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Estelle Returns to iTunes After Bout of Record-Label Idiocy

From the series Chechen Women’s Team of Parachute Jumping and Its Virtual Fans (2008).

Remember when Atlantic Records executives asked themselves, What Would Kid Rock Do?, then pulled Estelle’s album down off iTunes? The “logic” was that selling her hit single, “American Boy,” on its own was cutting into sales of her physical copies of her record, Shine. Turns out it wasn’t! Yesterday, after two weeks, Atlantic tucked its tail between its legs and put Estelle back on iTunes.

While the record was temporarily unavailable, as could probably have been expected, a sound-alike cover of “American Boy” (by the hip, generic band Studio All-Stars) began climbing iTunes’ singles chart; meanwhile, the real “American Boy” fell on Billboard’s. Also, predictably, sales of Shine dropped significantly as well. Whatever, we’re glad the label changed its mind before they inadvertently ended Estelle’s career.

Estelle’s “Shine” and Hit Single “American Boy” Suddenly Back On iTunes [Silicon Alley Insider]

Earlier: Musicians, Record Labels Shunning iTunes, Money

Estelle Returns to iTunes After Bout of Record-Label Idiocy