STACKING UP SALES

Total album and single sales of CDs and cassettes for the week ended Nov. 7, compared to week-ago and year-ago levels, in millions of units sold:

Latest week Albums: 10.28 Singles: 2.32

*Week-ago Albums: 10.03 Singles: 2.15

*Year-ago Albums: 9.29 Singles: 1.81

Atop the Charts

Monthly record company market share as of October, based on units sold. This is an indicator of music company performance.

MARKET SHARE

Total Top-selling Rank Distributor share Albums Singles album Artist 1 WEA 20.11% 20.11% 20.10% Songs of the Common Thread Eagles 2 Sony 19.77 20.17 17.81 Vs. Pearl Jam 3 BMG 11.90 10.47 18.82 Get in Where Too Short Ya Fit 4 UNI 11.81 12.05 10.61 Bat Out of Meat Loaf Hell II 5 Polygram 11.63 11.91 10.28 Everybody The Cranberries Else Is The Cranberries 6 CEMA 11.35 11.75 9.42 Duets Frank Sinatra

Hits Magazine Rumor of the Week

The spiraling price of music publishing catalogues looks as though it may spiral even higher. The prized administration deal for the Michael Jackson-owned ATV Music Publishing catalogue, which encompasses the publishing rights to the songs of the Beatles and Little Richard but not Jackson’s own material, appears to be headed to EMI for about $200 million, with a large up-front payment. The deal, which also includes provisions for future joint acquisitions, was negotiated on behalf of Jackson by attorney John Branca and EMI Music Chairman Martin Bandier. The move solidifies big-spending EMI as the industry’s largest music publisher. ATV was purchased by Jackson in 1988 and has most recently been administered by MCA.

Note: Hits magazine is a weekly music industry trade publication.

Sources: Soundscan Inc.; Billboard magazine