From and article on Launch:

Moby's new album, 18, is currently at Number 35 on the Billboard 200 album chart, selling approximately 32,000 copies last week. The album was at Number 15 two weeks ago, and has been decreasing in sales. Moby says 18 is suffering from "Pearl Jam Effect."

Moby goes on to say:

"I described the 'Pearl Jam Effect' as being a phenomenon wherein bands who have very technically savvy fans will see their records do poorly in the charts, whereas bands/artists who have less technically savvy fans will do quite well on the charts,"...

... because bands with tech savvy fans will download and/or burn, which tech-idiot fans will purchase. I guess it has nothing to do with a) A slacking economy, b) people generally being more tight with their cash, or c) your music sucks and is rapidly going out of style.

I rarely purchased CDs before I got a burner. Why? I hated buying something and liking only a few songs. Made the CD basically useless. Does anyone seem to remember that, even before digital music, people had (likely more people than those who had burners a year ago) tape-to-tape drives? People have been copying music for quite some time, although digital makes it much much easier.

But, with the slacking economy, 9/11, and generally poor music being released the last few years I would think it is logical that music sales have slipped. Publishing sales (in the tech world, at least) have slipped but I don't hear people crying it is because of pirated e-books. People for the last few years probably figure that spending a few hundred bucks on music is less important than saving it. Also, music by people like Moby is a fad and the fad may be fading (no pun intended). Noone wants to think their music sucks, or that fans won't like it because critics like it.

Moby has money, all these guys do (ever watch Cribs on MTV?). Possibly, the fans who scrounge for $22 for a CD and see these people having a collection of Porches makes them not want to scrounge for the $22. I would bet that the recording process for these folks isn't a big hardship. They do it once, and the cash rolls in. If you want my hard earned money, I'll buy a ticket to your concert. I'm tired of rock stars whining. Last decade it was the athletes, now it is rock stars. Next decade maybe it will be people like cops, or teachers, or nurses or anyone who is really more deserving.

Anyways, I'll keep downloading the music I like and avoiding the music I don't. I expect you will do the same.