AC/DC Refuses To Go Digital

In an effort to keep their albums from being disassembled and thrown on some one's iPod play list, AC/DC has refused to release their new album Black Ice to iTunes. The record will be available at physical stores only, with Wal-Mart offering an exclusive edition. While Tuesday usually marks new release day for music retail, Black Ice will be coming out this Thursday, but, over 400,000 fans have already snagged a copy illegally. After leaking earlier this week, over 4000,000 downloads have been detected by BitTorrent users, not to mention the untold number of people who downloaded their copy from other file sharing services. Still, the band is sure they want to keep their music off of iTunes digital shelves pointing to the increase in sales of their back catalogue the past five years as proof (Back In Black was #2 on the Pop Catalogue Charts last week after selling 9,200 copies. That would have put them in the 60's on the Billboard 200 Album Chart if it was still eligible.) Despite the lack of sales boost Estelle received just a few short months ago after Atlantic pulled her album from iTunes, a recent Canadian study found that fans who first obtain a copy of an album illegally are more likely to eventually purchase it.

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