iTunes, Sony Raise Prices on Whitney Houston Albums, Songs

Executives at Sony briefly went green over Whitney Houston's memory.

Whitney Houston albums somehow, for some reason, cost about $5 more on iTunes than they did before the famed singer was found dead Saturday at the age of 48, according to multiple reports.

Hmm.

DigitalSpy and several United Kingdom news sources were among the first to report that copies of Houston's "Ultimate Collection" album were selling for $12.60 on Monday, exactly $4.70 more than what they sold for prior to Houston's death.

Apple representatives did not comment. Sony Music was accused of profiteering after the price of Houston's album was jacked up 60 percent at around 4 a.m. California time on Sunday, according to the UK Guardian. By Monday, the album was back to its regular price, the newspaper reported.

Sony Music raised the wholesale price of Houston's back catalog in what fans called a "cynical ploy."

Right now, it's possible to grab Houston favorites for more-reasonable sums. For single songs, Houston's arguably most-famous hit, "I Will Always Love You" from "The Bodyguard" soundtrack, sells for $0.69. Nearly every other Houston track sells for $1.29.

Copies of "The Basics," a 15-track Greatest Hits album, will set you back $18.45. It's not immediately clear what the record cost prior to her death, but $18.45 is comparatively steep among iTunes album prices.

Houston titles are, predictably, some of the best-selling items on iTunes right now.

 

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