Ace Frehley, the original lead guitarist and occasional vocalist for KISS, has posthumously entered the Billboard top 10 with one of his best-known solo songs.
Days after his death on Oct. 16 at age 74, the rocker’s 1978 track “New York Groove” surged in sales, earning him a new chart milestone more than four decades after its release.
According to Forbes, citing Billboard and Luminate, “New York Groove” debuted at No. 4 on the Rock Digital Song Sales chart this week, marking Frehley’s highest solo placement in years.
The song sold just under 1,000 copies during the latest tracking period, a jump of more than 250% compared to the week prior, when sales were under 300.
The increase followed a wave of fan support and streaming activity sparked by news of the musician’s death.
Frehley died earlier this month following complications from a fall in his home recording studio that caused a brain bleed.
His condition deteriorated in the weeks after the accident, leading to his death at age 74.
KISS members Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley paid tribute to Frehley in a statement to People shortly after his death.
“We are devastated by the passing of Ace Frehley. He was an essential and irreplaceable rock soldier during some of the most formative foundational chapters of the band and its history,” Simmons and Stanley said.
“He is and will always be a part of KISS’s legacy,” they added, sending condolences to Frehley’s estranged wife Jeanette Trerotola, his daughter Monique Frehley and “all those who loved him, including our fans around the world.”
Former KISS member Peter Criss also wrote a note about Frehley on his website.
“As a founding member of the rock group KISS and in Ace’s solo career, Ace influenced and touched the hearts of millions of people. His legacy will live on in the music industry and in the hearts of the KISS Army,” he said.
The renewed attention to Frehley’s music extended to his work with KISS as well.
The band’s 1979 single “I Was Made for Lovin’ You” reentered the Rock Digital Song Sales chart at No. 11 and climbed to No. 5 on the Hard Rock Digital Song Sales chart, where it has now logged 16 total weeks.
“New York Groove,” originally written and recorded by the British band Hello in 1975, became one of Frehley’s signature songs when he recorded it for his self-titled solo album released alongside the other KISS members’ solo projects in 1978.
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