Amy Winehouse is the talk of the entertainment industry in the UK this week, and it's not just because of the release of Amy, the documentary on the late vocalist's life: The hype behind the film has pushed British fans back to the record stores, allowing her hit album Back To Black to reenter the Top 40.
Winehouse took the world by storm during 2006 with the release of Back To Black, her second album. Aside from winning four Grammys, the album managed to top the UK albums charts on three separate occasions, including one stint where both the standard and deluxe versions of the album were in the UK Top 10 at the same time. The album managed to peak at no. 1 again during 2011, just more than a week after the performer's death.
The record hasn't gotten that high yet during 2015, but it's off to a good start. This week it landed at no. 22 on the UK charts, while her debut Frank managed to land at no. 50. Whether Back To Black can move up further on the album charts depends on how strong the film remains in its homeland, and signs suggest that it should have a decent run. Amy opened last week as the second-biggest documentary debut in the history of the UK. The film earned more than $800,000 in its opening weekend, and that figure stands to rise as the number of theaters showing the film will increase from 133 to 200 this weekend, and possibly even more in the future.
It's worth wondering whether Back To Black stands a chance at making a run on the American Billboard 200 as a result of the hype surrounding the documentary. The album wasn't on the chart last week yet rose rapidly to no. 127 this week. The American market also features much more potential for expanding the film, as it showed at only six theaters in two cities over the weekend. After the sold-out showings, it's sure to expand and reignite interest in Winehouse's discography along with it.
