As the music world is still reeling from the untimely death of Grammy-winning crooner George Michael, new fans and old are clinging to the singer’s prized discography to remember him.

And, while it’s by no means unusual for an artist’s catalog to see a boost in sales posthumously, some acts – as legends David Bowie, Whitney Houston, and Prince exhibited at the time of their passings – exceed even the highest expectations.  Now, Michael can add his name to that list.

Billboard reports:

“In the week ending Dec. 29, sales of Michael’s music — including with his former duo, Wham! — increased 2,678 percent (to 477,000 albums and songs, rounded to the nearest thousand) as compared to the previous week (17,000). Of the 477,000 total, album sales equaled 48,000 (up from just 1,000 the week previous), while song sales totaled 429,000 (an increase from 16,000 a week earlier).

In total, Michael/Wham! earned 103,000 equivalent album units during the tracking frame — a gain of 2,071 percent compared to the 5,000 units earned a week earlier.”

Tuck in below to see who joins George in this week’s refreshed TGJ Chart Check:

Billboard 200

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