John Lennon's Timeless Single Is Still Debuting On Charts To This Day
John Lennon’s legacy remains impeccable, even decades after his death. His music is still reaching new people and impacting the charts, which is an incredible accomplishment after so much time has passed. The former Beatle launches one of his most famous tracks on a pair of tallies this week, earning not just Lennon, but also his wife, another hit—one that’s already become a smash in many other regards.
“Instant Karma (We All Shine On)” reaches two charts in the United Kingdom for the first time this week. At first glance, it looks like the single has already landed on the two tallies it appears on at the moment, but further research seems to suggest that it’s actually new to these lists.
Lennon and Yoko Ono see “Instant Karma (We All Shine On)” appear on both the Official Singles Downloads and Official Singles Sales charts this week. The tune settles at Nos. 78 and 86, respectively. Those individual tallies report the song as a return, but the single’s own page via the Official Charts Company—the U.K.’s Billboard equivalent—states that this frame is its first on those two rosters.
Different versions of “Instant Karma” have reached the U.K. charts in the past, and it looks like this specific take, which is credited to both Lennon and Ono—and only them—is new to these specific rosters. An earlier edition, which also names The Plastic Ono Band alongside the two main stars, became a top 10 smash on the list of the most-consumed songs in the country back in 1970. That year, it spent several turns at No. 5, which turned out to be the track’s peak.
Source: Hugh McIntyre/forbes.com
