Everyone knows that vinyl sales are growing at an absurd rate, making up an estimated 2 percent of total music sales during 2014 (it doesn't seem like much, but it's growth is remarkable considering the drop off in total album sales, physical or otherwise). So how about the other cult format? Cassette sales aren't quite seeing the same resurgence as vinyl (because, frankly, it's a crappy if romantic format). It's still seen a boost in interest during the last year however, led by the thematically appropriate Guardians of The Galaxy soundtrack and a release from Mexican songwriter Cuco Sánchez (from Rolling Stone).
Sánchez, interestingly, held the bestselling title in the outdated format during the last year, as Tu Solo Tu sold 2,600 copies (compare to Jack White's Lazaretto, the top-selling vinyl record of the last year, which moved nearly 76,000 12" copies). Those numbers are bizarre considering that Tu Solo Tu didn't receive a Record Store Day release or anything else that would propel a rerelease from an obscure, deceased star to the top of the charts.
The numbers behind Guardians of The Galaxy are easier to figure out. First of all, the album as a whole was the no. 5 bestselling set of 2014, and it just went platinum in the last week. One of the key components of the film is the mixtape protagonist Peter Quill received from his mother, which features a series of hits from the '70s. Thanks to the popularity of the film, an actual replication of the cassette was understandably a sought-after collectible, leading the Record Store Day release to sell at least 2,500 copies. However, a spokesperson for the National Audio Company reported to Wondering Sound that 11,500 copies had been made with more reorders expected...suggesting that it has actually sold far more than Sánchez's release (but debatable tracking methods make it tough to confirm).
Other performers are releasing their works on cassette, including new music from Skrillex and Green Day during 2014.
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