The Beatles turned to modern technology to bring their final song “Now and Then” to life after five decades—and it was worth waiting for. This song climbed atop the UK Singles Chart, setting a new record for the longest gap between No. 1 singles by any musical act.
“Now and Then” accumulated 78,000 units in its first full week of sales and climbed to No. 1, after initially debuting at No. 42, based on 10 hours of sales. It became the fastest-selling single of the year in the UK, with 48,600 physical and download sales in the first week.
“Now and Then” is The Beatles’ first song to hit No. 1 since their 1969 single “The Ballad of John and Yoko”. It helped The Fab Four set the new record for the longest gap between No. 1 singles by any musical act in the UK, with 54 years.
Martin Talbot, CEO of Official Charts Company, said that the success of “Now and Then” confirms that The Beatles are truly the greatest band of all time.
“The return of John, Paul, George, and Ringo with the last ever Beatles single ‘Now and Then’ has cemented their legend by breaking a catalog of records – and in doing so underlined the extraordinary scope of their enduring appeal, across all the generations,” said Talbot in a press release.
