Top Ten Songs by the Beatles
10.Good Day Sunshine: Released on the Revolver album in August, 1966, written by Paul McCartney (although credited to the team of John Lennon and Paul McCartney). This is one of the few songs to feature only Paul and Ringo on the song instrumentally, John and George do vocals during the choruses, Sir George Martin is featured playing solo piano on the track as well. This song was played as wake up music for the crew of the Space Shuttle Discovery prior to there return flight home in July of 2005.
9.Penny Lane: Released on the Magical Mystery Tour album in November, 1967, written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney. This McCartney penned song was recorded during the Sgt. Pepper sessions and released as a single on November 1967. It was the flip side to the Lennon penned “Strawberry Fields Forever”. George Martin has been quoted as saying he feels the paring of these two songs made for the greatest single released by the group.
8.I’ve Just Seen A Face: Released on the Rubber Soul album in December, 1965, written by Paul McCartney (although credited to the team of John Lennon and Paul McCartney). This is a fun early Beatles song that captures all the excitement and youthfulness of the band at this stage of their career. McCartney often played this song at family get-togethers. This has remained a favorite song of McCartney’s, who still often plays it live in concert.
7.Yesterday: Released on the Help! album in August, 1965, written by Paul McCartney (although credited to the team of John Lennon and Paul McCartney). This song, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, has had the most cover versions of any song ever written, reportedly more than 3000 versions to date. McCartney has said that the entire song came to him in a dream. When he woke up, he quickly hurried to a piano and turned on his tape recorder to capture the song before it slipped his mind. Prior to deciding on a title, Paul and the other members of the band referred to the song as “Scrambled Eggs”
6.Dear Prudence: Released on the White Album in November, 1968, written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney. Lennon wrote the song about Mia Farrow’s sister Prudence, whom he met while visiting India. She spent all her time in her room meditating and John was worried that she was depressed. This song remained one of John’s favorite Beatles songs. John’s son, Julian Lennon also names it as his favorite Beatles tune. This song features Paul on drums filling in for Ringo Starr who had recently walked out on the band. After the recording of this song, Ringo returned to find flowers on his drum kit.
5.Two of Us: Released on the Let it Be album in May, 1970, written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney. This song originally started out at as a rock song based on “Peggy Sue”. McCartney wrote the song for his future wife Linda Eastman, although the song actually sounds as if it may have been written for John Lennon. Paul and John’s relationship was, at that time, very tense. The song became more introspective when McCartney reworked the composition prior to its release on the Let it Be album.
4.Day In the Life: Released on the Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club album in June,
1967, written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney. This song, considered by many to be one of the most ambitious, influential, and groundbreaking works in pop music history, is a merging of two different songs. The middle part “Woke up, got out of bed” was a fragment written exclusively by McCartney. This was merged into the beginning and ending, written exclusively by Lennon. With the help of George Martin, these two songs were seamlessly combined along with complex arrangements including a cacophonous, partially improvised orchestral crescendo. This song is ranked number 26 on Rolling Stones top 500 songs of all time.
3.I Will: Released on the White Album in November, 1968, written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney. The lyrics, written by McCartney were penned for his future wife Linda Eastman. This very simple love song, with guitar work by McCartney and percussion by Ringo, still stands up very well almost 38 years later.
2.In My Life: Released on the Rubber Soul album in December, 1965, written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney. The lyrics, written by Lennon, are in the form of a long poem, remembering childhood/teenage years. Lennon’s inspiration for the lyrics came from the bus ride he used to take through Liverpool. This route passed through neighborhoods where Lennon lived as a child. This song was ranked at number 23 on Rolling Stones top 500 songs of all time.
1.Here Comes the Sun: Released on the Abbey Road album in October, 1969, written by George Harrison. The final version of this song was actually written in Eric Clapton’s garden. Harrison was reportedly there avoiding an Apple Records meeting when he finished the song. This song although not a Lennon/McCartney penned tune, in my opinion, represents the Beatles like no other song.
