Lou Reed set to re-enter Top 40 following death

Perfect Day and Walk On The Wild Side look set to return to the Official Singles Chart Top 40 this weekend.

Following the untimely death of Lou Reed earlier this week, two of the Velvet Underground frontman’s tracks look set to re-enter the Official Singles Chart Top 40 on Sunday.

According to this morning’s Official Charts Company sales flash, Reed’s 1972 single Perfect Day and 1973’s Walk On The Wild Side are currently at Number 33 and Number 38 on the Official Top 40, respectively. Meanwhile, the 2004 version of Satellite Of Love is at Number 139 today.

Produced by David Bowie and Mick Ronson, Walk On The Wild Side originally peaked at Number 10 on the Official Singles Chart, scoring Reed his first UK Top 40 hit. Perfect Day failed to chart the first time around, however a re-recorded version released in aid of the BBC’s Children In Need - which saw the late singer sharing vocal duties with David Bowie, Sir Elton John, Sir Tom Jones, and U2 frontman Bono among others - spent three non-consecutive weeks at Number 1 between 1997 and 1998, and has become one of the UK’s biggest selling singles of all-time with over 1.55 million sales to date.

The original versions of all three tracks are taken from Reed’s breakthrough album, Transformer, which also looks set to re-enter the Official Albums Chart this weekend (it’s at Number 24 today). Further down the Official Albums Chart Top 200, The Very Best Of Lou Reed is at Number 81, while 1967’s The Velvet Underground & Nico is at 85, 1989’s New York is at 131, and The Very Best Of Lou Reed is at 166.

Reed passed away on Sunday (October 27) at his home in Long Island, New York after a lengthy battle with liver disease. He was 71.

Tune into the Official Chart Show with Jameela Jamil on BBC Radio 1 this Sunday from 4pm or log on to www.officialcharts.com from 7pm to see where Lou Reed finally charts.