Buddy Holly Earns A New Posthumous Bestseller

Forbes

06-05-2025

Buddy Holly's The Very Best Of returns him to the U.K. charts decades after his passing, thanks to a ... More tribute-filled new book from Paul McCartney and members of The Who. NEW YORK - CIRCA 1958: Buddy Holly (Charles Hardin Holley) poses for a portrait circa 1958 in New York City, New York. (Photo by Michael) getty
Buddy Holly has been gone for more than 60 years at this point. He died at just 22, when his career was only beginning to take off. He had already achieved commercial success in both the U.S. and the U.K. by that point, and his legacy has continued to grow in the six decades since his death in a plane crash.
More than half a century later — far longer than he was alive to make music — Holly is still collecting new wins on the charts and being honored by major musicians.
Holly returns to the U.K. music rankings this week with a beloved compilation. The Very Best Of , which credits both Holly and his band the Crickets, debuts on a pair of tallies as it finally becomes a bestseller.
The Very Best Of launches at No. 54 on the Official Physical Albums chart. At the same time, it enters at No. 61 on the Official Albums Sales list, which also includes digital purchases.
This frame marks just the third time Holly has scored a posthumous placement on the Official Albums Sales chart. He's only appeared on that list once as a solo act, with All Time Greats in 2021. A few years earlier, he collaborated with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra on True Love Ways , which remains his only top 10 on that ranking, as it peaked at No. 8.
Holly has fared better on the Official Physical Albums tally. With The Very Best Of , he's doubled his total number of career appearances on this roster, which focuses on CD, vinyl, and cassette sales, when compared to the Official Albums Sales ranking. In both instances, the new arrival marks a new low for the late star. Buddy Holly's Compilation is a Hit Thanks to a New Book
It appears that The Very Best Of is the same compilation of that name originally released in August 1999. The set — and Holly's music in general — is back in the spotlight following the release of a book titled Buddy Holly: Words of Love . The 400-plus-page book features musicians paying tribute to Holly, describing how he influenced their work and expressing the hope that their attention can keep his music and name alive.
The project, which was heralded by his widow Maria Elena Holly, includes contributions from Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend of The Who, Paul McCartney, and Ronnie Wood of The Rolling Stones, who painted the cover art.