Album Sales Plummet To The Lowest Level In Decades

[Peartree12249]

Could it be that there is just a lot of crappy music out there?

Billboard Magazine
Album Sales Plummet To The Lowest Level In Decades

Bad times just got worse.

For the week ending May 30, the U.S. music industry sold a total of 4,984,000 albums, according to Nielsen Soundscan. This figure, which includes new and catalog releases, represents the fewest number of albums sold in one week since Soundscan began compiling this data in 1994.

By comparison, album sales for the week ending May 31, 2009, totaled 5.76 million. The highest one-week tally recorded during the Soundscan era is 45.4 million albums, in late December, 2000.

This week's record low comes as the major record companies continue to reckon with a decade-long decline in sales, and as other prominent sectors of the industry, such as the touring business, go through sea changes of their own.

And that's not all: While there's no exact way to compare last week's total against imprecise, pre-Soundscan tallies, Billboard estimates that weekly album sales volume could, in fact, be at its lowest point since the early 1970s.

"We think this is the lowest week ever, or at least of the Soundscan era," says Universal Music Group Distribution president Jim Urie.

According to the RIAA, album shipments in 1973 totaled 388.2 million units, an average of 7.47 million per week. Because Soundscan measures albums sold (i.e. scanned) and not albums shipped, Billboard looked at the relationship between annual album shipments, as measured by the RIAA, and annual albums sold, as compiled by Soundscan, for the years 1992-2009. During that period, shipments exceeded scans by an average of 30%.

By applying that 30% figure to the 1973 RIAA album shipment data, Billboard estimates that weekly album sales volume for that year may have totaled about 5.5 million units. That exceeds this past week's tally by 600,000 copies. (The RIAA began keeping figures on album shipments in 1973.)

Veteran sales executives caution against putting too much stock into pre-Soundscan record keeping. "Who the hell knows what weekly sales were back then," says Lou Dennis, who retired as Warner Bros. Records head of sales in 1996.

Whatever the benchmark, industry executives agree that this week's album sales total of 4.98 million units is "pretty scary," in the words of Bruce Ogilvie, CEO of leading music wholesaler Super D.

Digital track sales for the week totaled 21.7 million, and are distinct from the album sales tally.

UMGD's Urie cites this week's album total as "all the more reason why everyone in the industry should be focused on getting the U.S. Congress to introduce legislation that makes the Internet service providers our allies in fighting piracy. Piracy is getting worse and worse and the government needs to focus on that."

Like Ogilvie, Urie thinks that the slow release schedule is the main reason for the drop-off. "This week is likely a major aberration with no big new releases out," he says. "June will be big. Look at all the big records coming out, including Sara McLachlan, Drake, Miley Cyrus, Eminem and Jack Johnson."

[Rick]

It's me. I'm downloading them as fast as I can illegally. If they can stop me, I'm sure the tide will turn.

[The Sushi Hunter]

Could it be that there is just a lot of crappy music out there?

Yes! That is the first half of it. The second half is the download issue.

[Don]

The last few weeks, it's only taken 70k or less to top the album charts. Next weeks artist wil be in the 200k range but that is now becoming the exception instead of the norm. A #1 record doesn't mean squat anymore, it's whether you can get to gold or platinum with the whole album. Singles are where it's at. Katy Perry is averaging something like 200,000 downloads a week. It's like the 50s and 60s again where a successful single makes you a star more so than having a great album.

[Jana]

Christina Aguilera's CD Bionic should do great, though it was leaked last month, and predictions are saying it will be lower than first expected b/c some reviews have been so-so. In an interview, Azoff is banking on her. But all the media with their Gaga references are silly and hurting her and unfair. Her first video reallybackfired on her and first single already dropping drastically. But this CD does not have the same vibe as Lady Gaga's at all. I think she will surprise them and do really well on this release. She will sell really well based on the strength of the ballads alone.

Christina today finally put the whole album on her site for a couple days for fans to listen to preparing for the release on the 6th. WOW. Her vocals are sick on the ballads (no cookie-cutter ballads either) and really understated R&B singing on them, not oversinging. Some really don't even sound like her. She's got about five ballads or more. Some really great club technopop songs, very catchy (which I still have such a fondness for. My guilty pleasure). A few filler or way too juvenile dance/overt sex songs. But I'm buying the deluxe, which is 22 songs, b/c there's two bonus tracks I love. The other two are bad, though. The regular CD has 18 songs on it. :

Elastic Love - http://www.youtube.com/v/OHdsotdBdTE&hl=en

Prima Donna - http://www.youtube.com/v/XLi11cv4FfM&hl=en

stunning ballad - All I Need - http://www.youtube.com/v/I0gtpr9-0m8&hl=en

Sex for Breakfast - http://www.youtube.com/v/AQQr0dCDMRs&hl=en


I Am (My favorite - really cool ballad) Doesn't even sound like her - http://www.youtube.com/v/0K1M2V065qo&hl=en

[Jana]

duplicate edit.

[steveo777]

I could have so messed with that last paragraph, but I didn't.



Like Ogilvie, Urie thinks that the slow release schedule is the main reason for the drop-off. "This week is likely a major aberration with no big new releases out," he says. "June will be big. Look at all the big records coming out, including Sara McLachlan, Drake, Miley Cyrus, Eminem,Jack Johnson and Steve Perry."

[StevePerryHair]

Jana- the lady gaga reference I think comes from her first video for the album. I was flipping through channels last week and came across that video, and stopped it to watch, not realizing my 11 year old was outside the room watching too. First of all, they were images I'd rather she not see. But interestingly she said to me "mom who is that, lady gaga" I was truly surprised she made that connection, so there is something she's doing for that criticism. If an 11 year old can see it.

I happen to like christina and think she has a REAL voice and talent. Something many of her competitors don't have. But I don't see how she needs gimmicks to do it. She's so much better than Brittany spears, yet to me this is like going down to her level. But then I guess sadly, sex sells to our teens.

[Jana]

Jana- the lady gaga reference I think comes from her first video for the album. I was flipping through channels last week and came across that video, and stopped it to watch, not realizing my 11 year old was outside the room watching too. First of all, they were images I'd rather she not see. But interestingly she said to me "mom who is that, lady gaga" I was truly surprised she made that connection, so there is something she's doing for that criticism. If an 11 year old can see it.

I happen to like christina and think she has a REAL voice and talent. Something many of her competitors don't have. But I don't see how she needs gimmicks to do it. She's so much better than Brittany spears, yet to me this is like going down to her level. But then I guess sadly, sex sells to our teens.

SPH, that is the criticism, the over-the-top sexual nature of the video and some other songs on the album, which I agree with you. I thought she stooped too low to be hip or something. But that video had nothing to do with Lady Gaga, it's her newer fans or rabid fans saying that. Christina has been platinum blonde for years and sexual in videos. Actually, Lady Gaga videos are more unique. Christina's video is a direct homage to Madonna. Watching that video just reminds me of a same ol same ol done in Madonna videos and Brittany videos, etc. She admitted she took scenes from Madonna videos to pay tribute. So my complaint it was tired and done years ago by Madonna and you're right, she didn't need a gimmick. The song isn't bad but fans are saying she shouldn't have released that as her first single or if she did, it's that the video was a misstep. There's a few songs on the album that remind me of Brittany lately, more computerized.

In fact, Lady Gaga going platinum blonde (from her dark hair) to me was not unique and copying Madonna, and which naturally blonde Christina went even lighter copying Madonna years ago b/f she tried dark to be different. Thank God, she changed it back quickly b/c CA is a natural blonde and dark didn't suit her. All of these people being provocative in videos all go back to Madonna. None are unique in that aspect. It's how they do it that stands out. This looked dated and so no shock value or orginality. She's got some great tunes on the CD, but I'm afraid she's going to put out another really provocative song on there WooHoo as the next single, which may tank the CD, b/c it's beyond sexual and nothing like Christina, and will turn off many of her fans that aren't the young club base. I hope she doesn't release that one, b/c the CD has some great music on it and I hope it does well.

I think she should release Prima Donna (it's catchy) next or Glam (straight-up dance song) or even better yet one of her great ballads off of it as the next single. The CD will seem more accessible to people. But this CD is lyrically too sexual for teens and isn't being marketed to them. It's more the club electronica genre fan base she's trying to hit.

Where she missed is at 18 songs, there''s some generic trying to be hit songs that are so been there done that, that had she taken them off and put several of the songs on the bonus track album (22 song), it would be a hit: I have to buy the deluxe to get the songs I love. That says something that people are loving the bonus tracks more than some songs on the regular album (the same ol sex, sex lyrics), save the horrendous Bobblehead on the bonus tracks:

Love this song and how she should have gone more on this CD - Little Dreamer - http://www.youtube.com/v/ggbcCmgiMog&hl=en

The moody and, to me, unique Birds of Prey - http://www.youtube.com/v/WUaoStto4hU&hl=en

Stronger then Ever - http://www.youtube.com/v/E9Ph6vVlw-0&hl=en

Nice light, straight-up fun electronica pop - Monday Morning - http://www.youtube.com/v/2_LUVJuxswE&hl=en

[AlteredDNA]

Posted this before, but it really is hard to deny that there are some VERY strong similarities between the two videos:

http://www.urlesque.com/2010/05/05/11-w ... lady-gaga/

Xtina is a very talented singer, but she's also very shrewd and knows what sells. It's not that much of a stretch to imagine that she wanted to try to capitalize on Lady Gaga's popularity...

[Jana]

Posted this before, but it really is hard to deny that there are some VERY strong similarities between the two videos:

http://www.urlesque.com/2010/05/05/11-w ... lady-gaga/

Xtina is a very talented singer, but she's also very shrewd and knows what sells. It's not that much of a stretch to imagine that she wanted to try to capitalize on Lady Gaga's popularity...

GaGa is huge at the moment, but this album is more hitting on Brittany's Blackout and Circus sound to me in places. But I agree, I think Christina is trying to carve out her niche for this sound of Gaga/Brittany's new albums and other artists as well on that bandwagon, but there's too many out there right now, so album will get lost. She's on the end curve of this saturated market right now. Listen to the bonus tracks I just went in and added above in my last post. They're better to me than some of the trying to be provocative generic songs CA put on the regular album. What may save her is there's no album in this genre on the horizon for the summer, so will be a fun buy for people looking for that.

[StevePerryHair]

Posted this before, but it really is hard to deny that there are some VERY strong similarities between the two videos:

http://www.urlesque.com/2010/05/05/11-w ... lady-gaga/

Xtina is a very talented singer, but she's also very shrewd and knows what sells. It's not that much of a stretch to imagine that she wanted to try to capitalize on Lady Gaga's popularity...

GaGa is huge at the moment, but this album is more hitting on Brittany's Blackout and Circus sound to me in places. But I agree, I think Christina is trying to carve out her niche for this sound of Gaga/Brittany's new albums and other artists as well on that bandwagon, but there's too many out there right now, so album will get lost. She's on the end curve of this saturated market right now. Listen to the bonus tracks I just went in and added above in my last post. They're better to me than some of the trying to be provocative generic songs CA put on the regular album. What may save her is there's no album in this genre on the horizon for the summer, so will be a fun buy for people looking for that.

Maybe part of it is that both of them are ripping off madonna??? I still think that Christina has the better voice. It's a different style though. More soulful I guess? She can actually sing and doesnt' need all of the electronic help that some of the others need.

[Jana]

Posted this before, but it really is hard to deny that there are some VERY strong similarities between the two videos:

http://www.urlesque.com/2010/05/05/11-w ... lady-gaga/

Xtina is a very talented singer, but she's also very shrewd and knows what sells. It's not that much of a stretch to imagine that she wanted to try to capitalize on Lady Gaga's popularity...

GaGa is huge at the moment, but this album is more hitting on Brittany's Blackout and Circus sound to me in places. But I agree, I think Christina is trying to carve out her niche for this sound of Gaga/Brittany's new albums and other artists as well on that bandwagon, but there's too many out there right now, so album will get lost. She's on the end curve of this saturated market right now. Listen to the bonus tracks I just went in and added above in my last post. They're better to me than some of the trying to be provocative generic songs CA put on the regular album. What may save her is there's no album in this genre on the horizon for the summer, so will be a fun buy for people looking for that.

Maybe part of it is that both of them are ripping off madonna??? I still think that Christina has the better voice. It's a different style though. More soulful I guess? She can actually sing and doesnt' need all of the electronic help that some of the others need.

It all leads back to Madonna, doesn't it? The Queen. Well, she did the electronic help just to be different, which is nice a few times, like Elastic Love, catchy. And boy do you get her soulful singing on all the ballads. I love every one of them. She was being criticized for all of her oversinging on other albums and tried to change it up. But I will live with the 22-song CD and once I get a feel, I will create my own CD of the best of about 13 to 14 songs off of it. Even her fans are saying some of the music on it is just generic sounding like the same formula out there, but to me without great hooks. Which is why I love the four bonus tracks I posted above better, really nice. Ah, I love Little Dreamer, bonus track. and the ever-so dreamy Birds of Prey (which has a more futuristic sound, which is what she said Bionic was going to be and never followed thru). And the light, airy feel-good Monday Morning bonus track, is so much better for an electronica pop dance song, if she's going that genre, with a great hook, rather than one of her urban lick me down there songs on the main album. LOL

[Jana]

Posted this before, but it really is hard to deny that there are some VERY strong similarities between the two videos:

http://www.urlesque.com/2010/05/05/11-w ... lady-gaga/

Xtina is a very talented singer, but she's also very shrewd and knows what sells. It's not that much of a stretch to imagine that she wanted to try to capitalize on Lady Gaga's popularity...

Well, you could go back and say that wild afro long hair GaGa ripped off from Christina not vice versa. Christina wore that exact same wild hair back years ago to an award show and while singing a song and was really criticized; though, I loved it. Didn't Madonna do something similar? I don't know. It all goes round and round. LOL

[AlteredDNA]

Posted this before, but it really is hard to deny that there are some VERY strong similarities between the two videos:

http://www.urlesque.com/2010/05/05/11-w ... lady-gaga/

Xtina is a very talented singer, but she's also very shrewd and knows what sells. It's not that much of a stretch to imagine that she wanted to try to capitalize on Lady Gaga's popularity...

Well, you could go back and say that wild afro long hair GaGa ripped off from Christina not vice versa. Christina wore that exact same wild hair back years ago to an award show and while singing a song and was really criticized; though, I loved it. Didn't Madonna do something similar? I don't know. It all goes round and round. LOL

It does go round and round, but I think "years ago" is the key here. Christina doesn't appear to be paying homage as much as bandwaggon hopping. And, as you've said, she shouldn't even have to, due to her talent...

[Jana]

Posted this before, but it really is hard to deny that there are some VERY strong similarities between the two videos:

http://www.urlesque.com/2010/05/05/11-w ... lady-gaga/

Xtina is a very talented singer, but she's also very shrewd and knows what sells. It's not that much of a stretch to imagine that she wanted to try to capitalize on Lady Gaga's popularity...

Well, you could go back and say that wild afro long hair GaGa ripped off from Christina not vice versa. Christina wore that exact same wild hair back years ago to an award show and while singing a song and was really criticized; though, I loved it. Didn't Madonna do something similar? I don't know. It all goes round and round. LOL

It does go round and round, but I think "years ago" is the key here. Christina doesn't appear to be paying homage as much as bandwaggon hopping. And, as you've said, she shouldn't even have to, due to her talent...

I agree. It was a desperate video.

[Everett]

It's me. I'm downloading them as fast as I can illegally. If they can stop me, I'm sure the tide will turn.

Have you been able to download the new coldheart album yet?

[mikemarrs]

jim what are your feelings on the cold heart album being downloaded?


also will it be available on itunes or will you be taking a stance like the beatles or maybe metallica on that issue?

[Everett]

jim what are your feelings on the cold heart album being downloaded?


also will it be available on itunes or will you be taking a stance like the beatles or maybe metallica on that issue?

Just show up to jim's house and he'll give you a copy for free.