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Afghan music hits virgin territory

KABUL, Afghanistan -- It has taken less than a month to kick the Taliban out of the top 40, and business is booming in Afghanistan's music stores.

The only cassettes Kabul's kiosk owners had on offer during the rule of the Taliban were tuneless taped readings from Koranic verses.

Television, photographs, lipstick, neckties, playing cards and music -- except for religious music -- were banned as part of the Taliban's campaign to create the purest Muslim state on earth.

Western dress was also banned, and all men were forced to wear turbans. Women had to be completely veiled and were not allowed to be educated nor go to work.

Today, women are casting off their burqas, men are clean shaven, and a female voice has relaunched Afghan radio after five years of harsh Taliban rule.

Don't stop 'til you get enough

One shopkeeper claims to move between 5,000 and 10,000 music cassettes a week and sells out of whatever stock he has. That is a 250 percent increase in sales.

But the range on offer is still limited and they've got a lot of ground to cover to catch up with the latest from the U.S. and U.K. billboard charts.

Afghanistan's music fans are still a couple of decades behind, with the 80s currently reigning supreme. One storekeeper sold a record 100 Michael Jackson tapes in a week.

But if the popularity of local crooners is anything to go by, he's got his work cut out for him.

The 'king of pop' is currently overshadowed by local favorite Farhod Daria, who sells as many as five times the number of cassettes Jackson does.

And newcomer Nasi Jan is selling more than 1,000 cassettes in a day.

But Britney Spears hasn't yet a chance, and who knows what the Afghans will make of Madonna, the unstoppable Mick Jagger or the Spice Girls.

Maybe the wait will be a little longer before Afghans are seen dancing in the streets.

-- CNN's Patricia Sabga contributed to this report