"Hey Jude" was recorded in 1968. Originally titled "Hey Jules", the ballad was written by Paul McCartney—and credited to Lennon/McCartney—to comfort John Lennon's son Julian during his parents' divorce.
"Hey Jude" was released in August 1968 as the first single from The Beatles' record label Apple Records. Over seven minutes in length, "Hey Jude" was at the time the longest single ever to top the British charts. It also spent nine weeks as number one in the United States—the longest run at the top of the American charts for a Beatles single. The single has sold approximately eight million copies.
[Wikipedia]