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| Paul McCartney |
The record set by his 1977 classic Mull of Kintyre was broken by the Live Aid single Do They Know It’s Christmas in 1985.
Now things have come a full circle for Paul McCartney as his reworking of the Beatles classic Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, performed with U2 at Live 8, has been declared the fastest-selling online song of all time. The feat also earned McCartney a place in the Guinness Book of World Records.
On July 2, the Live 8 series of marathon concerts for highlighting poverty in Africa, kicked off in Hyde Park, London. The opening song cut across generations as McCartney strode on to the stage with U2 for a rocking version of Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. The accompanying horn section was even dressed up in costumes like the ones worn by the Beatles on the cover of the 1967 album.
The song was available for download on iTunes within 45 minutes of the performance and topped the Official UK Download Chart within hours of its release, knocking down James Blunt’s single You’re Beautiful.
The profits from sales will be donated to Live 8, which raises money to help Africa.
