The Championship's top goalscorer Sammie Szmodics bagged a first-half double at Sunderland to lead Blackburn to their first win under boss John Eustace.
Rovers made a big stride away from the relegation morass, with Ryan Hedges, Tyrhys Dolan and Andrew Moran adding three more in the second half. Chris Rigg scored a consolation for the dismal Black Cats.
Blackburn had gone 10 games without a victory since Eustace took over from Jon Dahl Tomasson, and had only managed four goals in their previous six games, but they found a disinterested Sunderland, who have won just one of their past nine, easy pickings at the Stadium of Light.