N.W.A. hits top charts with 27-year-old song

The music group N.W.A. hits its first Billboard Hot 100 single over 25 years after the song was first released.

The track “Straight Outta Compton” that hails as the title to the new biopic movie of the same name secured a spot on the top chart. Billboard announced the news on Tuesday, with a nod to the former rap group’s acclaimed, yet controversial, biopic movie that was just released in theaters this month, according to Entertainment Weekly.

According to Billboard, “Straight Outta Compton,” single from their 1988 album debuted at No. 38 on their chart dated Sept. 5.

The Billboard Hot 100 is usually full of only newly released songs. But due to their rule that any song, including older tracks, are eligible to chart if they rank in the top 50 and if they show a notable gain in sales, whether that be gained from streaming or airplay, “Straight Outta Compton,” sound their spot on the chart.

Nielsen Music tracks data for Billboard charts. According to them, “Straight Outta Compton” secured over 35,000 downloads and 5.7 million domestic streams just during the week ending Aug. 20 alone. This followed six days behind the N.W.A. biopic was released under the same title, Straight Outta Compton, debuted in theaters as well as topped the movie box office.

And that was not the only comeback kicked back from the new movie. Former N.W.A. member Ice Cube got his third Hot 100 hit with his 1987 solo debut, “Boyz-N-The-Hood,” that came in at No. 50.

Overall, the biopic has sparked a renewed interest in the former rap group led by Ice Cube, Dr. Dre and Eazy-E that doesn’t look like it will be fading out anytime soon. With the movie hitting No. 1 at the box office, old fans and new alike are flocking to get their headphones on to experience the influential music.

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