FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS: WORST HOLIDAY SEASON EVER SENDS THE CD TO ITS DEATH BED
Friday, December 28th, 2007 at 12:15pm by Vince Neilstein
Variety reports that the 2007 holiday shopping season saw a precipitous drop in sales of recorded music albums. Sales for the 2007 holiday season (day after thanksgiving through Dec 23) were down 21% from 2006. Even a stellar week leading up to Christmas that saw sales rise a whopping 42% over the previous week couldn’t right the ship; when the week’s sales of 25.57 million are compared to the same week from ‘06, they represent an 18% drop. Compound all this with the full year figures — CD sales down 14% to 18% according to various reports — and we’ve got a shitstorm on our hands.
This is it, my friends. If you want to own CDs that you don’t already have, now would be the time to go buy them. Come January major retailers and big box stores are going to cut CD shelf space dramatically in favor of products that actually, ya know, sell.
Here’s some Metallica to listen to while you chew on that. Enjoy.
Metallica – “For Whom the Bell Tolls”
-VN
Wow! Prepare to be sued by Metallica in 5, 4, 3, 2…
Ha, ha…
As long as a store around here still carries In Flames’ new cd when it comes out, I’ll be happy
real shame…ive bought 4 cd’s this month
eh, who cares. I’ve done most of my CD shopping online for years. Unless you’re looking for that greatest hits package, most retailers are completely worthless anyways.
Do these number reflect internet retailers as well?
Maybe if the stores actually stocked the albums I wanted to buy, I’d show up at them more often. They’re OK for browsing, but if I’m going looking for a specific album, even if it’s new it’s usually a 90% chance that they won’t have it. Amazon FTW.
I really hope that the CD doesn’t die. It places an effort on album composition that digital stuff doesn’t do. Album jackets are nice. So are bonus posters. Maybe I’m just old fashioned (doubtful, since I’m a huge nerd), but I like the physicality of it all.
I agree with Hibernum. I can’t really see myself giving a fuck that Wal-Mart et al. are cutting down on CD space. Is this the record industry’s way of “punishing” us? What a pack of douches.
I agree with attackmole. I think that just like books, the concept of a music album will never fade away (no matter the physical media: CD, vinyl, tape, etc) no matter how much technology is improved. I think that the album concept is beautiful, the sleeve art, the music itself, etc. And as long bands take care about releasing godd material, albums will sell.
as long as amazon keeps everything ill be good, i just dont see how people find downloading to be a similar experince to actually getting the album with the album artwork and everything
I think that following years of people complaining about increasing CD prices the internet destroying the physical CD market is not so crazy. Personally, I still to date will not buy albums that cost $20, but will always buy the $10 CD’s.
attackmole I believe said it best about what we listen to as metalheads anyway.
People WILL always buy CD’s but we just won’t go to cd world to find them. You can’t very well have your favorite band sign your laptop or your ipod…. or can you? Hey! Who wrote on mine?!
If Tower were still around life would be much better. Going to Best Buy to buy a CD is such a waste when you have to be surrounded by jerk-offs.
At least at Tower you knew why people were there and everyone who worked there was helpful—and they usually played awesome music.
I’m to blame as much as anyone else though–I’ve downloaded a few records here and there for sure.
its not the best song but its pretty cool
i saw them at the gibson ampitheartre here in LA they rocked so hard!!! I LOVE U NICK JONAS!! lol wow that does not sound like me.
i loved this song wen i first herd iy. now i love it more