Rock music edges ahead in US

NEW YORK (Rockonline magazine) - Limp Bizkit are one of the biggest rock bands in the US
Rock music has held fast as the most popular music genre in the US, with the older generation as the biggest record buyers.

Despite a struggling music industry, a survey by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) found that the over-45 age group were the steadiest consumers in 2002.

The research also found that CDs sales in discount department and electronic stores had overtaken that of record shops, selling 50.7% of the country's total CD consumption.
The survey, based on 3,000 consumers, found rock music was the dominant genre, representing 24.7% of the market, followed by rap and hip-hop.
Two distinct age groups have increased their purchasing power with the 10-14 years range up slightly to 8.9% of the total record buying public.
The over 45 age group saw an increase from 23.7% in 2001 to 25.5%.

The RIAA recently reported a slump in business, down 8% from $13.7bn in 2001 to $12.6bn last year.

Drop

The only increases to be found during 2002 were in the country music and hip hop sectors.
The drop has been blamed on the continued popularity of online music swapping which allows people to download music free, a practice the industry is determined to stop.

But the RIAA has admitted illegal download sites will never be eradicated despite costly court battles to crack down.
The uncertainty in the economy and the lack of huge releases has also been cited as factors in the slump.

The RIAA represents some of the world's major record labels including AOL Time Warner, EMI, Sony and Universal Music.