Olympics closing ceremony gives boost to British music
HMV has looked at the album sales on CD and download formats combined of the artists who either performed on the night or whose music was showcased during the event.
It compared this demand with the previous Monday (6th Aug) to produce a chart of the biggest beneficiaries.
The big winners appear to be Elbow, who have seen big lifts in sales of both their albums – ‘Seldom Seen Kid’ (1150%) and ‘Build a Rocket Boys’ (794%) over 24 hours, following the performance of their anthemic songs ‘One Day Like This’ and ‘Open Arms’. The other big rise, in second spot, was for John Lennon’s ‘Imagine’ album (1100 %) and for the Spice Girls ‘Greatest Hits’ (626%). Emeli Sandé, who performed on three occasions and also appeared in the opening ceremony two weeks earlier, received another sales boost, with her album ‘Our Version of Events’ (476%) enjoying the fifth-biggest rise.
The soundtrack to the closing ceremony, ‘A Symphony of British Music’, which hits record shops this Thursday, is expected to be a big seller over the next few days and weeks as the British public seeks to hang onto the feel-good factor generated by the games. Similarly, the official DVD of the Games, which is scheduled for release this Autumn, can be expected to be one of the most popular gift items for Christmas.
Never Miss a Retail Update!Percentage rises in album sales of featured artists* – comparison of Monday 13 August with Monday 6th August)
1. Elbow / Seldom Seen Kid (1150%)
2. John Lennon / Imagine (1100%)
3. Elbow / Build a Rocket Boys (794%)
4. Spice Girls / Greatest Hits (626%)
5. Emeli Sandé / Our Version of Events (476%)
6. Kate Bush / The Whole Story (416%)
7. George Michael / Faith (320%)
8. Take That / Beautiful World (300%)
9. The Who / Then and Now (293%)
10. Queen / Platinum Collection (286%)
(source HMV *)
