Abstract:
Contrary to popular belief the 1960's, with the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, were not the boom era of the recorded music industry - this happened in the late 1970's. In 1978 retail sales of recorded music were £596 million (at 1983 prices) and this fell to £488 million in 1983 - a decline of 18 per cent in real terms. The recession had clearly affected the industry.
