AMATO’S GOTTA GO

Our latest SPS chart has Taylor Swift's #1 bow for reputation at 1.29m, edging past the first-week total for prior giant 1989. But in a further demonstration of how completely out of touch John Amato and team are, the industry Bible gave her a total of around 1.26m. In doing so, they took their eye off the ball during a crucial moment for the entire industry—because they didn’t care.

If they did care, they would’ve done the work to find out what really happened with the year's most eagerly awaited album, considering the importance of an accurate count to one of the industry's hugest stars, her label or the biz at large.

The performance of reputation in the 2017 marketplace is historic; despite steep drops in retail, Taylor achieved an unprecedented fourth straight million-plus bow almost entirely with sales and eclipsed the 2014 debut of her last blockbuster.

When they saw our chart number (a total with which BuzzAngle Music agrees), they could’ve dug down into their numbers to locate the malfunction. But they couldn’t be bothered.

Taylor and Big Machine are said to be apoplectic about this absurd lapse.

A publication that cared about the music business would have done its utmost to get this right. Even if it required Amato to miss a photo op backstage at the AMAs.

But Billboard isn't in the music business.

If it wants to change this, Amato and his coterie of sycophants must go.