Brian Wilson Charts A New Hit Solo Album Following His Passing

Brian Wilson, the legendary singer, songwriter, producer, and genius behind The Beach Boys, passed away earlier this month on June 11. Since the tragic news broke, the talented man’s music has become hugely popular again, as is often the case whenever a legend like him dies. The beloved musician even scores a new solo win in the United Kingdom now that a full tracking week has passed and fans continue to honor his work.

Brian Wilson’s Smile Debuts

On the Official Album Downloads chart, Brian Wilson Presents Smile finally debuts. The set, which is credited to Wilson alone and which goes officially by the name Smile, opens at No. 87 on the ranking of the top-selling full-lengths and EPs on platforms like iTunes and Amazon throughout the U.K.

A Rare Solo Appearance for Brian Wilson

Wilson has only reached the Official Album Downloads chart twice under his own name. He first landed on the tally just over a decade ago in April 2015, when No Pier Pressure launched at No. 70. That set would spend just one frame on the ranking before disappearing.

Brian Wilson’s Smile Has Charted Before

While Smile is new to the Official Album Downloads list, it has already appeared on multiple other rankings in the U.K. Smile peaked at No. 7 on both the Official Albums and Official Physical Albums charts. It also gave Wilson his first appearance on the Official Vinyl Albums ranking, where it entered and stalled at No. 32 in May 2005.

Decades in the Making, Smile Becomes a Bestseller

Smile was originally conceived as a Beach Boys album that Wilson had been working on in the mid-sixties. At the time, he faced health issues and abandoned the project, and he didn’t pick it back up for decades. When the producer and songwriter finally felt ready to dedicate his time and effort to the full-length, he decided to continue working on it alone, finished it, and released the full-length in September 2004 — a little less than 40 years after he began it.

The album was regarded as a critical smash, and in the two decades since it dropped, its lore has only grown. Now, as the world mourns Wilson, it has become a bestselling title once again.