British charts
Beatles single on its way to number one
Paul, John, Ringo and George. photo
© Lapresse/epa/dpa
Ten hours after its release, “Now And Then” had already reached number 42 in the British charts. And things keep going up for the new Beatles single.
Just a few days after its release, what is believed to be the Beatles’ last recording is heading to number one in the UK charts. “Now And Then” was sold more in the first weekend than the four other best singles combined, British media reported, citing the Official Chart Company.
After just ten hours, the work published on Thursday had reached 42nd place. The song is most likely to be at the top when the chart is released this Friday.
It would be the legendary British band’s 18th number one – and the first since “The Ballad of John and Yoko” 54 years ago. World hits such as “Hey Jude”, “All You Need Is Love” and “Yellow Submarine” also made it to the top of the charts.
“The Fab Four are an important part of the history of British music and the British charts, so it’s incredible that they have returned with such impact,” said charts boss Martin Talbot.
AI made it possible
The song was originally composed and sung by John Lennon in the 1970s. After Lennon’s murder in 1980, the three other ex-Beatles Paul McCartney (81), Ringo Starr (83) and George Harrison, who died in 2001, further developed the work. But it was only with the help of technical innovations that the song could finally be completed – thanks to artificial intelligence, Lennon’s voice can be heard.
A music video also features all four members, with Lennon and Harrison appearing in archive footage. The official clip had already been viewed more than 20 million times on YouTube by midday on Monday.
Ringo Starr recently told the Sunday Times that he hoped the band would be remembered “with love.” “How many streams did we have last year? A billion, three billion? It blows my mind. The beat still goes on, you know?”