A Surprise Best-Selling Record

The album “Chant” sparked a revival of the Benedictine monk musical tradition.

A manuscript detail of singing Benedictine monks from a leaf of a Gradual, circa 1270, from Italy. Cleveland Museum of Art. Public Domain

Gregorian chant is one of civilization’s oldest musical traditions. But an album titled “Chant,” released in the 1990s by the Benedictine Monks of the Santo Domingo de Silos in Spain, brought the ancient melody to contemporary times.

“Chant” became a surprise hit, selling over six million copies globally and climbing all the way to the top spot on Billboard’s Classical Albums chart. The record also placed third overall on Billboard’s 200 chart representing popular music.