Netflix Turns A Decades-Old Cat Stevens Song Into A Hit

Netflix scored something of a surprise hit with The Thursday Murder Club, a crime/comedy film starring Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, and a cast of excellent actors. The title has broken into the top 10 on the platform’s list of the most-streamed films, where it remains as of the time of writing.

The popularity of the project — along with its short run in theaters in London — has turned a track featured in the movie into a hit in the United Kingdom, bringing a legendary singer-songwriter back to the charts.

“Oh Very Young” Debuts on Two Charts

“Oh Very Young” by Cat Stevens – who now releases music under the name Yusuf Islam, though this track was shared until his original moniker – debuts on two charts in the U.K. The song opens at No. 22 on the Official Singles Downloads list and starts at No. 23 on the Official Singles Sales tally.

Cat Stevens Earns More Career Hits

Stevens scores his fourth career hit on the list of bestselling tracks throughout the U.K. and his fifth on the ranking that focuses only on downloads. “Oh Very Young” marks his first debut since summer 2023, when two songs landed on the Official Singles Sales chart and just one made it to the Official Singles Downloads roster.

A New Personal Best on the Sales Chart

“Oh Very Young” now marks Stevens’s highest placement ever on the Official Singles Sales chart. Previously, that honor belonged to “Father and Son,” which is credited to Ronan Keating and Yusuf. That track peaked at No. 68.

Another Top 40 on Downloads

The same surging tune is now Stevens’s second-highest-rising win on the Official Singles Downloads chart. His first cut to reach the list, “Father and Son,” debuted in January 2005 and peaked at No. 17, where it launched. Stevens earns just his second top 40 win on the ranking this frame.

Greatest Hits Returns as Well

The success of “Oh Very Young” brings Greatest Hits back to one tally as the compilation reappears at No. 21 on the Official Album Downloads chart. The set debuted at No. 8 back in summer 2023 and hasn’t been seen since that season.

The Original Release of “Oh Very Young”

Stevens released “Oh Very Young” in March 1974 as the lead single from his album Buddha and the Chocolate Box. The track was not a hit in the U.K. when it was new, but it did break into the top 10 on the Hot 100 in America, peaking at No. 10. The full-length itself rose all the way to No. 2 on the Billboard 200 in the U.S. and No. 3 on the U.K.’s albums ranking.

Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/hughmcintyre/2025/09/10/netflix-turns-a-decades-old-cat-stevens-song-into-a-hit/