“Do you want to be a part of internet history?”
This is what you are asked when you visit the Everybody’s Album website. Everybody’s Album is a public project where people can submit their own 1-second recording or soundbite, which is then added to the album. The goal of the album is to reach the top of Billboard’s 200 charts, which tracks US record sales through a combination of album sales and streaming numbers.
The project was created by artist Danny Cole, who teamed up with Anthony Po, the influencer behind the viral “Timothy Chalalmet look-alike contest” and the “Anthony meetup”. Together, they set out to create a band of 100,000 people and make an album. Cole said, “Major labels use creative tactics to inflate sales and so these charts don’t really reflect true consumption patterns. So I thought, is there a way for common people to play that game?”
Billboard itself has tried to shut down the project, citing that its “potential crowdfunding initiative” is an issue for objective sale verification. Additionally, Billboard has brought up concerns over the validity of the album sales themselves. While those who choose to participate are paid $7.99 for their contribution, that money must be spent on purchasing the album. Billboard claims that this tactic means that Cole is “giving the album away”, thus meaning that there have not been any actual sales. However, Cole explains that there is a way participants can have an actual cash payout. All you have to do is meet him at the top of a mountain in Nunavut, Canada. Cole has maintained that none of Billboard’s rules have been broken.
With over 100,000 people having participated in the project, and the album having been set to release at the top of the Billboard 200 chart, “Everybody’s Album” is nowhere to be found on the list. But Cole, Po, and the team behind “Everybody’s Album” have not given up hope. They continue to combat each allegation of rule-breaking and are dedicated to seeing “Everybody’s Album” get the recognition it deserves.
