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Petty’s song sales surge nearly 6,800 percent after his death

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers perform during their 40th Anniversary Tour at Wrigley Field on June 29.

In the days since Tom Petty’s death, fans have turned to the rock star’s music — and, in turn, have greatly spiked sales from his back catalog.

Petty’s discography has seen 6,781 percent growth in song sales following his death Oct. 2 after going into cardiac arrest a day earlier, according to data analysis company BuzzAngle Music.

On average, the four days prior to his passing saw the musician log 950 tracks sold, a number that surged to 60,000 on Sunday, the day news broke that he had been rushed to the hospital, setting off a flurry of reports of his demise that proved premature.

The song fans have turned to the most is 1989’s “Free Fallin,’” followed by “I Won’t Back Down” and “Mary Jane’s Last Dance,” which became a trending topic Oct. 2 as people posted lyrics on social media.

“You Don’t Know How It Feels,” “Learning to Fly,” “American Girl” and “Wildflowers” also saw massive surges in consumption.

Petty’s top-selling albums in the days after his death were 1993’s “Greatest Hits” collection, “Wildflowers,” “Anthology: Through the Years,” “Damn the Torpedoes” and “Full Moon Fever,” according to Nielsen Music.

In addition, streaming service Pandora reported additions of Petty stations increased by 8,962 percent.

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