I usually only write about movies, but I’m taking a small break from that to write about one of the most influential bands of all time: The Beatles. They were part of the British Invasion in the early 1960s, and in my opinion, helped make rock and roll what it is today. There is a lot of history surrounding The Beatles, and many of their songs have a story behind them.
Today marks the 50th anniversary of The Beatles’ album Abbey Road. Though it was not the last one to be released (Let It Be came out in May of 1970), Abbey Road contained the last recordings of The Beatles as a group. John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr all had successful solo careers, but they were never the same without each other.
I would like to take the time to go over twenty of my personal favorite Beatles songs. I can’t pick just ten – that wouldn’t be right. Twenty seemed to be too few, and I felt bad about excluding so many songs, but eventually, I convinced myself that twenty is a fair number.
Here they are in release order:
“I Saw Her Standing There”
I love the opening note of this song, right after Paul starts with “1, 2, 3, 4…” This has one of many great guitar solos from George, and I love when John joins Paul in the chorus, “I’ll never dance with another…” This was the perfect opening track on their debut album Please Please Me.
“Twist and Shout”
You can’t go wrong with this song! It’s very catchy – I find myself singing along every time I listen to it…and I can’t sing (trust me). I can’t help but think of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986) when I hear it. Hey look, a movie reference!
IMDb. Photo by CBS Photo Archive – Image courtesy of gettyimages.com“I’ll Follow the Sun”
This song is short and sweet – not even two minutes long. I love the lyrics, though. Such a great reminder to stay positive in somber situations, and see the glass as half-full.
“The Night Before”
For some reason, I always think of the beach when I hear this song. It sounds like something straight out of a “Frankie and Annette” movie. I consider Help! to be the turning point album for The Beatles. This was when they started performing more psychedelic songs.
“Norwegian Wood”
This song is clever in multiple ways. I love the use of the sitar – the first time The Beatles used it in a song. John wrote and sang the lyrics. They are unique, even though they are a confession of adultery. Regardless of my feelings on that topic, the song is nonetheless one of The Beatles’ classics!
United Artists/IMDb“In My Life”
I love everything about this song – my wife and I even included it on our wedding playlist! The music and lyrics are truly outstanding. John had his own life in mind when he wrote this song – and what a great perspective he had! The piano solo in the middle – performed by their producer and “The Fifth Beatle,” George Martin – really stands out too.
“Eleanor Rigby”
If you couldn’t hear Paul’s voice, you wouldn’t know this was a Beatles song. The tune is primarily strings-driven, has no use of guitars or drums. This is one of their experimental tracks and one of their most defining songs.
“For No One”
Admittedly, I overlooked this song for many years. I caught it on The Beatles station when I had satellite radio in my car, and it really grabbed me. This song is somewhat sad, with Paul singing about a love that could have been. I love the song for its lyrics, and the creative use of the French horn is excellent.
United Artists/IMDb“Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!”
What I love most about this song is that the music matches the theme of the lyrics. John wrote this after seeing an old circus poster from the 19th century, and the instrumentals make it sound like something you would hear at a circus. This song shows The Beatles’ range in instrument choices and their immense musical talent.
“A Day in the Life”
Another one of their experimental tracks, John sings about some recent newspaper headlines. It’s a song about life in London. I love how the mellow lyrics and chorus eventually lead into an onslaught of various instruments overlapping each other and then to a random bit sung by Paul. I also love the ending slam of three piano chords played together and the long fade out.
“Strawberry Fields Forever”
A very psychedelic track indeed! It provides the perfect mix of guitars and drums, with cellos and trumpets coming in later. John sings this with sentimentality, because Strawberry Field is where he used to play with some childhood friends in Liverpool. I especially like the lyric “Living is easy with eyes closed.” I don’t know why, but it’s one of my favorite Beatles lyrics.
BBC/IMDb“Hey Jude”
Okay, if I am alone in my car, I will sing my heart out to this song. There is nothing to dislike about it. I mean sure, the song may get monotonous in the end with “Na-na-na-na, hey Jude,” but it’s fun! I love the reassuring tone of it, because Paul wrote this song for John’s son Julian after his parents’ divorce. It’s a great “keep your head up” song.
Random trivia fact: the lyric was supposed to say “Hey Jules,” but Paul changed it to “Jude” in honor of a character in Oklahoma.
“Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da”
This song is more of a guilty pleasure than anything. It’s goofy and obnoxious, but fun to listen to! The old saloon piano gets me every time – so does hearing all the Beatles just go nuts with the instrumentals and lyrics. I don’t know what Paul was going for with this song, but he was probably just having fun with the random lyrics and style of it.
“Helter Skelter”
Many people consider this the first heavy metal song. It is ahead of its time, for sure. I always wonder, “Is George wearing himself out playing the guitar like that?” However, I keep forgetting that it’s Ringo who suffered by the song’s end, hence the “I got blisters on my fingers!” outburst. Paul came up with this song after reading that The Who’s “I Can See for Miles” was the hardest rocking song of all time. Paul wanted to top that, and he did.
IMDb“Long, Long, Long”
I’ve either overlooked or skipped this track many times while listening to The White Album. One day, though, it grabbed my attention and refused to leave me alone. At first, I thought of it as a muted track that seemed irrelevant. However, I turned up the volume one day and loved what I heard. George repeatedly expresses his love for someone in a unique way with light guitar and sitar strums. Plus, the ending rocks with a random shattering that echoes. Very different from most Beatles songs.
“I Want You (She’s So Heavy)”
This is my favorite Beatles song. It’s simple, yet unique. John’s lyrics consist of only fourteen different words. My favorite part is the outro, which is about half of the song. It has the same structure as “Hey Jude,” but the band plays the same stanza repeatedly. You would expect the song to fade out, but it cuts to silence before “Here Comes the Sun” begins. It’s also a sad song, because it’s the last one all four Beatles recorded together.
“Here Comes the Sun”
Speaking of “Here Comes the Sun,” it deserves a spot on this list for many reasons. One is that it played at my wedding. We played it as I walked down the aisle with my mom. George really emerged as a singer and songwriter with this song – I believe it lit the way for his solo career after the Beatles disbanded.
United Artists/IMDb“Two of Us”
The best thing about this song is that it is a duet between John and Paul. It’s as if you can sense their friendship and partnership was ending, but they are celebrating all that they’ve achieved together. It’s as though they put their animosity aside for one last masterpiece.
“The Long and Winding Road”
I read that Paul didn’t like the album version of this song, because he intended for it to be a simple piano ballad. However, producer Phil Spector experimented with an orchestra playing under Paul’s singing. I think it works on a spectacular level. The song is even more beautiful after learning that Paul wrote it about his farm in Scotland, overlooking the ocean.
“Free as a Bird”
I love the story behind the recording of this song. John recorded a demo of it, but never revisited it before his death. Years later, Paul, George, and Ringo reunited to wrap up some of John’s unfinished business, including this song. I love it mostly because it’s a “reunion” track for The Beatles.
Happy listening!
