Van Morrison Earns His First New Hit ‘Single' In More Than Half A Decade
Van Morrison returns to the U.K. charts with "Be Just and Fear Not," a trio of tracks packaged as a ... More single that debuts at No. 47 on the Official Physical Singles list. MARLOW, ENGLAND - MAY 16: Van Morrison performs at Pub In The Park 2024 at Higginson Park on May 16, 2024 in Marlow, England. (Photo by)
Van Morrison lands another win in the United Kingdom this week. It's impressive that someone who has been working as long as he has can still score smashes, even if minor ones, as most artists see their ability to sell new work dwindle after only a few years.
The legendary singer-songwriter, who hails from Belfast in Northern Ireland, is back on the charts in the U.K. thanks to a short, focused release that fans quickly embraced. Despite its brevity, 'Be Just and Fear Not' has become a bestseller, though it's classification is a bit strange.
Morrison appears on the Official Physical Singles chart, a ranking that tracks the bestselling songs in the U.K. available on physical formats like CD, cassette, and vinyl. His latest release, 'Be Just and Fear Not,' starts off at No. 47, landing near the middle of the tally.
'Be Just and Fear Not' isn't just one tune, even though it appears on the Official Physical Singles chart. It's actually a trio of tracks packaged together into a compact release. Because the collection is so short, the Official Charts Company classifies it as a single rather than an EP — a technicality that matters only because it determines where a project ends up charting.
The three tracks featured on the effort were originally intended for Morrison's Live at Orangefield album, which dropped last summer. However, according to a Record Store Day announcement tied to this new release, Morrison ultimately felt that the compositions worked better on their own, and together.
By debuting at No. 47, 'Be Just and Fear Not' gives Morrison his twelfth appearance on the Official Physical Singles chart. It's his first new entry on this list in several years, his last being 'Broken Record' back in 2017. That track eventually rose to No. 12 and lingered for four frames.
With this latest bestseller, Morrison has now placed on the ranking in three different decades. His first win came back in March 1995, when he teamed up with the group The Chieftains for a reworking of his beloved classic 'Have I Told You Lately That I Love You.' That version only reached No. 71, but it marked the beginning of Morrison's run on this chart.
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