Global Music Sales Dropped Another 7% In 2009

Reuters reports that global music sales are continuing their steady decline, with worldwide sales dropping an additional 7% in 2009 (the numbers dropped 8% in 2008) to a total of $17 billion.  The world’s two largest music markets, the United States and Japan, marked the largest drop in sales, while digital downloads continued to cautiously grow despite wildly rampant illegal downloading.

And the cherry on the cake for yet another miserable year for the music industry?  The bestselling record was Susan Boyle’s I Dreamed a Dream, followed by discs by the Black Eyed Peas, Michael Jackson, Taylor Swift and Lady Gaga.  My goodness—how could the industry possibly be in decline when its top-tier names are such artistic visionaries as a band with Fergie in it?

I’d toss in a Susan Boyle jab, but honestly, I hear she’s kind of bonkers and it seems kind of unfair.  And you know things are bad for the industry (and for the artist himself) when the biggest favor Michael Jackson could do for the music biz was die—his sales numbers increased exponentially following his passing.  As for Taylor Swift and Lady Gaga?  Meh—let’s just paraphrase Prince’s reaction to the success of William Hung (remember that guy?) on American Idol a few years back: “The music industry is finally getting the artist it deserves.”

What do you think of the music industry’s continuing decline?