Danny Boyle’s clever, charming “Yesterday” crossed $40 million this week, after 13 days in release. Universao has major hit as Boyle and screenwriter Richard Curtis hit the sweet spot on this one.
The Beatles and their execs, like Jeff Jones, have to be thrilled, too. Even though their $5 million license must seem small now, the project has kicked the group back onto the charts with little effort.
Currently four Beatles albums are on the iTunes top 100: “Abbey Road,” the red and the blue greatest hits double albums, and the 2015 remixed “1” great hits. On amazon, “Abbey Road” is at 19, one notch above the “Yesterday” soundtrack, and the vinyl for “Sgt. Pepper” is also in the top 100, as well as the red greatest hits albums.
Mind you, the Beatles broke up in 1970.
So now we wait for 50th anniversary instructions on “Abbey Road,” which celebrates its big birthday on September 26th.
PS It’s funny, the only thing you don’t get on the “Yesterday” soundtrack is the version of “Hey Jude” playing over the end credits. For that you must buy either the Beatles “blue” greatest hits, the famed American “Hey Jude” album (which I adore), or “Past Masters.”
“Hey Jude” is the Beatles’ third most streamed song on Spotify, right behind “Here Comes the Sun” (way out front) and “Let it Be.”
