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iTunes Users Downloaded U2's 'Songs of Innocence' 26 Million Times, 81 Million 'Experienced Songs'

It is humorous to see that even with facts and statistics, people would rather believe their own anecdotal evidence.

80+ Million times these songs were played. Did iTunes force headphones in people's ears and make the songs play?

I'm fine if you don't like U2 or any group. I listened a few times and got bored with it. But your (or my) N of 1 means nothing, and MR subscribers are hardly representative of the population in general.
 
Downloaded it 26 million times and deleted it 25.99 million times. Of the 26 million all were people who accidentally clicked the iCloud download link and then panicked when they couldn't remove it.
 
With as man people that bitched about Apple hijacking their device by putting a U2 album on it, I really don't feel like they should be advertising any kind of stats on this. Just sayin.
 
i downloaded and kept it.
i know many others that did the same.

I don't mind U2. It could have been MUCH worse as a free album.

But, guessing I'm in the minority (here at least).


and my iPhone 6 has yet to bend or pull my hair out or anything else to complain. *sorry*
 
More like 26 million downloads - 25.9 million of which hit the delete button and never wanted it.

This was basically Apple spamming U2's album onto everyone's iDevice and calling it a 'success'.
 
I personally love the new album.

I simply don't get why people hate Bono with a passion. Every review I've read has hardly mentioned the music.
 
LOL, this album was auto downloaded to my phone because I have my settings set to auto download any new music, or app content.

I didn't get pissed off like everyone else though. It was easy to delete.
 
How is forcing everyone to download an album considered a success? Its free and you automatically pushed it to everyone.
 
It's not a bad album — it's just nothing special, really (nothing I would have bought on my own). And I, for one, appreciated the gift of a free album. The problem is it wasn't a choice. I don't understand why they didn't do it like any other free item or promotion. It does come off as really odd and kind of slimy to force it into people's libraries and then brag about how many people own it...
 
BJMRamage said:
i downloaded and kept it.
i know many others that did the same.
Click to expand...

Same here. Even listened to it a few times. In the end, Every Breaking Wave and Raised by Wolves will probably be the only songs I might play again, although I could just as well do without them.
 
CavemanUK said:
lol.. wild success.... any album would be a 'wild success' if it was forced onto every single Apple account whether you wanted it or not...
Click to expand...

as well as it being FREE no matter how it ended up on your device.

Any major band from the last 50 years would easily get millions of downloads if it was a free album...Elvis to Beach Boys to Metallica to Katy Perry.

But what is not being discussed is:

1)what % of the 26 million was forced upon users?

2)there are 500 million iTunes users/accounts...26 million is about 5% of that audience....therefore, there are pros and cons about this news

3)the sheer act that Apple pushed something to your device without your consent.
 
Do the math

Following the announcement, I listened to the album on repeat at least 6 times through in the background on an Apple TV while I did other things. With eleven songs on the album, and listening once through a song counts as an experience, I'm betting that I accounted for at least 66 song experiences which weren't all that meaningful. I couldn't hum any of the tunes or tell you any lyrics, but I've counted for at least 66 experiences with U2s album. 26 million downloads, only 81 million song playbacks......average person doesn't listen to even a third of the album ever, even if it's just once. :(

Maybe my understanding of what counts for an experience is wrong, but if I'm right, it's nothing to brag about.
 
BJMRamage said:
i downloaded and kept it.
i know many others that did the same.

I don't mind U2. It could have been MUCH worse as a free album.

But, guessing I'm in the minority (here at least).


and my iPhone 6 has yet to bend or pull my hair out or anything else to complain. *sorry*
Click to expand...

I'm another who downloaded and kept it. I don't have my devices set to download any/all new content so I had to manually download it <gasp!>.
 
UnfetteredMind said:
I'm another who downloaded and kept it. I don't have my devices set to download any/all new content so I had to manually download it <gasp!>.
Click to expand...

I thought I had auto-download for Songs but guess not. So I had to Download it too.

I guess Apple thought people would appreciate a FREE thing and rather than say to go here and download it, all you had to do was hit Download. or just listen to it. their thought was this was "Apple Easy"

but as noted here nothing recently has been Apple Easy. <shrugs shoulders>
 
I'm surprised that there were only 26 million downloads, since Apple forced the album on us.
 
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