NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Country music sales fell nearly 10 percent last year, much sharper than the overall industry's decline of less than 1 percent, industry officials said.
The 2003 showing reverses a trend from 2002, when country sales spiked and were the lone bright spot in an otherwise dismal year for the music industry.
Country Music Association Executive Director Ed Benson blames the slump on a dearth of new releases by blockbuster artists.
Country album sales fell from 76.9 million to 69.3 million units — a 9.8 percent drop, according to figures released Monday by Nielsen SoundScan, a group that monitors music sales.
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Total album sales declined 3.6 percent in the same period, but the figures do not include Internet and digital sales.