Prince soars to number one on US chart after death

The pop icon passed away suddenly at his Paisley Park estate in Minnesota on Thursday, the last day under consideration for the weekly char...

The pop icon passed away suddenly at his Paisley Park estate in Minnesota on Thursday, the last day under consideration for the weekly chart, indicating a massive interest in his work in the hours after the news broke.

Prince soared Sunday to number one on the US chart after his sudden death, with three of his albums entering the top 10.

The pop icon passed away suddenly at his Paisley Park estate in Minnesota on Thursday, the last day under consideration for the weekly chart, indicating a massive interest in his work in the hours after the news broke.

Prince soars to number one on US chart after death. Ethan Miller / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / AFP

"The Very Best of Prince," a greatest hits collection released in 2001, topped the weekly chart and his classic 1984 album "Purple Rain" came in at number two of the Billboard chart, tracking service Nielsen Music said.

Prince soars to number one on US chart after death. Ethan Miller / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / AFP

A three-disc collection from 1993, "The Hits/The B-Sides," re-entered the latest chart at number six.

The strength of the compilations indicates the renewed popularity of Prince's hits such as "Let's Go Crazy," "When Doves Cry," "1999," "Raspberry Beret" and "Kiss."

In one factor that likely increased outright sales, fans looking for Prince's music were unlikely to find it through streaming, which is factored into the chart through its own formula.

Prince, whose relationship with the Internet swung between love and hate, only streamed his music on Jay-Z's Tidal service, through which he released his last two albums.

Prince, a champion of artists' rights against labels, aggressively took down unauthorized versions of his music from the Internet, including YouTube.

It is rare for artists to assume both the first and second places on the benchmark US chart, with the feat last achieved by the rapper Nelly when he simultaneously released the "Sweat" and "Suit" albums in 2004.

Prince soars to number one on US chart after death. Ethan Miller / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / AFP

Prince, a famously prolific artist who was a master of the electric guitar and coined a unique brand of danceable funk, died unexpectedly from unknown causes and was cremated Saturday.

He released 39 studio albums during his life, selling more than 100 million records.

The top new album on the chart was country singer Sturgill Simpson's "Sailor's Guide to Earth," which debuted at number three.

Simpson has enjoyed an unusual amount of crossover praise as a country artist for his philosophical lyricism, which has included examinations of Tibetan Buddhism.

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