Critical Reception
It was the first time a new single containing new material had been released under The Beatles' name since "The Long and Winding Road" in the United States in 1970. The promotional video was broadcast during episode one of The Beatles Anthology that aired on ITV in the UK and ABC in the US.
"Free as a Bird" was greeted with mixed reviews. Its release was criticised by one writer in The Guardian as a publicity gimmick, exploiting The Beatles brand, and owing less to The Beatles than to Lynne. The Independent called the song "disappointingly low-key...George's guitar weeps gently enough when required, but the overall effect is of a dirge." Chris Carter, now the host of Breakfast with the Beatles, commented: "I would value any song (especially if it was great) performed by John, Paul, George and Ringo, no matter how (or when) it was recorded." "Free as a Bird" later won the 1997 Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. In the United States, the song continued the group's streak of having at least one single chart in the Top 40 in every decade since the 1960s.
Read more about this topic: Free As A Bird
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