The Beatles – Photo: Bruce McBroom / © Apple Corps Ltd.
The Beatles’ compilation albums, titled the Red Album and Blue Album, have re-entered Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart (dated November 25) at No.6 and No.5, respectively. Both albums received reissues on November 10.
The albums sold 22,000 and 24,000 in the week ending November 16 in the U.S., according to Luminate. For both records, it is their largest sales week since the week ending December 24, 1994, when they sold 37,000 and 40,000 units.
The records—1962-1966 (The Red Album) and 1967-1970 (The Blue Album)—have ushered countless listeners of all ages, from all parts of the world, into lifelong Beatles fandom.
Expanded for their new 2023 releases, the collections together span The Beatles’ entire recorded canon with 75 standout tracks, from their first single, “Love Me Do,” to their last, “Now And Then.” The collections’ 21 newly-added tracks (twelve on Red and nine on Blue) showcase even more of The Beatles’ very best songs.
In other Beatles chart news, earlier this month they broke a UK chart record with their return to No.1. The group landed there after the release of their “final” track, “Now and Then.” It represents the band’s 18th chart-topper.
With their last No.1 coming in 1969, they became the band or artist with the longest gap between No.1 singles. At 54 years, they set the record previously established by Kate Bush, who earned a No.1 for “Running Up That Hill” 44 years after landing at the top with “Wuthering Heights.”
“Now and Then” was written and sung by John Lennon, developed and worked on by Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr, and finished by Paul and Ringo over four decades later.
McCartney shared a statement upon hearing the news, saying, “It’s mind boggling. It’s blown my socks off. It’s also a very emotional moment for me. I love it!”
Both collections are available digitally on streaming, on 2CD, 180g 3LP black vinyl, in addition to limited edition Beatles Store-exclusives: a 3LP colored vinyl (red for Red/blue for Blue); a 4CD slipcased set; a 180g 6LP black vinyl slipcased set; and 6LP red + blue vinyl slipcased set.
Buy or stream the Blue and Red Albums.