The Beatles are back with their first single in decades, “Now and Then.” The tune, which started as a demo John Lennon left behind when he died, was finished with the help of artificial intelligence. Now, it’s become a hit on a number of Billboard charts, even helping the band reach one they’ve never appeared on before.
“Now and Then” debuts on this week’s edition of the Streaming Songs chart, Billboard’s ranking of the most-streamed tracks in the U.S. The tune launches at No. 28 this time around. The track racked up 11 million streams in its first full tracking frame.
That sum is up considerably from the week prior. “Now and Then” arrived with only a few hours left in the prior tracking frame. In about half a day, the single earned 2.3 million streams. That number wasn’t big enough for it to reach any streaming-only rankings, but it did contribute to the tune hitting what’s known as the Bubbling Under Hot 100—a 25-spot extension of the main Hot 100.
All those millions of streams helped make “Now and Then” a big hit across several Billboard rankings. The single opens at No. 7 on the Hot 100, the all-encompassing ranking of the most-consumed songs in the country. Streams played a role in that success, as did the cut’s immediate adoption at radio and strong sales.
While The Beatles may be the most successful band of all time in many respects, there are still quite a few Billboard charts they haven’t reached—though there are fewer as of this week. The group’s songs all came out long before the introduction of a number of lists, especially those that focus on online consumption. It’s not entirely shocking that they only appear on the Streaming Songs chart for the first time this week, but it’s still amazing to see an act so famous only find their way to an important tally now.
For the moment, “Now and Then” is a standalone single. Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, the two remaining members of the band, have stated that this will be the last song from the group. Fans of the quartet, as well as many who were simply curious regarding what this comeback cut of sorts would sound like, contributed to its quick success across the Billboard charts, with streaming playing a big part.
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