Can Barbra sell 206,000 + albums to get to #1 this week ?

I am not a fan of hers.

She’ll buy them herself.

Nobody cares anymore about her, and I’m a fan. Enough already.

Enough is enough is enough is ENOUGH!

She sold almost a million of the last one (over 800,000 in the first week) so it's very possible that 206,000 is a reachable number.

At this point, she’s croaking

Other than DL’s own Charlie, are there any of his fans left that still buys her music?

I don't know her.

I don’t think so. It’s crazy she was going #1 in the 2010s. Her fanbase is so old now. Her last album reached #12 which makes me think a lot of them have died.

I like her new album and the duets. Obviously she’s not the Barbra singing like in the 1960s or ‘70s. But she’s not trying to, and I think for someone in their 80s still recording and hitting the notes, she’s doing well. Her albums also always seem to have nice arrangements and creative production.

No! We are dead!

R9 I believe the whole point of her recording duets with younger, popular artists is to sell to their fanbases as well. They'll buy this - starting with Arianna's fans.

R5 Her last number one album was nine years ago - a lot has changed since then, including how sales are calculated.

She needs to stop.

She needs to keep her voice fresh for Gypsy!

Girlfriend, when I heard your sad attempt at Disco with my late, good friend, Donna SummerS, you were absolutely right, ENOUGH is ENOUGH!

That would be fun to see it happen.

I'm still trying to work through Stoney End.

R16 She never wanted to go down that stoney end....someone PUSHED her down that stoney end!

If she was to score another #1 album for this decade, that would put her so far ahead than every other artist. Madonna, Beyonce, Swift would never even come close to tying the record, never mind beating it.

SHE doesn’t do shit, OP. The chumps who purchase it will”do it.”

R18 - Yep.

I wonder how close Cher would be to that. That Christmas song probably went to #1 a couple years ago.

R20 Cher ? She's been releasing albums since the 60s and hasn't ever had a #1 album in her career. She had three #1 singles in the early 70s, and one #1 single in 1998. 'That Christmas song' from two years ago peaked at 93.

R21 - OH! Ok, I might have been thinking about having a #1 (or top ten?) song in every decade, not album.

I coulda sworn Cher had some kind of record (no pun intended) like that.

R21-

I told ya! And that Xmas song did indeed hit #1.

R23 Oh, I'm glad for her. But the two charts that have mattered the most since the 1950s are the Hot 100 Singles Chart and the Hot 200 Albums Chart, since those cover the 'pop' charts which is a cross-over of all the other charts. Those two are highly competitive.

R24 - Yes. This is a "Billboard charts only" stat.

[quote][R20] Cher ? She's been releasing albums since the 60s and hasn't ever had a #1 album in her career. She had three #1 singles in the early 70s, and one #1 single in 1998. 'That Christmas song' from two years ago peaked at 93.

"I Got You Babe" spent three weeks at #1 in 1965.

I was considering her solo singles and albums.

Four more days....

Where is she with getting the needed 206K more, OP?

Are enough of her fans alive to make it #1?

The duet with Ariana Grande and Mariah Carey sounds so dated. A song like this would've worked well in the '90s, but in 2025? It makes me think of a song from a Disney cartoon.

God she sounds like an old lady.

[quote]The duet with Ariana Grande and Mariah Carey sounds so dated.

I think you mean trio.

A duet is a song for two people.

[quote] I think you mean trio. A duet is a song for two people.

Ah, you're right. My bad.

Babs couldn’t even sell her shitty book that took her 15 years to write.

That trio is Music to Cradle Your Mug To.

Today's the day - her first album in seven years gets released.

I have bought every one of her new albums on the day or week of release since 1977, when I first became a fan of hers at 14. 'Superman' was my first Streisand album. This time, I'm not. I didn't like 'Partners' in 2014, didn't like 'Encore' in 2016. I'll wait on this one, listen to some of the songs (not loving the ones I've heard so far) and then decide.

One of the industry trades who 'updates the data' of what's pre-selling just about every day during the week of release, says that Barbra is in a very good position to see her next #1 album and break her own record.

Good luck Babs, you’re competing with all these 19yo randos with names like Lil Tecca and a K-pop boy band named ATEEZ.

The first one I bought when I was 14 was the first Greatest Hits album in 1970. The last one I bought was that A Love Like Ours mediocrity in 1999 give or take. Oh yeah, I did get the second Christmas album a couple of years later. THAT'S IT. I can take no more.

I can't find the original source, but Showbiz 411 picked up the info and shared it on their site:

“Partners 2” is already at the top of Amazon’s best seller list tonight, 28 hours before its release. Watch it explode on Friday morning. Streisand is guaranteed a number 1 when all the sales are counted — giving her number 1’s in each of the last 7 decades– and all on Columbia Records. And look for her to pick up some Grammys in January 2026.

She looks like such a witch on that cover.

Like she’s a witch in a cottage.

It needs a BILLBOARD number 1, not Amazon.

R42 All formats sold on Amazon count towards BILLBOARD's ranking.

Can she sell 206,000 between now and 2029 and still get the distinction?

Or was OP's "#1 this week" timeline because an album from someone like Barbra sells the most copies early on?

R44 These days, all new releases sell the most copies early on. What a difference on the Billboard charts from 30 - 40 years ago, when an album entered the charts at the bottom and then made its way up to its peak after several weeks / months of selling more and more copies. Now, an album peaks at its debut and then falls off the chart quickly - sometimes within a week or two.

[quote]Good luck Babs, you’re competing with all these 19yo randos

Aren’t they on her album?

[quote] Nobody cares anymore about her, and I’m a fan. Enough already.

I HATE the duets thing. That song with Mariah and Ariana is horrible.

[quote] The first one I bought when I was 14 was the first Greatest Hits album in 1970. The last one I bought was that A Love Like Ours mediocrity in 1999 give or take. Oh yeah, I did get the second Christmas album a couple of years later. THAT'S IT. I can take no more.

The last one I bought was "Love Is The Answer." It was well worth it. It had a bonus disc with her and just Diana Krall's quartet -- "Here's That Rainy Day", "Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most", "Some Other Time", "You Must Believe In Spring" -- probably her best latter-day recording.

[quote] God she sounds like an old lady.

Such a surprise, considering she's 83 years young.

It's Saturday morning and I'm on pins and needles

If Meghan Markle bought sufficient copies of Barbra's new album....

and Barbra bought all Meghan's unsold jars of Raspberry Spread stored in Harry's polo stable...

the sheer number of used Barbra CDs on a Goodwill endcap does not bode well.

R52 Sign of the times - no one wants CDs any more. If you look closely, you'll see Madonna CDs, Michael Jackson CDs, Whitney Houston CDs, etc all standing next to hers on those endcaps. Everyone is streaming now.

Barbra, Celine and Enya rule the Goodwill endcaps

So far, the critics reviews and fan reviews have been very positive. The only two recordings that no one seems to like are the trio with Carey and Grande, and the duet with Seal. They all seem to love the rest of the album.

R49 Cher and Dolly or Diana don’t sound like old ladies on their recent releases.

R56 None of them are 83.

R56 Diana hasn't released an album since 2001, when she was 77.

How will I possibly manage to sleep before the weekend is over?

[quote] [R56] Diana hasn't released an album since 2001, when she was 77.

You mean she's 101 today?

She looks great for her age!

Have you listened to it R56?

Fine. Loretta Lynn was 89 for her last album and she didn’t sound like an old lady.

Barbra sounds like Peggy Lee on her last album “Moments Like This”.

This is what Barbra’s album sounds like

[quote] the sheer number of used Barbra CDs on a Goodwill endcap does not bode well.

That's an EXCELLENT sign! Her core fanbase is between 72 years old and 184 years old. Her fans buy her CD and then, of course, die -- the only thing left for them to do. The CDs go from the estate sale to Goodwill. It is the natural order.

Really R63? How witty you are! Haven’t listened have you?

Some day if you are lucky you will be old. Meanwhile who were all those second rate wannabes who agreed to record with her OP?

R65 = Barbra StreiSAND!

I forget what a talent Barbra was in her prime. (musically)

When I hear her (it's in the car or the store) it's almost shocking.

[quote] I think you mean trio.

[quote] A duet is a song for two people.

All three of them together sound like one Jessica Simpson in vocal warm-ups.

Same here, R67. Only for me it’s anything off the People and My Name is Barbra albums. If I first heard her in the 70s - such as Evergreen - I wouldn’t have cared.

I've yet had the balls to listen to Walls

The early albums are unbelievably good. Then the hits and misses start coming in the 70s and after. For every Guilty there’s a Streisand Superman.

Like Houston, can't it be said that Barbra 'played it safe' in the beginning by delivering the same 'format' over and over again, and not taking chances ? So why - 20 years later - did Houston grab so much criticism for it ?

I think the keyword for critcism would be "authentic". Barbra did not play it safe in the beginning but took a considerable cut in upfront payment to have complete control over her music against the wishes of the record exes. Plus she did nothing to alter her image but was the poster girl for take-me-as-i-am.

When Clive Davis(!) pushed Barbra into recording more contemporary music because her records were dwindling in sales there was criticism from the purist NY/Broadway crowd that she was selling out and being inautenthic musically for the sake of sales. Her transformation from NY Jewish girl into Californa-girl Queen of the MOR power ballads is still kvetched about here.

Morgan Wallen #1. Benson Boone #2, with 1/3 of the ‘album units’ in its debut week of MW’s album in its sixth week.

No idea where Babs is. But Morgan Wallen is a powerhouse.

Is she gonna make it to 206,000??

R73 Thanks for the response. I appreciate it.

R75 Let's all wait and see - we'll find out together !

So far on iTunes, she's been solidly #2 in sales, beaten only by something called K Pop Demon Hunters.

Wait. Clive Davis and Barbra? I’ve never heard that before. Can you tell me the music they worked on together?

^ oh brother

^ thanks for adding so much to the conversation

R79

Clive Davis became president of Columbia Records (Babs label since 1960) in 1967. It was him who got Barbra together with producer Richard Perry to lead her into a more contemporary sound. The result was "Stoney End".

“It was him”

OH DEAR

'Columbia Records (Babs label since 1960) '

Another 'Oh Dear!'

Streisand didn't sign with Columbia until October, 1962.

Well? OP?

In the UK it’s entered the charts at no 40, next week it will be out of the charts and forgotten.

uh oh!

How did it fare in the US?

Was Barbra ever popular in the UK?

Billboard's USA chart won't be out until this week, I think on Wednesday.

According to one of her fan sites:

"Barbra reached 5.1 million monthly listeners on Spotify and 7.3 million on YouTube, marking 12.4MI across these platforms."

Her debut on the Hot 200 will be out on Wednesday, but usually the Top 10 comes out on Tuesday.

Hitsdailydouble is suggested barely 20,000.

Poor Babs, nothing but flops.

Flop memoir, flop album, what else will she flop at? She’s on a roll.

[quote] Streisand didn't sign with Columbia until October, 1962.

How embarrassing they you know that. Are you 102, dear?

[quote] So far on iTunes

No one uses iTunes. It’s all about Spotify.

There’s been absolutely not promotion for one thing.

Barbra sounds so old alongside Mariah and Ari. Like their singing with their grandmother. Whose idea was it to do that??? It is so badly produced too. Ariana fans hate it. so do Maria fans.

R95 = trying so hard

#31

Well there’s a 1.

Is the mall still her cash cow?

31 is depressing as hell. Not even in the top 30!

She didn't make it to #1. but she has extended her record as the female artist with the most Top 40 albums in chart history (which began in 1956), with this being her 55th album in the Top 40. In second place, at 26 Top 40 Albums, Aretha Franklin and Madonna are tied.

Streisand is in close second place to Elvis and Sinatra as solo artist with most Top 40 albums, as they are tied with 58 each. (The Grateful Dead leads the pack of 'all artists' with 64 Top 40 Albums).

Streisand came in 4th place as far as 'vinyl' album sales.

Nothing to be embarrassed about for an 83 year old female artist.

The problem with this is the song list is awful.

Also, everyone is sick of duets.

I want one last Barbra Sings Broadway Album

1) Rose’s Turn

2) Another Winter In a Summer Town

3) Back To Before

4) If He Walked Into My Life

5) Tell Me On a Sunday

6) I Dreamed a Dream

7) Stay With Me

8) This Nearly Was Mine

9) Maybe This Time

10) I’m Still Here

I would love 1993 Barbra or even 2005 Barbra to sing those songs, R104 but her current voice just isn’t up to it. She still has the power but it’s so damn raspy when she belts.

Still, I would go lie in a puddle of mud if she told me to.

Most of the arrangements and songs on the last few duet albums sound like funeral dirges. And I love Barbra!

R102 I mean her fanbase was older than her. She was in her 20s singing to 40 and 50 year olds and people who liked Broadway and showtunes.

It’s not like she was super hip with the kids.

R107, there was some considerable crossover appear in the 1960s to those under 30 (not 40). That was because of her "rebellious" image. Many felt betrayed when they saw her in jewels and furs just a few years later.

“She is kicky, thass all,” said Craig Stevens, 17. “No, not kooky. Kicky. Like free. Un-in-hib-i-ted. She does what she wants, and she has an image of her own, y'know? Sort of a female James Bond. We all love somebody with a diffren image.”

Poor Babs.

R107 People forget that from 1969-1980, Streisand was also a movie star; a genuine box office attraction.

Every year but two during that period, she made the coveted annual Top 10 list of bankable film actors: 1969 (#10), 1970 (#9), 1972 (#5), 1973 (#6), 1974 (#4), 1975 (#2), 1977 (#2), 1978 (#10), 1979 (#5), 1980 (#9).

Many times she was the sole woman on the list, and twice she made it to #2 but was prevented from reaching the top spot by Robert Redford in '75 and Sylvester Stallone in '77.

r104: That's a really good list.

On one of the Billboard forums it said Streisand 'only' released four physical copies (three colored vinyl and one CD) while they artist at #1 released a dozen - multiple 'color' copies of vinyl and CDs, plus 'bonus tracks' on some of those releases, forcing his ardent fans to buy every copy...and that's how you get to / stay at #1.

I miss the days when I had three choices and chose one, maybe 2. (LP, CD and cassette.)

The problem with this album is that it covers no new ground whatsoever. Other than featuring duet partners who are currently on the charts, none of the arrangements are influenced by the current elements these artists incorporate in their own styles. What Streisand delivered is an album free of excitement, tempo, texture or purpose. We should be hearing Barbra's enthusiasm about being in her guests territory, not her enthusiasm over her guests enthusiasm about being in her territory. Really, I don't think anyone wanted to hear Hozier duet with Barbra Streisand on an oft covered standard with an arrangement as imaginative as toast for breakfast. And the same goes every track on this album. It's quite simply an album that's uninteresting & uninterested.

Thats a perfect summation, r113.

It's just blah.

Her collapse is complete. It was a great run, though.

Hopefully, this is IT. No more. Retirement announcement and self congratulatory career video. Buh bye!

R115 You call an 83 year old recording artist, with a career which dates back to 1962, debuting on the Top 40 of the Billboard Top 200 Albums with a new album (and stretching out her record of making chart history while doing so), ' a collapse being complete' ? You're funny. We need the laugh.

Regardless how it sells, it’s a better album than the first Partners album which was mainly popular Barbra soggy rehashed into inferior versions. I Can Still See Your Face with Andrea Bocelli was the only standout.

This album, 'The Bon Soir' and 'Evergreens' are the only albums I don't own of Barbra's. I rarely play the albums I did buy from the past decade (both 'Partners' and 'Walls'). I'm a deouvt Barbra fan, but I just didn't like those choices. And 'Evergreens' was just a shady cash-grab (to me). However, I do enjoy the 40th anniversary re-release of 'Yentl' which was filled with many surprises.