More doom and gloom – this time with the end of year sales figures from the US record industry, which shows a 9% slump in units shifted – 624.2 million albums were sold in 2002, compared to 688.2 million in 2001. R&B, although still the most popular music in America, saw the largest drop in sales, down 19%. The sales of rock music fell by 4%. The only genre to see any real increase was country which shifted 9% more albums last year.
There was, however, good news for the Universal Music Group, which once again sold more records than any of the other labels. The group maintained its position as the biggest record label in the US (a title its held ever since the merger between Universal and Polygram created the group), actually increasing market share from 27% to 31%, despite all the troubles its parent company was facing back in Paris.
The other four majors followed thus: Warners had a 15.86 market share, Sony 15.65%, BMG 14.78% and EMI 8.43%.
Universal’s dominance was helped by the huge success of Eminem, signed to their imprint Interscope, who, as we reported yesterday, achieved best selling album and best selling soundtrack in the US in 2002.
The Mariah Carey debackle is seen as a contributing factor towards EMI’s poor performance, the UK based major axing acts and staff as it went through hard times at the start of 2002. But industry insiders recognise that EMI’s US marketing team managed to break Norah Jones and The Vines in America last year, and that the big Robbie Williams push is starting to have an effect. Coupled with a new Radiohead album due in June, EMI could fair better in 2003.
The independent’s market share – 16% - remained stable compared to 2001.