Top line
In a year dominated by modern pop mainstays like Taylor Swift (age 34) and rising stars like 20-year-old Olivia Rodrigo, musicians hailing from a bygone era still managed some big hits, with nine musicians over 70 years reached the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 singles or Top 200 albums in 2023.
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Key facts
The Beatles had their first Billboard Top 10 single since 1996 with the AI-assisted “Now and Then,” which debuted at No. 7 on the Hot 100, featuring vocals from surviving members Paul McCartney, 81, and Ringo Starr, 83 .
The Rolling Stones’ new album Hackney Diamonds reached No. 3 in the Top 200, with surviving members Mick Jagger, 80, Keith Richards, 80, and Ronnie Wood, 76.
Dolly Parton, 77,’s new album, “Rockstar,” debuted at No. 3 on the Top 200 last month, making it her highest-charting album to date.
Brenda Lee, 79, became the oldest artist to reach No. 1 on the Hot 100 when her holiday classic “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree” ended its 65-year climb to the top of the charts in December.
She wasn’t the only holiday singer with old classic singles to seasonally crack the Top 10: The Ronnettes, still survived by 77-year-old Nedra Talley, returned to the Top 10 with their 1963 record “Sleigh Ride.” , along with 78-year-old Jose Feliciano’s “Feliz Navidad.”
A big number
4. So many acts featuring musicians over 70 landed in the Top 10 singles this year – the same as last year, although last year’s group included Elton John, who hit the Top 10 twice with collaborations with Dua Lipa and Britney Spears. There are two albums by septuagenarians that hit the top 10 this year – one less than 2022, a year that includes a remaster of the Beatles’ Revolver album, as well as new albums from Bruce Springsteen and Ozzy Osbourne .
Key background
For musical icons like The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and Dolly Parton, the latest chart achievements continue to add to their ever-growing legacies. With “Hackney Diamonds,” the Stones became the first group to record a Top 10 album in every decade since the 1960s. With “Now And Then,” The Beatles joined an elite group of just 13 artists to achieve a top 10 hit single in every decade since the 1960s. And Parton’s album — billed as her first “rock album” — easily put her atop the list of best rock and alternative albums for the first time in her record-breaking career. Brenda Lee’s rise to the top of the charts attracted attention after she set a record for the longest climb to the top of the charts. Older musicians also had major success off the charts. Before Taylor Swift’s Eras tour topped $1 billion this year, Elton John’s sprawling Goodbye Yellow Brick Road temporarily set the record for the highest-grossing tour of all time when it ended in July. And Bruce Springsteen (74) had the third-highest-grossing tour of the year, behind only megastars Taylor Swift and Beyoncé, according to Pollstar.
Tangent
Jimmy Buffett, who died this year aged 76, also made the top 10 on the charts – twice. His 1985 album Songs You Know By Heart entered the Top 10 following his death in September. And his posthumous album of new music – “Equal Strain On All Parts” – reached No. 6 after its release in November.
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