In reply to 2bad2bme.

If an album sells to current industry-standards for what is considered successful, then it is not a flop because it produced no hit songs. That's like saying Norah Jones didn't kick everybody's ass with her Diamond-certified Come Away With Me album, simply because it didn't spin-off any high charting singles. Singles exist for the purpose of promoting/selling the album that they are cut from. If the album can sell without benefit of a hit, then nothing is lost.

In 2011, like today, if an album went platinum, it was a success. 4, by Beyonce, accomplished that feat. By that bottom line, the album was a success. If it failed by any means, it was in comparison to the sales of her prior album...but even that's anecdotal, because - again - the measure is where the marker *currently* is. Furthermore, according to Billboard, any song that peaks inside the Top 40 is considered a hit. 4 had three singles that did that. So everything you just said was wrong.

Katy Perry and Capitol Records will breathe a heavy sigh of relief if her album does the numbers of 4. She will not, however, be in a good place if it produces three number one singles, but the album fails to sell a million copies. See how that works? Her job is to sell albums for her label for $10.99, not singles for $1.29.