Music
12 Dec 16

Mozart sold more CDs this year than Drake

The most streamed artist in the world couldn't compete with this long since deceased classical composer.

Despite being the most streamed artist in the world with number one sales on iTunes, Drake hasn't cracked the physical market in quite the same way. The most sold CD of 2016 goes to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

Mozart 225: The New Complete Edition has shifted 1.25 million total CDs in the five weeks since its Oct. 28 release, according to Universal.

The only catch here is that each sale of the boxset comprises 200 CDs and plays for a total of ten days. So rather than 1.25 million CDs being moved off the shelves, upwards 6,250 sold box sets have reportedly been sold throughout the year.

Still, at over £300 a boxset, it's a strong number.

Universal call it the “most authoritative, complete and scholarly box set ever devoted to the work of a single composer.”

There are over 600 soloists and 60 orchestras involved in the recording process.

The figures show just how much the CD format has declined, with artists increasingly relying on touring and merchandising to make money.