Photo: Press
After being released to the surprise of everyone with an iTunes account, early figures for how many people U2's new album Songs Of Innocence has reached have been revealed.
Earlier this week, Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and the other one unveiled their new album at the launch of the iPhone 6 and Apple Watch - with the record immediately available to all iTunes users and subscribers to U2.com.
Now, it is claimed that Songs Of Innocence has reached an estimated 500million people, with the tracks being downloaded about 200,000 times in the United States alone. However, a Universal Music Group spokesman has told Billboard that these figures are "completely inaccurate."
Billboard also report that retail experts have claimed that the album would have normally shifted first-week sales between 450,000 and 500,000 units with a traditional release, but now predict first-week sales of about 150,000 copies after the iTunes deal.
Meanwhile, NME reports that the Official Charts Company have declared Songs Of Innocence ineligible to chart in the UK this week.
"Copies of the U2 album 'Songs Of Innocence' which have been delivered free to consumers’ iTunes accounts will not be reflected in the Official Albums Chart – the Official Charts only count music which consumers have made an active choice to acquire. The album will only count when consumers have made an active choice to buy it."
Watch the trailer for Songs Of Innocence Below
The tracklisting is:
1. The Miracle (of Joey Ramone)
2. Every Breaking Wave
3. California (There Is No End To Love)
4. Song For Someone, Iris (Hold Me Close)
5. Volcano
6. Raised By Wolves
7. Cedarwood Road
8. Sleep Like A Baby Tonight
9. This Is Where You Can Reach Me Now
10. The Troubles.
The album will be released in its physical form on 13 October, including a deluxe, gatefold double album, contains an acoustic session of songs from the album and four additional tracks: 'Lucifer's Hands', 'The Crystal Ballroom' and alternative versions of 'The Troubles' and 'Sleep Like a Baby Tonight'.
As well as the new album, Apple also unveiled two new iPhones and the Apple Watch. A full review of Songs Of Innocence will be live on Gigwise.com shortly.
Below: Who could surprise release an album on iTunes next?
