The famous Proclaimers hit Gonna Be (500 miles) has generated an estimated $3.6 million in royalties after being streamed on Spotify more than half a billion times.
Brothers Craig and Charlie Reed continue to enjoy the success of the smash hit which has proven to be a strong earner in the digital age despite being released as a single in 1988.
The Scottish rockers never imagined the song would land at the top of the charts in Australia and set them up for a lifetime of touring.
And the fan favourite is the hit that keeps on giving, with it racing back up the UK charts in 2007 when they re-recorded it for UK’s Comic Relief charity telethon.
Craig said while their other popular tunes Letter from America and I’m On My Way continue to make them decent coin, 500 Miles “makes about five times more than the rest of our songs added up".
And its endurance affords The Proclaimers the opportunity to tour the world – the biggest income stream for recording artists.
They are currently on what Craig thinks is their eighth tour of Australia, playing 10 shows around the country over the next two weeks.
He said: “We never even thought we would have any kind of success in the ‘80s; we thought the songs we were doing were good but that it was a limited market, that we were left field and these weren’t the kind of songs you have hits with.
"In Australia, it was such a big song.”
The Proclaimers will also be performing new songs from last year’s Dentures Out album which was released the week after Queen Elizabeth II died.
But you can count on 500 Miles being the last song they play before the encore.
“We’ve got to do 500 Miles because it’s bigger than everything else we do combined, because it’s better than The Proclaimers themselves,” Craig added.
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