Etta James’ Album Sales Skyrocket Following Her Death

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According to Billboard, Etta James‘ total catalog of albums sold 30,000 units in the week following her death, which is a 378% increase from the previous week.

R.I.P. Etta James: 1938 –…

In addition to increasing her total album sales 378%, last week James landed her highest selling album EVER on the Billboard charts.

Her 1997 greatest hits album, The Best of Etta James – 20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection, accounted most for the sales increase. With over 8,000 copies sold in the week following her death, the album soared from the #162 spot to #46.

Previously, James had never passed #68 on the charts. She did that in 1961 when her debut album At Last! reached that figure.

As far as digital downloads, James’ catalog of songs accounted for a total of 118,000 downloads. The “At Last” single contributed to over half of those downloads, with over 63,000 respectively, accounting for a weekly gain of 1,361% for that song alone.

On January 20th Etta James lost her battle with leukemia. She was 73 years old. After news of her death became official, it sent shockwaves that reverberated around the world, with many celebrities paying their respects on Twitter.

James will be remembered for her classic sound, style, and voice that transcended genres and generations.

Etta  James will be laid to rest this Saturday in California.

R.I.P. Etta James: January 25, 1938 – January 20, 2012