Universal Music takes the charts
Foxnews, 2002-05-08
- Roger Friedman

 

Universal Music Takes the Charts

A few years ago, Universal Music — then known as MCA Records — had to absorb Polygram Music and all its labels and artists. It was a wrenching time, and it led to a lot of layoffs. But the idea was to have a mega-record company that rivaled the Warner Music Group and Sony/Columbia.

Next week, Universal Music Group has six albums in the top 10 and six more from Nos. 11-20. These records include the Big Tymers (No. 1), Sheryl Crow, Ashanti, Vanessa Carlton, the Spider-Man soundtrack, Ludacris, Puddle of Mudd, and of course the Grammy-winning O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack. Universal, as run by industry vet Doug Morris, is now the seat of power in the record industry.

Universal is so hot right now they're actually selling copies of Elvis Costello's excellent When I Was Cruel. For Costello, his nearly 75,000 copies sold in three weeks is monumental. Now Island/Def Jam just has to start pushing tracks like "Spooky Girlfriend" and "Alibi" as singles, and Costello might get a gold record this time out.

Where that leaves Sony and Warner Bros. is nowhere really. A quick look at the charts shows they are foundering, with no real direction or any kind of courage to develop new material. Sony Classical isn't even having much luck with the new Star Wars soundtrack, and Epic is struggling to make the very mediocre Celine Dion album sell to anyone with a brain, or a soul.

Still hanging on in the top 50, and getting ready for a first-year anniversary on the charts: Alicia Keys' Songs in A Minor. Amazing. She sold over 30,000 copies to someone last week. Is there anyone left in the world who doesn't have this album?