Music

George Michael sales jump nearly 3,000% since his death

by Richard Howard

When a music superstar (whether current or former) passes away, you can always expect to see a jump in album sales. One-time fans rush to pick up their favorite record and revel in the nostalgia of its original purchase, while newbies briefly dip their toes into the waters (even more so now with the availability of digital singles) to see what all the hubbub is about.

So it’s no surprise that sales of George Michael’s music have jumped in the wake of the singer’s death on Christmas Day, but it’s the sheer magnitude of said jump that’s turning heads right now. According to sales tracking body Nielsen Music, his music saw an increase in sales of 2,678% in the week after he died with unit sales of both his solo work and as a member of Wham! jumping from 17,000 to an astounding 477,000. Unsurprisingly, the overwhelming majority of these were single sales (429,000). As a result, both his greatest hits record Twenty Five and hit song “Careless Whisper” will re-enter the Billboard charts.

[h/t: Entertainment Weekly]