On this day (January 20) in 2002, George Harrison topped the UK Singles Chart with “My Sweet Lord,” just months after his death in 2001. The single dethroned Aaliyah’s “More Than a Woman.” This marked the first time that one deceased artist knocked another deceased artist out of the top spot on the UK chart.
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Harrison died of lung cancer in late November 2001, and many of his older solo recordings found mainstream popularity again. As a result, “My Sweet Lord” topped the UK Singles Chart for a second time. Decades earlier, in 1970, he released the song as the lead single from his first post-Beatles album, All Things Must Pass. Later that year, it topped the Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Singles Chart, making him the first former Beatle to top either chart. So, this was the second time Harrison made chart history with “My Sweet Lord.”
Aaliyah and several members of her team died in a plane crash in August 2001. A month later, in September, her label released “More Than a Woman” as the final single from her self-titled album. In early 2022, it became her first No. 1 in the United Kingdom.
More About George Harrison’s History-Making Hit
George Harrison wrote “My Sweet Lord” based on Hinduism and other Eastern religions he was studying at the time. However, he wasn’t the first to record the song. Billy Preston recorded it for his 1970 album Encouraging Words, which Harrison co-produced. Preston’s version was never released as a single, though.
After Harrison’s version became a hit, he was sued by Bright Tunes Music, according to Songfacts. The production company claimed that Harrison copied the Chiffons’ “He’s So Fine” in “My Sweet Lord.” During the case, Harrison testified that he looked to “Oh Happy Day” by the Edwin Hawkins Singers for inspiration and not “He’s So Fine.”
In the end, Harrison lost the suit and was ordered to pay a sum of approximately $1.5 million. However, Allen Klein’s ABKCO purchased Bright Tunes in 1981. As a result, the court ordered Bright Tunes to pay Harrison a little over $1 million, ruling that Klein shouldn’t profit from the lawsuit.
Featured Image by Lester Cohen/Getty Images
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