NOW That’s What I Call a Mamma Mia of a Christmas!

Nov. 20, 2008 - PRLog -- Analysis from the Performing Right Society – the organisation that pays songwriters when their music is sold or used – has shown that storming the album chart this Christmas will be compilations, movie soundtracks and expensive ‘deluxe box sets’.  

With the price of a regular CD album as low as £6.99 on line customers are splashing out on the bigger and more expensive compilation discs such as the long running NOW series and new entrants like Dreamboats & Petticoats, as well as accompanying soundtracks from blockbusters High School Musical 3 and Mamma Mia.  

Bucking the economic trend and the wider fall in CD sales the top 20 albums of 2008 are actually outperforming those of 2007, however the growth is being driven by old style compilation favourites.   Sales of the top 20 compilations  are up almost 32% compared to 2007,  whereas  only Duffy’s Rockferry and Coldplay’s Viva La Vida the top two albums have outperformed 2007’s top two sellers.   In fact, compilations and soundtracks now account for almost 35 % of the top 20 albums as opposed to 15 % in 2007.

Steve Porter Chairman of the PRS commented. “As standard albums become cheaper and more readily available online customers want more for that typical Christmas gift and this is no bad thing for the nation’s song-writers.  Compilations and sing-along soundtracks from your favourite movie are great gifts, but the real excitement for music lovers comes from getting a bumper box set of your favourite band.”

Following the success of ‘deluxe box set’ hits such as Amy Winehouse’s Back to Black Album, the Take That: Tour Edition album and Radiohead’s In Rainbows for Christmas 2007, record companies have stepped up their 2008 offerings.  Set to do well for 2008 include sets from Paul Weller, David Gilmour, U2, Oasis, Il Divo and mum’s favourite Cliff Richard.   Many of the box sets reviewed contained extra DVD footage, additional tracks and in some cases t-shirts and some retail at over £100.  

Even some music festivals are getting in on the Christmas season with worries about how they’ll be hit in the credit crunch next year.  Tickets are already available to reserve from the likes of Glastonbury, Glade, Burning Man, Bestival and Global Gathering.

# # #

All aspects of communication from brand management to copywriting for marcoms material, websites and internal communications are provided to companies as...