The Billboard Hot 100 Chart debuted in the 4th of August, 1958, and has since had a significant influence to pop music especially in the Americas. Six decades down the line, this Chart still ranks as the top-ranking platforms for American rap and pop music for. The rankings are carried out every week. As expected, the death of a renowned artist sparks a spirit of togetherness to commemorate their passing. Such scenarios usually lead to the artists taking up pole position in the Billboard Top 100 after their demise, with some claiming the top position for days up to several weeks. Here are some of the highly-ranked musicians and their respective songs which ranked atop the Hot 100 list in the event of their death.
Otis Redding with the Song “The Dock of the Bay”: No. 1 on the Chart on 16 March 1968
Otis Redding passed away aged 26 years old in a fatal air crash on 10th December 1967. Two months after his demise, his track “Sitting on the Dock of the Bay” made to the top of the Hot 100 Chart, after nineteen past entries that never made it beyond number twenty-one on the list.
Source: Amazon.com
Upon reaching the summit, the track stayed atop for four weeks, gaining a vast influence amongst various cover artists such as Michael Bolton.