As Billboard notes, all five of this year’s Best Original Song nominees experienced sales increases after the Oscars aired, for a combined bump of 423%. The biggest seller of the five nominees wasn’t the one that won — Elton John’s “(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again” — but “Stand Up,” which was co-written and performed by Harriet star Cynthia Erivo.
According to Billboard, “Stand Up” sold 2,000 downloads following the ceremony. The next-highest sales gain went to “I’m Standing with You,” written by perennial nominee Diane Warren and performed by This Is Us star Chrissy Metz. It sold 1,000 downloads.
Elton’s song was the third best-selling tune out of the five.
But the real winner was Eminem, who returned to perform his song “Lose Yourself,” 18 years after it won the Oscar for Best Original Song. The track sold 4,000 downloads, translating into a 1,894% sales increase. Sales of Eminem’s entire song catalog increased by 307% on Sunday as well.
Finally, “Lose Yourself,” the five nominated songs, the Beatles’ “Yesterday” — performed during the “In Memoriam” segment by Billie Eilish — and the handful of songs Janelle Monae and Billy Porter sang in the opening number, collectively sold close to 10,000 downloads, for a 654% sales increase.
The Oscars themselves didn’t fare so well, however. Some 23.5 million people tuned in to watch, its smallest audience ever.
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L-R: Cynthia Erivo, Eminem; ABC/Craig SjodinEven the musical artists who didn’t win a statuette on Sunday’s Oscars telecast were winners. — when it came to sales of their songs, that is.