Oprah Winfrey’s billion dollar media empire wields tremendous influence when it comes to pitching products, books, and now music. Winfrey’s influence extends beyond the sale of new albums by major contemporary stars. Warner Bros. chief operating officer and Reprise Records president, Diarmuid Quinn, says the developing artist Charice sold 60,000 singles behind an appearance on the show.
And Keith Caulfield, senior chart analyst at the music trade magazine Billboard, points out that veteran rock band Journey moved 10,000 copies – a 681% week-to-week increase – of its year-old album “Revelation” after an Oct. 5 guest shot.
If, as current conventional wisdom maintains, “TV is the new radio” in terms of influencing record sales, then “The Oprah Winfrey Show” is the equivalent of a 100,000-watt Mexican border radio station.
This fall, Winfrey’s popular afternoon talker, which claims an average daily viewership of 6.2 million, played a key role in sending new CD titles to the top slot of the U.S. album charts.
Oprah’s Book Club, which has pushed new and even backlist titles up the bestseller list, has wielded the same kind of retail clout.
Call it “the Oprah Effect.” And everyone in music covets it.
“We receive hundreds, if not thousands, of music pitches with CDs every year,” says a spokeswoman for Harpo Prods., Winfrey’s production company. “Generally, we invite fairly well-established musicians on the show…. Sometimes, it just comes down to the right artist at the right time with the right song.” In mid-October, Canadian vocalist Michael Buble’s album “Crazy Love” debuted at No. 1 with 132,000 copies sold in just three days. His label, Warner Bros., had moved the release up to Oct. 9 to coincide with Buble’s appearance on Winfrey’s telecast.
“It had massive impact,” says Warner Bros. chief operating officer and Reprise Records president Diarmuid Quinn. “The thing about Oprah is, her audience follows what she endorses more than anyone else we’ve ever seen.… She has this validity you don’t see any more.”
On the heels of her “Oprah” appearance in late September, Barbra Streisand scored her first chart-topping album in 12 years when “Love is the Answer” bowed at the apex with first-week sales of 180,000.
Labels have also increasingly looked to Winfrey’s program to heighten the visibility of their biggest acts. Whitney Houston’s Sept. 14-15 shot on the show sparked a 77% increase in sales of her comeback album “I Look to You.”
Keith Caulfield, senior chart analyst at the music trade magazine Billboard, observes: “In this state of the industry, with how difficult it is to reach and motivate consumers, there are only a few places that guarantee home runs. ‘The Oprah Winfrey Show’ is one of them.”
Caulfield notes that in the publication’s recent “Maximum Exposure” list of the top 100 ways to get one’s music in the public eye, Winfrey’s show rated second, behind an Apple TV spot.
“Oprah is the one thing everyone wants,” he adds. “If you get that call back from her production people, my God, it’s the Holy Grail.”
So can the music business look forward to Oprah’s Music Club? “Not at this time,” the Harpo publicist says.
by Christopher Morris, variety.com
Posted by Schoen
Post Script. David Foster is the producer for Michael Buble’s No.1 album “Crazy Love” mentioned in the article above. Here are video clips of Michael performing his new song and his interview on The Oprah Show, including Michael’s mom saying that one measure that they used for his success as a singer was, “What about Oprah?” We all should feel thrilled indeed that Charice has had the honor of appearing on Oprah three times already, with a fourth being imminent… Enjoy the clips! ~Eve
The Oprah Show: Michael Buble interview and performance, ‘Haven’t Met You Yet’
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I just read that Oprah Winfrey will end her show on September 9, 2011. How sad!
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Yes, I heard it too but her show will go “cable”, not a total loss of the show and she will be moving to Los Angeles, so “OUT” Chicago, “IN” LA. I hope Charice attachment to Oprah will get stronger.
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To MAX: thank you very much….
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I hope Ellen Degeneres will invite charice to perform in american idol since she’s the newest judge on that show. It would be very great if we can see our little princess charice perform infront the A.I judges…hmmm….what do you think guys?
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jessie,
As I write this, the only announced appearance of Charice with a definite date is her special guest appearance at the Pasadena Civic Center.
Here is the link to our article: http://www.charicemania.com/2009/11/15/announcements/charice-special-guest-at-pasadena-civic-center/
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Charice appeared on Oprah 4 times: First May 08, 2nd Sept 08,3rd Feb 09( after Oscar Oprah show),May 09 (note to God). you just missed one.
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this is the first I ever hear her sing “For Mama”..
im speechless…u should hear it for yourself…
my other favorites are: you’ll never walk alone; you raised me up and i’ll be there..
link: http://www.imeem.com/artists/charice_pempengco/album/SWYUaxQI/my-inspiration-album/
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There’s nothing wrong of editing as long as it is within the storyline of article
i found out that Eve wants it to simplified to read that Charice mentioned on that story and put it on top of edited story if they forgot to write who is the author this self explanatory and should be understand it is not a big deal.
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It’s almost a given that Oprah will surely guest Charice again when her album comes out. Then, WATCH OUT! for the Oprah effect. If 60,000 people purchased the single to Charice’s NTG from her last May, 2009, Oprah appearance, then by March, 2010, I’m thinking the album will sell twice that, right out of the gate, because Charice will be that much more popular from the DFF Tour, Christmas song releases,the Squeakquel movie release, and Skate for the Heart to be televised in January 2010. I know we can count on all you chasters to be first in line for Charice’s new album. Better yet, please put in your pre-orders for the album on Amazon.com
Thanks!
Eve
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thanks eve. of whoever is concerned,
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http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118011453.html?categoryid=16&cs=1
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Hi Texan,
Link from the original article is there. You know just click it. I just forgot to put the writer´s name. This happens when we are in a hurry sometimes during lunchbreak and work to update our readers. I think it´s not a big issue though. We always find time to “pitch” our posts and articles. That´s why I put “edited by Eve” just in case readers might ask why “Charice´s name was mentioned on top, not below as the original article. I hope not to be sued because of that. Either way, I apologize.
Schoen
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