Genre wars: rock overtakes pop for albums dominance. (Talent).

Rock has hijacked pop's status as the album market's biggest-selling genre for the first time, despite a year dominated by reality pop.

Newly-unveiled BPI figures show that rock acts claimed an unrivalled 31.0% of over-the-counter album sales during 2002, more than 25% up on three years earlier and its highest share since the annual market was first broken down by genre in 1995.

Virgin Megastores trading manager for chart music and singles Gareth Perry believes the sales shift is significant for an industry looking to establish more long-term acts, as rock artists tend to command more fan loyalty than pop and dance acts.

"When the trend moves away from dance and pop to rock and metal it's more likely these artists have got catalogue and longevity and it usually encourages customers to buy into their back catalogue," he says.

Rock's resurgence comes on a variety of fronts, with newer homegrown acts such as Coldplay and overseas artists including Nickelback among the year's biggest album-sellers alongside veteran acts such as The Rolling Stones and Bruce Springsteen. Rock was also the subject of 2002's fifth most successful compilation release, While My Guitar Gently Weeps.

Pop slipped from its traditional number one position into second place with 30.3% of album sales, even though Robbie Williams' Escapology led seven pop albums within the year's Top 10. However, pop captured more than half of the singles market with a 51.8% share dominated by Pop Idol finalists Will Young and Gareth Gates. Teen pop acts made up 28.0% of all singles sales over the year, up from 18.7% in 2001.

Dance remained the singles market's second most popular format, but its share has ...