Market Report

MARKET WATCH: Albums sales were down 10% vs. last week, down 1% vs. same week last year, but still up 2% year to date. Track sales were down 2% vs. last week, up 1% vs. same week last year and up 7% year to date. TEA sales are down 7% vs. last week, down 1% vs. same week last year and up 4% year to date. NARM’s Jim Donio points to the current emergence of pop acts like One Direction, The Wanted and fun.—and next week’s releases of Madonna and Katy Perry--for the continued upward trend: “It seems we see a Pop artist explosion every decade or so. In the late ’80s/early ’90s, teenage girls were going crazy for New Kids on the Block, among others. In the new millennium, Backstreet Boys, NSYNC and Britney Spears led the charge and set some huge first-week sales records.” Donio got up close and personal with the One Direction boys at their recent mobbed in-store at N.Y.’s J&R. (3/21p)