Once (soundtrack)

Writing for The Cornell Daily Sun, Rebecca Weiss commented: "This album isn’t perfect, but the sheer newness of the sound makes up for the few individual flaws within them".^[10] Ernest Simpson of Treblezine wrote "It's one thing for two musicians to find each other and create unbelievably great music because of the intense chemistry. It’s another thing altogether when two people are `put together’ and get the same result. Once is already being hailed as one of the best 'music films' ever made, but that sells it short. It's also one of the best love stories ever written for the screen, made better by the emotional resonance of the songwriting. If this film doesn't satisfy you with its message or its music, take heart from the real life tale of the two leads."^[11]

Dan MacIntosh of AntiMusic wrote "Making love work, as well as making it in the music business, are two of the hardest roads any human can walk. The music of Once will likely make your feet blister with empathy for these onscreen strugglers."^[12] Embo Blake of Hybrid Magazine wrote "If the songs on Once are any indication, then any rumors of Hansard's momentary madness are baseless and the man continues to climb his life's ladder, embracing his brilliant artistic vision. These songs show a struggle... not a struggle that weakens the soul but strengthens a man through the trials and tribulations of life. Hansard's songwriting once more takes the listener through all the stages of life in a short while, revealing glimpses of love and loss and pain and pleasure and all that life has to offer. These are gifts, and Glen Hansard is one of the finest voices in modern music that reveal the world around us as a construct of love and learning."^[13]

The album had a slow start on both digital and physical sales, selling over 192,000 copies as of 4 January 2008.^[14][15] At the Billboard 200 charts on the week of 16 June 2007, the album debuted at number 107,^[16] and later jumped to 104,^[17] and 100,^[18] on the consecutive weeks. It peaked to number 71 on the week of 7 July.^[19][20] The album debuted at number 10 on the Top Soundtracks chart on the week of 9 June 2007,^[21] and peaked to the fourth position for the two consecutive weeks, before charting at the second position as on the week of 7 July 2007.^[22] It also debuted at number 20 on the Irish Albums Chart in its first week, peaking to number 15 a few weeks later.^[23]

After the song "Falling Slowly" won the Academy Award for Best Original Song at the 80th Academy Awards on 24 February 2008,^[24] the album further peaked at number 31 on the week of 8 March 2008,^[25] and topped to the seventh position, the following week, the highest charting for the album.^[26] It has sold over 47,000 units on that week.^[26][27] The album topped the Irish Albums Chart, while "Falling Slowly" reached a new peak of number 2.^[23]