Despite what Tommy Mottola thinks, the music industry may still have some life in it. Consequence of Sound points out that not only are album sales up for the first time since 2004, but single, digital tracks are also doing 11 percent better than they were last year. And, as has often been reported, vinyl sales are skyrocketing — they’re up 41 percent over 2010. So, what’s responsible for the growth? Consequence of Sound mentions strong digital sales for a small number of high-profile acts: Adele (who’s sold the most albums so far this year, with 2.5 million), Lady Gaga (who, you’ll remember, was briefly peddling Born This Way on Amazon for 99 cents), Mumford and Sons, Katy Perry, Kanye West, and Cee Lo Green have all had massive hits this year. But we’re wondering whether this might also have to do something with the climate actually improving for legally downloaded digital music. The economy is recovering, little by little, and consumers may finally be acclimating to the idea of paying for music they can’t hold in their hands. This modest growth may turn out to be a fluke, but it will certainly be interesting to watch what happens next. [via A.V. Club]