(CelebrityAccess MediaWire) — Nielsen SoundScan, the entertainment industry's data information system that tracks point-of-purchase sales of recorded music product, and Nielsen BDS, the music industry’s leading song monitoring service, have released their 2004 year-end sales and airplay monitoring data for the 52-week period January 5, 2004 through January 2, 2005.
Among the findings:
· Overall music purchases in 2004 exceeded 800 million for the first time since 2000;
· Overall album sales are up 1.6% compared to 2003;
· CD album sales, which makes up 98% of all album sales, are up 2.3% compared to 2003;
· During the second half of the year in 2004, 91.4 million digital tracks were sold compared to 19.2 million in the same period in 2003; an increase of 376%;
· More than 140 million digital tracks were purchased during 2004;
· In the last reporting week of 2004, digital track sales for the week reached a new record with 6.7 million track sales;
· Album sales at mass merchant music outlets were up 10% compared to 2003 while album sales at chains and independents were down 4% and 10% respectively;
· In 2004, album sales at mass merchant music outlets were the highest since the inception of Nielsen SoundScan with album sales reaching 252 million units;
· 38% of all albums purchased in 2004 were at a mass erchant outlet compared to 35% in 2003 and 34% in 2002;
· 48% of all album sales in 2004 occurred at chain music stores;
· 9% of all album sales in 2004 were purchased at independent music stores;
· Latin and country album sales experienced double digit growth in 2004 compared to 2003. Latin was up 16%, country was up 12%; and
· The top 10 country albums for the year accounted for 27% of all country album sales (20.8 million units).
2004 Top 10 Selling Albums (01/05/2004-1/02/2005)
Title / Artist Units Sold
1. Confessions / Usher 7,978,594
2. Feels Like Home / Norah Jones 3,842,920
3. Encore / Eminem 3,517,097
4. When the Sun Goes… / Kenny Chesney 3,072,224
5. Bodyguard / Soundtrack 11,761,999
6. Live Like You Were Dying / Tim McGraw 2,786,840
7. Songs About Jane / Maroon 5 2,708,415
8. Fallen / Evanescence 2,614,226
9. Autobiography Ashley Simpson 2,576,945
10. NOW 16/NOW That’s What I Call Music 2,560,316
Top 10 Selling Albums of Soundscan Era (1991 – 1/02/2005)
Title / Artist Units Sold
1. Come on Over / Shania Twain 15,267,050
2. Jagged Little Pill / Alanis Morisette 14,340,849
3. Metallica / Metallica 14,212,992
4. Millennium / Backstreet Boys 12,069,016
5. Bodyguard / Soundtrack 11,761,999
6. Supernatural / Santana 11,434,198
7. Human Clay / Creed 11,420,297
9. Falling Into You / Celine Dion 10,684,081
10. Baby One More Time / Britney Spears 10,507,243
Overall Music Sales (01/05/04-1/02/05)
(in millions units sold, includes albums, singles, digital tracks)
2004 – 817
2003 – 687
Total CD Album Sales (01/05/04-1/02/05)
(in millions units sold, includes catalog and current titles)
2004 – 651.1
2003 – 635.8
Total Album Sales (01/05/04-1/02/05)
(in millions units sold, includes catalog and current titles all configurations)
2004 – 666.7
2003 – 656.2
Internet Album Sales(01/05/04-1/02/05)
(units sold, includes catalog and current titles)
2004 – 22,239,000
2003 – 21,701,000
2004 Top Ten Digital Tracks (01/05/2004-1/02/05)
Title / Artist Units Sold
1. The Reason/ Hoobastank 379,839
2. This Love/ Maroon 5 346,922
3. Let’s Get It Started/Black Eyed Peas 328,239
4. Hey Ya! (Radio Mix)/ Outkast 324,848
5. Yeah/ Usher 314,009
6. She Will Be Loved/ Maroon 5 306,550
7. 1985/ Bowling For Soup 260,962
8. Toxic/ Britney Spears 243,873
9. Drop It Like It’s Hot/ Snoop Dogg 234,046
10. Lose My Breath/ Destiny’s Child 225,204
Digital Track Sales (01/05/04-1/02/05)
( from 06/29/03 – 12/28/03) units sold
2004 – 140,902,000
2003 – 19,200,000
Digital Album Sales (01/05/04-1/02/05) units sold
2004 – 5,536,000
2004 Genre Album Sales Report (01/05/04-1/02/05) (units sold–000’s)
Genre 2004 / 2003
Alternative 132,487 / 128,375
Christian/Gospel 43,399 / 43,704*
Classical 18,686 / 18,853
Country 77,912 / 69,311
Jazz 18,794 / 23,060
Latin 31,903 / 27,40
Metal 75,278 / 73,816
New Age 4,794/ 5,662
R&B 162,234 / 150,789
Rap 81,418 / 77,162
Soundtrack 27,367 / 32,623
—
Jane Cohen and Bob Grossweiner
