Jimmy Buffett’s “Margaritaville” Posthumously Hits No. 1

Upon Jimmy Buffett’s recent death, the iconic singer’s music saw a resurgence on the charts, with some of his songs landing on streaming charts for the first time ever.

Likely the first song to come to mind when thinking of Jimmy Buffett is “Margaritaville.” Not only did the tune become the singer’s signature hit, but it helped him launch a billion-dollar empire based on laid back island living. When “Margaritaville” was released in 1977 it found a place atop the Easy Listening chart, but failed to reach No. 1 on any other chart despite its critical reception.

As news of Buffett’s death spread, fans new and old were quick to purchase his songs and albums en mass. The run on Jimmy’s music launched “Margaritaville” to the top of the all-genre iTune Top Songs chart, unseating two-week chart-topper Oliver Anthony. Five more of Jimmy’s songs sit on the same chart as of press time, including: “Come Monday,” “Cheeseburger in Paradise,” “Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes,” “A Pirate Looks At Forty” and “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere (LIVE).”

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Even more impressive, and a witness to the impact of Jimmy Buffett’s music on the world, is that 9 of the top 10 all-genre iTunes Top Albums belong to Buffett.  It’s also worth noting that 34 of the 36 albums released during his career are currently in the all-genre Top 100. These albums includes studio projects, compilation albums, live albums, and specialty albums.

Jimmy Buffett passed away September 1 after a brave four-year battle with cancer.

According to his obituary, he had been fighting Merkel Cell Skin Cancer. Friends of the singer told TMZ that the skin cancer developed into lymphoma which is what ultimately took his life.

Jimmy Buffett continued to perform throughout his treatments, although he was briefly hospitalized twice in the last year and canceled or rescheduled a few concerts. His final public performance took place July 2, 2022, in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, where he joined Mac McAnally, a longtime member of his Coral Reefer Band, for a surprise show.

Footage of Jimmy’s surprise appearance on stage with Mac was captured by a fan and shared to social media. The clips show McAnally singing “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere” on stage at Sunset Cove, a local bar and cafe. When he got to the familiar line, “At a moment like this, I can’t help but wonder, what would Jimmy Buffett do?” Jimmy walked on stage, strapped on his guitar and began to sing.

Fans in attendance reported that Buffett stayed on stage for 45 minutes and performed six songs for the crowd. No one knew that his surprise performance would be his last.

Watch Jimmy Buffett sing “Margaritaville” at his final show in the video below.