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The Beatles’ “Now And Then” made it to the Recording Academy’s list of Grammy Award nominees for Record of the Year and Best Rock Performance. Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, the surviving members of the group, have their names on the list, while their late bandmates John Lennon and George Harrison have been left out due to the rule that requires songs to have been created and released within five years. Lennon was murdered by a crazed fan named Mark David Chapman in December 1980 outside of their New York City apartment, while Harrison died from brain and lung cancer in November 2001. It is important to note that “Now And Then” was created using Artificial Intelligence, or AI, making it the first of its kind to snag a Grammy nomination. John Lennon is missing from the Grammy 2025 nominations list THE CONCERT THAT ROCKED THE WORLD, image from footage of Yoko Ono and John Lennon, at the Toronto Rock and Roll Revival, September 13, 1969/Everett Collection The single, which is the last song from the Fab Four, is based on a demo John Lennon made in the late ‘70s, and his voice was extracted from the tape to create the masterpiece. Paul and Starr collaborated with producer Giles Martin, whose father, George Martin, was the Beatles’ producer back then. The same advanced voice technology used in Peter Jackson’s Get Back was employed for “Now And Then.” Although “Now And Then” exists thanks to John Lennon, the nominees list will not have his name. The late band frontman is also ineligible for the best Boxed Set or Limited Edition Package for the boxed set of his 1973 album Mind Games, and his son Sean Ono Lennon gets named instead. A HARD DAY'S NIGHT, from left: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison (obscured), 1964/Everett Collection The song is said to be a love letter from Lennon to his bandmates, especially Paul, who he told to think of him now and then. Sadly, Harrison considered it to be “fucking rubbish” while he, Starr, and Paul revisited it in the ‘90s. They started working on “Now And Then” for the Beatles Anthology Project, which has also been featured since the release of “Free As A Bird” and “Real Love.” Producer Martin admitted that Paul was quite touched by the inclusion of his late friends in their last release thanks to AI; however, Starr was less moved, noting that playing with his mates is what he does. Paul gushed about the single via a statement, saying the process of making a Beatles song in 2023 was exciting. Should they win a Grammy, it will complete his stack of the Big Four awards, with the previous being Best New Artist, Song of the Year for “Michelle,” and Album of the Year for Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. HELP!, from Left: Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, John Lennon, 1965/Everett The new Beatles’ song will boost the use of technology in music production According to the Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr., “Now And Then” is a cool example of how AI can function in today’s musical environment. He added that the new rule concerning AI-assisted songs is that the technology must enhance human work rather than replace it, and it must be used as an editing tool. CEO and founder of Credtent Eric Burgess buttressed this point, noting that people are adopting AI rapidly as his company helps creators protect their work from being used without permission. Fans were initially outraged when Paul first announced their implementation of AI on BBC Radio 4’s Today, but Andreas Welsch, the chief AI strategist at Intelligence Briefing, credited them for being more forgiving upon its release. A HARD DAY'S NIGHT, John Lennon, 1964/Everett John Lennon’s technologically isolated vocals, Harrison’s guitar parts from the ‘90s sessions, and new content from Paul and Starr came together to form the masterpiece. The four-and-half-minute track is in the Record of the Year category with other hits like Taylor Swift’s “Fortnight” and “Texas Hold ‘Em” by Beyoncé, and in Best Rock against the likes of “Dark Matter” by Pearl Jam. The Grammy will be held at the Crypto Arena in Los Angeles on February 2nd and can be watched on Paramount + and CBS.