The Beatles Album With the Guinness World Record for Longest Time Between Holding UK No. 1 Spot
The Beatles have an everlasting popularity that has kept the band relevant for over 60 years. Over the years, The Beatles have reappeared on the charts through compilation albums and remixes of their classic records. One album by The Beatles holds a Guinness World Record for the longest gap in holding the No. 1 spot on the U.K. charts.
‘Abbey Road’ broke the record for the longest time between holding No. 1 spot in the U.K.
Abbey Road is an iconic Beatles album that many fans recognize from the iconic cover. The cover features the four Beatles walking across a zebra crosswalk right outside of Abbey Road Studios, and it was the last album The Beatles recorded together. When the album debuted in 1969, it was No. 1 on the U.K. official charts for 17 weeks. It was pushed to No. 2 by The Rolling Stones’ Let it Bleed before getting the top spot back the following week.
On Feb. 7, 1970, it was passed by Led Zeppelin’s Led Zeppelin II. According to Guinness World Records, the album went 49 years and 252 days before returning to the No. 1 spot. The album’s resurgence in popularity occurred after a 50th-anniversary version was released featuring a new stereo mix and previously unheard outtakes from the recording sessions.
‘Abbey Road’ beat the record previously held by another album by The Beatles
Before Abbey Road took this record, it was held by another Beatles album, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. The 1967 album remained at the top spot for 27 weeks upon its release before being knocked off its pedestal. The album remained out of the top spot for 49 years and 125 days before returning to No. 1 on the U.K. charts on June 8, 2017. Similarly, the renewed popularity came from releasing a 50th-anniversary special edition.
Third place is The Rolling Stones’ Exile on Main St., which debuted in 1972. The album became No. 1 on the charts on May 29, 2010 — 37 years and 353 days after its initial run. For a while, The Beatles and The Rolling Stones bounced back and forth between which band held the No. 1 spot.
A few songs from ‘Abbey Road’ performed well on the charts
While Abbey Road has been tremendously successful, the songs didn’t chart as well since it didn’t have many singles. The double A-sided single “Come Together/Something” performed well in the U.S., peaking at No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and remaining on the chart for 16 weeks. Abbey Road is the second-best-performing album in the U.S. on the Billboard 200, coming in behind the compilation album 1.
In the U.K., “Come Together/ Something” peaked at No. 4 and remained on the chart for 12 weeks. However, “Here Comes the Sun” is the album’s most-downloaded and most-streamed track. While the album doesn’t have many No. 1 hits, Abbey Road is one of the band’s most successful records and continues to be popular amongst new generations.
