"Glastonbury Effect" boosts Jay-Z's British sales

LONDON (Reuters Life!) - Jay-Z's appearance at Britain's Glastonbury Festival may have upset some rock purists, but it was music to the ears of his bank manager.

Sales of the rapper's last album rocketed nearly five-fold in the days after his headline performance at Worthy Farm in Somerset, according to HMV figures released on Friday.

HMV spokesman Gennaro Castaldo said five of Jay-Z's old singles, including "Big Pimpin'", "99 Problems" and "Hard Knock Life", are expected to re-enter the British charts this Sunday.

"The Black Album", released by the New Yorker in 2003, saw a 480 percent increase in sales.

"The choice of Jay-Z may have been a controversial one ... but it seems that the fans who were there or watched his performance on TV loved it," Castaldo said.

There was even some good news for Oasis's Noel Gallagher, who attacked the organizers for choosing Jay-Z as a headline act. His song "Wonderwall" enjoyed an 18 percent sales rise after Jay-Z teasingly included it in his festival performance.

Other performers also benefited from their Glastonbury appearances, with higher sales for Neil Diamond, Amy Winehouse and The Verve.

"The 'Glastonbury Effect' on artist sales appears more pronounced than ever before," Castaldo added.

(Reporting by Peter Griffiths; editing by Steve Addison)