Songs for Japan
Encyclopedia
Songs for Japan is a charity
compilation album
created to benefit relief efforts for the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
. A collaborative project between the music industry's "big four" record labels (EMI
, Sony
, Universal
, and Warner
), the album was released through the iTunes Store
on March 25, 2011 through Universal. Royalties
for the songs featured on the album were waived so that all proceeds may be donated to the Japanese Red Cross Society
. A physical album was released on April 4, 2011 through Sony.
's remixed "Born This Way
". This is unlike past charity albums such as Hope for Haiti Now
that have included original music and performances.
. It sold 8,000 copies in Canada and debuted at number three on the Canadian Albums Chart
. On the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand
's compilations chart, the album debuted at number one. As of May 4, 2011, over 500,000 copies of the album have been sold, and over $5 million has been raised.
The song was certified as a gold record by the RIAJ in Japan for a shipment of 100,000 or more physical copies.
Charity record
A charity record is a release of a song for a specific charitable cause. Some of the earliest charity records came from the Music for UNICEF Concert, with ABBA's Chiquitita and the Bee Gees' Too Much Heaven among them released as singles, with all the royalties going to UNICEF...
compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
created to benefit relief efforts for the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
The 2011 earthquake off the Pacific coast of Tohoku, also known as the 2011 Tohoku earthquake, or the Great East Japan Earthquake, was a magnitude 9.0 undersea megathrust earthquake off the coast of Japan that occurred at 14:46 JST on Friday, 11 March 2011, with the epicenter approximately east...
. A collaborative project between the music industry's "big four" record labels (EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
, Sony
Sony Music Entertainment
Sony Music Entertainment ' is the second-largest global recorded music company of the "big four" record companies and is controlled by Sony Corporation of America, the United States subsidiary of Japan's Sony Corporation....
, Universal
Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group is an American music group, the largest of the "big four" record companies by its commanding market share and its multitude of global operations...
, and Warner
Warner Music Group
Warner Music Group is the third largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry, making it one of the big four record companies...
), the album was released through the iTunes Store
ITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
on March 25, 2011 through Universal. Royalties
Royalties
Royalties are usage-based payments made by one party to another for the right to ongoing use of an asset, sometimes an intellectual property...
for the songs featured on the album were waived so that all proceeds may be donated to the Japanese Red Cross Society
Japanese Red Cross
The ' is the Japanese affiliate of the International Red Cross.The Imperial Family of Japan traditionally has supported the society, with Empress as Honorary President and other royal family members as vice-presidents. Its headquarters is located in Tokyo and local chapters are set up in all 47...
. A physical album was released on April 4, 2011 through Sony.
Reception
Although Songs for Japan received praise for its charitable purpose it was criticized for being a compilation of already released songs, with the exception of Lady GagaLady GaGa
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta , better known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, she primarily studied at the Convent of the Sacred Heart and briefly attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts before withdrawing to...
's remixed "Born This Way
Born This Way (song)
"Born This Way" is a song by American recording artist Lady Gaga, from her second studio album, Born This Way. Written and produced by Gaga, Fernando Garibay, Jeppe Laursen and DJ White Shadow, "Born This Way" was developed while Gaga was on the road with The Monster Ball Tour...
". This is unlike past charity albums such as Hope for Haiti Now
Hope for Haiti Now (album)
Hope for Haiti Now is a live album by various artists to benefit Hope for Haiti Now's campaign to alleviate the 2010 Haiti earthquake. All benefits from the album sales go to Haiti relief organizations, including the Red Cross and Wyclef Jean's Yele Haiti foundation...
that have included original music and performances.
Commercial performance
The album sold 68,000 copies in its first sales week in the United States, debuting at number six on the Billboard 200Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
. It sold 8,000 copies in Canada and debuted at number three on the Canadian Albums Chart
Canadian Albums Chart
The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS...
. On the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand
Recording Industry Association of New Zealand
The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand...
's compilations chart, the album debuted at number one. As of May 4, 2011, over 500,000 copies of the album have been sold, and over $5 million has been raised.
The song was certified as a gold record by the RIAJ in Japan for a shipment of 100,000 or more physical copies.