For the first time in 17 years, CD sales grow in the USA

The return of vinyl had a significant impact on how listeners consumed music in 2021, which grew by more than half. However, last year was marked by a silent comeback for the CD, mainly driven by Adele, BTS and Taylor Swift, according to data from MRC Data. Sales achieved unprecedented growth, not seen in 17 years in the USA.

Total album sales in the United States increased by 6.3% over 2020 to 108.98 million, according to year-end reports generated by MRC Data. Overall sales grew for the first time in a decade, driven by vinyl sales by 51.4%, rising from 27.55 million in 2020 to 41.72 million in 2021. For the first time in MRC Data's data history, Vinyl albums have surpassed CDs.

_{The South Korean group BTS (Photo: Reproduction/BigHit Entertainment)}

Even though CDs are not the most dominant physical music format, their sales in 2021 were a source of pride for MRC Data. For the first time in 17 years, sales increased from 40.16 million in 2020 to 40.59 million last year, totaling an increase of 1.1%. This is the first annual gain in CD sales since 2004, when they were sold 10 times more. From 2003 to 2004, sales went from 636.5 million to 666.5 million, an increase of 4.6%.

Adele, on her new album “30“, topped the list of best-selling albums of 2021, in all physical and digital formats, with total sales of 1.464 million. The album reached first place on the list after just a month and a half of release, accounting for 2.15% of all CDs sold in the year.

_{Singer Adele (Photo: Disclosure/Apple Music)}

See the list of the 10 best-selling albums of 2021 in the US

At the top of the list is “30″, by Adele, followed by two albums by American singer Taylor Swift, “Fearless (Taylor's Version)” It is “Red (Taylor's Version)“Fourth, come.”My Savior“, by Carrie Underwood and then comes “The Chaos Chapter: Freeze”, by TOMORROW X TOGETHER.

Taking sixth position, Taylor Swift appears once again with her album “Evermore” and the next place is “Sticker: The Third Album“, from the South Korean group NCT 127. In the last three positions, they find themselves “Map of The Soul: 7” by BTS,”Sour” by Olivia Rodrigo and, finally, “Be”from the South Korean group BTS.

Featured photo: Adele, BTS and Taylor Swift. Reproduction and Promotion/Instagram and Billboard.