The Beatles make history on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart, as “Now and Then” debuts at No. 7. The song starts on the chart dated Nov. 18, 2023, as their landmark 35th top 10 – extending their record for the most among groups – and their first since 1996. “Now and Then” is billed as the final Beatles song, first recorded as a demo in 1977 by John Lennon and initially intended for the band’s three-edition series in the mid-‘90s before being shelved.
The song was completed at last by surviving members Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, among others, after new technology helped extract Lennon’s vocals from the original demo, while George Harrison guitar parts from the initial attempt to finish the track were also incorporated into the song. The song was made available for purchase as a download, on cassette and via six vinyl versions: 7” and 12” black vinyl; 7” clear vinyl; 7” blue/white marble vinyl; 7” light blue vinyl; and a Target-exclusive 12” red vinyl (as well as for pre-order on CD). “Now and Then” enters the Hot 100 with 11 million streams,