Van Morrison celebrates his eightieth birthday with Belfast shows and renewed U.K. chart success, as Remembering Now and Astral Weeks both reenter the downloads list. Singer/ Songwriter Van Morrison takes a break during rehearsal for Midnight Special taping at NBC studios in Burbank, CA 1976 (Photo by Mark Sullivan/Getty Images)
Mark Sullivan
At the end of August, Van Morrison turned 80. The Northern Irish singer-songwriter has been scoring hits and selling music since the mid-1960s, and he hasn’t slowed down since he began with “Brown Eyed Girl” so many decades back. The rocker celebrated his milestone birthday with a concert in Belfast, and all the attention on him and his music helps Van Morrison return to charts in the United Kingdom.
Remembering Now Returns
Remembering Now, the highest of Morrison’s two comebacks, reappears on the Official Album Downloads chart. The rocker’s most recent set, released in June of this year, finds its way back to the tally at No. 63.
Astral Weeks Becomes a Bestseller Again
At the same time, one of Van Morrison’s oldest collections also rebounds. Astral Weeks, his sophomore full-length released in late 1968, returns to the Official Album Downloads ranking at No. 75, becoming a bestseller again more than five decades after its original release.
Chart History for Both Albums
Astral Weeks appears on the downloads chart for just the second time ever. It debuted and peaked at No. 62 in December 2018. Remembering Now originally opened at No. 4 in late June, spending three frames on the tally before disappearing. Now, it’s back just a few months later.
Van Morrison’s Chart Wins
Morrison first reached the Official Album Downloads chart in February 2007 with At the Movies: Soundtrack Hits. Across his career, he has collected 21 appearances on the list, though just five have cracked the top 10. Remembering Now stands as the musician’s all-time high point.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/hughmcintyre/2025/09/09/van-morrisons-milestone-birthday-brings-him-back-to-the-charts/
