U2's Songs of Innocence was downloaded by 26 million people
Apple is finally releasing numbers about the notorious U2 album that supposedly no one wanted. In a report to Billboard Apple claims over 26 million people downloaded the complete Songs of Innocence album out of the 500 million people for whom the record was available to via iTunes. Of course that's not the end of the numbers. In total 81 million people "experienced" songs from the record via iTunes, iTunes Radio, and Beats music service.
In a statement to Billboard Eddy Cue, Apple's senior VP of internet software and services, addressed how important these numbers are for U2.
"To help put this into perspective," he says, "prior to this, 14 million customers had purchased music from U2 since the opening of the iTunes Store in 2003."
The deal worked out handsomely for the band, receiving $100 million in free advertising for their album, but the 26 million number is stunning. To put it perspective the band's legendary Joshua Tree album has sold 25 million copies since its release in 1987.
