Tim Dickinson wrote:

>Do you really know that to be the effect? I can postulate a scenario
>where the result would be quite different: Sales of Standing Stone -
>wasn't it the #1 classical recording on Billboard's charts? - provide
>growth in classical sales which in turn expands the overall classical
>budget at EMI, including $$$$ available to promote other recordings.
>In addition there would be growth from expanding the classical market,
>as non-classical fans crossed over due to McCartney's name on the CD,
>with some of them continuing to explore other classical Cs.

I have never read any studies which indicate that things like McCartney's
concert works, the 3 tenors or Helfgott, et al.  ever caused any
substantive increase in the audience for classical music.

One somewhat similar example was pointed out to me.  The extraordinary
success of the soundtrack for the movie Titanic, had no substantive effect
on the market share for soundtrack recordings in general.

Karl