Jerry Garcia earns his first hit on Billboard’s Kids Albums chart alongside David Grisman as Not for Kids Only debuts following its vinyl release. A portrait of Jerry Garcia of The Grateful Dead at the Tivoli in April 1972 in Copenhagen, Denmark. (Photo by Gijsbert Hanekroot/Redferns)
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It has now been just over 30 years since Jerry Garcia passed away at the age of 53. The superstar, who is primarily known as the lead guitarist and vocalist of the jam band Grateful Dead, as well as his work with several other groups and on his own, continues to score new placements on Billboard charts multiple times a year. The Grateful Dead seems to have a neverending supply of live recordings, which fans snap up every time a new full-length is issued.
From time to time, Garcia also launches or returns with other musical projects, sometimes even under his own name. This week, Garcia scores a new hit on a Billboard tally he has never appeared on before, after a decades-old album was finally made available on vinyl.
Jerry Garcia Charts a New Hit Album
Not for Kids Only debuts on Billboard’s Kid Albums list, which ranks the most consumed full-lengths and EPs aimed at young audiences. The title starts at No. 25, in last place on the non-genre-specific tally.
Jerry Garcia Joins Charlie Brown and The Chipmunks
NEW YORK, NY – NOVEMBER 23: The Charlie Brown balloon floats on 6th Ave. during the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade on November 23, 2017 in New York City. The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade is the largest parade in the world and has been held since 1924. (Photo by Stephanie Keith/Getty Images)
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Not for Kids Only is the only debut on the Kid Albums ranking this week, although a handful of favorites find their way back to the list. A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, the soundtrack that accompanies the short film of the same name, reenters the tally at No. 7, while A Charlie Brown Christmas is steady at No. 1.
Just above Not for Kids Only comes Christmas with the Chipmunks, which becomes popular again every December and which reappears at No. 24. That project is credited to David Seville as well as the chipmunk characters — Alvin, Simon, and Theodore — individually.
Jerry Garcia Reaches a Billboard Chart for the First Time Decades After His Death
Unsurprisingly, Garcia lands his first hit on the Kid Albums chart, and he is not alone. The full-length is credited to both Garcia and David Grisman, a celebrated folk and bluegrass musician, and the two have scored wins together before.
Jerry Garcia And David Grisman Revived Children’s Classics
TAHOE CITY, CA – AUGUST 25: David Grisman (L) and Jerry Garcia perform at the Squaw Valley Music Festival on August 25, 1991 in Tahoe City, California. (Photo by Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images)
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Garcia and Grisman released Not for Kids Only in October 1993, less than two years before Garcia’s death by a heart attack. The album includes covers of a number of traditional children’s tunes, which the musicians recorded in a bluegrass and folk style.
The collection was made available to purchase on vinyl for the first time decades after its release in late November. While Not for Kids Only manages to debut on just one Billboard tally, it is clear that enough fans of both Grisman and Garcia were interested in owning the set, which they may have enjoyed as children, to turn it into at least a minor win.
Jerry Garcia Has Charted Multiple Bestsellers in 2025
Not for Kids Only is the latest album by Garcia to debut on a Billboard chart in 2025. In August, Live at the Warfield February 28, March 1 & 2, 1991 launched on the Top Album Sales tally at No. 35. The project, which is credited to the Jerry Garcia Band, posthumously earned him a thirty-seventh placement on the list of the bestselling releases in the country, regardless of format or genre.
American Rock musician Jerry Garcia (1942 – 1995), of the group the Grateful Dead, in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, California, September 1974. His band had been performing in the park. (Photo by Janet Fries/Getty Images)
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Just a few months prior, Bare Bones Vol. 2: Other Tunes and Arrangements, another joint effort by Garcia and Grisman, landed on the Bluegrass Albums chart, kicking off its time at No. 11. Garcia earned his fifth appearance on that list — all in the years since his death — and Bare Bones stands as his first to miss not only the top 10, but the highest two rungs.