this info is from the [url=http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_pillows]japanese wikipedia entry[/url]. oricon is the japanese equivalent of the billboard charts. rankings are based on weekly sales. these numbers reflect the rank at debut (the first week's worth of sales). i don't know for sure if the missing singles/albums just didn't rank in the top 100 or if info wasn't available... i'm guessing the former.

anyway, it's interesting to note that [i]synchronized rockers[/i] has achieved the highest rank thus far. but they certainly seem to be moving up in the world.

[b]singles[/b]

girlfriend - 99
no self-control - 87
carnival - 67
rush - 81
ride on shooting star - 54
i think i can - 69
shiroi natsu - 56
terminal heaven's rock - 44
sono mirai wa ima - 26
non fiction - 24
third eye - 29

[b]albums[/b]

please mr. lostman - 59
little busters - [b]49[/b]
runners high - 35
happy bivouac - 72
fool on the planet - 19
smile - 30
thank you, my twilight - 45
another morning, another pillows - 59
penalty life - 39
turn back - [b]50[/b]
synchronized rockers - 13
good dreams - [b]16[/b]
my foot - [b]19[/b]

edit: cross-checked the numbers with the [url=http://www.oricon.co.jp/artists/27739/]oricon website[/url]. some of them were wrong.

Buy Fool on the Planet people.

So...technically they're popularity is rising in Japan.

They start to suck, and they're more popular.

[quote="rockman240"]They start to change their style, and they're more popular.[/quote]

No, he had it right.

Why is Beehive in the covers section? Chihiro Yonekura...?

[url]http://www.kingrecords.co.jp/bellwood/chihiro/disindex.html[/url]

If you go to album 09 (azure), the fifth track is Beehive with [i]Sawao Yamanaka (the pillows)[/i] next to it.

On her website, this album is listed as having been released February 2004. The Sono Mirai wa Ima single was released in October of the same year. What's going on here?!

[quote="Ureshii"]Why is Beehive in the covers section? Chihiro Yonekura...?

[url]http://www.kingrecords.co.jp/bellwood/chihiro/disindex.html[/url]

If you go to album 09 (azure), the fifth track is Beehive with [i]Sawao Yamanaka (the pillows)[/i] next to it.

On her website, this album is listed as having been released February 2004. The Sono Mirai wa Ima single was released in October of the same year. What's going on here?![/quote]
I'd guess that Beehive was originally written for Chihiro Yonekura by Sawao, and then later the pillows decided to do a cover of it.

EDIT: I just looked at the Oricon info again, and I'm really surprised that Strange Chameleon isn't there. Wasn't that supposed to be their first big hit single?

[quote="rockman240"]They start to suck, and they're more popular.[/quote]

Isn't that always the way it goes? I could name several American bands that the same thing happened to.

Not saying the pillows suck, I still love them but I understand where he's coming from.

it happens with all bands. what if the pillows came out with 10 PML's in the last 12 years? as a band's style changes, they lose fans that enjoyed their old style, and gain some when adopting a new one.

it makes us appreciate their older stuff more as well. whether you like my foot or pantomime, we all love the pillows.

[quote="overAmped"][quote="Ureshii"]Why is Beehive in the covers section? Chihiro Yonekura...?

[url]http://www.kingrecords.co.jp/bellwood/chihiro/disindex.html[/url]

If you go to album 09 (azure), the fifth track is Beehive with [i]Sawao Yamanaka (the pillows)[/i] next to it.

On her website, this album is listed as having been released February 2004. The Sono Mirai wa Ima single was released in October of the same year. What's going on here?![/quote]
I'd guess that Beehive was originally written for Chihiro Yonekura by Sawao, and then later the pillows decided to do a cover of it.[/quote]

I'd love to hear the Chihiro version...if anyone has it.

[url=http://s65.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=1GNU6BQU4IKHV2GWCYBZ7W56RD]Beehive - Chihiro Yonekura version[/url] <--

Sweet, thanks! I like the pillow's version better, however.

[quote="overAmped"]I'd guess that Beehive was originally written for Chihiro Yonekura by Sawao, and then later the pillows decided to do a cover of it.

EDIT: I just looked at the Oricon info again, and I'm really surprised that Strange Chameleon isn't there. Wasn't that supposed to be their first big hit single?[/quote]

exactly.

i'm guessing you might have gotten that impression from the english wikipedia entry, and, well... it's wikipedia. someday i'll (unless someone else does it first) finish fixing it up. >__> i haven't heard that anywhere else, in any case. of course, the info from the japanese wikipedia isn't necessarily any less dubious (though what i skimmed seemed okay). and i would hope that people wouldn't just pull numbers out of the air. *shrug*

[quote="terra"]exactly.

i'm guessing you might have gotten that impression from the english wikipedia entry, and, well... it's wikipedia. someday i'll (unless someone else does it first) finish fixing it up. >__> i haven't heard that anywhere else, in any case. of course, the info from the japanese wikipedia isn't necessarily any less dubious (though what i skimmed seemed okay). and i would hope that people wouldn't just pull numbers out of the air. *shrug*[/quote]
There was also something on the the pillows' 2005 SXSW page.

[url]http://2005.sxsw.com/music/showcases/band/15920.html[/url]

[quote]After the release of "Strange Chameleon", the number of people coming to their shows increases. The life style of Yamanaka Sawao sure caught the hearts of the youngs.[/quote]