The Beatles are arguably the most influential band in the history of popular music; this comes as little surprise to anyone, as the band’s discography is jam-packed full of an almost countless list of hits and classics (not to mention an even longer list of impressive deep cuts) . With so many important and beloved songs to choose from, it can be incredibly difficult to select a favorite.
If you are new to this legendary band, however, here are a few essential cuts to get you started.
“Hey Jude”
One of many huge Beatles’ hits to land after the band’s touring years, “Hey Jude” may very well be the most moving Lennon-McCartney ballad of all time. Paul McCartney is said to have written the song as a comforting mechanism for Julian Lennon, John Lennon’s son, as he endured the divorce of his parents. The song’s heartfelt piano-driven arrangement and powerful climactic build-up aurally deliver on setting a calming mood, all while staying rooted in an undercurrent of unifying force; it remains the hallmark singalong moment of McCartney’s solo shows.
If “Hey Jude” does not sway you in the way of major Beatles ballads, “Let it Be” is sure to do the job. The song, one of the last to be released as a single by the band, is equally effective in its key-heavy chord progression, building to a triumphant guitar solo. Lyrically, the song is perhaps the band’s most emotional, drawing from periods of tension surrounding the “White Album” sessions and the influence of McCartney’s mother (“Mother Mary”), who died when McCartney was just 14.
Brief, but beautiful, “Blackbird” is one of several carefully placed melodic gems hidden in the chaotic, abstract, and occasionally aggressive folds of the “White Album.” The mostly McCartney-penned acoustic tune sees a rare moment in which most of the band is absent, giving the song a raw and intimate feeling. Beneath its charming, sweetened string plucks sits a deep ballad alluding to race relations in the 1960s United States.
“While My Guitar Gently Weeps”
Along with “Something” and “Here Comes the Sun,” “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” is usually regarded as a standout track in George Harrison’s songwriting contributions to the band. The song features Eric Clapton on lead guitar, adding yet another layer to the band’s already rich, transcendent cohesion. Lyrically, the song is one of several to explore disharmonious relations transpiring within the band during its later years of operation.
Though technically a group of short, interconnected songs, the second side of the “Abbey Road” album is usually viewed as one long piece of music. The 16-minute medley consists of “You Never Give me Your Money,” “Sun King,” “Mean Mr. Mustard,” “Polythene Pam,” “She Came in Through the Bathroom Window,” “Golden Slumbers,” “Carry That Weight,” and “The End,” riding a wave of emotions before transitioning into the album’s conclusion, “Her Majesty.”
