The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, two of the most iconic and influential bands in rock history, have achieved a rare feat by appearing together in the Top 10 of a Billboard chart for the first time in 59 years.
The Beatles’ new song, “Now and Then,” debuts at number nine on the Adult Alternative Airplay chart, joining The Stones’ “Angry,” off their new album, Hackney Diamonds, which climbs to number six in its ninth week on the list.
The last time the two British legends shared space in the Top 10 on Billboard charts was in December 1964. That week on the Billboard Hot 100, The Beatles’ “I Feel Fine” jumped from 22 to five in its second week on the chart, skipping over The Stones’ “Time Is on My Side” at six. And, also that same week, The Stones’ 12 x 5 went from 11 to three on the Billboard 200 albums chart, with The Beatles’ Something New at 10.
Meanwhile in their native England, The Beatles are number-one on the U.K. chart with "Now and Then." Their last chart-topper was "The Ballad of John and Yoko" 54 years ago in 1969. They overtake Kate Bush with 44 years between "Wuthering Heights" in 1978 and "Running Up That Hill" in 2022.
Paul McCartney says, "It’s mind boggling. It’s blown my socks off. It’s also a very emotional moment for me. I love it!" And Ringo Starr adds, "The beat goes on. Peace & Love.”
"Now and Then," their reworking of a John Lennon demo, makes them the act with the longest-ever spread from their first number-one, "From Me to You," in 1963 -- 60 years. They overtake Elvis Presley with 47 years and six months between "All Shook Up" in 1957 and a reissue of "It’s Now or Never" in 2005.
"Now and Then" is also their 18th number-one U.K. hit, which extends their record as the British act with the most U.K. number-ones in Official Charts history. Only Elvis with 21 has more.
"Now and Then" achieved this feat with 78,200 combined U.K. chart units across sales and streaming. It's also the fastest-selling single of the year to date, the biggest one-week physical sales in almost a decade, the fastest-selling vinyl single of the century so far, the most-streamed Beatles track in one week, the band's most-watched video in one week, and the oldest band ever to score a U.K. number-one single.
[Source: Classic Hits Today]