Forget the bald eagle, add compact discs to the endangered species list. According to a post by Metal Sucks’ Vince Neilstein, CD sales are not only slumping beyond belief, but are also facing their last stand in the world. The retail colossus that is Wal-Mart is currently selling most their CD catalog for $10 or less. Fresh titles available at Wal-Mart are expected to make a giant impact on the music industry.

“I think this will have the most impact on the music industry this year,” said David Pakman, chief executive of eMusic, during a discussion at MusEXPO in Los Angeles on Monday.

Wal-Mart expects a giant windfall from the CD sales, but with the rise of digital music, there’s a snowball’s chance in hell CD’s will still make the huge impact Generation X music fans made them back in the 90’s.

The demands are more than just a competitive pricing play for Wal-Mart. Instead, they appear to be part of a broader category decision by the discount giant. And, at higher prices, the pre-recorded CD category may simply be too expensive for the Wal-Mart demographic - and therefore, unworthy of shelf space.

If Wal-Mart can’t even sell the plastic squares, the hammer and nails in the coffin will fall shortly, quietly and painlessly.

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