Like lemmings: Boomers line up to buy overhyped retro-rock

Rod Stewart knows about it. So does Elton John. And Barry Manilow. Tony Bennett, to his joy and surprise, is just finding out about it. And next year Earth, Wind and Fire will get in on the act. The chart-topping but ageing artists have all been on the receiving end of help from their peers. The latest US research shows baby boomers and beyond now account for the largest share of music buyers. Figures compiled by the Recording Industry Association of America show that consumers over 45 accounted for 25% of music sales last year, more than twice the share of any other age group, and up from 15% a decade ago. Perhaps most surprisingly, the over-50s were responsible for 24% of the music industry's online sales. "Age No Bar as Baby Bomers Rock The Music Industry" Guardian (UK)