The Greatest Showman #738 - Fly to Nominate

In the first week of December 2011, the Billboard Albums Chart released new rankings, with Drake's Take Care debuting at number one and Adele's 21 continuing to hold strong at number two. The 21-year-old artist had undeniably become the biggest winner in the year's music market.

However, in the top ten, the most eye-catching news wasn't Adele's continued success, nor Drake's impressive results, but the emergence of Don Quixote. This album, which sold 35,000 copies that week, entered the top ten as one of the most surprising newcomers.

Since its release on August 29, Don Quixote had gained momentum without much promotional support. It garnered rave reviews from professional critics, achieved rare high scores in recent years, and became one of the most acclaimed albums of the 21st century. Fans in major forums, fan communities, and independent music circles overwhelmingly praised it.

Strictly speaking, Don Quixote is an indie folk album—niche, low-key, and even more stripped-down than the original work of Jason Mraz. From the opening track to the last, its sixteen songs convey a theme of dual repair, and the album's production, packaging, and pricing reflect a self-entertainment ethos. It evokes a sense of nostalgia for the golden age of the 1970s and 1980s, with retro melodies and graceful movements.

Such albums, in the 21st century, are not uncommon in the indie music scene, but most are garage recordings—raw and unprocessed, lacking a formal studio finish. These albums rarely find an audience, distribution, or performance opportunities, and often go unnoticed.

Ninety percent of such albums may never be heard beyond a small circle of underground music lovers, unable to spread beyond Seattle, let alone across the U.S.

But Don Quixote is different. Whether Eleven and George Slender admit it or not, the fame and attention surrounding the name "Renly Hall" have undoubtedly helped this album thrive. Just as The Tonight Show served as a platform for the debut of Don Quixote, and YouTube promoted Night of the Pioneer Village, the album benefited from a remarkable level of attention through various promotional campaigns during the awards season.

Despite the album's niche appeal, it wasn't designed for mainstream success. It didn't see explosive sales like Adele's 21, but it slowly and steadily spread among true music lovers. After 12 weeks on the charts, Don Quixote finally exceeded 30,000 copies in weekly sales, and its cumulative sales reached 120,000 copies—a remarkable feat for an independent folk album with little to no promotion. Even George and Eleven Studio hadn't anticipated such success.

As a result, Don Quixote became one of the most talked-about albums of 2011. While not comparable to the commercial domination of 21, its influence on independent music was undeniable, offering a ray of hope for indie musicians and fans alike.

This week, Don Quixote reached the top ten of Billboard's album chart for the first time since its release, and its success continued with a surge in single performance.

The first single, "Ophelia," stayed on the chart for 66 weeks, eventually peaking at number 78. It quietly became the longest-charting single in history, holding steady just behind Jason Mraz's "I'm Yours" and LeAnn Rimes' "How Do I Live." Another contender, "Cleopatra," now in its 80th week on the chart, broke the record for longest-running singles, surpassing "I'm Yours."

Meanwhile, "Believe in No Doubt" made waves, rapidly climbing the charts after its October debut and reaching number two in early December, just behind Rihanna's "We Found Love."

The success of Don Quixote and the rise of singles like "Ophelia" and "Cleopatra" made the album's impact on the music scene undeniable. The album's influence raised important questions: What is the limit for "Cleopatra"? Can "Believe in No Doubt" take the top spot? How far will Don Quixote go? Most importantly, what does this mean for Renly's place in the music world?

In early December, the Grammy nominations for the 54th annual awards were announced.

Kanye West's My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy continued its excellent run, earning seven nominations, cementing him as one of today's most powerful rappers. Adele, Foo Fighters, and Bruno Mars followed closely with six nominations each.

Despite his dominance, Kanye's spotlight was overtaken by Adele and Bruno, two rising stars whose albums had both earned double recognition from the market and critics, making them the hottest names of 2011.

Adele and Bruno both earned three nominations in the major categories: Album of the Year, Song of the Year, and Producer of the Year. Kanye, in contrast, only received a single nomination for Song of the Year.

But what shocked everyone was the unexpected rise of Renly Hall. Renly not only earned nominations for the coveted major categories but swept all four major awards: Album of the Year, Song of the Year, Producer of the Year, and New Artist of the Year.

The Don Quixote album, with sales just barely surpassing 100,000 copies, positioned Renly as the biggest underdog to emerge in the Grammy nominations. Alongside stars like Adele, Bruno, and Kanye, Renly received six nominations, competing with the biggest names in music—a surreal achievement for someone who started as an indie folk artist.

With additional nominations for Best Alternative Album and Best Folk Album, Renly became the most watched artist of the nomination stage.

Despite Don Quixote's modest sales, Renly's six nominations—the most of any artist—made him the most talked-about figure during the Grammy nomination phase.

This recognition from the Grammy Awards not only cemented the success of Don Quixote but also marked a pivotal moment for the revival of folk music in the mainstream. 2011 would go down in history as the year that brought indie rock and folk back into the limelight.

Looking back, the 2011 Grammys symbolized the last great carnival of the music market, the final glory for independent rock and folk music. Renly's success was only the beginning of what might be an even larger movement.