Rock of Aged

Such campaigning is new for older rockers, many of whom are accustomed to generating sales with minimal marketing. ''It's been a leap for some of these artists to decide they're going to wake up early and do an outdoor 'Today' show,'' says Jenkins. ''But even if they originally got into it begrudgingly, they're more eager to do it now because they've seen the results.'' Still, in the case of Collins' first studio album in six years, the promo payoff was just so-so: ''Testify'' debuted at a middling No 30, despite chats with Caroline Rhea and Daly. He even performed on CBS' ''Victoria's Secret Fashion Show'' Nov. 20. ''At my age,'' says Collins, ''you have to take any opportunity you can get to play in front of people and let them know you have a single out.''

Collins and his colleagues are also receiving play on the Internet, where Yahoo!, MSN, and America Online (a division of EW parent AOL Time Warner) have all initiated exclusive ''first listen'' programs. Last summer, AOL's preview broadcast of four songs from ''The Rising'' generated 2 million hits. By January, it plans to unveil a still-under-wraps promotion with the notoriously attention-shy Bob Dylan. According to AOL Music VP Bill Wilson, the online provider's far-ranging demographics offer labels a way to reach younger listeners. ''A 16-year-old can sign on and say, 'Bruce Springsteen -- my dad listens to that, let me see what he sounds like.'''

Just how well are rock's elder statesmen catching on with the MP3 generation? Both Santana and Springsteen have videos in rotation on MTV, but they're exceptions, not the rule: Santana teams with ''TRL'' mainstay Michelle Branch on his new single, ''The Game of Love,'' while Springsteen is no doubt reaping the rewards of his recent MTV Video Music Awards gig. Still, concertgoers at recent Springsteen, Taylor, or Dylan shows report a rise in the number of Bic-wielding whippersnappers. ''At the Springsteen shows I went to, you'd see parents there with their kids,'' says Trakin. ''The boomers are turning the kids on to their music.'' Pretty boss, indeed.

(Additional reporting by Dalton Ross)