"Hey Jude" (file info)
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"Hey Jude" is a rock ballad written by Paul McCartney (credited to Lennon/McCartney) and recorded by The Beatles. Despite being over 7 minutes long, it lasted two weeks as number one in the British charts, and spent nine weeks as number one in the United States, the longest spell at the top of the American charts for a Beatles single. Originally titled "Hey Jules", it was written by McCartney to comfort John Lennon's son Julian when Lennon and his first wife, Cynthia Powell, were divorced. The song made many "Best of..." lists compiled by magazines such as Rolling Stone, where it was number 8 on their list of the 500 greatest songs of all time.