It was 47 years ago today that The Beatles first performed on The Ed Sullivan Show, thereby inadvertently igniting a global revolution in music, fashion and politics, etc. that has never abated. In honor of this historic event, I present a completely biased and subjective list of the Fab Four’s ten greatest songs.
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Penned by Paul McCartney, this became the longest number-one single in history, eclipsing the 7-minute mark, while evolving into a virtual anthem for the Sixties generation. Reportedly written by Paul as an ode of comfort to Julian Lennon, John’s son, during the break-up of his parent’s marriage in 1968, the song is perhaps The Beatles’ most beloved tune. It was their first single on their new Apple label and portended great things to come.breakingnewsweek.comA highly underrated song from the fractious ‘White Album” sessions, this is one of John Lennon’s sweetest, tenderest, most heartbreakingly beautiful odes to love and a powerful reminder that he too could compose lovely warm ballads. The childlike simplicity of the melody and lyrics belie a highly complex and moody arrangement that is utterly unforgettable.www.simplyartonline.netBy the time George Harrison became a songwriter of nearly-equal status with the more celebrated Lennon=-McCartney team, it was really too late. By then the Beatles were on the verge of dissolving and George eagerly pursued a solo career free of the Beatles' shackles.
This song was reportedly written in Eric Clapton’s garden when George played ‘hooky’ from the dreary business at Apple Records. A magnificent song of rebirth featuring a catchy melody and delicate arrangements.
thecurvature.comOne of Paul McCartney’s many triumphs on the vast 1968 White Album, Blackbird is as exquisite a song as has ever been recorded. Ostensibly, a gesture of compassion towards the black civil rights movement in the United States (following the assassination of Martin Luther King), Blackbird is pure McCartney sweetness and innovation. Apparently, the song is one of its author’s favorites as he has performed it many times over the past four decades.www.morrisonhotelgallery.comWhile there remains some doubt over who actually wrote this song (Lennon and McCartney each have claimed sole ownership), there’s no doubt that this mature, introspective number heralded a new age of songwriting style for the Beatles as they were evolving from teeny-boppers to more adult composers. Originally intended as a nostalgic look back towards a Liverpool childhood, the song has a more universal appeal as a paean to lost loves and past regrets.
The piano solo in the middle was played (speeded-up) by producer George Martin.
larryfire.wordpress.comOne of John Lennon’s greatest pieces of epic poetry, The Beatles never recorded this to his liking. Lennon complained that the others (particularly Paul) didn’t give it the care or time it deserved and amazingly it might have never been released properly. Still, despite the less-than-stellar recording from the “Let it be” album, the sheer brilliance of the music and its wildly evocative images come shining through. : gurdjieffbooks.wordpress.comLess popular, less commercial and less-heralded than more high-profile songs from the early period (like ‘She loves you’ and ‘I want to hold your hand’), this is a classic piece of bittersweet melancholia from John Lennon. With a gorgeous melody and soaring three-piece vocal harmony, the tune became associated with the famous sequence in the film ‘Hard Day‘s Night’ whereby Ringo wanders the streets as the tune plays in the background.mlleperle.blogspot.comMost famous for the (poorly-played) sitar by George Harrison – reportedly, the first time the Indian instrument was ever performed on a Western pop record, although there are some doubts about this – ‘Norwegian Wood’ was a startlingly mature and innovative song about a one-night stand – seemingly light years away from the teenage angst of ‘She loves you’ and ‘I wanna be your man.’www.beatlesbible.com/Derided by John Lennon for its Catholic imageries, ‘Let it be’ is deservedly in the pantheon of great songs of the 20th century and a fitting title to the Beatles last released album (though not the last one recorded). Sounding like the ultimate church hymn, the song features a moving, but understated, guitar solo as well as a majestic organ. Whether one prefers the single version (with heavier organ) or the album version (more pronounced guitar solo), this is a classic that will never lose its massive charm and appeal.tehparadox.com/.Ostensibly based on memories of a Liverpool Salvation Army center, this piece of nearly incomprehensible (and minimalist) poetry from John Lennon shattered the conventions of pop lyric wring and completely opened up new avenues of self-expression in music. The lyric was subject to wide interpretations (and, of course, drug allusions), but nonetheless it remains a hauntingly beautiful and disturbing song with a backing arrangement that suggests a fleeting dream.www.fanpop.com/
