Amazon’s MP3 Pricing Plan: Looks Like They Went The “Pick Songs Out Of A Hat” Route

Amazon has entered the world of charging $1.29 for certain songs, following the lead taken by iTunes yesterday and rendering somewhat irrelevant the snarky remarks of Diggsters. By and large, iTunes’ pricing scheme has resulted in popular songs having their prices jacked up; in contrast, if there’s some logic to which songs saw a hike on Amazon, I’m certainly not seeing it.

Scanning the top 100 downloads as of 10 a.m. Pacific, it isn’t until No. 24 that a $1.29 track appears: Jamie Foxx’s “Blame It”. This makes some sense—the track is the most popular song at urban radio right now—but after that, things just get weird.

• Two Beyonce tracks appear nearly side by side (at No. 26 and No. 28), but the slightly past its prime “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)” is thirty cents more than “Halo”. • The Fray singles from their first album are more expensive than the recent “You Found Me.” • For Britney fans, “Circus” will cost you more than “If You Seek Amy.” • Have you suffered a head injury and become a Kings Of Leon fan? Pick up “Sex On Fire” instead of “Use Somebody” and save yourself a few cents. • If you’re running a bit behind on your musical taste, tough break: Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing” and Train’s “Drops Of Jupiter” are $1.29. • One version of Don Mclean’s “American Pie” is $1.99 (?), while another is 99 cents. Both are the dreadful eight-minute-plus take.

The good news: Motley Crue‘s “Home Sweet Home” is a bargain at 69 cents.

Bestsellers in MP3 Downloads [Amazon Music]