US album sales do something unusual

It hasn't happened since 2004: There's been a small increase in album sales in the US. The Telegraph reports:

According to data released Wednesday by tracking firm Nielsen SoundScan, overall album sales rose 3.6 percent to 221.5 million units during the first half of 2011, the first increase since 2004.

While it is too early to judge if the trend will last through the year, an annual increase would be only the second in 11 years.

It's bittersweet. Naturally, it's bittersweet. The rise in sales is down almost entirely to GaGa and Adele, and not only isn't there much hope there might be a couple of similar albums to help with the back end of the year, but even GaGa's album sales were a bit underwhelming.

So, yes, better than last year. But all those years of decline, it's a pause, not a comeback.

Worth noting, though, that what helped sales was releasing records people want to buy. Not throwing people in prison, or closing down websites, or educational videos, or telling people they're stealing.