NASHVILLE SKYLINE: That Gurgling Sound? CD Sales Down the Drain

Well, it looks like the Grim Reaper has finally come for the CD. So far this year, the bottom has absolutely fallen out of the CD market. When week after week in January, weekly sales of 60,000 units translate to a No. 1 ranking on Nielsen SoundScan’s 200 all-genre album chart, then sales are really off. That No. 1 slot is more accustomed to seeing albums with sales in the 300K to 700K weekly range. In a country of 300 million people, 60K is an astoundingly low figure.
Even country music, which still is healthier than other genres, is down significantly so far this year in sales. I have always thought that country would be the last genre to falter, because of its preponderance of sales in Wal-Mart and other big box stores and it being predominantly played on CD players in pickups, SUVs and homes.

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