Jimmy Buffett Leads Rock Digital Song Sales With New Track ‘Bubbles Up’

Jimmy Buffett’s posthumously released single “Bubbles Up” debuts at No. 1 on Billboard’s Rock Digital Song Sales chart with 8,000 downloads sold in the U.S. Sept. 8-14, according to Luminate.

Buffett, who died Sept. 1 at age 76, replaces himself atop Rock Digital Song Sales, where his signature song, 1977’s “Margaritaville,” led the Sept. 16-dated ranking (16,000 sold, up 8,415%, Sept. 1-7). The latter ranks at No. 3 on the latest list with 3,000 sold.

“Bubbles Up” is Buffett’s second career No. 1 on a Billboard songs chart as the only credited artist on a newly released song: “Margaritaville” led the Adult Contemporary chart dated May 28, 1977. He last topped Billboard album charts with new music thanks to his most recent LP, Life on the Flip Side, in 2020.

“Bubbles Up” is joined by “My Gummie Just Kicked In” (No. 5; 3,000 sold) and “Like My Dog” (No. 6; 2,000) as new Buffett tunes on Rock Digital Song Sales. All three songs arrived Sept. 8 and are set to be on Equal Strain on All Parts, Buffett’s 32nd studio album, due Nov. 3.

Buffett music accounts for eight of the Rock Digital Song Sales chart’s 25 positions. In addition to the four tunes noted above, classics “A Pirate Looks at Forty” (No. 12; 1,400 sold), “Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes” (No. 16; 1,100), “Cheeseburger in Paradise” (No. 18; 1,000) and “Son of a Son of a Sailor” (No. 22; 1,000) also place on the Sept. 23 tally.

“Bubbles Up” additionally begins at No. 2 on Country Digital Song Sales and No. 4 on the all-format Digital Song Sales chart, while its sales and 908,000 official U.S. streams send it to a No. 47 debut on the multi-metric Hot Rock & Alternative Songs survey.

Fans flocked to the icon’s trademark feel-good sound following his passing of complications from skin cancer. In the Sept. 1-7 tracking week, his song catalog surged by 1,476% to 78.6 million official on-demand streams and 7,022% to 103,000 paid downloads in the U.S.