The last time any Beatle had a #1

Just a question my wandering mind came up with well after bedtime.

There are obviously different sources we could use, but if we used Billboard, the last time any Beatle held the #1 spot was Harrison's 1988 'Got my Mind Set on You.' Is that right? (1:30am here, so this was not a systematic search.) 'Free as a Bird' only hit #6 and 'Real Love' got #11. Anything I missed?

And what do other countries or charts make it to be?

 

You are correct. In the US Top 100 Pop Singles, Got My Mind Set On You was the last time any of the Beatles hit number one. You can close the thread now!

 

We could still look back to what was the last time any of them wrote a #1 hit.

 

McCartney had a #1 single with "Fine Line" in Japan in 2005. Related to what other charts say. "FourFiveSeconds" was a #1 in several countries in 2015.

He also had a UK #1 as part of The Justice Collective with "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" in 2012.

 

A good number of Macca's latter collaborations went to #1...in which case we could look back to when was the last time any of them had an original #1 that wasn't boosted by another popular artist.

 

From the charts in countries which wikipedia lists:

Paul McCartney reached #1 with Rihanna and Kanye West with "FourFiveSeconds" in Australia, New Zealand and Sweden in 2015, don't know if that counts. Last solo #1 goes back to Pipes Of Peace in 1983 (UK and Ireland).

George Harrison's My Sweet Lord reached #1 in the UK and Canada in 2002, but that was a reissue.

Ringo Starr's last #1 was in 1975 in Canada with No No Song.

 

I didn't notice at the time and have never knowingly heard it, but apparently something called My Sweet Lord (2000) was #1 in the UK in the last week of January 2002. Also reached #1 in Canada. Whilst obviously not a new composition, the blurb suggests it was a full-on reworking.

 

In the U.S. I guess that would be "Ebony and Ivory," or, if co-writes count, "Say Say Say."

 

I realize it wasn't a number 1, but it might be worth noting that Paul McCartney's collaboration with Rihanna and Kanye West's "FourFiveSeconds" reached number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2015.

 

Yes, it came from the 30th anniversary release of All Things Must Pass.

 

Or, perhaps, a Beatle boosted a failing artist? Like Kanye?

 

If $30 million in one year is considered "failing," then PLEASE Lord let me fail like Kanye!!!
Kanye West: $30 million - pg.7

 

McCartney has always been conscious of sales and charting, I wonder if it bothers him. The Beatles took over the Billboard Charts in 1964 and he managed to keep it going to the mid-80s. It's quite an achievement. He is in the Guinnes Book of Records for it. I don't think you can expect a middleaged man to have as many smash hit singles. It is mainly a youth culture.

 

My tongue was firmly in cheek

 

Gee...Wouldn't that be The Beatles #1?

 

I think a better question would be when they had a #2 - I'm guessing that Ringo might be suffering from a little constipation in his advanced age!

 

Happens to every artist. Singles anyway. Number one albums it seems can be achieved at any age. I think Paul accepted it in the late 80's and stopped trying to make a hit single.

 

A good question. Run with it.

Does it exclued #2s that were #1 at some point?

 

I think he never stopped trying. Hope of Deliverance was an attempt, C'mon People, the US/UK World Tonight/Young Boy was an attempt.Then, just as I thought he didn't care anymore (From a lover to a Friend), his compulsion came back with FREEDOM, a somehow pathetic attempt. Since then, I'm sure he still had big hopes for some tunes (Ever present Past, New, Queenie Eye) and some specific moves prove it : the video game single, the Kanye/Rihanna collaborations. One just needs to see how happy he's been to announce "our more recent hit" during 2016 concerts. I'd say he was relieved it was a 2015 song (FourFiveSeconds) instead of a 1984 one. He's always said that sales were the most important thing for him. And we-fans have to admit it is important for us as well. We would all dream of Paul having another #1, wouldn't we?

 

But Ebony is a duet. We need a song written exclusively by a Beatle with a lead vocal by a Beatle.

For McCartney it was Coming Up (1980) in US and Pipes of Peace (1983) in UK.

If we mean the last time a Beatle had a number 1 in US with his own song (and not a duet) then it is probably Just Like Starting Over by John Lennon (December 1980). (Next year Woman and Imagine reached no. 1 in UK).

 

No not important to me,rather he just tried to make quality music- a hit single is a bonus.

 

Paul's Hope of Deliverance hit #1 in Spain

 

Dunno, he eats a lot of nuts and seeds. I think no. 2's are probably not a problem but the op was asking about no.1's and at Paul and Ringo's age the prostate can be a tricky little devil and a number 1 can be a bit more elusive or happen when you least expect it. I'm sure all will be revealed in Volume 7 of Tune In which is up for pre-order now for October 2140 presumably to tie-in with John's 200th birthday.

 

Possibly of passing interest, Ringo is the only ex-Beatle to derive two U.S. #1 singles from the same album ("Photograph" and "You're Sixteen" from Ringo).

 

Yes, but he's not the only ex-Beatle on either of these tracks.