Dads boost album sales

11:17 | Tuesday June 23, 2009

Compilation sales alone were up 43.5% week-on-week, driven by targeted releases including the EMI / Universal treble-album Dad Rocks! and Universal’s 60’s-70’s-80’s themed triple-set Dad’s Jukebox. Compilations from dad rock faves such as Bruce Springsteen & The E-Street Band, George Harrison, Meat Loaf and Mike Oldfield helped raise overall artist sales 17.9% higher than the previous week.

BPI Chief Executive Geoff Taylor says, “This Father’s Day boost to sales illustrates that the CD remains a great digital music product for which there is still strong demand, and which makes a perfectly priced gift for special occasions.“

The Father’s Day albums push follows a digital milestone in the albums market during May when sales of digital albums accounted for more than 15% of overall sales for the first time. Five albums sold more than 10,000 copies digitally, with downloads of one of those – Lily Allen’s It’s Not Me, It’s You – making up almost 20% of total sales.

Overall, sales of digital music in May 2009 showed an increase of more than 60% compared with the previous year.