Year-end music stats are in (and hurting my head)
Jan 5, 2007, 02:59 PM | by Mandi Bierly
Categories: Music
Nielsen SoundScan has released its mammoth list of music stats for 2006. Some highlights:
- The High School Musical soundtrack was the year's No. 1 album, and only had to sell 3.7 million copies to earn the title. Releases from Rascal Flatts, Carrie Underwood, Nickelback, and Justin Timberlake round out the Top 5.
- Genres that took the bigggest drop in album sales from last year include: New Age (-22.7%), Rap (-20.7%), and R&B (-18.4&); Classical (+22.5%) was the biggest gainer. Roll over, Beethoven, and tell Tchaikovsky the news!
- Digital track sales were up 65%; digital album sales a whopping 101%.
- Total album sales were down 4.9 percent.
Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems also released its list of the most-played songs and artists. As PopWatch has noted, the most ubiquitous song was Mary J. Blige's "Be Without You." As for the most oversaturated artist, that's Nickelback, which headed a Top 10 list that includes six country artists: Toby Keith, Rascal Flatts, Tim McGraw, Kenny Chesney, George Strait, and Keith Urban. No wonder those CMA winners are always thanking country radio.
It's probably no surprise that Shakira tops the NBDS list of top music video Internet streams with "Hips Don't Lie" -- or that Rihanna and the Pussycat Dolls each make that Top 10 list -- twice.
Nielsen Mobile offered its list of Top 10 polyphonic ringtones. The Super Mario Bros. theme beat out "My Humps" for the top spot. More curiously, how did I totally miss the song at No. 4: Bubba Sparxxx's "Ms. New Booty?"
Comments