Let's kick this off with the bad news- music still isn't selling in most formats.
In 2014, 60 singles have each sold over 1 million units (earning them "platinum" status). However, up to this point, no album in any genre has gone platinum. In comparison, at this point in 2013 there had been 83 platinum singles and five albums that had hit the platinum mark. In 2013, the top selling album by the end of the third quarter was Justin Timberlake's 20/20 Experience, which sold 2.3 million copies. So the record didn't exactly squeak by the achievement mark. In 2014, the top selling record at the end of the third quarter is Beyonce's self-titled, which sold 776,000 copies.
I'm interested to hear what our readership thinks on the topic. Does piracy play a role in declining records sales? Is the fact that popular artists are more single- oriented now mean there's less of a drive to buy the entire record? Speak up!
The good news is that if you're a vinyl enthusiast like myself, you're not being phased out. Vinyl sales are up 47.5-percent this year, meaning 6.074 million units have been sold up to this point in 2014, as opposed to the 4.12 million units sold up to this point in 2013. Jack White's Lazaretto is the top selling vinyl right now at 73,000 copies.
That bit of information piqued my interest because unlike the above paragraphs dealing with digital sales and CD sales, there doesn't seem to be a clear-cut frontrunner. With 6.074 million units sold this year, 73,000 is a drip in the pot. What other records are up there in terms of sales numbers? I'd love to see how well metal vinyl is doing this year compared to last!
[via Billboard]
