Eddie Money, The Cars Classics Hit Hot Rock Songs Chart After Legends’ Deaths
Money's "Take Me Home Tonight" enters at No. 3.
Eddie Money and The Cars infuse Billboard‘s Hot Rock Songs chart dated Sept. 28 following Money’s death on Sept. 13 and Cars frontman Ric Ocasek‘s passing two days later.
Money’s 1986 top five Billboard Hot 100 hit “Take Me Home Tonight” leads the way, entering at No. 3 while crowning Rock Digital Song Sales, up 266% to 11,000 downloads sold, according to Nielsen Music. (Older song are allowed to enter Billboard‘s hybrid charts if ranking in the top half and showing a meaningful reason for their re-entries.)
Money’s “Two Tickets to Paradise” (No. 4), “Shakin’ ” (No. 10) and “Baby Hold On” (No. 12) also enter the tally.
The Cars, meanwhile, bow highest with their 1984 top five Hot 100 hit “Drive” (sung by bassist Benjamin Orr, who died in 2000), at No. 6, up 1,526% to 7,000 sold. Their other entries: “Just What I Needed” (No. 9) and “My Best Friend’s Girl” (No. 21).
The Cars’ The Complete Greatest Hits begins at No. 6 on Top Rock Albums, with 16,000 equivalent album units earned (including 5,000 in album sales), up 492%. Money’s The Best of Eddie Money follows at No. 8 with 12,000 units (3,000 in sales), up 830%.
Money died Sept. 13 at age 70 of complications from esophageal cancer. Ocasek passed Sept. 15 at 75 from natural causes.
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