Christian Music Sales Rise In 1st Qtr.

Christian/gospel music sales rose sharply in the first quarter of 2001, even while overall music sales dipped.

According to SoundScan, Christian album sales totaled approximately 10.2 million units in the first three months of this year, compared with 8.6 million during the first quarter of 2000—a rise of 17% during a period when total music sales have slumped by 1%.

Christian video sales were up 24% in the first quarter as well, with sales of approximately 1.5 million units, compared with 1.2 million units in the same period last year.

Another positive indicator is that the Recording Industry Assn. of America (RIAA) certified 26 Christian albums and videos either gold or platinum in the first quarter of 2001, as opposed to six during the same time frame in 2000.

All this was good news for those in the industry who had begun questioning whether Christian music's growth was about to hit a plateau, or worse, spiral downward. After five years of growth, Christian music sales suffered a 6% decline last year, a fact that many industry insiders attributed to the lack of superstar releases in the genre.

Gospel Music Assn. president Frank Breeden says he is "surprised" at the first-quarter numbers. "I thought we'd see more growth later on in the year. So I'm really excited about what the next nine months hold."

The strong first quarter seems to be attributable to several factors, including direct-marketing campaigns on TV, strong fourth-quarter releases that continued to sell, and several successful new acts.

Specifically, EMI Christian Music Group president/CEO Bill Hearn cites the continuing strong sales of greatest-hits packages by dc Talk and the Newsboys—released in 2000—and the debut projects by Stacie Orrico, ZOEgirl, Rachael Lampa, and Plus One.

Hearn also notes, "About 40% of the sales increase this year is driven through TV sales—[Time Life's series] 'Songs 4 Worship,' Anne Murray's What a Wonderful World, and the [Bill] Gaither 'Homecoming' [video] series. So a good chunk of that increase is coming from our [direct-response] TV efforts, and they continue to expand."

Provident Music Group chairman Jim Van Hook is equally bullish on the state of Christian music. "We are experiencing good A&R, demonstrated by the fact that we don't have just one big hit record, but several very strong releases."

Jim Stella, Christian music buyer for the Albany, N.Y.-based Trans World chain, feels that new artists are a major factor in the increase. "It's an educational process to let people know how good the music is in this genre. A lot of people think of four peppery-haired guys singing old gospel hymns standing around a microphone. They don't see it as a Plus One or a Third Day or a Skillet. There are so many different styles amongst the genre."

Breeden says diversity is one of the strengths of Christian music. "What I like about our industry is that we are not so dependent on single artist releases. In other industries, one or two artists can make or break a year; that's a double-edged sword. I'm glad we've got the diversity."

Some feel the Christian genre is on the rise because the music quenches a cultural thirst. "There is a spiritual quest going on in America," says Word Entertainment Label Group president Loren Balman. "People are looking, and this is clearly filling that need."

In addition to mainstream retailers having greater success with Christian music, Christian Booksellers Assn. retailers are flourishing; they accounted for 51% of the first quarter's increase in sales. Hearn says Christian retailers are getting "more involved and more aggressive in selling urban and urban gospel music, which is something they really need to stay focused on because that's a growing part of the business."

According to Plus One member Nate Cole, "It all comes down to the music. When the music is made and is great quality, people like what they hear and they want to buy it."