Just one year ago the Eagles broke new ground in an industry whose very foundation is crumbling when the band signed on with Wal-Mart as its exclusive retail location for its “Long Road Out of Eden” CD. 2.6 million copies flew off store shelves last year.
Now, another aging rocker band, AC/DC, is taking advantage of the Big Box giant’s 200 million annual customer base and 3,500 stories for its new offering, “Black Ice.” To date, nearly 1 million copies have been sold.
Not to be outdone, Best Buy has exclusive retail rights to Guns n’ Roses’ “Chinese Democracy” and the Police’s “Certifiable” boxed set, while, Target has snagged Christina Aguilera’s latest, “Keeps Getting’ Better.” The latest issue of Rolling Stone magazine tells the tale.
Alanis Morrisette raised eyebrows and the ire of the industry back in 2005 when she allowed Starbucks to sell her acoustic “Jagged Little Pill” CD—first—for six weeks before opening the door to other retailers. Today, that move seems quite tame by comparison. Yet, at a time when CD sales continue to fall, and illegal music downloading and sharing continues, this new retail model seems to be working for artists, retailers and consumers; the latter enjoying great prices (i.e. $11.99 for TWO CDs) like never before.
Hmmm. Where have I heard “Change or Die” before?