John Lennon and Paul McCartney returned to the U.S. country music charts for the first time in 12 years Thursday thanks to a cover of “Revolution” by Nashville trio Rascal Flatts. The tune debuted at No. 60 on the Hot Country Songs tally, almost 39 years after it was originally released as the flip side of the Beatles’ “Hey Jude” in August 1968.
As songwriters, Lennon and McCartney were most recently on the chart in June 1995, when Steve Wariner took “Get Back” to No. 72.
“Revolution” is the highest-charting Lennon-McCartney song since Rosanne Cash turned the “Beatles For Sale” album cut “I Don’t Want to Spoil the Party” into a No. 1 hit in June 1989.
While that is the most successful Lennon-McCartney cover on the country chart, the songwriters earned another top 10 hit when Sweethearts of the Rodeo peaked at No. 9 in March 1989 with “I Feel Fine.”
Years earlier, Johnny Rodriguez covered George Harrison’s “Something” and turned it into a No. 6 hit in 1974.