I've been told by an insider in the JM industry that Isaac Honig sells a vast amount of albums, far more than any other singer in his caliber.
He puts out an album once every 10 years (generally), and it's top quality, classic songs. Everyone in his demographic buys it, as well as many in the litvish world.
I've often thought that this is a major point that gets over looked when looking the Jewish music market.
At least ten ago, I heard MBD claim that as his proof that copying hurts the industry that he's selling the same number of copies as he had twenty years prior.
I think that that is playing with statistics.
How many CDs were released in the entire 1989???
There are probably more CDs released just in the Sefira genre each year than that.
There are a few artists that I will buy whatever they put out even before I hear it, because they have a chazaka that I enjoy what they put out.
Any others will have to work hard to get my dollar. I have a limited budget just like most people.
If even established artists made sure that 90% of the songs on that album would stand the test of time, and not just put out an album because the last one was just over a year or two ago so I have to get it out now...they would sell more.
As an aside, the best value in Jewish music may be the recordings of Rebbeshe chasunos sold internally in each Chassidus. It's a little bit of you have to know a guy, but for 50-100 Shekel you get hours upon hours of music, usually including some current hits. I bought the recordings of the first three Belzer weddings, and that's basically what has been playing in my house since.