I couldn’t quite believe it when I read this article, and I still find it incomprehensible. A classical album, number one on the Billboard classical chart, with national television exposure, got there and sold only 1,000 copies–including downloads. The business model for classical albums is different than that for popular music of course, and I suppose the word “popular” has never been more apt. Pop albums sell a lot early after they are released, then taper off. Classical albums sell more steadily over a period of years. But still, Hilary Hahn, only one thousand sales? How can that be?
And obviously if you can get in the top 10 selling just a few hundred, it wouldn’t take that many friends, family, and fans to put an album on the charts. Hmm . . . maybe I should make a CD after all!
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