Carrying on with the summer of music, I now divert to my all time favorite musical group, the Beatles. This list is long overdue, a proper breakdown of my favorite 50 Beatles songs. Their one of the few groups where I truly do enjoy every one of their songs, so actually have a lot to chose form. I'll keep the same format I used for my favorite Christmas and Dave Matthews Band song lists. However I'm also going to add a bonus list at the bottom, ranking their 13 studio albums.
I've explained numerous times within this blog where my passion from the Beatles began and so forth. For me their that old familiar favorite that always brings back nostalgia, contemplation, and jubilation. One thing I especially enjoy about their massive catalogue of 213 songs (consisting of 188 originals and 25 covers) is the versatility of their sound. Their early work had the iconic 1950s popish doo-wop rock-and-roll sounds with a catchy twist of British style. Their music then evolved into more complex and artistic formats of folk rock, blues rock, and most notably pyschedelic rock.
Album: The White Album
Release Year: 1968
Genre: Rock
Songwriter: John Lennon
Significance: This is a unique song that begins quite slowly where John details the excuses of why he is tired. The chorus then breaks out into a mad rage where John explains it is a girl that has caused him such insanity. This song also has nostaligic quality for me, since our dad would always sing it in the mornings on the way to school.
Album: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Release Year: 1967
Genre: Pop Rock
Songwriter: Paul McCartney
Significance: It's a catchy popish tune about getting older, that was in the animated film, Yellow Submarine. Most of the songs in that film are on this list for me as they all bring back memories.
Release Year: 1966
Genre: Pop, Psychedelic Rock
Songwriter: Paul McCartney
Significance: It is no doubt a childish song, but still has a catchy tune. The song inspired the popular animated film. It is one of the few songs where Ringo Starr actually provided the main vocals and fittingly so Ringo was the main protagonist of the film.
Album: Magical Mystery Tour
Release Year: 1967
Genre: Psychedelic Rock
Songwriter: Paul McCartney
Significance: It's a rather simple pop song, with great harmony, and elements of psychedelia. I remember suggesting to my brother it would make for a great ring tone, and he later stole my idea before I could apply it. It was the Beatles' 15th number one hit.
Album: Please Please Me
Release Year: 1963
Genre: Pop
Songwriter: John Lennon
Significance: Its a very simplistic early Beatles song, with a catchy pop tune. George Harrison provides the lead vocals with some great backup harmony for the rest of the gang.
Album: Magical Mystery Tour
Release Year: 1967
Genre: Psychedelic Rock
Songwriter: John Lennon
Significance: It was one of several abstract Beatles songs, with heavy orchestral and psychedelic arrangements. The lyrics are quite surreal and while some my thing it's symbolic of something the Beatles later confessed that it was just a bunch of nonsense.
44. Love Me Do
Release Year: 1962
Genre: Pop
Songwriter: John Lennon and Paul McCartney
Significance: It's one of the few early Beatles songs I'll have on the list that, with that iconic British Merseybeat pop sound. The song has some great harmony and a distinctive bluesy harmonic played by John Lennon all thru out. It was their fourth number one hit after I Want to Hold your Hand, She Loves You, and Can't Buy me Love.
Album: Revolver
Release Year: 1966
Genre: Pop, Psychedelic Rock
Songwriter: John Lennon
Significance: One of many Beatles songs regarding birds, this has some great high pitch harmony, with some rocking guitar as well. It's a unique blend of rocking guitar with trance like vocal harmonies.
Album: Magical Mystery Tour
Release Year: 1967
Genre: Rock
Songwriter: Paul McCartney
Significance: This catchy song is a nod to old British music halls and vaudeville music. It's a personal piece from Paul McCartney, whose parents enjoyed that type of music, and as the title suggests it's the type of music your mother should know.
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Album: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Release Year: 1967
Genre: Pop Rock
Songwriter: Paul McCartney and John Lennon
Significance: It has a simplistic yet upbeat melody to make for a good hit. I remember hearing this song in a light bulb commercial, and just came to understand the positive message the Beatles were sharing in the song.
Album: White Album
Release Year: 1968
Genre: Soft Rock
Songwriter: Paul McCartney
Significance: Another song with the iconic British Music Hall/vaudeville sound led by the vocals of Paul McCartney. It's got some old fashioned piano giving it a distinctive sound.
39. Let it Be
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Release Year: 1968
Genre: Rock
Songwriter: Paul McCartney
Significance: Considered one of Paul McCartney's most famous songs it truly is a heartfelt song dealing with grief. It almost has elements of church and gospel quality, with some good guitar leads as well. The song has a special place in Beatles history as it was one of their last number one hits before breaking up.
Album: Yellow Submarine
Release Year: 1969
Genre: Psychedelic Rock
Songwriter: George Harrison
Significance: It's got a trippy psychedelic sound with some unique instrumentation, however George Harrison's soothing voice brings great balance to the song. The song is a great fusion of abstract trance.
Album: The White Album
Release Year: 1968
Genre: Hard Rock
Songwriter: John Lennon
Significance: One of the first and most popular Beatles protest songs, in support of the student protests against the Vietnam War. It's actually one of their more heavy hard rock songs maybe behind Helter Skelter.
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Album: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Release Year: 1967
Genre: Pscyhedelic Rock, Hard Rock
Songwriter: John Lennon and Paul McCartney
Significance: Considered one of their greatest orchestral albums, this is a very original sounding song. It's got a rocking melody backed by some unique instrumentals of brass and horns. I remember the song to also be a major turning point in the film, Yellow Submarine.
Album: Revolver
Release Year: 1966
Genre: Hard Rock, Psychedelic Rock
Songwriter: Paul McCartney and John Lennon
Significance: It's a heavy rocking song with great harmony and vocals. I just love that intro of the sustained words Paperback Writer, that carries into a heavy guitar rift and percussion. It was the Beatles' 12th number one hit.
Album: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Release Year: 1967
Genre: Pop Rock
Songwriter: Paul McCartney and John Lennon
Significance: I remember first hearing this song in the film Yellow Submarine, where it was transitioned from the song Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. It's a mellow rock song with some great sustained notes and harmony and just has an all around great lyrical message.
Album: Abbey Road
Release Year: 1969
Genre: Rock
Songwriter: Paul McCartney
Significance: It opens with the chorus then cuts into a beautiful brass instrumental which then segues to some guitar and softer vocal harmony. It's yet another example of the Beatles' artistic musical and orchestral quality.
Album: Help!
Release Year: 1965
Genre: Soft Rock
Songwriter: Paul McCartney
Significance: Yet another Paul McCartney softer melody, and another one of his masterful writings on par with Let it Be or Hey Jude which were all number one hits. The song has a rather somber yet beautiful melody about a person dealing with heartbreak.
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Album: White Album
Release Year: 1968
Genre: Pop Rock
Songwriter: Paul McCartney
Significance: It's a very upbeat positive song with a hint of reggae/ska. Apparently John Lennon did not want this song on the album, but I still really enjoy it. I love the general message that throughout the good and the bad, life just goes on.
Album: Rubber Soul
Release Year: 1965
Genre: Folk Rock, Psychedelic Rock
Songwriter: John Lennon
Significance: For starters this song quickly reminds me of the strange furry creature in the animated film Yellow Submarine. It's a catchy tune led by John Lennon with some great harmony. It's got a great blend of folk and psychedelic rock.
Album: Magical Mystery Tour
Release Year: 1967
Genre: Psychedelic Rock
Songwriter: Paul McCartney
Significance: The Beatles had reached a new phase of transcendentalism no doubt influenced be narcotics and their time in India. Their two albums Magical Mystery Tour and Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band were loaded with original trancelike pyschedelic sounds. This is a great intro song into one of my favorite Beatles' albums, which is likely a reference to seeking a higher state of mind.
Album: The White Album
Release Year: 1968
Genre: Blues Rock
Songwriter: George Harrison
Significance: It's one of George's most iconic songs fairly soft with a blues rock style to it. George provides the lead vocals and guitar in the song, with a sound that is inspired by his studies of transcendentalism in India. The song demonstrates his great guitar skill, with some long bluesy solos.
Album: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Release Year: 1967
Genre: Psychedelic Rock
Songwriter: Paul McCartney and John Lennon
Significance: Another great psychedelic rock song with some vaudeville piano. It's about Rita, a parking meter maid, a reference to a parking ticket Paul received outside of Abbey Road Studio.
Album: Rubber Soul
Release Year: 1965
Genre: Folk Rock
Songwriter: Paul McCartney
Significance: It's a softer folk sound, a love ballad with a rather pensive tone. The song is quite unique in that is uses French lyrics to describe the French woman Michelle, the belle.
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Album: Rubber Soul
Release Year: 1965
Genre: Folk Rock
Songwriter: John Lennon
Significance: The album Rubber Soul was a great breakthrough for the Beatles where they evolved into a more sophisticated folk rock sound. Songs like In My Life, Girl, and Michelle are great examples of this similar folksy sound with newer psychedelic instruments such as the sitar.
24. Hey Jude
Release Year: 1968
Genre: Soft Rock
Songwriter: Paul McCartney
Significance: Probably considered one of Paul McCartney's greatest songs, it's a very iconic number one hit. It actually starts at a fairly slow tempo but builds throughout the song. I especially enjoy the ending where the chorus sings na-na-na-na and Paul begins belting out Jude's name.
23. Happiness is a Warm Gun
Album: The White Album
Release Year: 1968
Genre: Progressive Rock
Songwriter: John Lennon
Significance: It's a very unique song mixing elements of punk rock, blues rock, and psychedelic rock. The song begins with a softer tone, then leads into some bluesy guitar, where Lennon begin describing how Mother Superior jumped the gun. The song then completely changes into a blissful melody where the chorus sings the title of Happiness is a Warm Gun. John Lennon belts a beautiful sustained note towards the end. It's no doubt a song about sex, in reference to John's new found love with Yoko Ono.
22. Penny Lane
Release Year: 1967
Genre: Psychedelic Rock, Orchestral
Songwriter: Paul McCartney
Significance: It's got a pretty distinctive British sound, psychedelic with some incredible instrumental orchestration. The song is a reference to a street in Liverpool which was a nostalgic place for the members of the band. It was the Beatles' 13th number one hit.
21. Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds
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Release Year: 1967
Genre: Psychedelic Rock
Songwriter: John Lennon
Significance: It is arguably one of the more famous songs on the hit album of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. It is a very psychedelic trippy song, almost like a dream, which was the bands intention. The idea was inspired from Lennon's 3 year old kid, and the imagery of Alice in Wonderland. The verses are quite entrancing, while the chorus is heavy and rocking.
Album: Abbey Road
Release Year: 1969
Genre: Soft Rock
Songwriter: Paul McCartney
Significance: It's a brief song, but very soothing carried by Paul's lead vocals. The song was actually meant as an intro for Carry that Weight but it's still a stand-alone track worth praise. I first came to like this song played towards the end of the musical film Happy Feet.
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Album: Magical Mystery Tour
Release Year: 1967
Genre: Psychedelic Rock
Songwriter: George Harrison
Significance: Another great psychedelic track from the album Magical Mystery Tour, and also another great Beatles song about birds. The sound produced by George Harrison is quite surreal and sounds very distorted and hallucinatory.
Album: The White Album
Release Year: 1968
Genre: Folk Rock
Songwriter: Paul McCartney
Significance: It's one of my favorite Paul McCartney songs with such a mellow folk rock sound. Yet another song about a bird I think that represents freedom and no doubt a homage to the Beatles experiments with transcendentalism.
Album: Rubber Soul
Release Year: 1965
Genre: Folk Rock
Songwriter: John Lennon
Significance: It has an earlier Beatles sound, with more vocal harmony, but such a lovely soft folk rock rhythm. John Lennon considers this his first major piece of writing, which as the title suggests, is a reflection of his life.
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Album: Revolver
Release Year: 1966
Genre: Folk Rock, Orchestral
Songwriter: Paul McCartney and John Lennon
Significance: It's such a beautiful yet melancholic song about loneliness. Each verse details a character such as Eleanor Rigby or Father Mackenzie going thru meaningless motions of life without anyone to share their experiences with. I remember first hearing it in the film Yellow Submarine, and found it to be so mysterious yet beautiful.
15. The Fool on the Hill
Release Year: 1967
Genre: Folk Rock
Songwriter: Paul McCartney
Significance: Another great song from the album Magical Mystery Tour, that is actually more folk sounding the rests of the psychedelic tracks on the album. I remember first discovering this song during my junior year in college and I listened to it on repeat when our family visited New York City in 2005. I love the flute pieces throughout the song, and the ending part where Paul belts out the vocals.
14. All you Need is Love
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Release Year: 1967
Genre: Psychedelic Rock
Songwriter: John Lennon
Significance: If there was anyone on the band who really stood for art, peace, social justice, and love it was John Lennon and that's why he's my favorite Beatle. This song is the perfect example of what he was trying to sell. It opens with the national French anthem, verses sang by John, and great backup harmony and chorus by the rest of the band. It also has a great orchestral arrangement throughout the song full of trombones, violins, trumpets and the works. The song was a number one hit and their live rendition became an iconic image of the Summer of Love.
Album: The White Album
Release Year: 1968
Genre: Folk Rock
Songwriter: John Lennon
Significance: The song has such a soft melody almost like a lullaby. It was written by John Lennon about his mother Julia, who died at the young age of 44 in 1958. John's father abandoned him, and he was raised only by his mother, hence a strong fondness for her. She died however before he could make it big in music. He also later produced another song dedicated to her in his solo career; Mother (1970).
12. If I Fell
Release Year: 1964
Genre: Folk Rock, Pop
Songwriter: John Lennon
Significance: One of my favorite early Beatles pop songs from the album A Hard Day's Night. I think this was the beginning of the Beatles transition from pop into folk rock, more seen in Beatles for Sale and Rubber Soul. It's a simple song about love with great vocal harmony from John and Paul.
Album: Magical Mystery Tour
Release Year: 1967
Genre: Psychedelic Rock
Songwriter: John Lennon
Significance: Another quintessential Beatles psychedelic songs written by John. It's a reference to John's childhood memories where the garden represents a blissful paradise where you can escape from all your problems. The musical composition as well as the lyrics create a very dreamlike song.
10. Two of Us
Release Year: 1970
Genre: Folk Rock
Songwriter: Paul McCartney
Significance: It's a simple yet catchy and uplifting song from Paul, discussing his travel adventures with his wife Linda. That opening guitar rift and drum beat really draws you in. To me the song seems like a fun road-trip to be shared between two happy lovers who are happy to be on their way home.
9. Dear Prudence
Release Year: 1968
Genre: Psychedelic Rock
Songwriter: John Lennon and George Harrison
Significance: Another dreamy psychedelic song, a reference to a devout follower of the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. John and George met Prudence during their transcendental time in India and were inspired to dedicate this beautiful song to her. While the Beatles were also fond of the Maharishi, the song was a message to get outside, enjoy nature, and people rather then isolated meditation.
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Album: Abbey Road
Release Year: 1969
Genre: Blues Rock, Swamp Rock
Songwriter: John Lennon
Significance: Another great Vietnam protest song, and a number one hit, written by John during his peace protests with Yoko. While the song advocates peace, it's not at all a peaceful song but rather a bluesy hard rock one. It's got one of my favorite guitar solos by George Harrison and some great backup vocals by Paul.
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Album: The White Album
Release Year: 1968
Genre: Folk Rock, Country
Songwriter: Paul McCartney
Significance: Such a unique folksy country style sound with the beautiful vocals of Paul. It tells the story of a western cowboy named Rocky, who partakes in a stand-off. The song has elements of honky-tonk and ragtime saloon piano music. It's quite different form most Beatles songs and especially demonstrates their versatility.
Album: Revolver
Release Year: 1966
Genre: Psychedelic Rock
Songwriter: John Lennon
Significance: I just love the psychedelic sounds and the lyrics of this song. I think its about a guy who just wants to have a lazy sleepy day and not care what other people think. It also has some unique backwards recordings of Harrison's guitar rifts.
Album: Abbey Road
Release Year: 1969
Genre: Psychedelic Rock
Songwriter: Paul McCartney and John Lennon
Significance: Inspired by Fleetwood Mac's beautiful song The Albatross, this opens us a similar enticing instrumental song. The Beatles then come in with an acapella chorus singing praise to the sunrise. The last few lyrics are in a romantic Latin language most likely celebrating the bliss brought on from the sun.
4. Girl
Release Year: 1965
Genre: Folk Rock
Songwriter: John Lennon
Significance: Another love song from the great John, talking about the ups-and-downs of falling in love with a girl. It has a great guitar melody and backup harmony, especially those deep breath sighs. The lyrics are often considered quite complex of just being unable to win over this girl, hence the deep sighs of surrender and resignation.
Album: Let it Be
Release Year: 1970
Genre: Psychedelic Rock
Songwriter: John Lennon
Significance: The song is a beautiful romantic song about reaching sheer transcendence and nirvana. John wrote the song after an argument with an first wife Cynthia, and decided to flip the irritation into peace with the main line, Nothing's Gonna Change My World. John brings forth such a peaceful voice here in the backdrop of a psychedelic musical composition. It's once again a classic dreamlike Beatles song and inspired the 2007 musical film directed by Julie Taymor.
2. Flying
Release Year: 1967
Genre: Psychedelic Rock
Songwriter: George Harrison, Ringo Starr, John Lennon, and Paul McCartney
Significance: It's a purely instrumental psychedelic song with great guitar and rhythm. It's got such a chill and relaxing feel to it. Like the title suggests it's a song that feels like you're taking off on a flight to paradise. The song really doesn't have any lyrics however towards the final part there are some wordless angelic vocals.
Album: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Release Year: 1967
Genre: Psychedelic Rock, Orchestral
Songwriter: John Lennon
Significance: I think it's one of the Beatles most artistic and complex songs on all fronts (from the lyrics to the musical composition). The song explains various melancholic news articles, first about the death of Tara Browne, the young heir to the Guinness beer corporation. Then about John's role in the black comedy film, How I won the War, which was a total flop. The song then makes an incredible orchestral ascending transition into a bridge that is no doubt a reference to being under the influence of drugs. The song then returns to it's opening format, where in the 3rd verse John continues on this theme of daily mundane life. He wakes up late and must rush to make it to work and when he finally gets there he begins to daydream. The fourth verse is another article from the newspaper about potholes in London which he sarcastically states could fill the Albert Hall. The song finishes with the same orchestral ascension once again representing the affects of hallucinogens. As John often states throughout his sarcastic rambling how he would love to turn you on. Aside from the drug themes, to me the song is just a reflection of the daily burdens of life.
Favorite Albums
As I wrote in the intro, I enjoy just about every Beatles song and especially love their versatility. It's so interesting to see their album evolution throughout their brief ten year career. It began with a popish rock sound that developed into a much more complex, psychedelic, and orchestrated music. Quite clear from this list I tend to gravitate towards the Beatles' psychedelic tracks. I'd say the height of their career came in the years 1967-1968 (at least where my favorite songs came from).
I'd probably break their albums into four categories; the early pop sound from 1963-1965 of Please, Please Me, With the Beatles, Beatles for Sale, Help! and a Hard Day's Night; the Folk sound of 1965-1966 in Revolver and Rubber Soul; the psychedelic sound of 1967-1968 in Magical Mystery Tour, Sgt. Peppers, Yellow Submarine, and the White Album, and their final years of 1968-1970 in Abbey Road and Let it Be. On a separate note when it comes to album covers, Revolver is my favorite. I remember having that as my computer wallpaper for quite some time during my junior year in college.
- White Album (1968) 11 songs on the list
- Magical Mystery Tour (1967) 9 songs on the list
- Sgt Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band (1967) 8 songs on the list
- Revolver (1966) 5 songs on the list
- Rubber Soul (1965) 5 songs on the list
- Abbey Road (1969) 4 songs on the list
- Let it Be! (1970) 3 songs on the list
- Please Please Me (1963) 2 songs on the list
- A Hard Day's Night (1964) 1 song on the list
- Yellow Submarine 1967 1 song on the list
- Help! (1964) 1 song on the list
- Beatles for Sale! (1963)
- With the Beatles (1963)
Honorable Mention Songs
I Saw Her Standing There
There's a Place
Till There was You
A Hard Day's Night
Things we Said Today
I Should Have Known Better
Here, There and Everywhere
I'm Looking through You
She Said
For No One
Lady Madonna
Eight Days a Week
What You're Doing
Words of Love
I'll Follow the Sun
Baby's in Black
No Reply
If I Needed Someone
Help!
I Will
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Tell me What you See
Can't Buy me Love
I Feel Fine
Ticket to Ride
You've Got to Hide your Love Away
You Never Give me Your Money
Wait
Run for your Life
All Together Now
Paperback Writer
All My Loving
Baby You're a Rich Man
And I Love Her
Here Come's the Sun
Tomorrow Never Knows
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