Hits Magazine Rumor of the Week

Bertelsmann Music Group Chairman Michael Dornemann’s long search for a North American CEO may be over. The rumor mill is buzzing with the name of former Fox executive Strauss Zelnick, currently running Crystal Dynamics. Zelnick has been a non-exclusive consultant to BMG as the company makes a push to enter the film business. While company sources deny it, insiders say Dornemann has offered the post to Zelnick, who would have to get out of his contract with Crystal Dynamics.

STACKING UP SALES

Total album and single sales of CDs and cassettes for the week ended Dec. 5, compared to week-ago and year-ago levels, in millions of units sold:

Latest week Albums: 16.28 Singles: 2.40

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Week-ago Albums: 14.29 Singles: 2.40

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Year-ago Albums: 15.30 Singles: 2.31

Atop the Charts

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

MARKET SHARE

Total Top-selling Rank Distributor share Albums Singles album 1 WEA 20.88% 21.29% 18.80% Doggy Style 2 Sony 18.01 18.36 16.24 Music Box 3 BMG 12.37 11.36 17.47 Toni Braxton 4 CEMA 12.16 12.18 12.08 Duets 5 Polygram 12.01 11.73 13.40 So Far So Good 6 UNI 11.26 11.47 10.20 Bat Out of Hell II

Rank Artist 1 Snoop Doggy Dogg 2 Mariah Carey 3 Toni Braxton 4 Frank Sinatra 5 Bryan Adams 6 Meat Loaf

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

Sources: Soundscan Inc.; Billboard magazine