What year is it again? The Beatles have charted a top 10 single on this week’s singles chart with “Now and Then” — otherwise known as “the last Beatles song.” The “new” song, which features all four members, including the late John Lennon and George Harrison, hit No. 7 as the band’s first entry into the top ranks of the Hot 100 in nearly 30 years.
Through the use of AI technology, Lennon’s isolated vocals served as the foundation for the single that was eventually completed last year by Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and co-producer Giles Martin, with the addition of Harrison’s 1994 guitar tracks. After some 45 years in the making, the world welcomed “Now and Then” with open arms and ears, as the single garnered over 11 million streams and 73,000 physical and digital sales following its Nov. 2 release.
The song’s visibility was only boosted following the release of a 12-minute short film that delved deeper into the mechanics of the song’s editing while the song’s official video arrived on Nov. 3. The last time the Beatles hit the top 10 of the songs chart was in 1996 with the release of “Free as a Bird” (peaked at No. 6).
Ruling over the chart this week is Taylor Swift with “Cruel Summer.” Swift regained the top slot from none other than herself since “Is It Over Now? (Taylor’s Version) [From the Vault]” debuted at No. 1 on the Hot 100 last week following the release of parent album “1989 (Taylor’s Version),” which is still perched atop the Billboard 200 this week with 245,000 units.
“Is It Over Now? (Taylor’s Version) [From the Vault]” slipped to No. 3 on the Hot 100 but logged just a robust 16 million airplay impressions following its promotion on radio. That proves the grip of this week’s No. 2 placeholder, Doja Cat’s “Paint the Town Red,” is a strong one. Meanwhile, SZA’s “Snooze” sits at No. 4 and a new release from Jung Kook, the funk-driven “Standing Next to You,” enters at No. 5 following the Nov. 3 release of his debut solo album, “Golden.” The latter, a set of 11 songs including features with Latto and Jack Harlow, opens at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 with album sales totaling 64,800 — that makes “Golden” the top-selling record of the week.
The remaining top songs on the Hot 100 are comprised of repeats like Zach Bryan’s “I Remember Everything” featuring Kacey Musgraves at No. 6 and “Fast Car” from Luke Combs at No. 8. This week, Wallen fills out the tail end of the top 10 with “Thinkin’ Bout Me” at No. 9 and “Last Night” at No. 10.
Aside from Jung Kook’s “Golden,” the only new release in the top 10 of the Billboard 200 this week comes from the late Jimmy Buffett. Following his death in September, it was revealed he had finished recording “Equal Strain on All Parts,” with contributions from Paul McCartney, Emmylou Harris, Angelique Kidjo and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, among others. It debuts this week at No. 6 with 53,000 units earned.
Drake’s “For All the Dogs” keeps its hold at No. 3; Bad Bunny’s “Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana” slips to No. 5 as Wallen’s“One Thing At a Time” gets a lift to No. 4.
