The Beatles' 'Blackbird' Needed More Than Half A Century To Hit The Top 40
“Blackbird” is one of the deepest songs by The Beatles when it comes to the meaning behind the tune. The track is all about the civil rights movement that was taking place in the United States during the end of the group’s time together. In the decades since its release, it’s become a classic, and now, finally, a smash.
The Beatles’ cut finally flies into the top 40 in the United Kingdom for the first time this week. The tune reaches that important region—which often declares when a song becomes a hit—on one list as it surges. It also manages to launch within that tier on another tally, as the group doubles up with the half-century-old composition.
“Blackbird” rises into the top 40 on the Official Singles Downloads chart, hitting a new high in its second frame on the list. This week, the cut pushes from No. 96 to No. 31, gaining quite a bit of ground in only a few days as British fans continue to buy the cut.
The beloved production also debuts on one other chart in the U.K. “Blackbird” simultaneously opens at No. 35 on the Official Singles Sales ranking, which includes all forms of purchases, not just downloads.
Despite being one of The Beatles’ most memorable tracks, “Blackbird” is new to the U.K. charts. The song only reached any list for the first time last week, when it hit the Official Singles Downloads ranking. Now, it’s doubled the total number of tallies it’s reached in the band’s home country.
“Blackbird” marks the seventh top 40 hit on both of those charts for The Beatles. That may seem like a small sum for a band as popular and commercially successful as the Fab Four, but they released almost all of their biggest tunes long before the Official Charts Company introduced either list.
Source: Hugh McIntyre/forbes.com
