Disturbed's "Down with the Sickness" Is Charting Again Thanks to Coronavirus

The song has seen a surge in both streams and sales

BY Calum SlingerlandPublished Mar 25, 2020

While data has shown that music streaming numbers haven't skyrocketed as a result to coronavirus isolation, certain songs that speak directly to our current moment have made moves on the charts — including Disturbed's "Down with the Sickness."

In a time where plenty out there are "dealing with these changes" brought on by the pandemic, David Draiman's guttural "ooh-wah-ah-ah-ah" is proving to be a popular selection. 

According to Nielsen Music/MRC Data [via Billboard], "Down with the Sickness" saw a 31 percent increase in digital song sales to 1,000, while also seeing a 3 percent in U.S. streams to 2.6 million over the last chart week (ending March 19).

Of course, the week's trend includes plenty of other songs with lyrical references that fit these isolated hours. R.E.M.'s "It's the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)" jumped up 482 percent to 5,000 downloads sold, while also surging 169 percent to 1.7 million U.S. streams.

Other tracks to feel the effect include Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive," At the Drive-In's "Quarantined," Joy Division's "Isolation," and respective songs from Fifth Harmony and Tim Heidecker dubbed "Work from Home."

Of his rhythmic streaming, Disturbed frontman Draiman previously told MTV, "That noise just kind of came one day. The song originally was written and it just had a pause. Mike [Wengren, drums], his beat is just so tribal, and it just kind of made me feel like an animal."

Disturbed toured Canada last year behind their 2018 LP Evolution.

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