The Beatles have once again made history with their new song, "Now and Then," which has debuted at #1 on Billboard's Digital Song Sales and Rock Digital Song Sales charts. The song, which is based on a John Lennon demo from the late '70s, was completed by Paul McCartney, (the late) George Harrison and Ringo Starr in 2023, as part of a special project to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the band's formation.
The song also made an impressive debut on several other Billboard charts, such as the Hot Rock Songs chart (number-seven), the Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart (number-11), the Hot 100’s Bubbling Under chart (number-five), and the Global 200 chart (number-152). The song received 6.4 million streams and 30,000 sales worldwide on the day of its release, November 2nd, 2023.
The song's performance surpasses that of the previous two Lennon demos that were finished by the surviving Beatles in 1995 for the Anthology collection, "Free as a Bird" and "Real Love." Those songs each debuted at number-five on Billboard's Hot Singles Sales chart, which tracked physical singles before downloads became the main sales currency in the 2000s.
In the UK, "Now and Then" is on track to top the British charts, which would make it the band's 18th UK number-one and first since "The Ballad of John and Yoko" in 1969.
The song has also received rave reviews from critics and fans alike, who praised its nostalgic and emotional quality, as well as the seamless integration of Lennon's vocals and guitar with the rest of the band. Ringo Starr, who plays drums on the song, says he is blown away by the response. He says, "It blows me away that every generation listens to The Beatles -- they have a listen. And it blows me away that the beat's going on. That's what it's about, the beat goes on. And it's so moving now 'cause it's John. and, you know, I still miss him man."
[Source: Classic Hits Today]