The Best Beatles Song on Every Album (Opinion Piece)

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I remember The Beatles as one of the first bands I fell in love with completely on my own. I didn’t grow up with them, but they are unescapable, and I found myself becoming obsessed throughout the majority of my teenage years. If there’s ever any excuse to write about them, then I’ll always jump at the opportunity. Today, I’ve made a list of my favourite tracks on every record. Some are almost solely based on personal preference and emotion, whilst others pull from their musicality. All of my choices I highly recommend. They without a doubt helped get me to where I am today.

Please Please Me – A Taste Of Honey

This was surely one of the more difficult choices for me. ‘Please Please Me‘ housed some of the most prolific tracks of the group’s early years. I can’t deny how essential songs like ‘Twist And Shout‘ as well as ‘I Saw Her Standing There‘ are in their discography. However, this album isn’t one of my highlights. I chose ‘A Taste Of Honey‘ because it is one that often goes under the radar. Bobby Scott and Ric Marlow originally wrote the track. However, it is certainly made into a Beatles song through the band’s distinct performance. A highlight for me is Paul’s vocals.

With The Beatles – Money (That’s What I Want)

When choosing for the band’s sophomore effort, it was a much harder choice. This album has consistently been my favourite of the early records since I was a child, so there have certainly been times when I’ve overindulged in many of the songs. I’m pretty sure my answer for this LP would be slightly different every time I’m asked. However, today I chose ‘Money (That’s What I Want)‘, a cover of a Barrett Strong song. The piano riff is one that really stands out to me. I also love the way it builds up and gets somewhat chaotic near the end, with John doing a great job at lead vocals.

A Hard Day’s Night – And I Love Her

The Beatles’ third record saw the release of a film, under the same name, which coincided with the tracks. I potentially enjoy the film more than the record itself! It isn’t one of my favourites, but there are still some songs I absolutely love. ‘And I Love Her‘ is a classic example of one of the things the band does best: write brilliant love songs. It’s stripped back with acoustic guitars and Paul taking lead vocals. I don’t think there’s much of a deeper reason why I like this song. There’s a solid foundation within it’s songwriting and performance. Moreover, it does everything you want a good love song to do and breaks the album up nicely.

Beatles For Sale – Mr Moonlight

Out of all of The Beatles’ albums, I probably have listened to this one the least. However, in the past year or so, I’ve grown to appreciate this one. There are some great tracks throughout, like the ‘Kansas City/ Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey‘ medley. Yet this pick has to be one of the easiest on the list, and my first no-brainer. ‘Mr Moonlight‘ was written by Roy Lee Johnson and originally recorded in 1962 by Dr Feelgood And The Interns. It’s always made me feel somewhat sad and melancholic, but in an addictive way. Like, I want to listen to it to evoke this kind of emotion. The harmonies are excellent. Furthermore, whilst the organ solo is a somewhat strange choice, it does keep the vibes on the low, which I quite enjoy. A brilliant song from an amazing record.

Help! – It’s Only Love

‘Help!‘ is a record that works great as a whole. It’s the perfect soundtrack for its film, and there isn’t a weak song throughout. At the same time, I don’t reach for individual tracks from it too often. This song, which spans just under two minutes, is enjoyable and definitely demonstrates a big shift in the sound the group was working towards. John’s distinct vocals as well as George‘s lead guitar work are masterful as always and seem to bring in a slight edge of garage and psychedelic rock (more of that to come).

Rubber Soul – Think For Yourself

We’re certainly getting into my favourite era of The Beatles now. ‘Think For Yourself‘ has a strong baseline, a cool tone on the guitar, and George on lead vocals. His voice was often overlooked in the earlier years, but from here on out, he only shines more and more within the group. I’ve always been blown away by how the group can progress through different genres and sounds and maintain a strong baseline as a powerful force within music. This sound is one I’ve always resonated with, growing up on the likes of The Troggs and The Doors.

Revolver – For No One

This album is interwoven with memories of the past ten years for me. I’ll have to give honourable mentions to ‘Here, There And Everywhere‘ and ‘Tomorrow Never Knows‘ because they’ve both got so much I love going for them, and show the diversity of this LP. However, ‘For No One‘ is an all-time favourite. As a piano player myself, I subconsciously reach for tracks with this as a feature. I also have always paid close attention to the lyrics. It isn’t a love song, but it is uplifting in its own way, and there’s a hopeful element to it. Beautiful and the perfect song for some of the situations life may throw at you.

Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band – A Day In The Life

At this point in the band’s career, they’ve matured, had years of experience, and the success to experiment. However they wanted to be able to continue putting out music that will certainly be heard. This level of freedom means we get some songs that push boundaries further than they ever pushed them, as well as some that pull it back and deliver a level of simplicity. ‘A Day In The Life‘ is debatably the best track the band ever put out. John and Paul pulled two different, unfinished songs together into one and, with the help of the legendary George Martin, created a masterpiece. It rounds off one of the most influential records of all time perfectly.

My only qualm is a weird mashup of noises after the final chord; it terrified me when I first spun this LP, and I still have to take the needle off before it ends!

Magical Mystery Tour – Strawberry Fields Forever

I’d like to start this by saying that ‘Blue Jay Way‘ and ‘Baby, You’re A Rich Man‘ are fantastic and deserve more recognition. However, I have to let my emotions take this one. I literally have ‘Nothing is real‘ written on my arm so I can’t not pick this song! This is one of my favourite examples of John’s notorious double-tracked vocals; the sound of ‘Magical Mystery Tour‘ works great with this production element. By this point in the group’s career, there is experimentation in both sound and lyricism that reaches new heights. Also, Ringo’s drumming on this song is a highlight for me; the fills are perfectly fitting.

The Beatles (The White Album) – Happiness Is A Warm Gun

Potentially my favourite album of them all. Not for consistency, but for the sheer amount of diverse and interesting songs. This means my decision for this one has probably been the most difficult. ‘Happiness Is A Warm Gun‘ is one I’ve discovered later on down the line. The lead guitar has a really dirty tone to it that feels progressive when compared to the early years of the band. I love the bridge and pre-chorus’ melodies, they’re distinct and fit perfectly into the making of the song. The harmonies on the cover almost feel reminiscent of doo-wop. There’s so much to unpack in this track whilst remaining a good record.

Yellow Submarine – Hey Bulldog

Easy choice. This song is a hidden gem on an unusual album, which mainly features instrumentals. The piano riff is easily recognisable, and Ringo provides a great foundation to keep this song moving along. It’s also a great one for hearing the chemistry between John and Paul. Even before they mess around at the end, I think it’s evident how close they were and how much fun they could have together in the studio. This is something that is great to feel within the atmosphere of their tracks.

Abbey Road – I Want You (She’s So Heavy)

When a song is this length it either drags out and gets boring or it is a masterpiece. This is one of those that fall into the second category. I never get bored or want to skip it, yet it’s aware of how long it is and allows it to be dragged out. There’s no rushing on anyone’s part, and the sound is allowed to build up of its own accord. It’s one that is more simple yet leans into the fundamentals of good rock and roll, bringing in elements that would be notable within progressive rock of the seventies. There’s no denying the level of musicianship, songwriting, and production throughout ‘Abbey Road‘. On a technical level, this could very well be their peak.

Let It Be – I’ve Got A Feeling

It’s somewhat bittersweet hearing the back and forth of Paul and John’s vocals, knowing that this was the beginning of the end. However, it’s one of the album’s highlights. Billy Preston did wonders in helping to pull this record together. He brought a fresh perspective to many parts of the album. This record’s a bit up and down for me, but this, along with the likes of ‘Get Back‘ keeps it very much worth the listen.

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