Last week it was reported that CD sales have dropped 20 percent during the same period a year ago. At the same time, legal downloads are growing -- just not enough to fill the revenue gap. Through a bit of creative deduction, I’ve come to the conclusion that sub-par albums are to thank (or to blame if you’re in the group losing money) for reducing waste.

If people could sit through an entire Britney Spears album, more of them might be going out and purchasing a CD. Instead they get sucked in with a catchy beat and surf over to iTunes to buy it for 99 cents. Five repetitions later it’s overplayed, and purchasers are back to their usual mp3 playlist.

People used to buy albums and listen the whole way through. Now they pick and choose the songs they like at that moment. I’d go so far as to say that I hope popstars (since I figure they’re mostly responsible) continue to release albums with only one or two listenable songs. That way the CD can be completely phased out.

Singers are sending us a message

The next time you accidentally buy an album and realize you’ll never listen to more than one song, think of it as the artist’s way of reminding you that buying CDs is wasteful. And consider donating it to someone in your area through these cool programs, rather than following your first instinct to throw it out with the trash.