Phil Collins in the Air Tonight back on the charts
08-12-20, 02:23 AM
#1
DVD Talk Legend
Thread Starter
Phil Collins in the Air Tonight back on the charts
Miami Vice helped break it and Mike Tyson brought it back for the Hangover and assumed it would have charted in 2009.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/11/enter...rnd/index.html
In the Air Tonight" has reentered the music charts nearly 40 years after its release. Phil Collins has the Williams brothers to thank.
Tim and Fred Williams, 22-year-old twins and YouTubers, recently filmed themselves listening to Collins' 1981 single for the first time. Their endearing reaction -- dropped jaws, smiling in disbelief when the drum solo drops -- seems to have revived the song's popularity.
As of Tuesday, "In the Air Tonight" is charting second on iTunes, just behind the days-old Cardi B-Megan Thee Stallion collaboration, "WAP."
"In the Air Tonight" never faded into obscurity -- that famous drum breakdown wouldn't go quietly -- but it hadn't exactly found a Gen Z audience. Unlike "Break My Stride," it hadn't achieved TikTok fame.
The siblings from Gary, Indiana, film themselves listening to classic artists for the first time and share the clips on YouTube. They've reacted to Whitney Houston, Lauryn Hill and Dolly Parton (who delighted in their positive response to "Jolene").
Tim and Fred Williams, 22-year-old twins and YouTubers, recently filmed themselves listening to Collins' 1981 single for the first time. Their endearing reaction -- dropped jaws, smiling in disbelief when the drum solo drops -- seems to have revived the song's popularity.
As of Tuesday, "In the Air Tonight" is charting second on iTunes, just behind the days-old Cardi B-Megan Thee Stallion collaboration, "WAP."
"In the Air Tonight" never faded into obscurity -- that famous drum breakdown wouldn't go quietly -- but it hadn't exactly found a Gen Z audience. Unlike "Break My Stride," it hadn't achieved TikTok fame.
The siblings from Gary, Indiana, film themselves listening to classic artists for the first time and share the clips on YouTube. They've reacted to Whitney Houston, Lauryn Hill and Dolly Parton (who delighted in their positive response to "Jolene").
https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/11/enter...rnd/index.html
08-12-20, 06:42 AM
#2
DVD Talk Platinum Edition
Re: Phil Collins in the Air Tonight back on the charts
I watched that reaction the other day, nothing really special compared to the 100's of others on youtube. One one thing about music reactions, I find it really hard to believe some of them are true first time reactions, especially when they are songs that are huge in pop culture.
08-12-20, 07:50 AM
#3
Re: Phil Collins in the Air Tonight back on the charts
I watched that reaction the other day, nothing really special compared to the 100's of others on youtube. One one thing about music reactions, I find it really hard to believe some of them are true first time reactions, especially when they are songs that are huge in pop culture.
08-12-20, 08:12 AM
#4
DVD Talk Ultimate Edition
Re: Phil Collins in the Air Tonight back on the charts
I watched that reaction the other day, nothing really special compared to the 100's of others on youtube. One one thing about music reactions, I find it really hard to believe some of them are true first time reactions, especially when they are songs that are huge in pop culture.
08-12-20, 08:28 AM
#5
Political Exile
Re: Phil Collins in the Air Tonight back on the charts
Billboard in the past couple years started counting streams (Spotify, Apple, etc) in their calculations for their Top Singles and Top Albums, so any viral pop, no matter how short, will cause the single or album to chart since sales are so low now.
08-12-20, 12:49 PM
#6
Re: Phil Collins in the Air Tonight back on the charts
Not sure that the article writer did their research. The song absolutely had TikTok following due to memes along these lines:
https://m.tiktok.com/v/6822810532861...tm_source=copy
https://m.tiktok.com/v/6821536114516...tm_source=copy
https://m.tiktok.com/v/6822810532861...tm_source=copy
https://m.tiktok.com/v/6821536114516...tm_source=copy
08-12-20, 01:50 PM
#9
Moderator
Re: Phil Collins in the Air Tonight back on the charts
This kinda iTunes chart manipulation has gone on for a few months. Catalog albums have jumped to the top of the charts because of a sudden spike in sales. Sometimes, less than 100 sales can make an old album hit the charts.
https://www.showbiz411.com/2020/04/3...edtime-stories
https://www.showbiz411.com/2020/04/3...edtime-stories
Last week, Madonna’s 1994 album, “Bedtime Stories,” sold 20 copies via streaming. This week, from Friday through Monday night, the same album sold 70 copies.
Somehow, “Bedtime Stories” – not a landmark recording – has landed at number 4 on iTunes tonight.
The Madonna album follows Mariah Carey’s “E=MC2,” which hit number 1 on Monday on iTunes even though its sales don’t reflect such a success.
Strangely, each of those albums – dormant for years – had a spike in sales on February 14th, then subsided. Now they’ve taken a second run at the top of the iTunes charts.
It’s the same, too, for Janet Jackson’s “Control,” from 1986. It was nowhere and is now number 7 or 8 on iTunes. Since Friday, “Control” has sold 337 copies. Last week, it sold 87.
None of the numbers for this week, for these divas’ old records, are comparable to current hit records. But somehow iTunes is counting them as top 10 hits. Three hit singers from the 1980s with fanatic fan bases. It’s likely not a coincidence. Someone is manipulating the iTunes chart.
Somehow, “Bedtime Stories” – not a landmark recording – has landed at number 4 on iTunes tonight.
The Madonna album follows Mariah Carey’s “E=MC2,” which hit number 1 on Monday on iTunes even though its sales don’t reflect such a success.
Strangely, each of those albums – dormant for years – had a spike in sales on February 14th, then subsided. Now they’ve taken a second run at the top of the iTunes charts.
It’s the same, too, for Janet Jackson’s “Control,” from 1986. It was nowhere and is now number 7 or 8 on iTunes. Since Friday, “Control” has sold 337 copies. Last week, it sold 87.
None of the numbers for this week, for these divas’ old records, are comparable to current hit records. But somehow iTunes is counting them as top 10 hits. Three hit singers from the 1980s with fanatic fan bases. It’s likely not a coincidence. Someone is manipulating the iTunes chart.
08-13-20, 12:29 AM
#10
DVD Talk Legend
Thread Starter
Re: Phil Collins in the Air Tonight back on the charts
It is a great song so if this is what it takes for young people to discover it in a unconventional way that is ok with me.
08-13-20, 05:43 PM
#11
08-13-20, 10:53 PM
#12
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Phil Collins in the Air Tonight back on the charts
Eww. I hated this song in 1981, 1983, 1984, 2009, and today.
And honestly, there are so many "reaction" videos of enthusiastic ethnic type reacting to Whitey's music. Why these "twins" are getting so much buzz, no idea, but someone has a financial interest here...
And honestly, there are so many "reaction" videos of enthusiastic ethnic type reacting to Whitey's music. Why these "twins" are getting so much buzz, no idea, but someone has a financial interest here...
08-14-20, 09:55 AM
#13
DVD Talk Ultimate Edition
Re: Phil Collins in the Air Tonight back on the charts
I don't think that song is as ingrained in the pop culture memory as you think. These dudes were born in 98, which means it came out 18 years before they were born. It's not a song that gets played ad nauseam in kids movies (stuff like Bad Reputation or I'm a Believer) so they wouldn't have heard it that way. The last time I think I heard it used in a commercial was in the trailer for the 2006 Miami Vice trailer. Phil Collins is not a household name, certainly not to anyone younger than 30.
08-14-20, 10:04 PM
#14
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Phil Collins in the Air Tonight back on the charts
Same.
He wore out his welcome in the 80s. I almost puked when he played a Live Aid show and then flew to the other how to play there.
This barrage of radio/video play is what pretty much killed his career - for which I was grateful... and he has no one to blame but himself for the over exposure.
I'm enjoying a Phil Collins-less life since the early 90s. Please don't bring him back into the spotlight.
Su-Su-Sussudio... su-su-suck a bag of dicks.
He wore out his welcome in the 80s. I almost puked when he played a Live Aid show and then flew to the other how to play there.
This barrage of radio/video play is what pretty much killed his career - for which I was grateful... and he has no one to blame but himself for the over exposure.
I'm enjoying a Phil Collins-less life since the early 90s. Please don't bring him back into the spotlight.
Su-Su-Sussudio... su-su-suck a bag of dicks.
The following users liked this post:
Hokeyboy (08-15-20)
08-15-20, 10:20 PM
#15
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Phil Collins in the Air Tonight back on the charts
Same.
He wore out his welcome in the 80s. I almost puked when he played a Live Aid show and then flew to the other how to play there.
This barrage of radio/video play is what pretty much killed his career - for which I was grateful... and he has no one to blame but himself for the over exposure.
I'm enjoying a Phil Collins-less life since the early 90s. Please don't bring him back into the spotlight.
Su-Su-Sussudio... su-su-suck a bag of dicks.
He wore out his welcome in the 80s. I almost puked when he played a Live Aid show and then flew to the other how to play there.
This barrage of radio/video play is what pretty much killed his career - for which I was grateful... and he has no one to blame but himself for the over exposure.
I'm enjoying a Phil Collins-less life since the early 90s. Please don't bring him back into the spotlight.
Su-Su-Sussudio... su-su-suck a bag of dicks.
Although I love me some Genesis. Any era with Steve Hackett in it especially.
08-16-20, 08:40 AM
#16
Re: Phil Collins in the Air Tonight back on the charts
Also I owned that album and loved that song, but couldn’t remember a reference to Phil Collins in it, I had to look up what you were referring to. Been a minute since I listened to that song haha
08-16-20, 04:05 PM
#17
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Phil Collins in the Air Tonight back on the charts
Same.
He wore out his welcome in the 80s. I almost puked when he played a Live Aid show and then flew to the other how to play there.
This barrage of radio/video play is what pretty much killed his career - for which I was grateful... and he has no one to blame but himself for the over exposure.
I'm enjoying a Phil Collins-less life since the early 90s. Please don't bring him back into the spotlight.
Su-Su-Sussudio... su-su-suck a bag of dicks.
He wore out his welcome in the 80s. I almost puked when he played a Live Aid show and then flew to the other how to play there.
This barrage of radio/video play is what pretty much killed his career - for which I was grateful... and he has no one to blame but himself for the over exposure.
I'm enjoying a Phil Collins-less life since the early 90s. Please don't bring him back into the spotlight.
Su-Su-Sussudio... su-su-suck a bag of dicks.
08-17-20, 06:50 PM
#21
DVD Talk Legend
Thread Starter
Re: Phil Collins in the Air Tonight back on the charts
When Collins did Another day in Paradise that is when he became soft and then that Tarzan movie cemented it.
At least his music in the early to mid 80s was still rock and he was cool then.
At least his music in the early to mid 80s was still rock and he was cool then.
08-18-20, 07:24 PM
#22
DVD Talk Godfather
Re: Phil Collins in the Air Tonight back on the charts
I was doing some work on the house this weekend and I usually just put on my music collection but decided to roll with YouTube instead. I listen to plenty of music videos that way too so I pick a song hit play and YT does it's algorithm thing and just keeps rolling. All good. Out of nowhere after a couple of songs this 'react' video started playing. I've watched plenty of react videos so it's not crazy it popped up, just weird since I wasn't in that YT groove at the time. Anyway, I stopped what I was doing to watch. Not bad. Good on the younger set checking out older music.It also made me realize that I always forget about Phil and his tunes never make it in my rotation.
Lastly, I loved his songs in Tarzan so you old grumpy mf'ers can suck it.
