N.W.A Scores First Top 40 Hit on Hot 100

Straight Outta Compton continues to pave the way for an N.W.A resurgence. With the film raking in money at the box office and Dr. Dre’s unofficial soundtrack Compton making a stir, it’s no surprise that a younger generation is rediscovering the old hits of the legendary group.

How else to explain the fact that N.W.A just made its first-ever appearance on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, for a song that came out in 1988. “Straight Outta Compton” debuts at No. 38, which makes it the first top 40 hit ever for the hip-hop collective.

Billboard Hot 100: #38(new) Straight Outta Compton, N.W.A. *Hot Shot Debut*

— Chart News (@chartnews) August 25, 2015

If you’re wondering how a song that’s almost 30 years old can “debut” at all, Billboard explains that “older songs are eligible to chart if ranking in the top 50 and showing notable gains in sales, streaming and/or airplay.”

The film has made $111.5 million at the U.S. and Canada box office through Aug. 23, while “Straight Outta Compton” sold 35,000 downloads in the week ending Aug. 20 and garnered 5.7 million domestic streams.

Meanwhile, Dr. Dre’s album Compton is sitting at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 with 51,000 units in its second week, followed by N.W.A’s Straight Outta Compton, which jumps 30-4 (44,000).