Ozzy’s Death Will Give His Sales & Streams a Big Bump — But a Biopic Could Provide an Even Bigger Lift

If history is any precedent, consumption of Ozzy Osbourne’s music will skyrocket in the coming weeks and, possibly, remain above the level it was at before he died — for months or even years. 

An artist’s passing always causes a surge in activity: As news spreads and tributes appear on social media and in the press, fans play their songs at streaming services and buy their albums. This year, we saw a 184% increase in The Beach Boys‘ streams, and the highest chart position in 60 years for the Pet Sounds album, the week after Brian Wilson’s death on June 11, according to Luminate. We also witnessed a 563% increase in Sly & the Family Stone’s streams the week after Sly Stone’s passing on June 9, while Angie Stone’s streams jumped over 1,260% in the week following her death on March 1. 

What doesn’t get reported weeks or months later is that the deceased artist’s consumption remains elevated for weeks, months or years. Sinead O’Connor’s weekly U.S. consumption remains 32% above the level it was at before she died on July 26, 2023. Similarly, Tina Turner’s catalog consumption remains 25% greater than the week before she died on May 24, 2023. Sometimes the increase is noticeable but short-lived: The New York Dolls’ numbers returned to normal eight weeks after the Feb. 28 death of frontman David Johansen.  

Osbourne’s rare position as a pop culture icon and musical legend means his death could lead to a long-lasting surge in streams and sales. Given his unique stature, the best comparisons for Osbourne’s potential come from a select group of icons whose deaths resulted in greater-than-normal media coverage and fan reactions.  

Nearly a decade after their deaths, both Prince and David Bowie are enjoying music consumption well above their pre-death levels. Some of those gains are to be expected, since both died when industry revenue was just one year removed from the post-Napster low; U.S. music business revenue more than doubled from 2016 to 2024, according to the RIAA. Nevertheless, their deaths were followed by a long-lasting surge in buying and streaming.  

When Prince unexpectedly died in 2016, consumption of his music — measured in album equivalent units — jumped 125-fold in the first full week after his death. Eight months later, total consumption was more than double the levels seen prior to his death.  

Bowie’s music experienced a similar trajectory. A week after his death, also in 2016, total consumption was up 61-fold. Eight months later, total consumption was up 59% and album sales were nearly double the level they were at before his death.  

Osbourne’s post-death consumption bump could be just the beginning. For a select group of musical and pop culture icons — and Osbourne is arguably in this camp — careers receive long-lasting boosts from a high-budget motion picture. Take Queen and Elton John, for example. Queen was the focus of Bohemian Rhapsody, which grossed over $900 million worldwide in theaters and earned Rami Malek an Academy Award for best actor for his portrayal of frontman Freddie Mercury. John was the subject of Rocket Man, a 2019 film with a $195 million theatrical run.  

Boasting such classic songs as “Bohemian Rhapsody” and “Another One Bites the Dust,” Queen’s catalog performed well before the film Bohemian Rhapsody was released in November 2018. But the movie’s release had an immediate impact, increasing Queen’s music consumption in the U.S. by 164% in 2018 after being in theaters for just two months that year. Consumption increased another 73% in 2019 as the film was also a success on the small screen. Although annual consumption has steadily trailed off since 2019, the movie’s impact has yet to disappear completely: Queen’s music consumption in 2024 was 84% higher than in 2017, the year before Bohemian Rhapsody was released. For comparative purposes, without a biopic, Led Zeppelin’s consumption increased 24% over the same period. 

Rocket Man, released on May 31, 2019, sent John’s catalog into a higher orbit. U.S. consumption rose 60% that year, and after a 22% decline from 2019 consumption in 2020, his numbers have consistently remained above pre-release levels. However, taking market growth into account (see the Led Zeppelin example above), John’s numbers seem to have fallen back to earth. Last year, consumption of John’s music was 24% above 2018, the same as Led Zeppelin’s growth over a similar period. 

More recently, the film A Complete Unknown provided a boost to Bob Dylan’s catalog. Weekly consumption of Dylan’s music in the U.S. rose 245% in the six weeks after the film’s Dec. 25, 2024, release (consumption started growing in October due to a heavy pre-release promotional campaign). After a theatrical run that grossed $140 million worldwide, the movie’s March 27 release on Hulu caused a 30% jump in weekly consumption. The weekly numbers have since subsided but remain 60% above the level they were at prior to the film’s media blitz in late 2024.  

Of course, Bohemian Rhapsody is an ultra-successful outlier, and Rocket Man and A Complete Unknown both had better-than-average ticket sales. The truth is that many biopics fail to connect with audiences or leave a lasting impact on the musician’s catalog. Movies about Whitney Houston (I Wanna Dance With Somebody) and Jimi Hendrix (Jimi: All is by My Side) didn’t produce the same box office results, and those artists’ catalogs didn’t get a Queen-like bump.  

A documentary about Osbourne that’s scheduled to hit Paramount+ by the end of 2025 could provide a boost to his catalog. O’Connor’s catalog got a 47% boost the week after Showtime debuted the documentary Nothing Compares in September 2022, and Sly & The Family Stone’s consumption increased 92% in the four weeks following the debut of SLY LIVES! (aka The Burden of Black Genius) on Hulu on Jan. 23.

But a biopic would do more for Osbourne’s catalog than a documentary, and Osbourne is a fitting character for a Hollywood film. After spending the ‘80s in the crosshairs of conservatives (for the themes in his music) and animal rights activists (for biting the head off a bat during a concert), Osbourne gained mainstream fame from The Osbournes, an MTV reality series from 2002 to 2005 that revealed the singer’s off-stage family life. And his bona fides within rock and metal circles are undeniable. Osbourne had a long-running tour that bore his name, Ozzfest, and since 2012 has had a SiriusXM channel that bears his name, Ozzy’s Boneyard.  

Whether Osbourne eventually becomes the subject of a Hollywood biopic is another matter. But the outpouring seen following his death suggests that his catalog could have a fruitful life for years to come.