What makes a flop song a flop song?

[Jordan Miller]

We all love to throw the term FLOP out there. But, what specifically is it that makes a song a flop?

There are some legitimately great pop songs that've "flopped" on the charts. Does that make it a flop? Cause then again, there are some garbage songs that chart amazingly well. 

Is it the lyrical content? Does a song need to meet a certain quota for it to be a flop? In other words... does a song's structure play a role?

What about the music video? Can a visual turn a song from something alright to a flop simply because the video didn't resonate or accurately portray the song?

Is it a feeling that you get? 

WHY do you call something a FLOP? Can you provide an example? Asking for a friend.  

[Blackout2006]

Well a songs a flop when...

Commercial wise, if a song debuts below top 40 or 50 it is considered a flop. If the single sells very little copies (like, only 100 thousand + sales) and has little to no radio impact, It is considered a flop. If critics and the GP criticism the song for being boring and generic it is a flop. It is also considered one if its previous single was a breakout hit. One example of a flop single is make me and rock your body.

[Roxxy]

My heart is the one that tells me if a song is a flop or not. 

[PokemonSpears]

I've always understood a flop song as something that failed commercially, independently of how good or bad it is, objectively.

Some people call Britney Jean a flop, yet we all unanimously agree it's one of Britney's best albums

 

The question is when do we consider something a commercial failure? Glory peaked at #3 but sold more than other albums that peaked at #1 in other weeks. Some call something a flop, not so much in relation to other artists, but compared to other songs or albums from the same artist we're talking about. So those Katy Perry singles or albums that people say they flopped, might have actually sold very well or had a lot of views, but compared to her previous singles or albums, they just flopped.

[Blackout2006]

5 minutes ago, PokemonSpears said:

Some people call Britney Jean a flop, yet we all unanimously agree it's one of Britney's best albums

 

And...who r those people? 

 

[Jordan Miller]

10 minutes ago, PokemonSpears said:

Some people call Britney Jean a flop, yet we all unanimously agree it's one of Britney's best albums

 

 

[Adriannn]

I think record labels and absent-minded listeners are the main factors in a flop song, not the song itself.

[DjRobney]

It's in the flip you know....

[Spicechinodiva]

Well Madonna said it Best, Erotica sold 5 Million worldwide, and according to industry standards that's a flop, But she threw it back at them and simply asked.

 

"BASED ON WHAT?

Oddly most of the flops Like Madonna's Erotica, American life,  Hard Candy,  MDNA,  Rebel Heart and Madame X. All become cult classics. Just a small devoted audiences.

 

Hell Pitchfork did an article on Carly rae Jepsen and Britney spears saying they traded their global success just to be a cult status pop star, an artist with a small and devoted fan base compared to their contemporaries. 

[MissSpearsSaysSo]

A flop is a song that has no spark and excitement to it. 

[vzlafan]

Flop is that is not succesfull , faillure intention word.

Flop could be used to commercial sucess or to define is a song is really good or not.

For example Katy perry last song smile, didn't pick up a biggest chart position and for me (personal) its a bad song..

 

and a long history keeps.

[Brat]

It’s irrelevant 

[Alestaos]

Any song can be successful if the right marketing is behind it  (hitting the right market/targets). Also the artist needs to promote it heavily if new (since they wont have the install base), also a new factor is social listening. Like if your going to release a song about guns, killing death you need to make sure that when you do release it, its not in the middle of a movement (unless its for that movement) and or controversy regarding the same topic.

Thats about commercial failure, i believe a flop can also be successful but its not as good as previous work (Britney Jean) but it doesn't hit people the same way.

[Blackout2006]

12 minutes ago, Spicechinodiva said:

did an article on Carly rae Jepsen and Britney spears saying they traded their global success just to be a cult status pop star, an artist with a small and devoted fan base compared to their contemporaries. 

Wow, okay so for them a fan base as huge as Britney’s fan base is a “small devoted fan base” 

Yah maybe that’s why we have been able to pick up steam for #freebritney 

[TheySayImCrazy18]

44 minutes ago, Spicechinodiva said:

Well Madonna said it Best, Erotica sold 5 Million worldwide, and according to industry standards that's a flop, But she threw it back at them and simply asked.

 

"BASED ON WHAT?

Oddly most of the flops Like Madonna's Erotica, American life,  Hard Candy,  MDNA,  Rebel Heart and Madame X. All become cult classics. Just a small devoted audiences.

 

Hell Pitchfork did an article on Carly rae Jepsen and Britney spears saying they traded their global success just to be a cult status pop star, an artist with a small and devoted fan base compared to their contemporaries. 

Carly, Yes.  But Britney?  **** No, She Has A Huge And Devoted Fan Base.  Not A Small One.

[TheySayImCrazy18]

A Song Is A Flop If It Commercially And/Or Critically Made No Impact.  Take For Example Robyn’s Dancing On My Own, It Only Peaked At #101, But Sold Over 1,000,000 Copies.  It Flopped On The Charts, But Critically Was A Success And Had Longevity.  A Song Also Needs Longevity. 

[Rojo]

52 minutes ago, Spicechinodiva said:

Oddly most of the flops Like Madonna's Erotica, American life,  Hard Candy,  MDNA,  Rebel Heart and Madame X. All become cult classics. Just a small devoted audiences.

MDNA, Rebel Heart and Madame X are flops because they are bad albums. They are everything but not classics. She ruined her discography. Some fans would include Hard Candy, but I love it. Everything she released after 2008 are flops. Even if they had successful sales. 

[princessmimi]

For me its mostly how it does on the charts and also whether the song is of quality.

Like for example: Pretty Girls from Britney.

Even though it charted in the top 20, the song is not of quality.

I mean the song isnt horrible but compared to her legendary past singles, its garbage

[bitbitboi]

Sometimes the song/album/artist is not the flop, but the fans. Like fake US fans, who only bought 157,000 copies of "Glory" the first week. The album is a masterpiece, those fans are a flop. 

[Exaholic]

A FLOP SONG = Any song that Britney isn’t on..