Billboard’s inaugural Top Movie Songs chart, powered by Tunefind (a Songtradr company), is here, and Bee Gees’ “Tragedy” claims the first No. 1 spot after its synch in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.
Rankings for the Top Movie Songs chart are based on song and film data provided by Tunefind and ranked using a formula blending that data with sales and streaming information tracked by Luminate during the corresponding period of September 2024. The ranking includes newly released films from the preceding two months.
Billboard has previously partnered with Tunefind on the Top TV Songs chart, which tracks usages each month of music in television shows. Gracie Abrams’ “Close to You,” from Emily in Paris, is the latest No. 1.
“Tragedy” reigns as one of five songs featured in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice on the first Top Movie Songs tally. The film, a sequel to the 1988 favorite Beetlejuice, was released on Sept. 6 and again stars Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder and Catherine O’Hara alongside franchise newcomers Jenna Ortega, Willem Dafoe and more.
In September 2024, “Tragedy,” which peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks in 1979, earned 3.8 million official on-demand U.S. streams and earned 2,000 downloads, according to Luminate.
“Tragedy” also featured in one of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’s pre-release trailers.
Jimmy Buffett’s “Margaritaville” (No. 5; 6.1 million streams, 1,000 downloads), Richard Marx’s “Right Here Waiting” (No. 6; 4.2 million streams, 1,000 downloads) and a pair of versions of “MacArthur Park” (Richard Harris’ at No. 9 with 1.2 million streams and 1,000 downloads, Donna Summer’s at No. 10 with 750,000 streams and 1,000 downloads) supplement the Beetlejuice Beetlejuice onslaught on the inaugural Top Movie Songs.
Like “Tragedy,” the other four songs also reached the Hot 100 in their time. “Margaritaville” peaked at No. 8 in 1977, Buffett’s top-performing hit on the chart. Marx’s “Right Here Waiting” ruled for three weeks in 1989. Harris’ rendition of “MacArthur Park” peaked at No. 2 in 1968, and Summer’s was a three-week leader a decade later in 1978.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice topped the box office in its first three weeks of release.
One other movie notches more than one song on the September 2024 ranking: It Ends With Us, released Aug. 9, which boasts the Nos. 2 and 3. Starring Blake Lively, the movie features, among others, synchs of Taylor Swift’s “My Tears Ricochet” and Post Malone’s White Iverson,” which appear at Nos. 2 (12.9 million streams, 1,000 downloads) and 3 (13.4 million streams), respectively, representing a decidedly more updated flair versus Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’s largely ’60s, ‘70s and ‘80s soundtrack.
See the full top 10, also featuring music from Transformers One, Cuckoo and Speak No Evil, below.
Rank, Song, Artist, Movie
1. “Tragedy,” Bee Gees, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
2. “My Tears Ricochet,” Taylor Swift, It Ends With Us
3. “White Iverson,” Post Malone, It Ends With Us
4. “If I Fall,” Quavo, Ty Dolla $ign & ARE WE DREAMING, Transformers One
5. “Margaritaville,” Jimmy Buffet, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
6. “Right Here Waiting,” Richard Marx, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
7. “Inside Out,” Martin Dupont, Cuckoo
8. “Black Velvet,” Alannah Myles, Speak No Evil
9. “MacArthur Park,” Richard Harris, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
10. “MacArthur Park,” Donna Summer, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice