Jeff Buckley Scores First Hot 100 Hit 29 Years After Death

Nearly 30 years after his death, Jeff Buckley has officially landed on the Billboard Hot 100 for the first time.

His 1994 masterpiece, “Lover, You Should’ve Come Over,” debuted at No. 97 for the week ending January 31, 2026. It is a massive moment for a song that was never released as a single, proving that a great deep cut can have a second life decades later.

How a 90s Classic Became a 2026 Hit

The song’s resurgence is almost entirely thanks to its massive presence on short-form video platforms.

The TikTok Effect: Over the past year, the track has become the go-to soundtrack for emotional, introspective videos. Gen Z and Gen Alpha have turned its raw, haunting bridge—“It’s never over, she’s the tear that hangs inside my soul forever”—into a viral audio anchor, generating millions of official streams.
The Documentary Catalyst: Momentum peaked following the 2025 release of the critically acclaimed documentary It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley. Directed by Amy Berg, the film features never-before-seen archival footage and intimate voicemails that gave a new generation the context they needed to fall in love with Buckley’s story.

Breaking New Ground

Interestingly, this is Buckley’s first appearance on the main Hot 100. While his famous cover of “Hallelujah” has topped digital sales and become a pop-culture staple, it never actually cracked this specific list during his lifetime or in previous resurgences.

The renewed love for the song has also given his only studio album, Grace, a major boost. Having reached a new all-time high of No. 82 in late 2025, the LP continues to climb back up the Billboard 200 as fans discover the rest of his catalog.

A Lasting Legacy

Jeff Buckley died by accidental drowning in 1997 at just 30 years old. He left behind a modest catalog, but his influence—praised by icons like David Bowie and Bob Dylan—remains untouchable. The success of “Lover, You Should’ve Come Over” in 2026 proves that his voice isn’t just a relic of the 90s; it’s a living, breathing part of the modern musical landscape.