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Over-50s 'driving music growth'
The British Phonographic Industry (BPI) report found 59% of over-50s had bought an album in the previous three months and 29% bought at least six CDs a year.
Favourite artists include Il Divo, Rod Stewart, Tony Christie, Katherine Jenkins, G4 and Ronan Keating.
The BPI said older music fans were driving a growth in sales.
"Nearly a quarter of all albums are bought by older music fans, and that percentage is set to grow as the UK population ages," spokesman Matt Phillips added.
Only 4% of over-50s own a digital music player but 23% intend to buy one in the future, the study found.
The study also found 59% of over-50s said music was an "important part of their lives", with classical music the most popular genre.
Easy listening and country music were also popular, with 64% of respondents saying they liked rock music.
Some 45% of those surveyed said they listened to BBC Radio 2, with local stations attracting 53% of respondents.
One in five said they listened to Radio 1 each day, more than the 15% who listen to Radio 3 daily, but less than the 34% who tuned into Classic FM.
The survey was carried out by an Age Concern research panel, which surveys a sample of up to 10,000 over-50s on lifestyle issues.
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