U.S. Music Sales Down in 2002

The music industry came down with a serious case of the blues last year. Total U.S. album sales for the year plunged about 11% to 681 million, according to research firm Nielsen SoundScan. Sales of CDs, which account for about 94% of the market, slid about 9% to 649.5 million albums.

For the year, Eminem outpaced all other artists, selling 7.6 million copies of his album, “The Eminem Show,” and an additional 3.5 million copies of the soundtrack to his “8 Mile” film, which finished as the year’s fifth best-selling album.

Also in the Top 5: Nelly’s “Nellyville,” with 4.9 million copies; Avril Lavigne’s “Let Go,” with 4.1 million copies; and the Dixie Chicks’ “Home,” with 3.7 million.