Jimmy Buffett Song Sales Rose 7,000% Following Death
The week following the death of musician Jimmy Buffett, sales of his songs rose over 7,000%, according to data published by Billboard.
For the week dated September 1st through September 7th, beginning the day he passed away, paid downloads reached 103,000 in the US, bolstered by his ‘Margaritaville’ song.
Record sales put him on the Digital Song Sales chart like never before during his six decade career.
He held 12/50 spots on the list, for the week ending September 7th, and topped the chart with ‘Margaritaville,’ also reaching No#1 on the Country and Rock Digital Song Sales charts, having sold 16,000 times posthumously.
See below some more track rankings:
- ‘Come Monday’ – Debuting in 1974 (No#3, 14,000 sales).
- ‘It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere’ (No#6, 7,000 sales).
- ‘Cheeseburger in Paradise’ (No#8).
- ‘Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes’ (No#10).
- A Live-Recorded Version of ‘Brown Eyed Girl’ (No#48).
‘Margaritaville’ also scored the star his first hit on Billboard’s Streaming Songs chart, looking at each week’s most-streamed songs. Streams increased 720% to 8.1 million for the week.
The song debuted at No#41 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart, which ranks based on physical and digital sales, as well as online streaming and radio play. This happened almost five decades after it was originally released.
The Hot Rock and Hot Country charts follow the same methodology, and saw ‘Margaritaville’ at No#9 and No#14 respectively.
The last time Jimmy charted on the Hot 100 list was October 2011, as a featured artist on ‘Knee Deep’ by Zac Brown Band. This reached No#13.
He also posthumously broke his own record on the Greatest Hits & Ballads Album Chart, re-entering at No#4 with ‘Songs You Know By Heart: Jimmy Buffett’s Greatest Hits.’ This previously peaked at No#100 upon release in 1985.
Sales for the week ending September 7th, which featured eight of 12 tracks that ended up on the Digital Song Sales chart, rose 2,106% to 52,000.
The album sold 15,000 copies the week of the musician’s death, and re-entered the Top Album Sales list at No#1, ranking across all genres, and grabbing No#2 on Top Country Albums, Top Rock & Alternative Albums, Top Rock Albums, and Americana/Folk Albums.
Before his death, Jimmy was preparing for the release of a new album ‘Songs You Don’t Know by Heart.’ If the album was released, it would’ve been his 57th album throughout his career.
Most of his albums have won him gold, platinum or multi-platinum plaques, and he sold out shows and tours across the globe. He never won a Grammy, however, was nominated twice, but nabbed multiple Country Music Association (CMA) awards, and was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.