Sony Apologizes for Whitney Houston Price Hike
Days after Sony hiked prices on two Whitney Houston albums, the record label apologized following criticism that it was cashing in on the singer's death.
Sony stated that the albums were "mistakenly mispriced," but "when discovered, the mistake was immediately corrected."
The hefty price boost generated anger among Houston's fans, some of whom took to Twitter to call for a boycott of Sony.
The price increases, which were made last Sunday, only occurred on iTunes' UK site. The compilation album The Ultimate Collection jumped 60 percent from $7.85 to $12.50, while The Greatest Hits rose from $12.50 to $15.67, a 25 percent bump. Prices returned to normal later in the day.
A source at Sony told Billboard the price jumps were the result of "an employee error." There were rumors of price adjustments at other outlets, but nothing could be confirmed.
Sales of Houston's albums and singles skyrocketed after the music icon's death last Saturday. Whitney: The Greatest Hits collection sold 64,000 copies, placing it at #6 on the Billboard 200 chart, while the digital track for "I Will Always Love You" moved 195,000 units.
