The Beatles are, well, the Beatles. Perhaps the biggest and most successful act in music history, and, of course, on Billboard’s charts, as confirmed by their standing at No. 1 on Billboard’s Greatest of All Time Artists recap.
The Fab Four were only active for a brief period in the 1960s, but that short span left an indelible mark on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart and Billboard 200 albums list. The group charted 64 total songs on the Hot 100 between 1964 and 1970, of which 20 hit No. 1 — a record for the most leaders that still stands.
The band also charted 26 albums on the Billboard 200 from 1964 to 1970 (14 of which topped the chart in that time frame), but have charted an additional 18, thanks to compilations, live recordings, special releases/anthologies and more. To date, The Beatles have earned 19 No. 1 albums, also the most in the chart’s history.
The group returns to the Hot 100 on the Nov. 18, 2023-dated chart thanks to its new single, “Now and Then.” The track, billed as the final Beatles song, was first recorded as a demo in 1977 by John Lennon and initially meant for the band’s three-edition Anthology series in the mid-‘90s before being shelved by the surviving members of the band. It was completed, and released Nov. 2 after new technology helped extract Lennon’s vocals from the original demo while also using guitar recordings from George Harrison from the initial attempt to finish the song.
The song debuts at No. 7 on the Hot 100, becoming the band’s 72nd career entry, and first since “Real Love” reached No. 11 in 1996. It’s The Beatles’ 35th top 10, extending their record for the most among groups. Plus, the band has now charted on the Hot 100 in five distinct decades: the ‘60s, ‘70s, ‘80s, ‘90s and now, the 2020s.
As the iconic group returns to Billboard’s charts, here’s a look at 10 records the band still holds on the Hot 100 or Billboard 200 (as of the charts dated Nov. 18, 2023).
