After years of refusing his songs to even be played in ads, Neil Young has sold 50% of his song catalog to Hipgnosis Songs in a deal that could have valued the catalog at between $90 million and $105 million.
A statement included in Wednesday’s announcement (Jan. 6) tallied some 1,180 songs in Young’s catalog from his five decades-spanning career that he recorded on his own and with bands such as Buffalo Springfield, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young and Crazy Horse. Of those 1,000-plus songs, “Heart of Gold” stands out as the 75-year-old hitmaker’s one and only solo No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, and it managed the feat in in 1972.
For the hefty Young acquisition, Billboard has compiled a list of the rock star’s top 10 Billboard Hot 100 hits, both with Crazy Horse and as a soloist.
Rank, Title, Peak Position, Peak Date
1. “Heart of Gold,” No. 1, March 12, 1972
2. “Only Love Can Break Your Heart,” No. 33, Dec. 12, 1970
3. “Old Man,” No. 31, June 3, 1972
4. “Cinnamon Girl,” with Crazy Horse, No. 55, July 25, 1970
5. “War Song,” with Graham Nash, No. 61, July 29, 1972
6. “Four Strong Winds,” No. 61, March 3, 1979
7. “Walk On,” No. 69, Aug. 17, 1974
8. “Little Thing Called Love,” No. 71, Feb. 12, 1983
9. “Southern Pacific,” with Crazy Horse, No. 70, Jan. 16, 1982
10. “Hey Hey, My My (Into The Black),” with Crazy Horse, No. 79, Nov. 3, 1979
This chart is based on actual performance on the weekly Hot 100 through the chart dated Jan. 9, 2021. Songs are ranked based on an inverse point system, with weeks at No. 1 earning the greatest value and weeks at No. 100 earning the least. Due to changes in chart methodology over the years, certain eras are weighted differently to account for chart turnover rates over various periods.
