Helping Haiti’s Everybody Hurts Fastest Selling Charity Single This Century

09/02/2010

Everybody Hurts, the charity single organised by pop supremo Simon Cowell, in aid of victims of the Haitian earthquake, has become the fastest-selling charity single of the century with over 200,000 sales in just two days.

The single is also set to have one of the biggest first week sales of any single ever since 2000.

Martin Talbot, Managing Director, Official Charts Company said:

“This is a phenomenal achievement. The public are certainly not showing any signs of charity fatigue.”

Everybody Hurts was originally written and performed by American rock band REM.  The track was re-recorded with a star-studded line-up including Alexandra Burke, Cheryl Cole, James Morrison, JLS, Kylie Minogue, Leona Lewis, Michael Buble, Mika, Robbie Williams, Rod Stewart, Susan Boyle and Take That.

It is not the first time that Everybody Hurts has been used for charitable purposes. In 1995 it was used as the soundtrack to an ad for The Samaritans.

Fastest Selling Charity Singles since 2000.

Pos.       Title                         Artist                   Charity
1.          Everybody Hurts         Helping Haiti        DEC (Disasters Emergency Committee)/
                                                                      The Sun’s Helping Haiti appeal
2.          Hero                         X Factor Finalists   Help For Heroes
3.          Uptown Girl                Westlife               Comic Relief
4.          Do They Know It’s       Band Aid 20         Darfur
             Christmas 
5.           Spirit In The Sky       Gareth Gates feat. Comic Relief
                                            The Kumars
Notes to Editors:

1.   Chart information quoted from this release must be credited to The Official Charts Company

2.  The Official Charts Company (OCC) is a joint venture between record labels’ body the BPI and ERA, the Entertainment Retailers Association.   The OCC is responsible for the commissioning, marketing, distribution and management of the UK’s industry standard music and video charts and is endorsed by the BVA (British Video Association).

3. The Official Charts Company compiles its charts from sales information gathered across all key distribution (or entertainment) channels including all major high street retail chains, independent stores, supermarkets, mail order internet retailers and digital music service providers. This market research sample equates to 99% of the total UK Singles market; 98% of the total UK Albums market and 90% of the total UK DVD market.

 For further information contact:
Amy Howard, Official Charts Company.
T: 01480 860 530  M. 07768 891 264
E: amy@theofficialcharts.com

 www.theofficialcharts.com

The Chart Show with Reggie Yates, Sunday 4pm-7pm, BBC Radio 1.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/chart/

 

 

Back to press articles