, is number 50. They are not smash hits.

So? What? I like Harry Styles. He’s very engaging. So what if one song, “Ever Since New York,” rips off Badfinger, if another–“Two Ghosts”– recalls the Allman Brothers’ “Melissa”? Harry’s a nice guy! He’s cute, he wears a pink suit! Leave him alone! So what if none of the numbers make sense? He’s number 1. That’s all we need to know.

One week before its release, the 50th anniversary edition box set of the Beatles “Sgt. Pepper” ranks at number on amazon. It’s been there more or less every day for the last month. The box costs $117.99. Capitol Records doesn’t release pre-order figures, but at this rate the box could be the number 1 album the week it goes on sale.

Is it worth it? I’ve been listening to it for a couple of weeks now and the answer is “absolutely yes.” And listen, I’m old. I have the original LP. the picture LP, replacement LP, the original CD, the updated CD, the CD from the 2009 box set and the CD from the 2009 mono set. And still the production on these discs is so lovely and superior, I’ve put all those aside.

First of all the box itself, physically, is beautifully designed. In addition to the discs (four audio, two video) there’s a substantial book that tells the story of “Sgt, Pepper.” You also get the original posters.  And the discs come in a replica of the original album.

The book is quite substantial, by the way. There’s so much information about the making of the album– including recording logs and replicas of the original lyrics– you don’t need to buy any other books.

But it’s the music that has kept me listening. McCartney’s bass on “Lucy in the Sky,” his piano on “A Day in the Life,” Lennon’s overall contribution to keep the album rocking and not ever cloying (which could have happened), Ringo’s brilliant drums, and George, George, George. Plus, George Martin’s prowess as the Fab Four’s guide here reaches nirvana.

Recently, I’ve been focused on “A Day in the Life.” It’s a masterpiece, of course. You do know the BBC banned it from airplay in 1967 because of “Drug references”? The letter to EMI from the BBC is included in the book. I’ve been listening the mono mix, but there is the ‘new’ stereo mix and the outtakes. You listen to this and wonder how, 50 years later, we’ve traveled backwards from here musically. It’s very sad. “A Day in the Life” rises to some level we only give to Bach, Beethoven, and Mozart. Extraordinary.

Two other important features of the box set– the addition of “Penny Lane” and “Strawberry Fields Forever.” Originally recorded for the album, they became a standalone double A sided single. Once they were hits, the Beatles decided to leave them off “Sgt. Pepper”– which had no singles of its own. Now they come at the end of the mono CD, with work versions included on the “extras” CDs. It’s hard to say where they’d fit in the actual sequence at this point– somewhere before the “Sgt. Pepper” reprise, I suppose.

As I say often in this space, these songs are each stories– every one of them is a story, and that’s why they’ve lasted and grown in importance. They’re short stories, and we know the characters’ names– from Billy Shears to grandchildren Vera, Chuck and Dave, Lovely Rita the meter maid, the girl who’s leaving home, Mr. Kite and so on. If Bob Dylan could get a Nobel prize, how can the Beatles be excluded for this landmark creation? “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club” is the very definition of literature.

More to come…

Harry Styles is trying soooo hard to get a couple of chart hits. But every time he gets close, something new gets in his way.

First, Selena Gomez dropped a surprise single that went straight to number 2 in like a minute. “Bad Liar” is a really good bluesy atypical 2017 record, too. When it was released this morning, “Bad Liar’ knocked Styles’ “Sign of the Times” down a few pegs.

Then, Chris Cornell of Soundgarden and Audioslave fame, killed himself over night. This is really tragic. He was a great musician and songwriter. I met him many times when he recorded music for movies. He seemed like a great guy. Cornell was 52 and had played an upbeat show hours earlier.

So now Cornell’s death has sent 9 of his singles and 9 of his albums right up the charts. Soundgarden’s “Superunknown” 20th anniversary edition is number 1. Cornell’s Audioslave album is number 3, and so on. Soundgarden’s 20 year old single “Black Hole Sun” is in the top 5.

And Harry just treads water. Tomorrow brings more new releases. Music is booming for the first time in a long time. But it’s not doing Harry Styles any favors!

Friday (tomorrow) brings the first album by Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul in a generation. You know Steve van Zandt from the E Street Band. We also know him from his own solo career for furthering the career of Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes.

On “Soulfire,” the new album, the Disciples cover a couple of Southside songs written by van Zandt including “I Don’t Want to Go Home” and “Love on the Wrong Side of Town.” The latter was co-written with a guy named Bruce Springsteen. When Little Steven told me was making this new album, I asked if that song would be on it. “No,” he answered and shook his head. His beautiful and smart wife, Maureen, said, “It’s my favorite song. I don’t know why it’s not there.”

I agreed. “Love on the Wrong Side of Town” has long been a favorite of mine. It’s almost a “perfect” rock-pop-soul song. (I often wish Ronnie Spector had recorded it. Steven once recorded her on Billy Joel’s “Say Goodbye to Hollywood” with the E Street Band. It’s on my Desert Island Discs list.) I said, “Steven, I won’t write about the album unless you record that song.” I was kidding, of course.

A few months later, I was told the recording had been done. That I might have had a 5% influence makes me very happy. I love this song. And I love the album. As Southside Johnny sang on another favorite song, “This time it’s for real.”

Take it to the beach, the pool, the picnic. I will have “Soulfire” blaring from my car all summer. What a treat!

bonus live version