The Fab Four’s Fab Comeback: Beatles Win Grammy 55 Years After Breakup

In a twist that proves you’re never too old (or too disbanded) for a comeback, The Beatles have managed to snag a Grammy award a mere 55 years after calling it quits. Talk about fashionably late to the party!

The legendary band’s surviving members, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, pulled off the musical equivalent of time travel with their song “Now and Then,” which took home the Grammy for best rock performance on Sunday. This marks the first time the Fab Four have been honored by the Recording Academy since 1997, proving that some things, like fine wine and Beatles music, only get better with age.

The Long and Winding Road to Grammy Gold

McCartney has dubbed “Now and Then” as “the last Beatles song” – a title that carries more weight than Ringo’s drum kit. The track features vocals from the late John Lennon, who unfortunately checked out of the Hotel California (so to speak) back in 1980. His original recordings from 1970 were preserved through the magic of technology, allowing John to posthumously hit those high notes one last time.

The Grammy was accepted at the Premiere Ceremony (the warm-up show before the main event) by Sean Ono Lennon, son of John Lennon and Yoko Ono. In his acceptance speech, Sean reminded everyone of what we already knew: “The Beatles have done such incredible work and they’re still in the culture and people still listen to the music. As far as I’m concerned, it’s the greatest band of all time.”

He added, “I feel like the world can’t afford to forget about people like The Beatles. We need this music in this world. We need peace and love and we need the music of the ’60s to stay alive.” No argument here, Sean – though some might suggest we could leave the fashion choices of the ’60s in the past.

It Takes a Village (and Some AI) to Resurrect a Beatles Song

Creating “Now and Then” was more complicated than explaining why Ringo wasn’t the best singer in the band. The song features Lennon’s revived vocals, guitar recordings from the late George Harrison dating back to the 1990s, and new instrumentation from McCartney and Starr. It’s essentially the musical equivalent of assembling the Avengers, if half the Avengers had already passed away.

The result is a time-bending collaboration that brings together all four Beatles across different decades – proving that not even death can stop a good Beatles reunion. Take that, creative differences!

A Hard Day’s Night Pays Off (Eventually)

The Beatles’ relationship with the Grammys goes way back – almost as far back as Paul McCartney’s hairline used to. They nabbed their first two Grammy Awards at the 7th ceremony in 1965 for “A Hard Day’s Night,” winning best new artist and best performance by a singing ensemble. Imagine being called a “new artist” after already causing mass hysteria across multiple continents.

Before their 1970 breakup, the band’s groundbreaking album “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” earned them two more Grammys for best contemporary album and album of the year. They later picked up three additional awards in 1997, including two for “Free As a Bird” from “The Beatles Anthology” and one for best long form music video.

Close But No Cigar for Record of the Year

“Now and Then” was also nominated for the prestigious record of the year award at Sunday’s televised ceremony, but lost to Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us.” Apparently, even resurrecting band members from beyond the grave wasn’t quite enough to edge out Kendrick. Perhaps if they had included a hologram of John Lennon doing the latest TikTok dance?

Nevertheless, the Grammy win proves that The Beatles’ music continues to resonate “here, there, and everywhere” – even if half the band is now performing exclusively in the great concert hall in the sky. It seems you can still teach an old band new tricks, especially when those tricks involve cutting-edge technology and a healthy dose of nostalgia.

As for what’s next for the world’s most successful defunct band? Only time will tell. But if they can win a Grammy 55 years after breaking up, perhaps we shouldn’t rule out a holographic world tour in 2030. After all, in the immortal words of the Beatles themselves, “it’s getting better all the time.”