Less than a decade ago, an album would have to sell well over 100,000 copies in a single week to become the number-one album in the country. Single-week sales of over a million units were not uncommon for major acts. Now, with the collapse of the CD market, DigitalmusicNews.com is reporting the number one album in the country sold just 62,000 copies, and only three albums sold more than 50,000 copies, according to Nielsen Soundscan.
That number one album is Taylor Swift's Fearless.
I think it is possible we'll see the complete demise of the CD market in the next one to two years. It has been dying for the past few years, but, with news like this, that death may be sooner rather than later.