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Though the album was rejected by one major label as uncommercial, Wilco's "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot" defied record-industry expectations by selling 55,573 copies in its first week and debuting at No. 13 on the Billboard album chart--by far exceeding the band's past sales achievements....Where are the record company investors? Why haven't they kicked Valenti out yet? Isn't that what's supposed to happen?
Last summer, Reprise Records let Wilco walk away from its record deal because executives said "Foxtrot," an experimental pop album, lacked an obvious hit single and therefore wouldn't sell. The band began Net-streaming the album on its Web site, allowing listeners to preview songs for free.
Rather than hurting the band's sales, the strategy appears to have only built anticipation for the official release.