The Beatles' Now and Then success 'a landmark for Liverpool too'

Sir Paul McCartney said the success was "mind-boggling"

The Beatles' latest number one has been claimed as "an important landmark" for both the band and their home city.

The band's Now and Then went to number one on Friday, 60 years after their first chart-topper, From Me To You.

Kevin McManus, Liverpool's head of Unesco City of Music, said it continued the city's "glorious run of success" which began with Lita Rosa in 1953.

He said it also meant Liverpool's world record of "most number one hits from a city" now stood at 59.

The success of the new single saw The Beatles become the act with the longest gap between their first and last number ones and the oldest band ever to hit number one.

Sir Paul McCartney said the success was "mind-boggling", adding: "It's also a very emotional moment for me."

The single is the Beatles' 18th number one and will be added to Liverpool's Pop Music Wall of Fame

Mr McManus said the chart-topper confirmed the "incredible enduring power of the group" and was also an "important landmark for our city as it continues Liverpool's proud tradition of having a number one single in every decade since the charts began".

"Our Guinness World Record of 'most number one hits from a city' now extends to 58 - and the city's Pop Wall of Fame on Mathew Street will soon welcome this latest addition," he said.

Liverpool's first number one was delivered by Lita Rosa in 1953, who got to the top with (How Much Is) That Doggie In The Window.

Since then, The Beatles have delivered 17 number ones, with others such as Cilla Black, Gerry and the Pacemakers, Frankie Goes To Hollywood, Atomic Kitten, Melanie C, The Real Thing, Sonia and Lightning Seeds also reaching the top of the charts.

Spice Girl Melanie C is one of Liverpool's many chart-toppers, having scored two solo number ones

Mr McManus said while he suspected "Paul and Ringo" were not "glued to their radios waiting to find out if they had made it" this time around, reaching number one "still means a lot".

"Of course streaming means the way the chart is calculated now is different and the numbers required to reach the top spot are much less than in the glory days, but it is still a huge deal," he added.

"I grew up listening to the charts on the radio with my older sisters dying to know what the number one was going to be.

"Those days are gone but artists and their devoted fans still know the power of a chart-topping single."