Chart performance:
| Week | Position | Movement | Comments |
| 06-Apr-79 | 9 | New | |
| 13-Apr-79 | 3 | +6 | Star rater |
| 20-Apr-79 | 3 | 0 | |
| 27-Apr-79 | 3 | 0 | |
| 04-May-79 | 2 | +1 | Peak |
| 11-May-79 | 6* | -4 | |
| 18-May-79 | 9 | -3 | |
| 25-May-79 | 13 | -4 | |
| 01-Jun-79 | 20 | -7 | Biggest faller |
* This clocked up 200 weeks in the charts for The Bee Gees and they were the 1st of only 3 acts to manage this milestone.
Written by: Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb & Maurice Gibb
Produced by: The Bee Gees, Albhy Galuten & Karl Richardson
South African record label (unless otherwise stated): RSO
| Hit number for artist | 17 |
| Peak position | 2 |
| Weeks | 9 |
| Biggest climber awards | 0 |
| Star rater climbs | 1 |
| Biggest faller awards | 1 |
| Top 20 points | 121 |
| Overall Top 20 points ranking | =921 |
| Top 20 points ranking for the artist | 13 |
| Top 30 Points | 211 |
| Overall Top 30 points ranking | =1105 |
| Top 30 points ranking for the artist | 13 |
Annual ranking:
| 1979 | =36 |
Other chart success:
| Australia | 2 |
| Austria | 2 |
| Belgium | 3 |
| Canada | 1 |
| Finland | 7 |
| France | 1 |
| Germany | 2 |
| Ireland | 1 |
| Italy | 1 |
| Netherlands | 5 |
| New Zealand | 1 |
| Norway | 4 |
| Spain | 1 |
| Sweden | 6 |
| Switzerland | 2 |
| UK | 1 |
| US | 1 |
| Zimbabwe | 2 |
SA Radio charts:
| Radio 5 | 1 |
The song was written during a break in the filming of the movie ‘Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’ in which The Bee Gees were starring. That same afternoon they wrote ‘Too Much Heaven’ and ‘Shadow Dancing’, which was recorded by the younger Gibb brother, Andy. All 3 songs would top the US charts. ‘Tragedy’ was the 35th song (of 73) to chart that would top both the UK and US charts, shifting over half a million units in the UK and over 2 million in the US. It was denied the top spot on our charts by Abba’s ‘Chiquitta’. As it entered the charts at 9, The Bee Gees became 2nd of only 2 acts to see 2 hits enter the top 20 at 10 or higher (previous act to manage this was Engelbert Humperdinck). It was also the 7th song to enter the charts in the top 10 but not make number 1. It gave the Bee Gees their 5th number 2 peak and this was the most any act had seen to date. In 1998, UK act, Steps, would see their cover top the charts in the UK and New Zealand.
Video:
Artist link: The Bee Gees
SA Singles Charts 