BMG‘s recorded music ambitions could well hit a tipping point this week – it’s in contention for not one but two chart-topping performances.
In the UK, it’s behind one of the most unlikely comebacks in recent pop history.
According to yesterday’s (Wednesday’s) midweeks from the Official Charts Company, Rick Astley’s 50 was just 14 (fourteen!) copies behind the new album from Sony’s Tom Odell in the closest chart battle in years.
The Sun has today picked up the momentum around Astley, starting a campaign to ensure his record pips Odell’s to the No.1 spot.
“The Sun is backing Rick to leapfrog Tom and achieve his first No1 in almost 30 years,” says the paper, which has a print readership of around 6m people.
And that’s not BMG’s only tussle at the top of the charts right now.
Over in Germany, BMG is shooting for Number One single with breakthrough artist Max Giesinger’s ’80 Millionen’ which has been taken up by the German public as an unofficial anthem to the Euro 2016 football tournament.
Currently just a few streams ahead is the Warner-signed official anthem to Euro 2016 – David Guetta’s ‘This One’s For You’ (coincidentally co-written by BMG publishing clients Afrojack and Giorgio Tuinfort).
“It’s too close to call in both cases – but regardless of the final result… BMG is on its way.”
Hartwig Masuch, BMG
In May 2015 when BMG bought Rise Records, Hartwig Masuch talked about his ambition for the company to be as strong in recordings as in publishing “It’s a very important part of our strategy right now to bring our recorded music interests up to match our strength in publishing,” he said.
Speaking from Portland Oregon where he is visiting Rise this week, Masuch told MBW:
“It’s early days, but it is all going in the right direction. BMG is very serious about building a strong recordings business.
“It’s not complicated. It’s about delivering a strong and reliable service. It’s about recognising the dissatisfaction of artists with the old ways of doing things, and coming up with something relevant to today which meets their needs.
He added: “It’s not so long ago that we had no records on the charts. To now be worrying about whether we are number one or two or three is a sign of how far we’ve come.
“In both cases, it’s too close to call. But regardless of the final result 50 is already Rick Astley’s best-performing album in 30 years. ’80 Millionen’ is set to be Max Giesinger’s biggest hit yet. BMG is on its way.”
Number One records are nothing new for BMG, however.
It has previously taken the top position in the US (Janet Jackson), UK (You Me At Six), Germany (RAF 3.0) and Benelux (Within Temptation).Music Business Worldwide
