As Oprah prepares to sign off from her daily talk show for good, The Nielsen Company takes a look at Oprah’s Book Club selections from the past 10 years.

While its undeniable that Oprah’s Book Club delivered mega-sales for its selections, it can be hard to track officially as all editions might have benefited (not just the Oprah edition), including used copies. However, there are some titles that catapulted to bestseller lists following Oprah’s nod. These include:

Oprah Pick #63 (September 17, 2009): “Say You’re One of Them” by Uwem Akpan (Hachette)

While the trade paperback and hardcover editions sold just 47,500 units together, the Oprah trade paperback sold a whopping 405,000 units—an 853 percent increase.

Oprah Pick #62 (September 18, 2008): “The Story of Edgar Sawtelle” by David Wroblewski (Ecco)

According to Oprah.com, Oprah compares this book to classics by John Steinbeck and Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird.” Sales nearly tripled (770,000 paperbacks) after being named to Oprah’s Book Club.

Oprah Pick #57 (May 28, 2007): The Road by Cormac McCarthy (Random House – Knopf/Vintage)

Winner of the Pulitzer Prize and named to Oprah’s Book Club in 2007, this title became a movie in 2009, so it’s no surprise that the book has sold more than 1.5 million copies in total.  However, P.O. (pre-Oprah), “The Road” sold just 156,000 units (178,000 copies of the hardcover edition to date); the Oprah trade paperback edition has sold a whopping 1.4 million units.

Oprah Pick #54 (September 22, 2005): “A Million Little Pieces” by James Frey (Random House – Nan A. Talese/Anchor)

Perhaps the most famous and controversial of Oprah’s picks, “A Million Little Pieces” was that autobiography that wasn’t.  Still, Oprah’s magic worked wonders.  The Oprah trade paperback edition of “A Million Little Pieces” sold a stunning 2.7 million units, while the hardcover had sold 149,500.

*All figures have been rounded to the nearest hundred.

*Source: Nielsen BookScan

*Nielsen BookScan’s US Consumer Market Panel currently covers approximately 75% of retail sales and continues to grow. BookScan does not track sales from Wal-Mart/Sam’s Club.

In comparison to first week book sales by current or past presidents, or by other vice presidential or presidential contenders, Palin runs second behind Bill Clinton’s memoir, My Life, and just ahead of Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton’s Living History.

The media blitz surrounding the book  had an impact on more than book sales. Palin’s Nov. 16 appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show, gave a boost to the talk show queen’s ratings in several major markets. In some cases, more than doubling the average audience when compared to the prior month.

Since the 2008 elections, the former vice presidential candidate remained a hot topic in the media and the blogosphere, as buzz inched up around the book’s release. However, even at the height of the book tour, the web chatter did not eclipse the web attention garnered by her premature exit from the post of Alaska governor earlier this summer.

Nielsen Buzzmetrics analysis shows that more than 16% of tweets over the past 24 hours reference Michael Jackson, and less than 2 percent of Tweets mention Farrah Fawcett and Iran.

A Topper of Charts and a Major TV Draw

That Jackson’s passing dominated the web is no surprise, as he has been a major media draw for decades. According to Billboard, over the course of his solo career, Jackson charted 47 singles on the Billboard Hot 100, 13 of which went to No. 1. As part of the Jackson 5, he earned an additional four No. 1 Hot 100 hits.In addition to his unparalleled dominance on the Billboard music charts with albums like Thriller, his past television appearances have attracted millions of curious viewers eager to see more of the reclusive, yet ubiquitous, star.

That influence may even extend to her personal trainer, Bob Greene, whose “Best Life” program endorses consumer products that promote healthy living.

According to a recent Nielsen report, products featuring Greene’s “Best Life” seal of approval on their packaging easily outsold traditional food and beverage products. 

In 2008, brands endorsed by “Best Life” generated a 9.2% dollar sales increase, year-over-year, while all food and beverage products increased by just 4.6% during the same time period. 

During the most recent five-year period, “Best Life” brands also outperformed other brands.  Dollar sales of “Best Life” brands grew by 30% during the time period, while sales of all food and beverage products increased by just 13%.

View the full report.