Easy Listening

Just looking through this week's top 40 albums chart, I'm amazed at the number of Easy listening or middle of the road artist are in the top 10. The album charts used to be dominated by rock bands but with the exception of Gun's n Roses at No.2 the top 10 looks like this:
1. George Michael
2. Guns n roses
3. Katie Melua
4. Englebert Humperdink
5. Norah Jones
6 Daniel o'Donnell
7. Will Young
8. Barry Manilow
9. Lionel Ritchie
10. Jamie Cullem.

The rest of the top 20 includes Harry Connick Jr, Lean Rimes, Dido, Enrique Iglesias and Gilbert o' Sullivan at No.20. There are only 3 R&B/hiphop bands in the chart, however the singles chart is made up of entirely R&B, Hiphop, Gansta Rap and Busted.

Now I have a theory on this: Everyone over the age of 21 now listens to BBC Radio 2 who only play the artists listed above along with a superb mixture of music from the 60's, 70's and 80's. The newer artists ie Norah Jones and Jamie Cullum CD's are now on sale in every supermarket and petrol station in the UK, which makes it easier for the middle aged buyer to obtain the music of their choice, especially as they are on display next to the newspapers and thanks to Radio 2 the names and music are familiar plus they now have bargin bins so that you can now buy Led Zepplin 4 for £3.99.The youngsters have to go to a specific record store to buy their singles like we used to on a Saturday Morning when we were teenagers and save for a month to buy an album.

So does this mean the end for Rock Bands? and I don't mean the Darkness, but I've not heard much lately from bands like Stereophonics, REM, Ocean Colour Scene or Manic Street Preachers. Your comments please.