HMV has reported that sales of CDs and downloads by artists featured in the Olympic ceremony rocketed over the weekend.

Mike Oldfield, who performed the title track to Tubular Bells during a key part of the ceremony, saw an overnight 757% surge in sales on Saturday.

The retailer saw sales of The Best of Underworld, whose music provided the backdrop to the NHS scene in film director Danny Boyle’s opening ceremony, rocket 500%.

Frank Turner, who performed just before of the official opening ceremony and has seen demand for his album England Keep My Bones rise 371% on the previous day while The Beatles 1 album enjoyed a 268% rise after Paul McCartney performed at the ceremony.

Dizzee Rascal, The Sex Pistols and David Bowie also received a boost.

A spokesman for HMV said: “With British music featuring so strongly in such a spectacular opening ceremony watched by tens of millions in the UK and vast numbers world-wide, it was always likely we would see a huge surge in demand for many of the featured artists’ albums - the big question, I guess, was who that was going to be, and now we know.

“Whilst interest in the likes of Macca and Bowie would have been anticipated, I doubt anyone imagined we’d be talking about Mike Oldfield, Underworld and, least of all, Frank Turner as the biggest beneficiaries from the ceremony.”

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