As would be expected, sales of Tom Petty’s music exploded on Monday, when the music icon died of cardiac arrest at age 66 — and the increase was huge.
According to BuzzAngle Music, which tracks music sales and streaming data, sales of the Petty catalog surged 6,216 percent on Monday, from a four-day sales song average of 950 prior to his death to 60,000 on Monday, when the “Refugee” singer died.
The biggest seller of the day was Petty’s 1989 hit “Free Fallin,’” which sold just 111 copies on the day before his death but swelled to 7.981 sales on Monday. “I Won’t Back Down,” also from Petty’s 1989 album “Full Moon Fever,” was the second-biggest seller, racking up 5,753 in sales on Monday, compared to 67 sales the previous day.
The 1993 track “Mary Jane’s Last Dance” was a close third, selling 5,156 copies on Monday compared to 104 on Sunday.
Streaming data for Petty’s catalog on the day of his death is not yet available.
Petty died at 8:40 Monday night surrounded by family, his bandmates and friends, according to an announcement from Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers’ longtime manager Tony Dimitriades. According to Dimitriades, Petty suffered cardiac arrest at his Malibu home early Monday morning and was taken to UCLA Medical Center, “but could not be revived.”
Petty wrapped up a summer tour last week with three nights at the Hollywood Bowl. The tour marked the group’s 40th anniversary, and Petty told Rolling Stone it would be their “last trip around the country.”
On Tuesday, the Los Angeles County coroner’s office told TheWrap that it is conducting an inquiry into the musician’s death, and currently has the singer’s body.
See chart below for a full breakdown of Monday’s sales surge.
