The Beatles have been broken up for decades, and two of the four members are no longer with us. But these facts don’t mean the group’s name and legacy aren’t living on. This week, the band manages a rare feat on the Billboard charts, one which has taken many years to take place.
Both Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr earn hits on several traditional Billboard charts together this frame. According to Billboard, this week marks the first time since the split of The Beatles that two or more members have appeared alongside one another on a hit single.
The two former Beatles debut on three different charts as a pair on a reworked version of “Let It Be.” The tune arrives on the Digital Song Sales, Country Digital Song Sales and Rock Digital Song Sales charts all at once. It hits all three in different positions, but in all cases, McCartney and Starr are credited as featured musicians.
Last week, McCartney and Starr earned their first-ever chart hit together as a pair of soloists, as opposed to members of the same band. They debuted on the Hot Trending Songs chart, which ranks the most-discussed tunes on Twitter. That’s not a traditional Billboard ranking though, as sales, streams nor airplay—the three forms of music consumption included in many Billboard rankings—factored into their placement.
McCartney and Starr are back with a new version of The Beatles’ “Let It Be” which has become a quick, if minor, Billboard chart hit. The tune is fronted by Dolly Parton, who got the two rockers together again after a long time apart, at least musically. The country star recruited them for her first rock album, Rockstar, which features a healthy mix of covers and original tunes. The set is slated to drop this fall, and Parton decided to record it after being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
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