The Beatles are an iconic band, one that revolutionized music in Liverpool, the UK, and all around the world. The Fab Four, as they were known, are John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr while their long-term producer George Martin was considered the 5th Beatle. So what are their best eight songs?
Well, we have a lot of choices, so let’s break it down and rank the Top 8 best Beatles songs ever. Yes, 8 I know I could go classic and do a Top 10 but I’m gonna give myself a harder test and try to bring it down to a Top 8. Wish me luck let’s get into it.
#8. A Day In The Life
Album: Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band | 1967
An iconic celebration for the Lennon-McCartney writing duo, a song that wasn’t actually recognized as one of The Beatles’ best songs until the 1980s, unfortunately after Lennon had passed away. A combination of great lyrics and McCartney’s ideas, a true musicgasm, and one hell of an amazing song. Definitely deserving of its place on this list.
#7. I Want To Hold Your Hand
Single: I Wanna Hold Your Hand/This Boy | 1963
This was The Beatles’ fourth US single and just like before it was magic to American ears as Lennon and McCartney struck gold with this tune. It set off the new craze in America and around the world known as Beatlemania where everyone realized how great of a band these four guys truly were. This truly was the apex of phase one of the Beatles’ development. An iconic song that put the Beatles’ foot into America and beyond and a song where they knew they finally struck gold.
#6. She Loves You
Single: She Loves You/I’ll Get You | 1963
A song about pure joy, about having that feeling of being in love with an irresistible chorus. The song was an amazing way of celebrating the band’s growing female fan base with “a love like that you know you should be glad”. “She” represented the bands growing fan base and success, and The Beatles themselves wrote an absolutely amazing song with a brilliant and clever construction. Something that the Beatles would come to be known for.
#5. Strawberry Fields Forever
Double A-side: Strawberry Fields Forever/Penny Lane | 1967
Everything about this psychedelic gem was intoxicating and so odd in the same way, a mellotron flute intro, a bipolar chorus, a dense pileup of guitars, and assorted randomness. This song also includes John Lennon’s classic ‘cranberry sauce’ line which usually got mistaken for ‘Paul is dead’, gotta love the conspiracy theory part of the internet eh? Or even the 1960s.
The slow-mo lyrics seem dreamy yet connected with their fans so so deeply. If you feel misunderstood this song will connect with you on a different level, released as a double A-side who’s which didn’t do too bad either.
#4. Yesterday
Album: Help! | Single: Yesterday/Act Naturally | 1965
How does a 2-minute song that was originally called scrambled eggs become iconic? Because it’s the Beatles that’s why. It’s on the Mount Rushmore of pop music and transcended the scene at the time. Perhaps it’s the multiversal theme of love lost that’s deep in this heartbreaking ballad, the melody apparently came to Paul in a dream. The rest of the band initially weren’t too fond of the idea of releasing the song but they did and in many Beatles fans’ eyes this song has just gotten better with time.
#3. Something
Album: Abbey Road | Double A-side: Something/Come Together | 1969
First released as a double A-side with Come Together, this is the second George Harrison penned track for Abbey Road, after Here Come The Sun. This swooning love song was the first George Harrison-penned tune to be an A-side for the band.
Frank Sinatra once called it the greatest love song of all time, even though he did credit it to Lennon-McCartney, and that’s pretty decent praise in my opinion. Elvis and James Brown once covered the song, so you know that it hit on a global level. Not bad for the boys from Liverpool.
#2. Let It Be
Album: Let It Be | Single: Let It Be/You Know My Name (Look Up the Number) | 1970
Written and performed by Paul McCartney who wrote it after a dream about his mum during the recording of The White Album in 1968. John Lennon once described the recording of this album, Let It Be, as the most miserable ever to exist. Despite all of that this became one of pops most touching and amazing ballads. The title was also very appropriate as the band would break up shortly after they released this song as a single and it was one hell of a way to bow out.
#1. A Hard Day’s Night
Album: A Hard Day’s Night | Single: A Hard Day’s Night/Things We Said Today | 1964
ICONIC
That is the only way to describe this song, 50 years on from being released it’s absolutely amazing this isn’t just a song it’s a cry for Help! This song is a representation of the Beatles going from boys to men being all grown up and still releasing absolutely iconic music. They were passengers on the crazy airplane of music, a trip they could never leave but in their hearts, they knew that they would succeed.
Like in the film of the same name, where you see the fab four being chased by adoring fans, everyone knew after this song was released that the world would never be the same again. Everyone knew that The Beatles were going to be a name on many people’s tongues for decades to come. Also, the film is pretty good, especially if you want a good chuckle.
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