12 classic songs that found a way to have new chart success

Hit songs come and go. They make it relatively big or ride the charts for a while, and in most cases, remain just a memory for the original fans who come back to them from time to time, get their charity plays on radio shows, but mainly remain parts of music history archives.

Yet, there are those chosen few that make chart comeback, sometimes even greater than they originally had. And it is not just the old fans that make them climb the chart ladders again, but the new generations of listeners and fans that are actually hearing them for the first time.

The reasons behind these comebacks are rarely random and are usually driven by their inclusion in movies, TV series, ad campaigns, or new, popular shows playing them all over again. Here are a dozen of "old timers" that had their deserved chart comeback.

12 classic songs that made it back on the charts years after being originally released

“Stand By Me” by Ben E. King

Original release year: 1961
Comeback year: 1986

Ben E. King found inspiration for this one in an old gospel hymn "Lord Stand By Me," adding a more earthly touch to the lyrics. On its original release, it reached No. 4 on the charts. When Rob Reiner included the song in his hit film of the same name, it made its comeback at No. 9.

“Twist and Shout” by The Beatles

Original release year: 1963
Comeback year: 1986

No, this was not the Beatles original, as they picked up this one from the Top Notes, who didn’t do much with it chart-wise.

Still, in 1963, the Beatles were on the rise, and their version was the one that made it big, hitting No. 2 in the charts a year later. And then, in 1986, it was featured in two movies that propelled it back into the charts - the now iconic "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" - with the song reaching No. 23.

“Dreams” by Fleetwood Mac

Original release year: 1977
Comeback year: 2020

This Stevie Nicks classic was a staple of Fleetwood Mac live shows, coming from possibly their best album, Rumours. It was an instant hit, reaching No. 1 upon its initial release. Then, in 2020, new generations discovered it through TikTok, and up until now it has millions and millions of views on this social media platform.

“Under Pressure” by Queen and David Bowie

Original release year: 1981
Comeback years: 2016 and 2018

At one point in the early 1980s both Bowie and Queen were in the Swiss Alps working on their separate projects, joining forces to record this joint song. The song did well, hitting the charts at No. 29 at the time and remaining there for a hefty 16 weeks. When Bowie passed in 2016, the song had its first comeback, with the Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody propelling it to charts again in 2018.

“Billie Jean” by Michael Jackson

Original release year: 1983
Comeback years: 2009 and 2014

This one came out in 1983; at the time, it was all the rage, and Michael Jackson had the knack for creating great pop songs and great videos at the same time, picture-perfect if you will. No wonder this one hit No. 1 with ease. When Jackson passed in 2009, it was back at No. 4, and again in 2014, when it reached No. 14

“Purple Rain” by Prince and The Revolution

Original release year: 1984
Comeback year: 2016

Prince originally thought this would be a great one for Fleetwood Mac as a country tune. That idea never came to be, so Prince decided to do it himself as he would do it anyway, taking it to No. 2 as a single and gracing the album (and film) of the same name as one of his best. It was the passing of this musical legend in 2016 that sparked the song’s return to the top and the soundtrack of the film to No. 2, too.

“Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)” by Kate Bush

Original release year: 1985
Comeback year: 2022

This is where the power of modern streaming services comes to light. When this one was first released back in 1985 it reached only No. 30 in the charts, considered a good charting for a song that ran against the grain of other hit singles at the time. But when it was prominently included in the fourth season of the Stranger Things series, it truly exploded, reaching No. 1 with ease.

“Goo Goo Muck” by The Cramps

Original release year: 1981
Comeback year: 2022

The Cramps came up with their punked-up version of this Ronnie Cook and the Gaylads’ rockabilly tune from 1962 back in 1981, and at that time, it didn’t even chart. Another inclusion in a Netflix series (Wednesday, 2022) revived not only the interest in the song but also the Cramps themselves.

“The End” by the Doors

Original release year: 1967
Comeback year: 1979

The Doors signature epic had very little airplay back in 1967 when it was first released. Not only was it 12 minutes long, but its deeply dark Jim Morrison lyrics were not something "respectable" radio stations would go for at the time. Yet when Francis Ford Coppola included it in his film epic Apocalypse Now, it got the more prominent attention it really deserved.

“Lust for Life” by Iggy Pop

Original release year: 1977
Comeback year: 1996

Iggy Pop himself never shied away from controversy, so it was possibly inevitable that this collaboration with David Bowie back in 1977 wasn’t that much on the charts when it was first released. Yet another film inclusion, this time in Danny Boyle’s iconic Trainspotting, gave the song the prominence it truly deserved.

“Murder on the Dancefloor” by Sophie Ellis-Bextor

Original release year: 2001
Comeback year: 2024

Ellis-Bextor practically debuted with this disco-flavored tune back in 2001, and it did big at the time too, reaching No. 2. Falling a bit in the shadows, the Netflix Saltburn series gave it another big boost in 2023, with the song charting all over the place again.

“How Long”  by Ace

Original release year: 1974
Comeback year: 2020

Considered one of the better exponents of what was dubbed as pub rock, Ace was never more than a cult band, even though this song reached No. 3 at the time in the U.S. and Canada (and only No. 20 in the native U.K.). When Amazon Prime picked it up for its ad during the outbreak of COVID-19 in 2020, it hit No. 1 with an ease nobody expected, probably Ace themselves too.

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