‘Loser’ Becomes Tame Impala’s First-Ever Number One Thanks to ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’

Tame Impala has spent almost two decades establishing itself as one of modern music’s most innovative genre-benders, garnering critical acclaim and a loyal fanbase without quite reaching the pinnacle of the charts. This trend continued even with the release of “Deadbeat,” the band’s fifth studio album, which debuted in 2025 to positive reviews but limited initial commercial success.

However, the tide began to turn earlier this summer when “Dracula,” another track from “Deadbeat” featuring JENNIE, became Kevin Parker’s first top ten hit on both the Hot AC and Pop radio formats, amassing over 983 million streams globally on Spotify. Despite this breakthrough, a true chart-topping single had remained elusive.

That changed this week as “Loser” soared to number one on Spotify’s Daily Global chart, following its significant feature in “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” marking Tame Impala’s first-ever chart-topper on this global platform.

The song’s ascent has been remarkable since the film’s theatrical release on July 31. “Loser” initially re-entered Spotify’s Daily Global chart at a new career high of number 87 with 1.507 million streams, before climbing steadily as audiences connected the track to a poignant moment in the film, reportedly during a scene where Peter Parker observes his best friend failing to recognize him.

This connection between the narrative and the song seems to have fueled much of its sustained popularity. Spotify has noted this phenomenon as the “Spider-Man Effect,” highlighting that “Loser” experienced a 456% increase in U.S. streams following the movie’s opening weekend, contributing to a broader surge that also revitalized older soundtrack hits like “Sunflower” from “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.”

The single’s success has also extended beyond Spotify’s daily rankings. On Billboard’s Global 200 chart, “Loser” jumped from 51 to 5, reflecting a 72% increase to 30 million streams worldwide, while also breaking into the top ten of the Hot 100’s Hot Rock & Alternative Songs list.

This growth aligns perfectly with the film’s box office success. “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” featuring Tom Holland and directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, surpassed $2 billion globally within its first three weekends, making it Sony Pictures’ highest-grossing film ever overseas, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

“Loser” wasn’t the only song to gain from the film’s soundtrack placement. Steve Lacy’s “Oh Yeah?,” from his own third studio album, has also climbed various charts, with both tracks landing in the top ten of Billboard’s Hot Rock & Alternative Songs list simultaneously, and both making appearances on the Hot 100 post-release.

For Parker, who has been operating under the Tame Impala name since founding it as a home-recording project in Perth back in 2007, this achievement caps off a particularly fruitful period for “Deadbeat” as an album. With “Dracula” already yielding his first top ten radio hit and “Loser” now securing his first Spotify global number one, the record has quietly emerged as one of the most successful rollouts of his career, even sparking early Grammy buzz as a potential Album of the Year contender.

Given how directly this success can be traced back to the film’s soundtrack placement, “Loser’s” chart-topping journey serves as a clear illustration of how a well-placed movie sync can completely alter a song’s commercial trajectory months after its original release. Whether the track can maintain its top position as the film continues its theatrical run remains to be seen, but for now, Tame Impala has officially achieved a milestone that has eluded the project for nearly two decades.

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