CD sales in the United States have climbed for the very first time in over a couple of decades, thanks in part to records by Adele, BTS, and Taylor Swift. According to MRC Data's 2021 US Year-End Report, provided by Billboard, CD record sales have increased by 1.1% from 2020, with 40.59 million copies sold in 2021 relative to 40.16 million the previous year. Adele was the most influential in propelling last year's rise, with her newest album, '30' generating nearly 900,000 sales in CD versions alone in the United States.
In 2021, the album's sales grew by 2.15 percent of all CD sales. The concentrated report shared by Billboard highlights the data of the revenues made by these pop singers.
Taylor Swift's re-release of 'Fearless,' swiftly followed by her re-release of 'Red,' was the second strongest CD album in the United States. BTS's two 2020 albums, 'Map Of The Soul: 7' and 'Be,' are among the top ten best-selling CD soundtracks of 2021.
Considering the gain, vinyl outperformed CDs in the United States for the first time after MRC Data began tracking annual revenues in 1991, according to NME.
Vinyl revenues rose by 51.4 percent to 41.72 million records in 2020, rising from 27.55 million in 2010. Statistical improvements represent revenues in the United Kingdom during the last year, with record sales reaching their most significant level in 30 years. According to Billboard, in 2021, over five million vinyl albums were sold, representing an 8% rise over the previous year.
Furthermore, CD sales improved in England in 2021, with Q4 sales up by nearly 15% year on year, owing primarily to '30,' as well as Ed Sheeran's '=' and ABBA's 'Voyage.'