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Cassette sales are still a very small fraction of the recorded music retail market — just 0.41% of all albums sold in the US last year — but sales have been steadily rising for the past decade, fueled in part by a nostalgia factor among younger listeners and limited-edition runs from major artists. It will come as no surprise that Taylor Swift accounts for two of the top five best-selling cassettes from 2023, per figures just released by Billboard. Her two re-recorded albums from last year, 1989 (Taylor’s Version) and Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) are #2 and #5 respectively, with 17,500 and 11,500 copies sold.
Taking the top spot and the other two spots in the top 5 are all three volumes of the Guardians Of The Galaxy soundtrack. Volume 1 of the Awesome Mix is last year’s top-seller with 18,000 copies. Guardians Of The Galaxy, Vol. 2: Awesome Mix Vol. 2 is #3 at 16,000 copies, and Guardians Of The Galaxy, Vol. 3: Awesome Mix Vol. 3 is at #4 with 13,000 copies. The cassette edition of Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 have been available since those movies came out; Vol. 3 was released earlier this year to coincide with the film.
Here’s the list of the best-selling cassettes from 2023:
01 Various Artists – Guardians Of The Galaxy, Vol. 1: Awesome Mix Vol. 1 (18,000 copies)
02 Taylor Swift – 1989 (Taylor’s Version) (17,500)
03 Various Artists – Guardians Of The Galaxy, Vol. 2: Awesome Mix Vol. 2 (16,000)
04 Various Artists – Guardians Of The Galaxy, Vol. 3: Awesome Mix Vol. 3 (13,000)
05 Taylor Swift – Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) (11,500)
06 Nirvana – Bleach (8,000)
07 Metallica – 72 Seasons (7,500)
08 Various Artists – Guardians Of The Galaxy: Cosmic Mix, Vol. 1 (6,000)
09 Various Artists – Barbie: The Album (5,500)
10 Phoebe Bridgers – Punisher (5,500)
436,400 cassettes were sold in the US last year, down only 0.75% from 2022.