Hard times for rock bands as sales of tracks plummet

Rock has hit a hard place - as guitar bands have started disappearing from the charts, new figures show.

Sales of rock tracks have dropped by almost 18 per cent in the first eight months of this year, compared with the corresponding period in the previous year, analysis by Music Week reveals.

Its study of sales compiled by the Official Charts Company shows only five of the 100 best-selling singles of the year so far were classed as rock. The biggest seller among these, Journey's Don't Stop Believin', was fuelled by its use in TV show Glee.

The rest of the rock big-hitters for the period were two tracks by Florence And The Machine, one by folkie quartet Mumford And Sons and the last by dance-rock act Pendulum.

Absolute Radio's head of music, James Curran, said: "It's very difficult to get a bona fide rock hit these days."