George Michael music sales surge in U.S. almost 3,000% after pop icon’s death

The death of George Michael on Dec. 25 prompted a big sales surge for his albums and digital songs in the U.S., according to Nielsen Music. The singer’s sales surged 2,678% in the week ending on Dec. 29. The same report by Nielsen added that Michael’s greatest hits album Twenty Five is now No. 12 on the Billboard 200 chart — 16 spots higher than its peak when it debuted in 2008. Michael, 53, is thought to have died of heart failure, but autopsy results were inconclusive.