Sales of Whitney Houston albums have risen sharply in the US and UK, following her tragic death in Los Angeles on Saturday (February 11, 2012). The singer was found dead in the bathtub of her Beverly Hilton hotel room, though early reports suggest she did not drown.
As tributes to the late star continued at the Grammy Awards on Sunday, fans on Twitter noticed a sly price-increase on Whitney Houston albums on iTunes. 'Whitney - The Greatest Hits' is currently sitting at No. 2 on the iTunes US Chart, while 'Whitney Houston - The Ultimate Collection' is No. 2 on the UK iTunes chart. The latter album was initially offered at a price of 4.99, but increased by three-pound to 7.99 once news of her death began circulating. Numerous Twitter users described the price hike has "greedy" and "shameful", while iTunes and Sony Music (Houston's record label) declined to comment on the matter. One furious Whitney fan said, "Whitney Houston was killed, she wasn't making her label enough money so they are going for one last big sale. Look at iTunes price increase", while another offered, "iTunes increase the price of Whitney Houston albums after her death... I am sure she had a gold tooth, if you want that too Apple?!". However, another fan defended the opportunistic price increase, saying, "People find it opportunistic that iTunes increase price of Whitney music due to high posthumous demand yet hotels increase prices when busy?". Following the angry reaction, the price of the album has since reverted back to 4.99.
Houston also has two other albums in the US iTunes Top 20 - her self-titled debut, and the soundtrack to 'The Bodyguard'.