Olympic Bands See Record Sales Boost By Up To 1000%

It looks as if the bands will have earned more than just a good night out at the Olympic Closing Ceremony after their performance at the world sports finale.

Elbow look to be among the winners of the artists who performed at the ceremony with a massive boost in record sales. John Lennon, whose hit 'Imagine', formed a central part of the show, and the Spice Girls have also seen huge rises worldwide in their sales.

Figures compiled by the music retailer HMV found sales of Elbow's Mercury Prize-winning album 'The Seldom Seen Kid' up by more than 1,000% in the hours following Sunday's extravaganza.

The indie rock band performed 'One Day Like This' and 'Open Arms' at the music concert in the Olympic Stadium.

They were also behind the BBC's official Olympic Theme, 'First Steps'.

Sales of their album 'Seldom Seen Kid' shot up by 1,150% an its follow-up work 'Build A Rocket Boys!' has shot up by 794%.

Music legend Lennon's album increased its sales by 1,100% following the track's inclusion in the show as performers assembled a sculpture of the former Beatle's head in front of thousands at the stadium.

The Spice Girls once-off reunion could mean more for them than a trip on top of a flashing London taxi. Their greatest hits album enjoyed a 626% sales boost.

Singer-songwriter Emeli Sandé performed three times and also appeared at the opening ceremony. Her album 'Our Version Of Events' has experienced a sales boost of 476%.

George Michael used the occasion to plug his new single, 'White Light'. HMV said it is more than likely to feature in the top 10 of the midweek charts when they are announced tomorrow, making it his biggest hit in eight years.

HMV spokesman Gennaro Castaldo said the ceremony had a huge broadcast audience in the UK and worldwide.

“It's no surprise that the featured artists are seeing a big lift in sales of their recordings.”