Haiti third sector fundraising single downloads top charts

09/02/10

Written by Sally O'Connell.

A charity fundraising song has harnessed the power of technology to reach number one in the download charts on the day of its release.

The cover of REM's Everybody Hurts was co-ordinated by Pop Idol judge Simon Cowell and features 21 musicians including Leona Lewis, Robbie Williams and JLS.

It was made available to download on Sunday (February 7th) and in shops yesterday and is expected to sell in excess of one million copies.

As part of the charity fundraising initiative, the video for the song is available to stream online and it can be bought from all major retailers, including iTunes, Amazon, HMV and Zavvi.

Speaking to the Sun, whose Helping Haiti campaign will receive half of the money raised along with the Disasters Emergency Committee, HMV spokesman Gennaro Castaldo said: 'The song is easily on course to be the best-selling single of the week and it stands every chance of becoming the biggest-selling single of the decade.'

He continued by urging readers to buy the song and support the people of Haiti.

Some 200,000 people are thought to have died in the seven-magnitude quake that shook Haiti on January 12th.

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