What even classifies as a flop and are there double standards? A few eras come to mind:

 

- Beyoncé's 4flop is at 10.5m units which is higher than many successful albums such as Bangerz, Circus etc. Although the singles peaked low in the US, the album had longevity in album sales and decent streams for a 2011 album at 2.87b. It was also big enough to launch the Ms Carter World Tour which grossed $230m ($305m adjusted in 2024 dollars).

 

- Artpop was labelled a massive flop yet its album units are pretty close to Selena's Revival (5.3m vs 6m), which is considered her successful peak era. Artpop Ball is bigger than any Selena tour.

 

- Radical Optimism is at 3m units after only a year with a massive tour and Houdini which was a stable hit. 

Edited July 16, 20251 yr by SoundsandSongs

Not Katy

1 minute ago, hétérosexuelle said:

Not Katy

hey that's my line! 

 

GUTS

DEBI TIRAR MAS FOTOS

30

Hurry Up Tomorrow

ARTPOP

literally any of Taylor's albums that people consider "flops"

Normani "Dopamine" cos it was released...

Not Radical Optimism being called a success now  

the random Selena lashings 

Erotica by Madonna 

16 minutes ago, Escape said:

DEBI TIRAR MAS FOTOS

how is this labeled as a flop? it's huge 

selena's real peak was 2017-18 droplets like Bad Liar (solo), Fetish, Back to You (solo) and Wolves (#1 monthly listeners - Spotify, +10m units sold globally) not Revival. she was way more global in 2017 and '18. 

 

and since she's the main character on OP, Rare. 

a lot of people seems to label it as a flop despite it going #1 on bilboard 200 and having a #1 on the hot 100. 

the album was a moment with lytlm/lahn, has great streams overall and it was consumed as a whole with non-singles going viral. 

 

Edited July 16, 20251 yr by Selegend

1 hour ago, MaxMartin said:

how is this labeled as a flop? it's huge 

ATRL implied the album was due to flop and we all know how that went.

Edited July 16, 20251 yr by Escape

Electra Heart, unfortunately 

Kylie's flops are all successes but your favs can go to hell omg

.

1 minute ago, P.O.P said:

Kylie's flops are all successes but your favs can go to hell omg

Nobody mentioned Tension II?

3 minutes ago, Escape said:

ATRL said it came and went.

Where? 

Happier Than Ever, my beloved. 
 

evermore, I guess? Though sometimes I think we're fighting imaginary enemies when it comes to Taylor's "flop" albums. Everyone knows how big they are compared to the other pop girls or else they're so delusional it's giving flat earther. 

"Radical Optimism" has sold 3M units without an official single release since April 2024 (even before the album release).

 

Dua could have more if she released a proper single during the Tour in Europe but it's okay, Dua sold +40M units with only 2 albums that's why it's kinda shocking how RO underperformed.

 

She can re-peak her success, people are waiting for new music despite if RO wasn't a big album and that's why she is a global pop star, selling out stadiums. 

Edited July 16, 20251 yr by gwen stacy

reputation was called a flop because of the singles and no Grammys for her, but it's soon a 20M units album even without the rerecording and produced a $350M stadium tour.

40 minutes ago, SoundsandSongs said:

Radical Optimism

Flops are always relative, and that's how record labels approach it too.

 

Taylor debuting with under 1 million units is a flop, whereas 800k for literally anyone else in the music industry is a roaring success. ArtPop will always be seen as a flop because of the dramatic decline from previous albums. 

I don't think Doja's Scarlet is as big as a flop as some people make it out to be. It may have underperformed on the BB200 but the singles did more than fine.

I'm going The Lion King: The Gift.

A dope, well-curated side-project that has aged very well.

 

- 1B+ Spotify Streams

- #2 BB200, #1 R&B, #4 CAN, #7 UK Comp. Chart, #9 SA (YE), #12 AUS, #16 NZ, #48 GER (Re-entered at #10 on BB200 - Black Is King debut)

- Album Certs: GOLD (US), Silver (UK), Gold (Denmark)

- 4 tracks charted on the Hot 100:

            - "Black Parade" (#37 - 40th Top 40 single - tying her with MJ at the time)

            - "Brown Skin Girl" (#76  - Gold in 4/5 main music markets, Silver in the UK)

            - "Mood 4 Eva" (#90)

            - "Spirit" (#98)

      (Bonus) "Already" (debuted at #95 on the UK charts - Gold USA / France / Canada, Silver in the UK)

      (Bonus) "Bigger" (#19 US Hot R&B Songs - Gold in Brazil)

      (Bonus) "Find Your Way Back" (#25 US Hot R&B Songs chart - Gold in Brazil)

- 2 Grammys (Best R&B Performance, Best Music Video) / 4 Nominations (Best Music Film, Pop Vocal Album, ROTY, SOTY)

- Black Is King visual film - Emmy for best costumes.

- James Blake released a studio cover of "Otherside" ("When We're Older").

 

(No CDs or DVDs... only vinyls)

I can't think of too many other side projects with stats like this.

Edited July 18, 20251 yr by trainsskyscrapers