"It's also a bit unfair to compare the 2000s with the 1990s, since the '90s enjoyed an unnatural sales boost when consumers replaced their cassette tapes and vinyl records en masse with CDs."
"But industry insiders and experts argue that the main culprit for the industry's massive decline was the growing popularity of digital music."
Also:
"Last decade was the first ever in which sales were lower going out than coming in."
http://money.cnn.com/2010/02/02/news/companies/napster_music...
"It's also a bit unfair to compare the 2000s with the 1990s, since the '90s enjoyed an unnatural sales boost when consumers replaced their cassette tapes and vinyl records en masse with CDs."
"But industry insiders and experts argue that the main culprit for the industry's massive decline was the growing popularity of digital music."
Also:
"Last decade was the first ever in which sales were lower going out than coming in."