Mariah vs. J. Lo

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Jennifer Lopez

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WINNER: iTunes While labels mourn the slow death of the CD, in Silicon Valley they're busting out the bubbly. Consumers bought more than 300 million digital tracks in 2005, mostly through iTunes. ''They have fans, not just buyers,'' says music manager Peter Katsis of the Firm. ''They create addicts.'' At 99 cents a pop, it's the cheapest, safest high around.

LOSER: Copy-Protected CDs In November, Sony BMG was forced to recall 52 titles due to copy protection software that could have exposed fans' PCs to hackers. A major blow to Sony BMG — and to an industry struggling against illegal music sharing. ''It's a huge distraction, especially at this time of year,'' says Best Buy's Lindeland.

WINNER: Boomers on Tour If you're gonna drop hundreds of dollars on a pair of concert tix, it's pretty hard to beat the Rolling Stones or Paul McCartney. In fact, seven of the 10 highest-grossing tours of 2005 belonged to rockers over the age of 45.

LOSER: Boomers on CD If you're gonna drop over $18 on a CD, odds are you have zero interest in a new album from the Stones or McCartney (or Stevie Wonder or Neil Young). Despite a strong Stones record, says Calderone, ''at the end of the day, people just want to hear 'Brown Sugar.'''