The Beatles, you know? Just The Beatles. That’s an introduction. The Beatles are The Beatles. They formed at the start of the 1960s, and officially disbanded in the first year of the 1970s, neatly defining a decade musically while also pushing music, as an art form, forward immensely. They helped turn the idea of an album into more than just a collection of songs, with the second half of the band’s life containing ambitious concept albums that benefited from being listened to front to back.
But the earlier songs The Beatles recorded shouldn’t be overlooked, either, considering that they crafted some impeccable pop/rock tracks before branching out in the mid-to-late-1960s, getting more experimental and psychedelic in the process. So,that all means it’s hard to rank their very best songs, but that’s what the following intends to do, including tracks from the earlier albums and more ambitious ones alike (plus some songs that were released as non-album singles).
50"The End"
Starting at the end, literally, because that’s funny, “The End” is also here to celebrate theAbbey Roadmedley as a whole.Abbey Roadwas the second-last album The Beatles released, but it was the final one they recorded, so having “The End” there feels fitting. And it’s one part of that aforementioned medley, which takes up most of the album’s second half.
It’s hard to single out one track from said medley as particularly great, butit’s a blast to listen to all these short songs strung together, building off each other,and then ending with “The End…”seemingly. There’s a hidden/bonus track called “Her Majesty,” which is totally anticlimactic if counted as the final song, but The Beatles did love throwing curveballs and doing the unexpected, which in turn carried over to what’s pretty much their closing statement as a group.
49"Blackbird"
From ‘The Beatles (White Album)’ (1968)
The longest and most eclectic Beatles album by far is their self-titled one, released in 1968, and sometimes known as “The White Album.” Despite the title, plenty of tracks here feel like solo material, or otherwise foreshadow where the four members of the group would go musically, post-Beatles. That’s apparent with “Blackbird,” which was credited toLennon–McCartney, as per tradition, but is really just aPaul McCartneysong.
It’s a very peaceful one, standing out among some of the more chaotic tracks that surround it onThe Beatles(1968). It’sa song that gets referencedand covered fairly often, thoughthe latter can be said about a good many Beatles songs, and there’s adeeper story behind the lyrics here, too, if one is so inclined to read into/analyze them.
48"She’s Leaving Home"
From ‘Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’ (1967)
“She’s Leaving Home”is an unabashed tearjerkerof a song in both sound and lyrics. Like “Blackbird,” this one is mostly a Paul McCartney song, butJohn Lennonis featured here on vocals, too, during the chorus. And, as the title implies, this one’s all about a young girl leaving home quite suddenly, and her parents reacting with despair once they realize she’s gone.
It’s not a fun song, andif you were trying to make a workout playlist with only Beatles songs (not impossible, but potentially challenging), you’d want to leave “She’s Leaving Home” right the hell off. It’s still a unique and admirably moving song, even if some might find it lays things on a bit thick… but like, it’s pretty hard to resist the orchestration and sweeping sound of this one.
47"Because"
The previously mentioned “The End” kind of wraps up theAbbey Roadmedley, but “Because” is the song that plays right before the medley starts on the album’s second half. It’s psychedelic and surreal; those are probably the best words to describe it. It’s not unapproachable in terms of lyrics or music, but it’s hard to describe/break down in detail sonically.
Maybe it’s just best to call it technically impressive and unique overall.It’s one of many late-era Beatles songs that required lots of intricate stuff done in a recording studio, thereby probably being difficult to capture live, at least without some reworking. You’ve got trippy lyrics here, andthree voices each recorded three times, with the vocals done by John Lennon, Paul McCartney, andGeorge Harrisonall layered at once.
46"She Said She Said"
From ‘Revolver’ (1966)
If you were to askMichael Scott fromThe Officewhat his favorite Beatles song was, there’s achance it would be “She Said She Said.”It’s another song the band made that feels distinctly trippy, throwing you into an odd space sonically while still very much sounding poppy, in its own way. The songwriting is strong and catchy, but that psychedelic edge could’ve thrown people for a loop back in 1966.
But that’s what Revolver (the album “She Said She Said” appeared on) was all about, as that collection of songs suggested a new direction for The Beatles to go on, beyond the pop/rock and the mellower sound of the precedingRubber Soul.There’s introspection and a hazy sort of poetry to the lyrics, with the entire song throwing you into a distinct headspaceand the resulting dizziness feeling quite absorbing; perhaps a little unsettling, too.
45"A Hard Day’s Night"
From ‘A Hard Day’s Night’ (1964)
The title track fromA Hard Day’s Night, which was in turn worked (partly) as a soundtrack album forthe 1964 film of the same name, “A Hard Day’s Night”kind of sums up Beatlemaniain a single track. Given this was from their third album, the band had amassed quite a good deal of popularity by this point, and the energy of the song is synonymous with the chaos of the craze around the band.
It is a love song still, like so many early Beatles songs, but not just about love, given the lyrics here also touch upon exhaustion and, perhaps, the relentless nature of working in one of the most popular bands of all time.There’s still an optimism here, though, speaking to a certain youthful hopefulness, potentially, that would get worn down a little when The Beatles returned to this broad topic (showbiz, fame, and balancing it with relationships) in later songs.
A Hard Day’s Night
44"Drive My Car"
From ‘Rubber Soul’ (1965)
A straightforward banger not to be mixed up with one ofthe best movies of the 2020s so far(they share a name), “Drive My Car” kicks off Rubber Soul with a suitable level of punchiness. Well, it’s suitable in that it works, but this does also sound a little different from many of the other great songs on the album, which is debatably the band’s first perfect record… pretty much perfect, at least.
It’s a sign that The Beatles weren’t going entirely in another direction (as mentioned before, that’s what Revolver was for), and could still deliver strong, potentially conventional (but not in a bad way) rock.But you get high-energy songs often kicking off albums the band did, and “Drive My Car” is one of the ones that best demonstrates how well that approach can work.
43"I’ve Just Seen a Face"
From ‘Help!’ (1965)
Another simple song, “I’ve Just Seen a Face” is indeed about someone seeing someone else’s face and instantly being all “Hey, I think I’m in love with them.” It’s a songabout love at first sight, which can be a silly thing in any medium, be it a song, movie, book, TV show, and so on, but The Beatles make it work with style and instantaneous catchiness in this track.
It has this forward momentum, clocking in at just over two minutes and using the breathlessness of it all to its advantage. Like getting infatuated with someone, the song barrels forward and constantly feels like it’s about to stumble over itself, being an absolute rush and dizzying in the best of ways. It lyrically captures that sense of falling in love in a rush in obvious ways, butthe way the sound/feel of the song captures that sensation in a more subliminal wayis what makes it truly great.
42"Two of Us"
From ‘Let It Be’ (1970)
If you watchthePeter Jackson-directed miniseriesGet Back, you may well grow tired of hearing “Two of Us,” sinceGet Backshows the creation of it – plus a handful of other tracks fromLet It Be– in great, even agonizing, detail. But that doesn’t take away from the song itself, which is perhaps strongest on a lyrical front, and undoubtedly bittersweet in hindsight.
It’s the first track on what ended up being the band’s final released album, and it’s all about looking back, being unabashedly autobiographical by the standard of The Beatles. McCartney and Lennon are both on the vocals here (though McCartney takes charge), and “Two of Us” really does feel like it’s about them, and their past. It’s sweet in the moment, and alittle sad in hindsight, given how it ended up being one of the last Beatles songs. Call it bittersweet overall, then, for obvious reasons.
41"With a Little Help from My Friends"
It’s easy to pick onRingo Starrfor being the drummer, and not penning as many songs as the other members of The Beatles, but that’s a bit unfair. He was still an essential part of the band, and his contributions as either writer or vocalist, while not frequent, were still worth noting. Enter “With a Little Help from My Friends,” which was written by Lennon–McCartney, but has its lead vocals done by Starr.
It’s one of the better songs onSgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, which in turn tends to get recognized asone of the band’s strongest albums(some may even say it is their best).And sure, “With a Little Help from My Friends” is simple melodically and lyrically, but it’s also breezy and rather effortlessin the way the band’s earliest songs often were, all the while feeling like a step forward, and ever so slightly more polished than some of their earlier efforts.
