Flat is good

HOW IS THIS HAPPENING? The Grammys provided further momentum to a phenomenon few in the music business saw coming: the flattening of recent year-over-year declines in album sales, even as the singles business continues to boom—and most industry observers would readily agree that flat is good. In the first five weeks of the year, we’ve seen four straight six-figure debuts, culminating with Lady Antebellum’s 485k+ bow, establishing a surprising pattern of big new releases outperforming industry expectations. This week, ending on Valentine’s Day, will extend the momentum, paced by Epic’s debuting Sade, which is trending toward the 400k range, far beyond what most had expected. Some believe this unexpected uplift is the result of a stronger release schedule than a year ago, along with the economic recovery in general. While it remains to be seen whether the positive movement will continue, it’s certainly quieting the doomsayers for the moment. (2/11a)