The Beatles' Now And Then is UK's Official Number 1 song in record-breaking return

The Beatles make UK Official Chart history today with Now And Then, as the Liverpool legends’ ‘last’ track storms to Number 1 with some incredible stats.

The Fab Four - Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, John Lennon and George Harrison – vault 41 places to the summit, having debuted at Number 42 last week based on just 10 hours’ worth of sales following the track’s Thursday release.

Now And Then uses WingNut Films' groundbreaking MAL audio technology to ‘reunite’ the inimitable group one last time, returning them to the top of the Official Singles Chart a whole 60 years after their first Number 1 single From Me to You, marking the longest-ever gap between an act’s first and last chart-topping hit.

Their 18th Number 1 hit, The Beatles extend their record as the British act with the most UK Number 1 singles in Official Charts history. Only Elvis Presley, with 21 Number 1 hits to his name, has more.

Delve into Now and Then's unbelievable achievements below.

MORE: See where every The Beatles song and album has charted in the UK

The Beatles' Now And Then in numbers this week: all the chart facts

Sales

• Number 1 with 78,200 combined UK chart units across sales and streaming. 

• Fastest-selling single of the year to date,– 48,600 physical and download sales based on the track’s first 7 days.  

• Biggest one-week physical sales in almost a decade (38k) - biggest since The X Factor 2014 winner Ben Haenow’s Something I Need (47k).

• Fastest-selling vinyl single of the century so far – 19.4k copies on vinyl.

Streams

• Now And Then is the most-streamed Beatles track in one week ever – 5.03m streams against previous record set by Here Comes the Sun (1.05m in 7 days in 2021).

• Now And Then is The Beatles’ most-watched music video in one week ever –2.15m streams v Here Comes The Sun’s 171.7k in 7 days in 2019.

Official Chart feats

• The Beatles are now the act with the longest gap ever between Number 1 singles (54 years) – they last reached Number 1 with The Ballad of John and Yoko in 1969. They overtake Kate Bush’s 44 years between Wuthering Heights (1978) and Running Up That Hill (2022).

• The Beatles now boast the longest time span between an artist’s first and last Number 1 single. The Beatles’ first Number 1 single was From Me to You in May 1963, 60 years and 6 months ago. They overtake Elvis Presley, with 47 years and 6 months between All Shook Up (1957) and a reissue of It’s Now or Never (2005).

• Now the British act with the most Number 1 singles ever. They extend their lead to 18 UK Number 1 singles, with only Elvis securing more. See the full list of artists with the most Number 1 singles here.

• They are the oldest band ever to score a UK Number 1 single (and second and third oldest chart-topping artists ever after Sir Captain Tom Moore, aged 99). The average age of surviving members Paul and Ringo is 82, McCartney being 81 and Starr being 83.

Celebrating the news, The Beatles' Paul McCartney exclusively tells Official Charts:

"It’s mind boggling. It’s blown my socks off. It’s also a very emotional moment for me. I love it!"

“The beat goes on Peace & Love”, adds bandmate Ringo Starr.

On The Beatles’ incredible success, Martin Talbot, Chief Executive Officer, Official Charts Company comments: 

“Beatlemania has returned this week - and what an amazing few days it has been for The Fab Four.  

“The return of John, Paul, George and Ringo with the last ever Beatles single, Now And Then, has cemented their legend by breaking a catalogue of records - and in doing so underlined the extraordinary scope of their enduring appeal, across all the generations, with huge numbers of streams, downloads and vinyl singles.  

“If there were ever any doubts that The Beatles are the greatest band of all time, they have surely consigned them to history this week.”

Elsewhere on the Official Singles Chart:

BTS member Jung Kook secures his fourth solo Top 10 single of 2023 with Standing Next to You (6). The track follows the success of Latto collab Seven (Number 3 peak), Jack Harlow duet 3D (5) and The Kid LAROI and Central Cee team-up TOO MUCH (10). Seven also makes a return to the Top 40 this week (35).

Noah Kahan’s Stick Season climbs two to a new peak (8), as does Chase & Status, Hedex and ArrDee’s Liquor & Cigarettes (17). 

Olivia Rodrigo continues her 2023 chart domination with Can’t Catch Me Now, lifted from Music From & Inspired By The Hunger Games: The Ballads of Songbirds & Snakes (18). It’s Olivia’s 11th Top 40 single in the UK. 

Zach Bryan and Kacey Musgraves’ I Remember Everything jumps four to new highs (19), while a performance on last weekend’s Strictly Come Dancing sees Zara Larsson and David Guetta’s On My Love benefit from a boost, up eight (22). 

Doja Cat’s Agora Hills rises three to a new best of Number 23, as Jax Jones, D.O.D., Ina Wroldsen and Blackout Crew’s Won’t Forget You soars into the Top 40 for the first time at Number 28. 

Pompeii by Bastille rises one to Number 32; this week it was announced that the single is the latest track to sell one million copies in the UK – read all about the achievement and see the band’s reaction here. 

K.A.D and Kakk Hatt’s Just How You Like It also makes its entrance into the Top 40 this week, lifting seven places to Number 36.

Oh, and is that sleigh bells we hear?

Christmas comes early this week, as a couple of festive favourite make their earliest-ever entries into the Official Top 40.

Mariah Carey's All I Want for Christmas is You and Wham!'s Last Christmas both re-enter the Top 40 this week. Read more on Mariah Carey and Wham!'s Top 40 return here.

See the full Official Singles Chart Top 100 here from 5.45pm.