John Lennon and Paul McCartney’s careers will forever be intertwined with one another. The two musicians became stars together as half of The Beatles, and after the band split, they both went on to enjoy successful periods as solo acts and with other groups. Now, decades after their band broke up and only weeks after they collected a new hit single alongside one another, the pair of rockers have both returned to one Billboard chart at the same time.
On this week’s edition of the Top Rock & Alternative Albums chart, both Lennon and McCartney not only appear, but they both make their way back to the tally. In a fun bit of coincidence, the two musicians see old titles re-enter the ranking of the top-consumed albums in America labeled as either rock or alternative in genre at the same time.
McCartney ranks highest among the two former Beatles. His solo offering McCartney II returns to the Top Rock & Alternative Albums chart at No. 39. The set has previously risen as high as No. 13, never quite breaking into the top 10.
Closer to the bottom of the 50-spot ranking comes Lennon. His CD Gimme Some Truth. reappears at No. 48, narrowly finding its way back to the tally. While it may rank lower currently, Lennon’s compilation, which was released in 2020, has actually peaked much higher than McCartney’s. Gimme Some Truth. has thus far climbed as high as No. 5.
McCartney II performed well enough in the past tracking period to not only reach the Top Rock & Alternative Albums chart but also the Billboard 200–the all-encompassing ranking of the most-consumed albums in the U.S. The title opens at No. 177 on the list, which is far from its best showing but still impressive for a project that’s decades old. According to Luminate, McCartney II moved another 9,765 equivalent units in the past period.
Earlier this fall, both McCartney and Lennon found their way back to a number of Billboard charts, this time, together. The Beatles released their first new single in decades, “Now and Then,” just weeks ago. The tune was a smash success, peaking inside the top 10 on several weekly lists–and it performed especially well on the rock tallies.
