Frankie Beverly’s Music Hits Billboard Top 10 After His Death

Legendary R&B and soul singer Frankie Beverly, best known for his smooth vocals and timeless hits, passed away on September 10 at the age of 77. Following his death, fans flocked to streaming platforms to revisit his music, propelling three of his classic songs into Billboard’s R&B Digital Song Sales chart top 10.

According to RatedRnB, the singer saw a massive uptick in sales on the list after news of his death hit the airwaves. His most popular song, “Before I Let Go,” which seems like it’s been played at every Black BBQ for the past 40 years, shot up to the No. 2 slot on Billboard’s R&B Digital Song Sales chart, according to Luminate. “Joy and Pain” was at the  No. 7 spot, while “Golden Time of Day” came in at No. 7.

Frankie Beverly’s iconic track “Before I Let Go” saw a massive 540% increase in streams, jumping from 156,000 to nearly 1 million. His song “Joy and Pain” experienced an even bigger surge, with streams rising by 1200%, from 50,000 to over 654,000.

Overall, sales of Frankie Beverly’s music catalog surged by 9,308%. Before his passing, just 95 digital tracks were sold between September 8-10, but after his death, sales skyrocketed to over 8,900 between September 11-13.

In 2019, Beyoncé recorded a cover of “Before I Let Go,” which Beverly called a great honor. Speaking to Billboard at the time, he said, “It’s a blessing. It’s amazing how she works; she’s very smart. I’m caught off guard, but in a beautiful way. She’s such a sweet, religious person. The way she released it—it’s off the chain. This is one of the high points of my life.”