In early February 2025, over three decades since their last competitive win, The Beatles claimed their **eighth Grammy Award** for **Best Rock Performance** with *“Now and Then”* at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards ([fox9.com][1]). This momentous win arrives nearly 55 years after the band’s breakup in 1970 and marks their first competitive Grammy since *Free as a Bird* in 1997 ([fox9.com][1]).
### ✨ What Makes *“Now and Then”* So Historic
* **A John Lennon demo resurrected**: The song originated as a solo piano-and-vocal recording by Lennon from the late 1970s. In 1994, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, and George Harrison attempted to complete it for *The Beatles Anthology*, but the recording quality left Lennon’s vocal submerged in hiss ([theverge.com][2]).
* **AI-assisted restoration**: In 2021, director Peter Jackson’s sound team used machine-learning techniques to isolate and clean Lennon’s voice—not generative AI, but sophisticated cleanup—which enabled McCartney and Starr to finish the track, including George’s guitar from 1995 ([theverge.com][2]).
* **Final Beatles release**: Branded their “last Beatles song,” the completed version dropped on November 2, 2023 ([grammy.com][3]).
### Recognition and Reactions
* *“Now and Then”* not only won Best Rock Performance but was also nominated for Record of the Year—an area where the band had yet to score victory ([en.wikipedia.org][4]).
* Ringo Starr reflected deeply on the moment:
> “It just felt like John was with us,”
> as he accepted the honor alongside McCartney. Starr, at 84, also noted how emotional it was to represent their shared legacy ([people.com][5]).
* Their continuing cultural relevance was underscored by the fact that *“Now and Then”* claimed the Grammy over modern rock heavyweights like Green Day, Pearl Jam, The Black Keys, Idles, and St. Vincent ([fox9.com][1]).
### The Celebration Tour: More Than Just Awards
This Grammy victory inspired a wave of renewed interest in The Beatles’ story and legacy:
* **Commemorative events**: From tribute concerts to new deluxe editions of *Red & Blue* albums, fans are celebrating the band’s rich history. Giles Martin’s remix work, part of this revitalization, was integral in shaping *“Now and Then”* as a poignant farewell piece ([grammy.com][3]).
* **Media synergy**: Paul McCartney’s *Got Back* tour finale in London featured a surprise reunion with Ringo Starr, reprising classics together—showing their ongoing musical bond ([ew.com][6]).
* **AI and legacy debate**: The song has reignited conversations about AI in music—McCartney emphasized it merely restored an existing voice, not synthesized one, sparking important discourse in the industry ([theverge.com][2]).
—
With *“Now and Then”* bringing The Beatles full-circle— from an unfinished 1970s demo to a 2025 Grammy-winning farewell—this marks a fitting, profound capstone to their historic journey. Their innovative use of clean-up technology, heartfelt execution, and continued creativity highlight the band’s timeless relevance.
* [pitchfork.com](https://pitchfork.com/news/the-beatles-win-best-rock-performance-for-now-and-then-at-2025-grammys?utm_source=chatgpt.com)
* [people.com](https://people.com/ringo-starr-on-beatles-recent-grammy-win-55-years-after-they-broke-up-exclusive-11700918?utm_source=chatgpt.com)
[1]: https://www.fox9.com/news/beatles-now-and-then-grammy?utm_source=chatgpt.com “Beatles win Grammy for ‘Now and Then’ with help of artificial … – FOX 9”
[2]: https://www.theverge.com/news/604970/beatles-ai-restored-song-now-and-then-grammy-win?utm_source=chatgpt.com “That AI-restored Beatles song won Grammy for Best Rock Performance”
[3]: https://www.grammy.com/news/the-beatles-last-song-now-and-then-giles-martin-interview?utm_source=chatgpt.com “The Beatles’ Final Song: Giles Martin On The Second Life Of \”Now …”
[4]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Now_and_Then_%28Beatles_song%29?utm_source=chatgpt.com “Now and Then (Beatles song)”
[5]: https://people.com/ringo-starr-on-beatles-recent-grammy-win-55-years-after-they-broke-up-exclusive-11700918?utm_source=chatgpt.com “Ringo Starr on the Beatles’ Recent Grammy Win 55 Years After They Broke Up: ‘Felt Like John Was with Us’ (Exclusive)”
[6]: https://ew.com/paul-mccartney-ringo-starr-have-beatles-reunion-got-back-tour-8765491?utm_source=chatgpt.com “Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr have Beatles
reunion as singer’s tour wraps in London”
