The Beatles have secured two Grammy nominations for their final song, “Now and Then,” marking a surreal return to the awards stage decades after the band’s dissolution. The track, which utilized artificial intelligence to restore archival audio, is competing for Record of the Year and Best Rock Performance at the upcoming 2025 ceremony.
A Technological Resurrection
Despite the band breaking up over 50 years ago, Paul McCartney spearheaded the production of “Now and Then” as the group’s definitive final record. Rather than employing deepfakes to simulate the late John Lennon and George Harrison, McCartney utilized AI to salvage a low-fidelity 1978 demo recorded by Lennon. The technology served strictly as an audio restoration tool, isolating Lennon’s vocals from the original recording’s background noise.
The Influence of Peter Jackson’s Tech
The project drew direct inspiration from Peter Jackson’s 2021 documentary series, “The Beatles: Get Back.” During that production, dialogue editor Emile de la Rey used custom AI to isolate individual voices from chaotic 1969 studio tapes. This same methodology was previously applied by producer Giles Martin to create a modern stereo mix for the 1966 album Revolver.
How the AI Audio Restoration Works
The process mirrors the noise-cancellation technology found in modern communication platforms like Zoom, Google Meet, and FaceTime. By training machine learning models to recognize distinct acoustic patterns—whether a specific human voice or a studio instrument—engineers can effectively strip away unwanted interference, leaving only the clean, original performance.
Grammy Competition and Streaming Realities
The Beatles face stiff competition from contemporary stars, including Sabrina Carpenter, Chappell Roan, and Beyoncé. While the band’s legacy remains undisputed, the nomination sparks a conversation regarding the role of novelty in the music industry. As of now, “Now and Then” holds the fewest Spotify streams among all Record of the Year nominees, totaling 78 million. The contrast in metrics highlights a shifting landscape where the Beatles’ historical status, once famously described as “more popular than Jesus,” is measured against the digital dominance of today’s pop icons.
For a full look at the 2025 Grammy field, see the official nominee list.