Sony 1997 Annual Report Download - page 26

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Sony Corporation Annual Report 1997
Review of Operations Music Group
Sony Music Entertainment Inc. (SMEI)
SMEI had the most successful year in its
history, with all operating divisions exceeding
the prior year’s results. New and continuing
global bestsellers, worldwide local artist
successes, and cost reduction initiatives all
contributed to SMEI’s sustained growth,
achieved despite the weak retail environment
in the United States.
Global High Notes
Celine Dion’s status as a global superstar was
underscored with her
Falling Into You record-
ing. This release has sold more than 21 million
albums since its March 1996 release, and was
the biggest selling U.S. album released in
1996.
The Score by Fugees sold an additional
10 million units for aggregate sales exceeding
11 million units. Other multimillion-selling
recordings during the year included Mariah
Carey’s
Daydream , Oasis’ (What’s The Story)
Morning Glory?
, Jamiroquai’s Travelling
Without Moving
, Pearl Jam’s No Code , Julio
Iglesias’
Tango , Rage Against the Machine’s
Evil Empire , It Was Written by NAS, Gloria
Estefan’s
Destiny , Babyface’s The Day ,
Journey’s
Trial By Fire , Michael Jackson’s
HIStory , and Aerosmith’s Nine Lives .
Albums selling one million or more units
included Celine Dion’s
Live à Paris , The
Colour of My Love
and D’Eux , Bone Thugs-
N-Harmony’s
E. 1999 Eternal , the Kushelrock
10
compilation, and The Mirror Has Two
Faces
soundtrack, and new releases by Alice
in Chains, Michael Bolton, Roberto Carlos,
Martinho Da Vila, Neil Diamond, Alejandro
Fernandez, Manic Street Preachers, Ricky
Martin, Meja, The Offspring, The Presidents of
the United States of America, Shakira, Skank,
Luther Vandross, Harlem Yu, and ZeZe di
Camargo y Luciano.
Releases for the fiscal year ending March
1998 are projected to include new albums by
Michael Bolton, Brownstone, Mariah Carey,
Celine Dion, Wynton Marsalis, and Oasis.
Artist and Label Development
SMEI launched Crave, a joint venture label
with Mariah Carey, and created Sony Music
Independent Labels, an operating framework
The Score
, Fugees’ second album, won two Grammy Awards:
Best Rap Album and Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group
for its single, “Killing Me Softly (With His Song).”
Since her 1990 debut, Mariah Carey has sold more than 80
million records worldwide, and is the biggest selling female
artist of the 1990s.
Entertainment