We scream, you scream, we all scream “Umbrella Academy”!
“Netflix’s new series The Umbrella Academy isn’t just a much-talked-about hit. Music featured in the 10-episode first season, which premiered in its entirety Feb. 15, shows major gains in streams and sales on Billboard charts dated March 2.
In all, the catalog of music featured in the show gained by 50 percent in the Feb. 15-21 tracking week, according to Nielsen Music.
Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now” leads all music from the show in overall volume in the tracking week, having sold 8,000 downloads and drawn 4.8 million U.S. streams, up 81 and 25 percent, respectively. It should be noted, however, that the track has also seen corresponding gains from the home media release of the Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody.
As for songs not assisted by another outside force? That’s Tiffany’s “I Think We’re Alone Now,” featured in the show’s first episode in a castwide dance scene that’s become one of the most-discussed moments of the series so far, which sold 4,000 downloads and garnered 1 million streams — vaults of 1,593 and 213 percent, respectively. Tiffany’s song, a cover of Tommy James and the Shondells’ 1967 hit, spent two weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in November 1987.
As for other Umbrella-featured music, series executive producer Gerard Way’s cover of Simon & Garfunkel’s “Hazy Shade of Winter,” featuring Ray Toro, initially released prior to the show’s release in its first trailer, debuts on Alternative Digital Song Sales at No. 20 with 2,000 sold, up 391 percent. Directly below, Woodkid’s “Run Boy Run” debuts at No. 21 (2,000, up 1,639 percent).
Other major gains include They Might Be Giants’ “Istanbul (Not Constantinople)” (1,000 sold and 392,000 streams; up 2,577 and 487 percent, respectively), David Gray’s “This Year’s Love” (1,000 sold, 294,000 streams; up 475 and 63 percent), Toploader’s “Dancing in the Moonlight” (1,000 sold, 388,000 streams; up 1,126 and 52 percent) and Nina Simone’s “Sinnerman” (1,000 sold, 243,000 streams; up 490 and 93 percent).
The comic book series on which The Umbrella Academy is based was written by Way, former lead singer of My Chemical Romance (Toro, who plays guitar on two songs created for the show with Way, was the band’s guitarist). Way executive produced the series, which was developed by Steve Blackman and Jeremy Slater.” – Billboard.com
