Photo credit: Shivani Mandalia. The Beatles, A Hard Day's Night.
The Beatles’ game-changing debut album, ‘Please Please Me’ celebrates its 58th birthday on the 22 March. To mark the event that kickstarted the Beatlemania movement, we’re ranking the Beatles’ five most iconic songs.
Strawberry Fields Forever (1967)
Photo credit: Dark Dwarf. Strawberry Field gates in Woolton, Liverpool.
Labelled as one of the Beatles’ best songs, this track was written by John Lennon about a Salvation Army residence near his childhood home. The song is wacky, wonderful and complex in both its melody and psychedelic notes.
I Want To Hold Your Hand (1963)
Photo credit: Bradford Timeline. The Beatles, I Want To Hold Your Hand, Capitol 5112 (US).
This track marked the beginning of the Beatles’ American takeover and was their first song to reach number one in the US. The song was written by John and Paul McCartney and embodies classic Beatles pop-rock.
Ticket To Ride (1965)
Photo credit: Bradford Timeline. The Beatles - Ticket To Ride - Yes It Is - Capitol 5407.
‘Ticket To Ride’ was a step away from typical pop, romance music and into an era of intricate, darker tunes. The track was a collaboration between Paul and John, although the two debated how much the other contributed and was the first song released from their album ‘Help!’.
Hey Jude (1968)
Photo credit: badgreeb RECORDS. Hey Jude album, The Beatles.
Paul wrote ‘Hey Jude’ as a message of empathy for John’s son following his parents’ divorce. The song is insanely catchy, so much so that all we have to say is, nahh, na, na, nahh-na-na, nahhh. Now that’s seven minutes of pure greatness if you ask us.
Yesterday (1965)
Photo credit: badgreeb RECORDS, The Beatles, Yesterday and Today.
‘Yesterday’ holds the title of the most covered song of all time. Unlike the Beatles’ previous upbeat pop songs, ‘Yesterday’ has a sombre tone of post break up blues and was their first track to feature a string quartet.
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