<Tr> <Th_colspan="2"> Music video </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="2"> "Hey Jude" on YouTube </Td> </Tr> <P> "Hey Jude" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, written by Paul McCartney and credited to Lennon--McCartney . The ballad evolved from "Hey Jules", a song McCartney wrote to comfort John Lennon's son, Julian, during his parents' divorce . "Hey Jude" begins with a verse - bridge structure incorporating McCartney's vocal performance and piano accompaniment; further instrumentation is added as the song progresses . After the fourth verse, the song shifts to a fade - out coda that lasts for more than four minutes . </P> <P> "Hey Jude" was released in August 1968 as the first single from the Beatles' record label Apple Records . More than seven minutes in length, it was at the time the longest single ever to top the British charts . It also spent nine weeks at number one in the United States, the longest for any Beatles single . "Hey Jude" tied the "all - time" record, at the time, for the longest run at the top of the US charts . The single has sold approximately eight million copies and is frequently included on professional critics' lists of the greatest songs of all time . In 2013, Billboard named it the 10th biggest song of all time . </P>

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