I can't speak for anyone else but I personally don't even care how well the VBO album does on the charts. I was mainly just letting people know that Bekka was on Faith's album (since it came to mind while someone mentioned her album here) and I have gone in to more detail about her recent appearances with Faith on TV in the "Post rumours" forum for anyone interested.
I do agree with you that I don't think it will "do much now" in the charts as I think it only charted as highly as it has so far due to the original deluge of fans that ran out to get it the day it was released as naturally such an influx would cause some sort of chart placing and I know that Warner/Reprise/Rhino (whoever!) are thinking more for the "stocking stuffer" crowd and it may stick around on the lower regions of the charts for that reason but will most likely decline after this week.
As I say, I don't really care about "what sells more" and what is a "success" etc. and I will probably get flamed for saying this and I honestly don't mean it in a bad way against Stevie or anything OK? (end of disclaimer) BUT the same thing seemed to happen around TISL when that came out as many fans seemed to think of TISL as a "success because it charted at number (whatever) on the charts". What I think many need to realize is that the same thing happened with TISL as what will most likely happen with the new FM record when it is released next year. It charts originally due to the large sales they get the first week and THEN it drops off the charts so in the end the final sales FIGURES are not that large on an overall basis. Yes, they go platinum but the "gold and platinum" set up is very outdated now due to higher population (therfore more sales regardless...) etc. and in the grand scheme of things "a million copies" is not really that much compared to what it was years ago. Here's an example, from what I understand "Behind the mask" sold roughly 800,000 copies in the US and 2 million woldwide and topped the UK album charts and made number 18 in the US (no doubt in the very beginning) but BTM for the most part is deemed by fans as a commercial "failure", if we go by the "success=chart placing+gold/platinum status" theory, then BTM should be thought of as a "success", so why is it different for any other album? I really don't think much attention should be paid to what the chart placings are, as fans, we like the music and this is the most important thing, an album can still be good if it "doesn't sell". By all means, you should all do what you think is right for you but I just think these kinds of things should be taken in to account before deciding whether an album is a "success" or not and where "importance levels" should be placed on "sales levels". Of course nobody here WANTS to see FM fail but it certainly doesn't "ruin" anything for me if these things aren't a "success". I'm still able to get and hear the music so I'm happy whether anyone else buys a copy of it or not. I love TISL and I'm sure I will love the music on the new FM too when it comes out but I'm not going to even think about "whether it is a success" or not when it comes out and I have no allusions that TISL was (or that the new album will be...) a "hit" as I'm sure it was not really (and that the new FM will probably not be a "success"), figures can be twisted and things can get extrapalated in to what we want to see them to be just as politicians have their spin doctors word their speeches, find stats that "help their cause" etc. but I personally don't give myself false ideas about the success rates of albums. "Making the charts" is one thing, but an album with "staying power" in the charts ("Rumours" is the perfect exanple with it's number one FOR 31 (almost consectutive) WEEKS in the US) is the REAL commercial "success". JMHO though.
I'm glad many of you find tracking the album in the different charts a fun thing to do though, I guess I'm just getting too old too quickly or something! OK that's the end of the ramble, thanks for enduring it and please do know that I'm not "getting" at anybody or anything, I'd just like to think this may have helped someone somewhere as a different view to take on board. See ya round!
John