The Beatles Make History with First Grammy for AI-Assisted Song "Now and Then"
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Beatles Nab First Grammy for an AI-Assisted Song
Samantha Kelly is a freelance writer with a focus on consumer technology, AI, social media, Big Tech, emerging trends and how they impact our everyday lives. Her work has been featured on CNN, NBC, NPR, the BBC, Mashable and more. The Beatles won a Grammy on Sunday night, nearly 55 years after the
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The Beatles won a Grammy for a song they wrote 50 years ago
Thanks to AI and machine learning helping them release it in late 2023. Despite the fact that The Beatles split up over 50 years ago and the fact that they haven't written a new song since then, the band still managed to win a Grammy at the recent award show over the weekend. The band was
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The Beatles win big at Grammys more than five decades after their split. How it happened?
Even in 2025, The Beatles continue to prove that their music is timeless. More than half a century after their breakup, the legendary band took home their eighth Grammy on Sunday for Best Rock Performance, thanks to their final song, "Now and Then." The track, finished and released last year by
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The Beatles Win First Grammy Awarded to AI-Augmented Song - Decrypt
AI-infused art just notched a major victory in its quest for legitimacy: a Grammy. On Sunday night, "Now and Then" -- a previously unreleased Beatles' song finished decades after its inception with the aid of artificial intelligence -- won the Grammy for Best Rock Performance. The occasion marks
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The Beatles' 'Now and Then' Was Made With AI (and That's Okay)
I happened to catch some of the Grammy Awards last night, and while pop, rap, and country definitely took center stage, it was the Best Rock Performance category that most caught my attention. The award went to The Beatles for their song "Now and Then," which is a confusing sentence in 2025. You
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The Beatles won a Grammy last night, thanks to AI | TechCrunch
The Beatles' AI-assisted track "Now and Then" won the Grammy for Best Rock Performance on Sunday night, marking the first time that a song of its kind has taken home the award. No, Paul McCartney did not use AI to create some creepy LennonGPT bot. Instead, he used noise reduction systems to clean
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The Beatles Make Grammy Award History With AI: How Technology Helped Create Rock Band's Final Song - Paramount Glb (NASDAQ:PARA), Paramount Glb (NASDAQ:PARAA)
The winning song used AI to help restore an old demo of John Lennon's voice along with music from the other three Beatles members. The Beatles are one of the bestselling and most recognizable bands of all time. Over 60 years after their debut, The Beatles are still winning awards, and this time
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The Beatles won a Grammy for Best Rock Performance with their AI-assisted song "Now and Then," marking a milestone in the use of artificial intelligence in music production and sparking discussions about AI's role in the creative process.
The Beatles' Historic Grammy Win for AI-Assisted Song
The Beatles, one of the most influential bands in music history, have once again made headlines by winning a Grammy for Best Rock Performance with their song "Now and Then"
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. This win is particularly significant as it marks the first time an AI-assisted track has been awarded a Grammy, nearly 55 years after the band's breakup2
.The Journey of "Now and Then"
"Now and Then" has a unique history that spans decades. Originally written and recorded as a demo by John Lennon in 1978, the song remained unfinished for years
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. The surviving Beatles members attempted to complete the track in the 1990s but faced technical challenges in isolating Lennon's vocals from the original piano recording5
.AI's Role in Completing the Song
The breakthrough came with the use of advanced machine-learning software, which allowed engineers to isolate Lennon's voice from the piano track
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. This AI-assisted process enabled Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, and the late George Harrison's earlier contributions to be combined, creating a new Beatles song featuring all four band members4
.Clarifying AI's Involvement
It's important to note that "Now and Then" is not an AI-generated song in the sense of creating synthetic vocals or instrumentals. McCartney emphasized that the AI was used solely to clean up existing recordings, stating, "Nothing has been artificially or synthetically created"
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. The technology employed was more akin to machine learning for audio track separation, allowing producers to work with Lennon's isolated vocals5
.Impact on the Music Industry
This Grammy win comes at a time when the music industry is grappling with defining the appropriate use of AI in music production
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. The recognition of "Now and Then" highlights how AI can be used to drive innovation and creative expression while honoring artists' legacies. However, it also raises questions about the future of AI in music, especially in light of controversies surrounding fully AI-generated content4
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Reception and Significance
The completion and release of "Now and Then" have been met with enthusiasm from fans and family members alike. Sean Lennon, John's son, expressed his approval, stating that his father would have loved the experimental approach to recording technology
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. The song's success, including Grammy nominations for both Best Rock Performance and Record of the Year, demonstrates the enduring appeal of The Beatles' music across generations2
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.Looking to the Future
As AI continues to evolve and integrate into various aspects of music production, the industry will likely face more discussions about its role and impact. The success of "Now and Then" may pave the way for similar projects that use AI to breathe new life into unreleased or unfinished works by legendary artists, while also raising important questions about authenticity and creativity in the digital age
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