The Best Actor in the Vase of Meiyu

Chapter 1784 Witnessing Glory
Looking at the historical record sales charts in North America, there are countless albums that have sold 20 million copies. As of 2004, a total of 65 albums had achieved this feat.

Furthermore, all of the top ten albums sold over 33 million copies. Of these, only two albums were released after 1990: the "Bodyguard" movie soundtrack and The Beatles' "1". In other words, all the other albums were released during the golden age of the 1970s and 1980s.

Of course, the all-time best-selling album is already well-known: Michael Jackson's "Thriller," which sold 69 million copies in North America. It is also the only album in North American history to sell more than 50 million copies. It is a towering achievement that is probably an insurmountable peak.

However, record sales in the golden age were all steady and gradual, and their short-term explosive growth could not compare with that of modern times when promotional channels were fully opened.

The first album to sell over a million copies in a single week didn't emerge in North America until 1992, from Whitney Houston's "The Bodyguard" soundtrack.

It's worth noting that the million-selling album in a single week wasn't achieved in the first week, but rather after the album's release, as word-of-mouth spread and sales steadily increased, eventually leading to this remarkable feat. This also marked the first time that North America experienced a surge in single-week album sales.

As of 2004, the top five single-week record sales in North America were:
"Nothing in return," Superboy, 2.4 million.

"Celebrity", Superboy, 1.88 million.

"The-Marshall-Mathers-LP", Eminem, 1.76 million.

"Black & White", Backstreet Boys, 1.59 million.

“Oops…I-did-it-again,” Britney Spears, 1.32 million.

Among them, Britney Spears is the only female singer to break into the top ten, surpassing Madonna to become an icon of a generation in North America.

In addition, there are actually quite a few albums that recently achieved "million copies sold in their first week," all of which appeared last year and this year.

Norah Jones's "Like Home" grossed 1.02 million in a single week.

Fifty cents, “get rich overnight or die trying,” 1.06 million in a single week.

"The Boys of Usher" and "Confessions" sold 1.09 million copies in a single week.

That's why everyone says that the record market has been gradually recovering over the past two years, with singers of different styles and types making a full-scale comeback.

That is precisely why it is all the more surprising that the album "Midsummer Midnight" was able to secure a place amidst such fierce competition.

For this reason, when the media was discussing Anson's sudden emergence and his ability to reverse the decline of the record market, there was a constant stream of criticism and ridicule. Norah Jones, Fifty Cent, and Usher's three consecutive albums had such a huge impact, but they still did not fundamentally change the status quo of the market. So what kind of energy does Anson need to unleash to accomplish his mission?
And now, the answer is clear—

With a single-day sales volume of 1.17 million, it swept into the top ten of the North American record sales charts, temporarily sitting in seventh place.

Not only is it powerful, but it's also insane. The energy it unleashes in an instant is astonishing, leaving one completely speechless, with language appearing utterly pale and powerless.

This summer, "Spider-Man 2" achieved great success, and the shock and impact are still vivid in our minds. We can still see those scenes even with our eyes closed.

With the buzz surrounding "Spider-Man 2" still fresh, "Dawn Breaks" has now emerged, delivering a performance that is in no way inferior to the explosive power of "Spider-Man 2".

A million sales in a single day, rightfully securing a place in the top ten of all-time weekly sales, is more powerful than any words. The numbers that albums take a full week and seven days to achieve—high points that might not even be reached in a year—were accomplished by "Dawn" in a mere twenty-four hours, as effortlessly as drinking water or eating, completely rewriting the history of the North American record market.

The impact is ten or a hundred times more ferocious than the "no return" first-week two million.

At some point, people suddenly remembered that just before the release of "Spider-Man 2," Warner Music renewed Anson's contract for an exorbitant price. Everyone in the record industry said they had gone mad. Mariah Carey's contract that was thrown into the water was still fresh in everyone's mind. And yet, someone else continued to make stupid mistakes and throw their head in the sand.

But now, in less than six months, the whole situation has been completely reversed.

Warner Music's all-or-nothing gamble has paid off handsomely, and they are now fully qualified to challenge Universal Music for the top market share.

Furthermore, Warner Music is at the forefront of the times. Whether it's collaborating with Apple's iTunes digital music platform or designing merchandise for physical albums, they have mastered the market code, possessing both the present and the future. In the upcoming competition, they have already gained a head start.

It all started with Anson.

The collaboration with iTunes to release "Another Ray of Light" and the breakout hit "Rainbow Sunflower" in the physical album—seemingly insignificant details—quietly played a crucial role, thereby changing the course of history.

Here, Anson's presence is even stronger, clearer, more direct, and more crucial than in the film market; Anson is truly changing the record market.

is this real?
Unbelievable! But... wait... is that all? No way, things can't be that simple, but... what will happen next?
So, did "Dawn Breaks" achieve a single-day sales breakthrough of one million? Was it a burst of energy followed by exhaustion, or is it just the beginning?

Putting aside everything else, just look at the Superboys' album "No Expectations" and you'll know.

It boasts the best single-week sales in history and is currently the only album to surpass two million in single-week sales; however, the album's total sales in North America are only eleven million.

In terms of explosive sales, "No Returns" is truly outstanding, not only with excellent weekly sales, but also with sales of 9.9 million copies in a single calendar year, which is unmatched. However, in terms of total sales, it only sold 11 million copies, and it couldn't even squeeze into the top 100 of the North American album sales charts, and it was far behind its arch-rivals, the Backstreet Boys.

Short-term explosive growth does not guarantee long-term sustainability, and a single sales figure cannot represent complete success.

In this context, to which category does "dawn break" belong?
Some eagerly hoped that "Dawn Breaks" would rewrite history and ignite a glimmer of hope; others secretly cursed that "Dawn Breaks" would collapse completely in sales, disappearing like a shooting star; still others watched indifferently, joining in the fun regardless of how "Dawn Breaks" performed.

Amidst the bustling crowd and the focused attention, then, an unprecedented scene unfolded—

On the second day, and the third day, the record market, just like the film market, closely monitored the daily sales figures of "Dawn Breaks," and even started manually adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing numbers to calculate the album's weekly sales, without waiting for the week-long statistical period to end.

Whether this scene will ever be repeated or not, it is certainly unprecedented, and its popularity has skyrocketed, with even radio and television stations joining in.

NBC's flagship morning news program, "Today Show," broadcasts daily updates on "Dawn Breaks" album sales—a truly unique privilege.

And as it turns out, Anson Wood never disappoints.

(End of this chapter)