After the Beatles arrived on the scene, Frankie Avalon, whose hit "Venus" was the last No. 1 song of the 1950s, watched sadly as fans ditched syrupy pop for rock 'n' roll.
"I figured that was over," the 66-year-old crooner said about his recording career.
Avalon went on to star in movies of the beach party genre. His music was relegated to discount bins in record stores and the playlists of oldies stations.
Vintage songs: An article in Tuesday's Business section about old songs' renaissance on the Internet said Frankie Avalon's "Venus" was the last No. 1 song of the 1950s. Avalon's "Why" was the last No. 1 song of the decade. The article also said that Digital Music Group bought the rights to 335,000 tracks from Chancellor Records. Not all of those tracks were acquired from Chancellor.
Almost 50 years later, Avalon's work is enjoying a digital renaissance, thanks to Apple Inc.'s iTunes, RealNetworks Inc.'s Rhapsody and other online stores and subscription services.
His royalties have increased a "significant" amount (he wouldn't give details) and he's acquired a new fan base: people whose parents were barely in their teens when his music was popular on transistor radios.
"In the world before digital music, it was very difficult to find my stuff," Avalon said. "Now anybody can find anything."
Sales of albums by contemporary musicians have been falling for years, but what the industry calls deep catalog albums (more than 3 years old) have been making a comeback, with their sales soaring 104.2% from 2005 to 2006. That has been a boon for Avalon and other older artists.
Christina Greco, a 24-year-old art student, is one reason. She was impressed by Avalon's portrayal of Teen Angel in the 1978 movie "Grease" and became a real fan when she learned they both hailed from South Philadelphia.
"I can listen to 'Venus' any time of the day and still be swept away," said Greco, who started a Yahoo group for fans of Avalon and his contemporaries, including Fabian Forte and Bobby Rydell.
Greco, who owns many of Avalon's CDs, had an image of the former teen idol printed on her pillowcase. "I've never really been interested in new music," she said.
In the digital age, with a single tune going for under a dollar and a track as accessible as a mouse click, it's easy to mix and match sounds from different genres and eras.
And playlist-based listening "really benefits those one-hit wonders from bygone days," said Aram Sinnreich, a managing partner at Radar Research in Los Angeles. For example, you probably wouldn't stumble on the Norwegian band a-ha's "Take on Me" in a record store, but there's a chance you would on the Internet.
Businesses are hustling to cash in, buying old songs they hope will come back in vogue. Sacramento-based Digital Music Group Inc., for one, acquired the rights to distribute 335,000 tracks that had been owned by Chancellor Records.
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