Video Games Help Virgin Megastore "Defy Market Gravity," Turn Profit

Virgin Megastores had what they describe as "one of the most successful years" the chain has ever had in 2007 by turning away from albums and focusing on other product. The store "defied market gravity" by transforming into a "lifestyle entertainment shopping destination," as sales of video games, DVDs, clothing and books all enjoyed increased sales over the preceding years while music continued to slump. Even the two Virgin Megastores in New York City — which are reportedly on the verge of shuttering in 2009 — posted combined increased sales of ten percent. "For the first time in five years our store traffic is up over plan," said Virgin Entertainment North America CEO Simon Wright. So it appears brick-and-mortar music stores may live on — just with a lot less music.

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Song Stories

“Smells Like Teen Spirit”

Nirvana | 1991

"Smells Like Teen Spirit," named after a brand of deodorant marketed to girls, was Kurt Cobain's attempt to "write the ultimate pop song," he said, using the soft-loud dynamic of his favorite band, the Pixies. Cobain "had that dichotomy of punk rage and alienation," the song’s producer, Butch Vig, told Rolling Stone, "but also this vulnerable pop sensibility. In 'Teen Spirit,' a lot of that vulnerability is in the tone of his voice." Sadly, by the time of Nirvana's last U.S. tour, in late '93, Cobain was tortured by the obligation to play "Teen Spirit" every night. "There are many other songs that I have written that are as good, if not better," he claimed.

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