If you were among the many who recently watched A Minecraft Movie in theaters, you probably recall Jack Black's brief but catchy song celebrating the lava chicken moment midway through the film.
Playing the role of Steve, Black sings "Lava Chicken" as Jason Momoa and the group watch a chicken get cooked by falling lava. The track is just 34 seconds long, yet it quickly went viral on social media.
Now, Steve’s Lava Chicken has entered the UK’s official music chart at No. 21, making it the shortest song ever to chart. "Streaming and virality are redefining hit songs," said ERA, the UK’s digital entertainment and retail association.
Black is no stranger to viral video game songs. His 95-second romantic ballad "Peaches," performed as Bowser in The Super Mario Bros. Movie, reached the Billboard Hot 100—marking his first solo entry on the chart. Previously, he charted at No. 78 in 2006 with Tenacious D’s "The Pick of Destiny".
Other short songs that have charted include "Spider Pig" from 2007’s The Simpsons Movie (64 seconds) and Liam Lynch’s 2002 punk anthem "United States of Whatever" (86 seconds).
But Lava Chicken isn’t the only viral trend from A Minecraft Movie. Clips of enthusiastic fans, some even bringing live chickens to screenings, spread rapidly on platforms like TikTok.
There’s even more to discover about A Minecraft Movie, including how the film’s crew maintained a private server to play the game. The movie has now earned over $700 million worldwide and is on track to become the highest-grossing video game adaptation in history.
