The Beatles' 'Hey Jude' just turned 50

On Aug. 26, 1968, the Beatles released "Hey Jude," Paul McCartney's attempt to comfort 5-year-old Julian Lennon upon the breakup of his parents, John and Cynthia. The song, which clocks in at a ridiculously long seven-plus minutes — including three minutes of "naaah-naaah-naah-na-na-na-naaaah" — went on to be the Beatles' biggest hit, topping the U.S. charts for nine weeks. It was also the first single on the band's Apple label. On Sept. 4, 1968, the Beatles recorded a performance of "Hey Jude" at Abbey Road Studios, bringing in fans and locals for the finale — including one older man in a blue suit who appears to be irritating Paul by the end of the song.

This was the first time the Beatles had performed in public since 1966 — much of the song is prerecorded, but Paul is singing live throughout. '"Hey Jude' sums up the Beatles' turbulent summer of 1968 — a tribute to their friendship, right at the moment it was starting to fracture," Rob Sheffield writes at Rolling Stone, noting that Ringo Starr had briefly quit the band four days before the song's U.S. release, during the recording of the White Album. "'Hey Jude' is a tribute to everything the Beatles loved and respected most about each other," and it's still relevant, 50 years later, he adds:

You can read the rest of Sheffield's love letter to the enduring anthem at Rolling Stone.

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