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Library/Music/U2 “Songs of Innocence” iTunes giveaway
Grade A24 sourcesHIS-01547

U2 “Songs of Innocence” iTunes giveaway

Music · 2014 · Notable

50Editable slideCertificate

Apple offered U2's album to over 500 million accounts, then built a tool to remove it.

Clip · Spectrum Pulse on YouTube

jg

@jacquesgreene · Sep 9, 2014

anyone know how i could have 12 recordings of myself farting appear in Bono's iTunes

1284
Post · @jacquesgreene on X
Songs Of Innocence
U2 / Island Records / Interscope Records; Apple (distribution partner)
U2 Portrait 2014
TIME
Apple's free U2 "gift" angers many customers
CBS News
'Remember Us?'
Bono / U2
U2 performed at Apple's September 9 event. Photograph by Dylan Tweney, CC BY 2.0.
Dylan Tweney / CC BY 2.0
10 Of The Most Amusing Reactions To U2's Free Album
NME
Bono
Rolling Stone

Spread Score

How it works
Reach17Contagion35Breadth80Velocity44Longevity10050

Numbers

Seed to milestone
6 days
Sep 9 ’14 to Sep 15 ’14
Platforms
8
Started on Audio
Origin
Mixed
Entertainment

Mechanics

  • ControversyPrimary
  • Transgression
  • Response chain
  • Platform jump
  • Press loop

How it spread

Trace the origin

Apple added U2's album to iTunes accounts without an opt-in. Complaints spread on Twitter, into press and a Conan parody. Apple supplied a removal tool and Bono apologised. The paid US release opened with 28,000 sales.

Documented milestone; not a measured attention peak.

Wikipedia views · Google searchesAug ’14SepOctNovApr ’15AugDecMay ’16SepMilestoneAudioPressXOpen webTVYouTubeRetailFacebook
AudioPressXOpen webTVYouTubeRetailFacebook

12 more events on this chart

Join free to see them

Timeline (15)

  1. September 2014

    U2 / Apple seed · Sep 9 ’14

    Apple released Songs of Innocence free to iTunes accounts in 119 countries after U2 performed at its event.[1][2]

    Songs Of Innocence
    Open the first post ↗

  2. The Verge press · Sep 9 ’14

    The Verge reported that the album had appeared in iTunes users' purchased sections within moments.[3]

  3. Jacques Greene (@jacquesgreene) platform jump · Sep 9 ’14

    Jacques Greene joked on Twitter about sending recordings to Bono's iTunes after the giveaway.[4]

    10 Of The Most Amusing Reactions To U2's Free Album

  1. backlash · Sep 12 ’14

  2. owner response · Sep 15 ’14

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Why it worked

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  1. 1
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Origin
Mixed
Sector
Entertainment
Region
US
Reported figure
—
Evidence
Grade A

Spread the same way

Music · Audio · 201345

Beyoncé (2013 surprise album)

Beyoncé / Parkwood Entertainment / Columbia Records

An unannounced visual album sold 828,773 copies worldwide on iTunes in three days.

1.3M sold

1 / 8

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New cases, every week

How the next thing spread, the week it does.