response 44 of 71:

Oct 18 19:52 UTC 2001

  We've heard for years that multi-million dollar deals for mega-stars
  have been killing the balance sheets of the big record companies --
  I think the first time I heard a similar story the album in question
  was Michael Jackson's follow-up to "Thriller".  So why do the record
  companies keep making them and if the deas are such financial poison
  why aren't the companies making them being eaten alive by competitors
  who aren't making the same mistakes?

  Also, in what universe could it *ever* have appeared to be a good
  idea to spend $80M for four Mariah Carey albums?  Even if you assume
  you can make back $4 for every CD you sell, that still means that 
  the four albums are each going to have to sell an average of five
  million copies apiece.  I can't think of *ANY* acts whose popularity
  I'd care to guarantee over the course of four yet-to-be-recorded albums.
  With typical album release schedules that's a timespan of four to ten
  years in a remarkably fickle industry.