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Single Record Sales, 1950-1962
Record Sales, 1950-1962
| Year |
Sales (in millions of units) |
| 1950 |
189 |
| 1951 |
199 |
| 1952 |
214 |
| 1953 |
219 |
| 1954 |
213 |
| 1955 |
277 |
| 1956 |
377 |
| 1957 |
460 |
| 1958 |
511 |
| 1959 |
603 |
| 1960 |
600 |
| 1961 |
640 |
| 1962 |
687 |
Source: Harvey Rachlin, The Encyclopedia of the Music Business, 316.
The volume of records sold climbed from 277 million in 1955 to 511 million in 1958. Moreover, the majors lost control of the market. Whereas fifty-one (78%) of the Billboard top ten records in 1955 were released by the majors, only thirty-eight (49%) came from the majors in 1958.
Market Share of Top Ten Billboard Hits
| Year |
1955 |
|
1956 |
|
1957 |
|
1958 |
|
1959 |
|
|
N |
% |
N |
% |
N |
% |
N |
% |
N |
% |
| Majors |
40 |
78 |
36 |
65.5 |
30 |
43 |
38 |
49 |
30 |
34 |
| Indies |
11 |
22 |
19 |
34.5 |
40 |
57 |
39 |
51 |
59 |
66 |
| TOTAL |
51 |
100 |
55 |
100 |
70 |
100 |
77 |
100 |
89 |
100 |
Source: Charlie Gillett, Sounds of the City, 472.
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