UK Reports Album Sales Down 7 Million Units From Last Year

It’s no surprise that CDs are in the autumn of their days, though it’s still a bad sign when the UK music industry (one of the most influential music industries in the world) reports negative 7 million units sold compared to this time last year.

NME has checked out the official British Phonographic Industry (BPI) reports on album sales. Having sold 43.6 million albums in the first half of 2012, there is a gap of 6.9 million from the first half of 2011, when 50.5 million albums left the shelves. Whilst digital downloads are up 17.9%, that’s still not enough to cover the total loses, despite recording 93.6 million digital single sales, an increase from last year, which capped at 88 million.

Adele’s 21 remains the most purchased album of the year, with Emeli Sande’s Our Version of Events a close runner up at No. 2 and Lana Del Rays Born to Die completing the top three. In terms of single sales, Gotye’s monster hit Somebody That I Used to Know takes the crown, with sales of over one million so far. No surprise that Carly Rae Jepsen’s Call Me Maybe came in just under, and David Guetta’s Titanium, which somewhat damages my faith in mankind.

Geoff Taylor, BPI chief executive, commented on the recently released data, saying, “We’ve had another solid quarter of digital growth in sales volumes, both in albums and on singles. Album unit sales are down quite significantly year-on-year. But it’s important to remember that these unit sales figures do not take into account the growing importance of music streaming and subscription services.”

However, it’s not over just yet, there are some huge albums due later in the year, including one from Muse, Mumford & Sons, Robbie Williams, and of course The Killers.

Speaking as a 90’s kid, it will be sad to see the musical format we grew up with facing its Waterloo, but also being a 90’s kid, we’re well prepared if Digital takes over.

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