Bringing a satisfactory end to the 63-year reign of the Beatles, “Now and Then” has been officially declared their last new song. 

Although the band was officially disbanded in 1970, their legacy has persevered through the decades alongside the memory of the two deceased band members the track commemorates — John Lennon and George Harrison.  

Debuting at the top of the Billboard Digital Song Sales chart, Beatles fans worldwide accepted the song with open arms, their last studio album releasing in 1970 and their discography dotted with remastered versions since.  

The song was initially recorded by Lennon in his free time during 1977, but it was left unfinished and stored in his assortment of home demo tapes until its discovery post-assassination in 1980.  

“Now and Then” opens with the familiar Beatles “count in”, followed by the recognizable Lennon-esque piano chords, acoustic guitar, and his mesmerizing voice. Then, the rest of the band quickly joins in with Ringo Starr’s beautifully calming drums and Paul McCartney’s bassline.  

In memory of George Harrison, McCartney and Starr included his archived guitar parts which he wrote back in 1995 sessions and added Harrison’s signature slide guitar solo in the song. 

“I’ve heard that the Beatles are a band that my grandparents listened to, so I can’t believe that they made another song in my lifetime.” says Sophia Aiello, a freshman here at Patchogue Medford High School. 

The demo was one of three the band popularized after Lennon’s death, the others being “Free as a Bird” and “Real Love.” As opposed to its psychedelic rock counterparts, the demo found itself stored away for another three decades until it was finalized by the band’s surviving members (Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr).  

Originally, Lennon’s voice was too faint to release as an official Beatles’ song. Due to this, they gave up on releasing the single and buried it away.  

Fast forward 28 years, they now have new technology which allowed McCartney and Starr to be able to incorporate AI-generated extensions of Lennon’s lyrics.  

The clear AI made vocals alongside his homemade piano accompaniment are now shown throughout the final version we are presented with today.  

As an ode to what the Beatles once were, “Now and Then” serves as a timepiece commemorating who many think may be the most successful band on the planet.