A Half Million at 65? What's The Problem?

Paul McCartney is 65 years old and gets no airplay for his new songs. But the Lefsetz Letter is obsessesd with Soundscan numbers and considers that because McCartney's latest is selling as much as his previous one that it's a failure. But how many other 65 year old singers can sell half a million copies without air or video play. Unless you use the gimmick of a duets album, like Tony Bennett, artists McCartney's age just aren't going to sell many copies of their new stuff. People only want to hear the oldies. No amount of publicity like McCartney did is going to get his core audience into a record store or Starbuck's to buy his album. James Taylor is going to try that route, but will play it safe with a live album of hits. Joni Mitchell is going there too, but with new material. And it won't sell. But, so what. I don't believe any of these artist's expect to sell records like they did back in the day. Those of us who still buy their stuff only want it to be good.