At what point did the audience care more about the amount sold of a song/album?

Was it when streaming started and the numbers were easily accessible?

I just don’t understand why anyone cares about this if you don’t benefit from the numbers.

I remember the first time it was heavily mentioned when Lil Wayne did a mil off tha Carter 3.
At the time I thought that’s pretty cool but that’s about it.

I don’t know, but the fact that people care about it is really lame to me, especially since it is only ever used as an excuse for artists whose artistry is on the decline.
“Their last album was bad”
“YEAH BUT THEY SOLD A BUNCH, SO THEY’RE STILL THE GOAT”
We need to end that interaction in 2025.

thread is 20 years late

and made it a thing

blame jay z, 50 cent, lil wayne and kanye if you really want a real answer

Parasocial attachments to artists combined with this weird careerist/armchair A&R culture that’s been arising

Did Kanye really boast about numbers during his prime? The rest I agree tho

He had a whole feud with 50 Cent over first week sales lol

Only KTT cares in 2025

And only when it’s their favorite artist like Kendrick or Tyler

300k and no one in the hood heard them s***s

The only time fans really talked about it was when it was head to head like Ye vs 50 in 07 or Ye vs Cole vs Mac in 13. Streaming rule change and social media exploding made it important online.

That said--never had a numbers conversation irl

I remember that but was he really the type of rapper to boast about sales numbers like Jay/50/Wayne/etc in his songs?

This wasn’t the start but

Ah someone posted before me

On beef dvd Nelly vs krs one was somewhat centered around numbers

camron 50

idk but it’s one of the worst things to happen to hip hop culture period

And if you didn’t sell you was getting shelved lmao

yes but it’s alive and well so still worth discussing and condemning whenever possible as far as im concerned

“No, you're not on my level get your brakes tweaked
I sold what your whole album sold in my first week”

Niggas dont go outside or have any actual pulse on what people around them fw so its easier ti rely on numbers

Simoultaneously ties in with Drake using that to end all subjective criticism of himself in the early 2010’s/using that as a huge separator between him and his peers. It dont matter if he lame or has a white mans voice or is a simp if he the top seling rapper

Success and the perception/pursuit of it is some peoples only personality trait lol niggas turn real lame when you subtract the money and accolades which is why thats all some people have

And to be fair it really also goes back to Hov/50/Pac

akademiks

AK made it a way bigger part of the conversation.
Before, some artist would talk about in their music, but critics and fans never really talked about it.

always been in the pop genre
but not something normal ppl talk about irl so it really took off among the casuals on twitter
rap got filled up with pop fans in recent years, so they took it with them
nowadays every single fanbase care about them but only if it suits the agenda they are pushing