Nielsen recently released its list of the 10 most downloaded songs of 2008 (below). Unlike last year's list, which contained seven tracks released by Universal Music Group, this year's selection features a more even distribution of the four major labels: 3 songs from UMG, 3 from Sony, 2 from Warner Music Group and 2 from EMI, which had no songs on last year's list.
Not surprisingly, EMI's two contributions are from Coldplay and Katy Perry, both of which were smash hits.
We won't know how much EMI, Sony or UMG made from digital sales for the calendar year until this spring*, but EMI reportedly made $148 million in digital revenues during the first half of its 2008 fiscal year, from April 1 to September 30. According to a report from owner Terra Firma, the label racked up $240 million in digital sales during the entire year ending March 31, 2008, before Coldplay or Katy Perry released their in-demand albums and accompanying singles.
We'll soon see whether EMI's resurgence will last and whether it will be due to more than four lads from London and a girl from L.A. singing about kissing other girls. The label has highly anticipated albums from Lily Allen and Keith Urban both due out by the end of March.
*Warner Music Group's fiscal year ended in September and they recorded $599 million in digital revenues for 2008 out of $2.9 billion in total revenues for the year.
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