With the release of The Beatles’ final song, “Now and Then,” rock artists are finding creative ways to remain relevant in an expanding music world.

Student Commentary

By Max Nokes / Matthew Staff | Edited by Amanda Contessa

The Beatles, world-renowned released their supposed last song entitled “Now and Then.” With this release, it shows that many rock artists, old and new, are finding ways to stay relevant in an often overwhelming and complex music world.  

It was late October 2023 when The Beatles, the world famous British rock band announced the “Last Beatles Song.” Music fans and critics at first wondered what this last song from the group would be. But then the song “Now and Then,” was announced, set to release on November 4th as an A-side single, with the B-side being a new remaster of their first hit “Love Me Do.”  

So, what makes this song their “last” song, and why is it coming out in the 2020’s? 

Originally, the song was a recorded demo written and sung by John Lennon, sometime in the 1970’s after the band broke up. Years later, after Lennon’s death and the former members of the band were reuniting for their Anthology project, Yoko Ono, Lennon’s wife, gave the demo to George Harrison, hoping that they would someday complete the song and release it. 

Because of this, “Now and Then” became one of three tracks that Harrison, Paul McCcartney, and Ringo Starr would work on and eventually release for their new Anthology series. Though the first two songs, “Free as a Bird ” and “Real Love” would be completed and eventually released, it was “Now and Then” that would be halted and eventually scrapped. 

The reason “Now and Then” stopped recording was due to the original tape recording itself. The piano of the demo is loud and prominent, with Lennon’s vocals, while there and present, were quieter. This made the task of separating the piano and vocal track extremely difficult. So from 1994 till 2022, the song’s production was paused, until film director Peter Jackson came in.  

Jackson helped direct the documentary film Get Back, which saw Jackson and crew use new AI technology to isolate vocals and dialogue so they can incorporate those sounds into certain scenes that fit the recorded footage. McCartney, Starr, and producer Giles Martin (the son of famed producer of The Beatles, George Martin) finally saw an opportunity, and used the same technology to finally separate the piano and vocals from Lennon’s original demo. From 2022-2023, the remaining Beatles and Martin were finally able to complete and release “Now and Then.” 

The song itself is great. Lennon’s haunting yet gentle vocals make you feel like you’re back in time. The production is grand, filled with guitars, loud bass and drums, and classic strings and vocal harmonies.  

It is a song that is reminiscent of late-1960s Beatles, where they were more focused on studio sounds and trying out psychedelic and experimental genres and ideas. The song was a huge hit, hitting the charts on not only streaming platforms like Spotfiy, but was able to make it to the Billboard Top 100 list, where it made it to the number 5 spot. It was also Billboard’s number 1 spot for digital sales.;  

As you can see, Beatlemania still lives on. With “Now and Then” not surprisingly becoming a hit for the Fab Four, what is next for the state of rock and roll? 

Despite this song being The Beatles’ last song, this isn’t the only time the band has been around for this modern age of music content and consumption. Since the early 2010’s, The Beatles are still some of the biggest sellers when it comes to the vinyl record market, as well as continuing to re-release their albums. With technology and music listening devices changing, the former members of the band, as well as Giles Martin, have reproduced, remastered, and re-released some of the band’s most critically acclaimed albums. Albums like “Sgt. Pepper” and “Abbey Road,” have been remastered and now sound amazing on streaming services. Even reissues of their vinyls are of these new remasters, giving vinyl lovers more to collect and new listeners something to begin with. 

The Beatles’ ability to remain relevant in the digital age has inspired many legendary rock artists to do the same. Artists like Fleetwood Mac, David Bowie, Queen, Elton John, Blondie, and more have now seen new remasters and adaptations towards streaming. Certain artists, like Pink Floyd, have created new compilations of eras of their music and remasters of live albums and rare songs so that it can attract die hard fans.  

Overall, the classic rock genre, though not as popular as it was years ago, still plays a huge role in music culture. So what exactly is next for classic rock and basically rock all together? 

Rock music today is in an odd position. Though some bands like Foo Fighters, Paramore, Radiohead, The Strokes, and Green Day remain contributors to the rock sound, the addition of the indie and alternative genres have greatly affected rock all together. 

 Since the 2010’s, the indie and alternative genres have slowly increased in popularity. Contributors to this rise include 

• Creation of online subcultures found in apps like Tumblr,  
• New technology that gives people the ability to make music at home,  
• Development of new record labels whose focus is to stay with an indie sound and aesthetic. 

All of these factors have resulted in alternative scene becoming its own genre of music. Because of this, many modern rock acts and musicians are often first found and start as indie artists, as their music is commonly found not in the popular charts or pop music all together.  

Artists like Boygenius, Wallows, The 1975, Tame Impala, Backseat Lovers, Bleachers, and Inhaler are examples of bands who are not only considered indie or alternative, but simply rock. Rock has always been an evolutionary genre, with more genres rising as time moves forward.  

We can easily look back at the 1970’s and see all the rock genres that were present at that time. So what is next? I guess music listeners will have to wait and see.  

Classic rock artists seem to continue to find new ways to stay relevant, whether it’s remastering songs and albums, or even releasing unheard material. There is also the vinyl record revival, which sees a majority of rock, indie, and alternative artists seem to thrive. With streaming, the complex web of music genres will continue to grow and connect with each other, as streaming gives listeners endless amounts of songs, albums, and so many new fields of music they might have not heard before.