The British Phonographic Industry (BPI) has credited the resurgence of the singles market to legal internet download sites.

The trade association recorded further growth in 2006 with sales up 39.7 per cent in 2006, fueled mainly by sales of downloads, which accounted for nearly eight in ten singles sold. 

With 66.9 million singles sold in 2006, this is the highest total since 1999 with the accolade for most downloaded title of the year going to Gnarls Barkley's Crazy which sold over 400,000 downloads.

The arrival of legal digital downloads has restored the singles market to its highs of the 1990 in just two years said the BPI.

The organisation said that the fact that British signed and developed acts are also taking a growing slice of an albums market is also something to celebrate, and clearly shows the record industry is adapting successfully to change.

BPI chairman Peter Jamieson said, "The rebirth of the singles market driven by downloads shows the ability of music to reinvent itself through new technology. Just a couple of years ago, some commentators predicted the death of the single. We are now looking at a market which has doubled in three years, thanks to downloads."