Around the time of Mariah’s Glitter bomb, Roger Friedman – who would later become part of Mariah’s PR team – came out with this article that explained how Mariah scored number one hits in the 1990s: by releasing them for 49 cents while the regular price of a single was $1.99. At some outlets, singles actually sold for $2.99. At this time, Billboard’s charts were heavily measured by sales, which were more important than airplay at the time.
This trend seemed to start with the single “Honey,” released in the Summer of 1997. Even though the song didn’t have high call-out research, it zoomed to number one based on sales. Mariah’s 1997 album, Butterfly, was selling far below the amount expected. It was eventually certified five times platinum based on overshipments: this number is far more than the actual amount the album sold.
Mariah’s chart manipulation continued with the “number one” single, “My All,” released in 1998. Several musical outlets sold the single for 49 cents while the song garnered mediocre call-out research and less than spectacular airplay.
In the Fall of 1999, Mariah released her Rainbow album and “Heartbreaker” single to bad reviews. “Heartbreaker”was stalling in airplay but became a huge example of chart manipulation. The song zoomed to number one as soon as it was discounted to 49 cents and 99 cents at many outlets. The follow-up single, the barely known “Thank God I Found You,” zoomed to number one based on the same manipulation.
Ok but Miley did not get $$ for Dead Petz (unless you count the profits(??) from her tour with The Flaming Lips). Truly gave her all for the art (she produced it from her own pocket).
If that happens, between Kim's emoji's going #1 in 75 countries + her being the most global woman on Earth (confirmed by TIME), Bey coming for the Superbowl (poor Britney), it will be such a glorious time for my faves
Yass I can't wait for her to PUNT Bernie with her sensible heels.
Anti not opening with huge opening week numbers after giving away 1M copies of the album
in the slowest release month of the year should really, really not come as a shock to anyone.
France Is a much bigger market than Spain and harder for pop girls to top the charts there than Spain.
Beyoncé's last top 10 was Telephone, no #1s. Katy only has two top 10s, Roar (#5) and Dark Horse (#9). Taylor only has three top 10s, SIO (#2), BS (#3), WANEGBT (#9). Rihanna only has a #1, and that's LTWYL.
Ok but Miley did not get $$ for Dead Petz (unless you count the profits(??) from her tour with The Flaming Lips). Truly gave her all for the art (she produced it from her own pocket).
Rihanna got her money
Rihanna clearly LOST money as people only got the album through a free trial and with the amount of promotion money that was likely used, it was a wash.
Meanwhile, Miley's Dead Petz only cost her production costs.
1) I'm glad Rihanna is having fun in her own label, Barbados Beach Hut Records.
2) The "career is dead" jokes were cute in 2013 but they are so stale now when Gaga with ARTPOP's lashings is still more industry-acclaimed than Frih will ever be.
3) I don't know if they paid $25 million because they never publicized how much they paid. Amazon was not secretly working with Gaga to scam the charts the way Frih and Samsugn failed to do.
4) Gaga may not ever see Born This Way sales again but Born This Way outsold every Frih album sans Good Goat Gone Bad. ARTPOP is the first Gaga album Rih was able to trump whereas Gaga has three that obliterate all eight of Rihanna's albums in sales, and yes that includes The Fame Monster as an EP.
Getting a platinum album as Rih does, 10 years into her career is much more important than blowing and fazing out as Gegz did
Rih outsold Artpop in 15 hours and you moat likely helped her get it while thinking you were downloading a free album
they keep walking right into it. "ANTI will debut with 500k!!!" 
