It sounds like a horror movie: A beloved friend is callously exterminated, then reincarnated in a different form to wreak havoc on the killer. That's the nightmare currently facing the music industry. Almost a decade after virtually eliminating 45s and cassette singles, thereby forcing fans to spend more money on whole albums, the digital single is largely responsible for the industry's woes.

Resurrection of a Music Industry Bogeyman: The iTunes Single