50th anniversary of Edmond Fitzgerald sinking brings Gordon Lightfoot classic back to charts

November 20, 2025

: Gordon Lightfoot performing at Symphony Hall, Boston, MA on October 6, 1974 (Ron Pownall/Getty Images)

Gordon Lightfoot’s 1976 tune “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” is back on the Billboard charts.

The renewed interest in the track coincides with the 50th anniversary of the sinking of the freighter of the same name on Nov. 10, 1975, in which 29 crew members were lost.

According to Billboard, during the week of the anniversary the song saw a 140% increase in streams to 3.7 million streams and a 328% increase in sales, which amounted to 5,000 downloads. The bump resulted in the song jumping to #1 on the Rock Digital Songs Sales chart, making it the late Lightfoot’s third #1 on that chart.

The tune also lands at #22 on the Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart and #4 on the Digital Songs Sales chart.

And Lightfoot’s other tunes benefited from the Edmond Fitzgerald anniversary as well, with 1974’s “Sundown” landing at #6 and 1970’s “If You Could Read My Mind” at #10 on the Rock Digital Songs Sales chart.

“The Wreck of the Edmond Fitzgerald” appeared on Lightfoot’s 1976 album, Summertime Dream, and peaked at #2 on the Hot 100 when it was initially released.