The Edge fro U2's Gibson electric guitar, Bono from U2's signed Irish Falcon Gretsch guitar and Jim Croce Martin D-21 acoustic guitar are on display at Julien's Auctions Icons & Idols: Rock 'N Roll
Getty ImagesGuitars owned by U2’s the Edge, Eddie Van Halen, Elvis Presley and Eric Clapton were among the highest-bid items at a rock-themed auction that raked in over $5 million this weekend.
Julien’s Auctions’ Icons & Idols: Rock N’ Roll event also featured David Gilmour’s stage-used guitar from Pink Floyd’s Momentarily Lapse of Reason era ($200,000, doubling its pre-auction estimate) and Amy Winehouse’s Fender Stratocaster, which the late singer played onstage in and in the “Take the Box” music video; that guitar sold for $153,000.
Despite the controversy surrounding Clapton’s stance on vaccination mandates and Covid lockdowns, people still really like the song “Layla,” as Clapton’s stage-used acoustic guitar from his time with Derek & the Dominoes sold for an auction-high of $625,000, beating its $500,000 pre-auction estimate. (Clapton’s handwritten lyrics for “Layla” sold for $37,500, however, the low-end of its pre-auction estimate.)
The Edge’s 1976 Gibson Explorer Electric Guitar — used during U2’s The Joshua Tree tour — reached a high bid of $437,500, while Bono’s 2005 Gretsch Irish Falcon — played live when U2 performed “One” and “Walk On” — sold for $115,000.
(However, some of the auction’s more notable, previously announced items — like Kurt Cobain artwork and Robert Plant’s handwritten lyrics for Led Zeppelin’s “Kashmir” — never made it to the auction block for unspecified reasons.)
It wasn’t just instruments that hit surprisingly high bids that exceeded expectations: This terrifying painting of a clown by Frank Sinatra in 1991 somehow sold for $56,000, five times its pre-auction estimate. The mask featured on the cover of Quiet Riot’s Metal Health LP scored a $50,000 high bid, and the Go-Go’s Belinda Carlisle’s own Germs t-shirt — the punk band she was a member of prior to her own Rock Hall-inducted outfit — sold for a whopping $22,000, over 20 times its expected sale price.
Showing just how much staying power it has, or perhaps proving it is a true Djo burner, Djo’s End of Beginning has at last been named the UK’s Official Number 1 single, arriving at the summit two years after first entering the charts.
Djo, the music project of Stranger Things star Joe Keery, first shared End of Beginning in 2022. Since then, the track has steadily gathered momentum in the UK, repeatedly returning to the charts and finally overtaking RAYE this week to secure the top spot.
The song originally entered the UK Top 100 in February 2024 after taking off through a viral social media moment. It surged quickly, reaching a peak of Number 4 the following month. With 28 weeks now spent inside the Top 100, the track has been given another lift by the Stranger Things series finale while continuing to thrive across social platforms.
End of Beginning also posts its strongest streaming performance yet in the UK, pulling in 5.4 million combined streams this week and leading the Official Independent Singles Chart.
Another song enjoying a renewed chart moment is Zara Larsson’s Lush Life. The Swedish star’s 2016 hit is connecting with a new audience thanks to a viral dance trend and climbs one place to Number 8. Lush Life originally reached Number 3 in March 2016 and has now logged 64 weeks inside the Top 100.
They refuse to slow down. HAVEN. featuring Kaitlin Aragon reach a new high as I Run moves up one place to Number 9.
A big congratulations goes to singer songwriter and social media creator James Marriott, who scores his first Official Top 40 single with California Rain at Number 22.
California Rain also stands as the week’s best selling single on CD and appears on the Official Singles Sales Chart at Number 2, the Official Singles Downloads Chart at Number 5 and the Official Independent Singles Chart at Number 6. Speaking about the achievement, James tells Official Charts, “The rain won’t stop me now.” Confident words.
Have you heard about the internet girls. Global girl group KATSEYE celebrate their highest chart position so far with the energetic Internet Girl at Number 24. The group, made up of Daniela Avanzini, Lara Raj, Manon Bannerman, Megan Skiendiel, Sophia Laforteza and Yoonchae Jeung, previously appeared on the chart with 2015’s Gnarly and Gabriela.
PinkPantheress continues to climb as Stateside reaches a new peak, helped along by its remix with Zara Larsson. The song jumps five places to Number 35.
Stranger Things flips the Official Singles Chart upside down as Netflix hits reshape the rankings.
With Stranger Things season five now officially wrapped, the impact is being felt far beyond the screen. The final episodes delivered emotional highs and intense moments, all underscored by a powerful soundtrack. That influence is clear this week, with a wave of classic tracks landing inside the Official Singles Chart Top 40.
Prince’s legendary Purple Rain sees the biggest boost. First released in 1984, the song returns to the UK Top 40 for the first time since Prince’s death ten years ago, arriving at Number 12.
Forever linked to the show, Kate Bush’s chart defining Running Up That Hill continues to rise, moving up two places to Number 14.
Finding fresh listeners through social media, The Police’s former 1983 Number 1 Every Breath You Take surges up the chart to Number 17. This marks its strongest UK position in 43 years.
Fleetwood Mac’s Landslide achieves a remarkable milestone by entering the Official Singles Chart for the first time, 41 years after its original release. The track from the band’s self titled 1975 album debuts at Number 20.
The retro revival continues as Diana Ross’s disco classic reenters the Top 40 for the first time in 46 years, leaping 60 places to Number 26.
It is moving just as fast as it can. Tiffany’s joyful 1988 chart topper I Think We’re Alone Now benefits from its appearance in one of the show’s standout scenes featuring Holly Wheeler. The song rises two places to Number 27, its highest position in 38 years.
Speaking exclusively to Official Charts, Tiffany says:
“Thank you so much. I love you all in the UK to the bottom of my heart. I can’t wait to spend 2026 with you. Thank you for all the support in making this song reach the Official Singles Chart again. My love always, let’s rock 2026 together!”
As the week marks ten years since his passing, David Bowie’s Heroes climbs back to its strongest position in 14 years. The song lands at Number 34 with a 172 percent week on week increase. Heroes first entered the Singles Chart in 1977 and previously peaked at Number 12 following Bowie’s death in 2016.
To close out the week, The Clash’s former Number 1 Should I Stay Or Should I Go chooses to stay, moving up two places to reenter the Top 40 for the first time in 35 years at Number 40. The track originally topped the chart in March 1991, where it held the summit for two weeks.
