It’s been quite a fab week for The Beatles and their new song, “Now and Then,” which, after reaching No. 1 on the U.K. singles chart this past Friday, has now debuted in the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100, making history in the process.
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“Now and Then” lands at No. 7 on the Hot 100 after its first full week of release, extending The Beatles’ record for the band with the most Top 10 hits on the chart with 35.
Billboard reports that during the period from November 3 to November 9, “Now and Then” amassed 11 million streams, sold 73,000 physical and digital copies, and notched 2.1 million in radio reach in the U.S., according to data provider Luminate.
The tune is the first Beatles song to appear in the Top 10 of the Hot 100 since January 1996, when “Free as a Bird,” from the band’s Anthology 1 compilation, reached No. 6. Both tracks were created by adding newer parts to original demo recordings made by the late John Lennon during the 1970s. The period between “Free as a Bird” and “Now and Then” being in the Top 10—27 years, 10 months, and two weeks—is the fifth longest gap between any artist’s previous and most recent Billboard hit, not including holiday tunes.
“Now and Then” has also helped The Beatles set the record for the artist with the longest period between a first and last Top 10 hit on the Hot 100 (holiday songs excluded). The Fab Four scored their first Top 10 on the Hot 100 with “I Want to Hold Your Hand” on the chart dated January 24, 1964, and the period between that and “Now and Then” reached the milestone 59 years, nine months, and three weeks. The previous record was 51 years, seven months, and three weeks, held by Elton John, who scored his first Top 10 hit with “Your Song” in January 1971, and whose most recent song to sit in the Top 10 was his duet with Britney Spears, “Hold Me Closer,” in September 2022.
“Now and Then” is The Beatles’ 72nd song overall to reach Hot 100 hits, extending their record as the most tunes to reach the chart by a band whose members play their own instruments. The Rolling Stones and The Beach Boys are second on the list, with 57 and 55, respectively.
Released on November 2, “Now and Then” is available as a digital download, via streaming services, and on CD, cassette, and vinyl. The song also appears on the recently released expanded reissue of The Beatles’ 1967-1970 compilation, also known as “The Blue Album.”
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