The music industry, currently caught in some serious flux, now have yet another reason to scratch their heads/drown their sorrows.

New figures from the British Phonographic Industry show that the number of albums shifted in the UK so far this year has dropped by just under seven million when compared with 2011’s mid-year figures. 50.5m albums were sold in the first half of 2011; this year, the figure stands at a comparatively meagre 43.6m.

BPI chief exec Geoff Taylor had some words of caution about the figures: “Album unit sales are down quite significantly year-on-year. But it’s important to remember that these unit sales figures do not take into account the growing importance of music streaming and subscription services.”

The prognostications aren’t all dreadful. Digital sales are up by 17.3%, with singles sales up by 6% overall. For those mildly interested in this sort of thing, the biggest selling single of the year is Gotye’s remarkably virulent ‘Somebody That I Used To Know’. The best-selling album of the year is, obviously, Black Breath’s Sentenced To Life (only joking: it’s Adele). [via NME]