The Beatles A-side Singles

Released October 5, 1962
Peak Position #17

The Beatles first UK single was not the smash hit that Brian Epstein and George Martin were hoping for. Brian ordered only 10,000 copies, not all of which sold, but enough to push it onto the charts at #17.

I particularly like this song for its simplicity. It forms the baseline againt which all future Beatles singles are compared. In time their sound and song writing will evolve to become more thoughful and sophisticated expanding the boundries of rock music far beyond tehse humble origins.

Released January 11, 1963
Peak Position #2 (#1 in New Musical Express & Melody maker)

Not very confident after the moderate success of Love Me Do, George Martin wanted the Beatles next single to be written by professionsal song writers. John and Paul much more preferred to record their own material. So George Martin challenged them to write a song that was as good, and he would record it.

The original tempo of Please, Please Me was much slower, John being inspired by the Roy Orbison song Only the Lonely. After initially hearing it, George Martin recommended a more up beat tempo, which is how the song was eventually released.

For me, this single represents the start of Beatle Mania. A very lively, up beat song that sweeps you along for 2 1/2 minutes and ends with you wanting to hear it again.

Released April 11, 1963
Peak Position #1 (7 weeks)

The Beatles first number one single was one of their few compositions that was truly co-written be John and Paul. It was written in a motor coach (bus) as the Beatles toured as the opening act for Helen Shapiro. Paul McCartney noted that many of their early singles contained I, me or you, as a way of making them appear direct and personal.

Although I didn't realize it for many years, this is the first song where the Beatles sing "ooh", a sound that whould become much more recognizable with theri next single.

This was also one of the last songs to be credited as McCartney/Lennon, with the more familiar Lennon/McCartney being used afterwards.

Released August 23, 1963
Peak Position #1 (4 weeks, then 2 weeks)

This is one of the most instantly recognizeable songs in music. As soon as you hear Ringo's opening drum beat, you instantly start singing along.

This is another song that was started by Paul McCartney, on a tour bus (this time touring with Roy Orbison and Jerry & the Pacemakers), and finished later in a hotel, co written with John Lennon. Instead of being written in the first person, the lyrics are in the third person, and the 'wooooo' being borrowed from the Isley Brothers Twist and Shout.

She Loves You accomplishments:

* First break through single in the US

* First Beatles song to be rerecorded in Greman (Sie liebt Dich).

* Beatles all-time best selling UK single

* 64th Greatest song of all time (Rolling Stone 2004)

* 3rd Biggest song that changed the world (Uncut Magazine 2005)

My favorite memory of this song is very recent. My twins (now 8 yrs old) are starting to listen to and enjoy music. Since the Beatles are my favorite group, they've become familiar with the songs and have asked me to load their favorites onto their iPods. A few days ago, as I walked past Andrew's room, I saw him playing his favoroite video game (Tiger Woods PGA Golf). What made it so memorable, is that he was listening to, and singing quite loudly, She Love You, while he played.

Released November 29, 1963
Peak Position #1 (5 weeks)

With the success of She Loves You in the UK, but lack of commercial success in the US, Brian Epstein requested John and Paul to write something that would appeal to American audiences. Another song that was very much co written by John and Paul, this time not on a tour bus, but at a piano in the basement of Paul's girlfriend Jane Asher's parent's house.

The release of I Want to Hold Your Hand was preceeded by orders of 1 million copies. This was also the Beatles first #1 song in the US. It marked the start of the British Invasion.

The legacy of I Want to Hold Your Hand:

1. Second Beatles song to be re recorded in German (Komm, gib mir deine Hand)

2. First time a artist/group replaced itself at #1 on UK Charts (replaced She Loves You)

3. Nominated for Grammy Record of the Year (lost to The Girl From Ipanema)

4. Wins Grammy Hall of Fame award (1988)

5. #16 Greatest Song of All time (Rolling Stone 2004)

6. #39 on Billboards all time top 100

7. #23 Best Song of all time (aggregate critics list)

I Want to Hold Your Hand was actually the first Beatles song I remember hearing, but it was not performed by the Beatles. It was from the album Beatle Mania in the USA by The Liverpools (Wyncote Records). It was some time before I found out that the song was originally recorded by the Beatles (it was my best friend's parents record, my parents only listened to Sinatra and Streisand). Now knowing about the Beatles, my next stop to the record store was enlightening, there were so many Beatles albums and singles I didn't know where to begin - but I did, and they've been my favorite group ever since.

Released March 20, 1964
Peak Position #1 (3 weeks)

This is my favorite Beatles song.

I first heard it as I watched the Beatles movie A Hard Days Night. The combination of music & lyrics and the quick cut images of the Beatles makes this scene possibly the first music video. Whenever I hear this song on the radio, I always sing along, which may be one of the reasons my kids now like the Beatles so much (because it's a great song, not because of my singing).

The song was written shortly after I Want to Hold Your Hand went to #1 on the charts. In addition to their 2 German recordings, Can't Buy Me Love was the only Beatles song to be recorded outside of the UK (recorded in Paris, and later finished at Abbey Road Studios).

During the week of April 4, 1964 the Beatles had the Top Five singles on the Billboard Hot 100.

1. Can't Buy Me Love
2. Twist and Shout
3. She Loves You
4. I Want to Hold Your Hand
5. Please, Please Me

Also, a total of 12 Beatles singles were in the top 100.

This accomplishment has not been matched by any artist/group to date.

Are you the ultimate Beatles fan? Show off your Beatlemania knowledge by answering over 2500 fab questions from 6 categories covering two decades of everything Beatles -- their history, music, movies, rise to fame, post-Beatle pursuits, and more.

Released July 10, 1964

Peak Position #1 (3 weeks)

The title song to the Beatles first feature length film, The title of the movie, and the inspiration for the song, was a verbal miscue by Ringo. Although the specific details/recollections vary, after working on the film all day and well into the night, Ringo began to say that was a hard day (then noticing it was night) added night, which became a hard day's night.

Another instantly recognizable song, due to its distinctive opening chord, A Hard Day's Night also proved to the US music industry that the Beatles were not one hit wonders. The opening chord itself was designed to grab your attention, since it was known that it would not only open the move, but would also be the first song on the soundtrack album.

For those who are interested, the opening chord (described by George Harrison) is: Fadd9 in 1st position on Rickenbacker 360/12 12-string electric guitar.

A Hard Day's Night earned the Beatles their second Grammy Award in 1964 for Best Performance by a Vocal Group (they also won for Best New Artist - 1964).

Released November 27, 1964
Peak Position #1 (5 weeks)

I Feel Fine is the first of several Beatles songs that are driven by guitar riffs. The inspiration for the song is actually the background riff from Eight Days a Week, which once recorded, John told the group he would write a song around. Once completed, John didn't really care for the song, actually telling Ringo it's lousy. However once it was recorded, with the guitar the group felt it was good enough to be an A-side.

In addition to the prominent guiter riff, I Feel Fine represents the first time that feedback is used as a recorded effect. This simple studio enhancement marks the beginning of the Beatles exploration into unconventional recording techniques which would culminate with Revolver and Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.

Released April 9, 1965
Peak Position #1 (3 weeks)

It may be getting redundant, but this is another of my favorite Beatle songs. I especially love the deeper bassline, heavier drums and the increased tempo (double-time) of the closing 'my baby don't care' lines.

This tempo shift, would become a hallmark of some of the Beatles best songs, especially those which resulted from the combination of separate Lennon and McCartney compositions (such as We Can Work it Out and A Day in the Life).

Music critics have described Ticket to Ride as an important departure in musical style for the Beatles, the rhythm sections being harder and heavier, especially Ringo's tom toms.

Released July 27, 1965
Peak Position #1 (3 weeks)

I am so glad that John Lennon wrote HELP! Prior to its composition, the title of the Beatles second feature film was to be Eight Arms to Hold You (which I just can't imagine as a rock and roll song).

It is widely known that John Lennon wrote HELP! as an honest expression of ihs feelings at the time. Lennon didn't think his insecurity about the bands phenomenal success after years of toiling in obscurity were something the Beatles fans could understand, considering the outward confidence. The song does however mark an important milestone in Lennon's song writing, being the result of honest introspection.

HELP! is my sons favorite Beatles song right now. He knows it's Track 10 on the "1" cd, and he asks to have it played every time we're in the minivan. What I like about the song is how the backing vocals precede the lead vocal during the opening lyrics of many of the songs lines.

Released December 3, 1965
Peak Position #1 (5 weeks)

We Can Work It Out/Day Tripper was the first Beatles single to be designated as a Double A-side release. However, due to We Can Work It Out being more popular, based on airplay and sales requests, I am considering it to be the A-side.

This collaborative effort by Lennon and McCartney was based on the words and music for the verses and chorus by McCartney. When he brought the song to John to help finish the bridge, he wrote lyrics which completely contrasted with McCartney's optimism. This dichotomy is enhanced by the waltz-time tempo of the section (suggested by George Harrison).

In my opinion, without the juxtaposition of tempos that the Beatles pioneered in We Can Work It Out, songs like A Day in the Life, and later Stairway to Heaven and Free Bird, do not exist. Thank you John & Paul.

Released June 10, 1966
Peak Position #1 (2 weeks)

Paperback Writer is the first Beatles single that is not a love song.

The song was written by McCartney in the form of a letter from an aspiring writer to a publisher. The reference to the 'Daily Mail' refers to the newspaper that Lennon would regularly read in the studio.

The song is also noted for its very powerful bassline, which was due to Paul changing to a Fender Bass and positioning the microphone (a loudspeaker) directly in front of the bass. For me, the most interesting part of the song is the Beatles singing the French childrens song Frère Jacques as the backing vocals.

Released August 5, 1966
Peak Position #1 (4 weeks)

Yellow Submarine/Eleanor Rigby was another double A-side single.

Yellow Submarine was the first Beatles song my kids learned to sing as part of their end of year kindergarten performance. Its such a whimsical song, that I can't help but smile as I sing along.

Written by McCartney specificly to be a children's song, for Ringo, it originally was a mariners tale about his life aboard different colored submarines, but once it got into the studio, it ended up being about a Yellow Submarine only.

All of the secial effects (chains, bubbles, cash register, etc) were added during a second recording session. My two favorite trivia facts are that the bubble effect was created by Lennon blowing through a straw into a pan of water, and the cash register was later used by Pink Floyd on Money.

In addition to its relesae on the Revolver album, the song was also the inspiration for the Beatles animated feature Yellow Submarine, for which the song was revived as the title track.

Released February 17, 1967
Peak Position #2

Penny Lane/Strawberry Fields Forever was another Beatles single to be released as a double A-side single, and it would be the last.

After the Beatles stopped touring, they went back into Abbey Road studios to work on their next album, tentatively to be themed about their childhood. However, Capitol records was anxious for a new single, so the first songs recorded were released. Since the Beatles did not usually include released singles on their albums, Penny Lane was left off of the Sgt Pepper album.

Both sides of the single were enormously popular (George Martin considered it the greatest Beatles single ever) but Record Retailer calculates sales based on volume only, not title request, so the total volume for the single was cut in half (for each side). This resulted in the single failing to reach #1, being beaten by Engelbert Humperdinck's Release Me.

The most identifiable sound in Penny Lane is the piccolo trumpet solo. McCartney was dissatisfied with the original instrumental fills in the song, and was inspired to use the piccolo trumpet after watching a BBC broadcast of Bach's Brandenburg Concerto.

Penny Lane also represents the first time that a Beatles UK single was issued with a picture sleeve, although the practice was common in the US and Japan.

Released August 7, 1967
Peak Position #1 (3 weeks)

All You Need is Love was comissioned by the BBC as the UK's contribution to Our World. On June 25, 1967 Our World was the first live global television link that was broadcast (via satellite) to 26 countries and seen by over 400 million people.

The songs message was intentionally simple and clear, since it needed to be understood by a world wide audience. During the fade out, when McCartney ad libs She Loves You, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, the background music contains selections of an international mix of excerpts including:

* Johann Sebastian Bach's 2-part Invention #8 in F on Piccolo trumpet

* The English Folk song Greensleeves played on strings

* In the Mood by Glen Miller on saxophone

Admittedly nervous before the live performance, Lennon was not happy with his vocals, so his solo verses were rerecorded. It is the rerecorded vocals that were used on the single.

Being the first international live braoadcast, the Beatles were surrounded not only by the orchestra, but also by family and friends including Mick Jagger, Marianne Faithful, Keith Richards, Keith Moon, Eric Clapton, Pattie Harrison, Jane Asher, Mike McCartney, and Graham Nash who all sang during the fade out.

It also turns out that the songs time signature is 7/4 (7 quarter note beats per bar) is rather unusual. All You Need is Love (and Pinnk Floyd's Money) are the only two songs with a 7/4 signature to reach #1.

Released November 24, 1967
Peak Position #1 (7 weeks)

Like all Beatles, the writing for Hello, Goodbye is credited to Lennon.McCartney, but the song was entirely written by Paul.

The writing of the song was related by Alistair Taylor (an assistant of Brian Epstein)who asked Paul how he wrote his songs. Paul asked him to shout out the opposites of the words he said, while he sat at the harmonium (a free standing organ). Although Taylor had no idea if this was actually a spontaneous composition, or something Pual had been contemplating, the result was another Beatles #1 hit.

McCartney later noted in an interview with Disc Magazine, that it is basicly a song about nothing, and everything. If you have black, you have to have white, etc, just like everything in life.

As big a fan of the Beatles as I am, I must admit that I've never really liked this song that much. Maybe because to me its lyrics are almost too simple. The other reason may be that I think the B-side (I am the Walrus) is absolutely phenomenal.

Released March 15, 1968
Peak Position #1 (2 weeks)

Lady Madonna was written and recorded before the Beatles trip to India to study transcendental meditation with the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.

The song was mostly Paul's attempt to write a bluesy song, with the piano being inspired by Fats Domino (who would cover the song later in 1968).

Lady Madonna would be the last Beatles single released on Parlaphone (UK) and Capitol (US) records.

Released August 30, 1968
Peak Position #1 (2 weeks)

The Beatles first project after the death of Brian Epstein, was Magical Mystery Tour, which at the time was very poorly received by the critics. This led some in the music industry to believe that the Beatles time was over. Recent events in the Beatles lives however, would provide the inspiration for their longest, and one of their best selling singles ever.

The song is generally accepted as being written for Julian Lennon (John's son with wife Cynthia) to help him through his parent's divorce (John would later marry Yoko Ono). Other interpretation are that the song was written for John Lennon (also about his divorce) or possibly about Paul's own failing relationship with Jane Asher.

Whether one or all of these events inspired the song, it was written by Paul in a car as he drove out to visit Cynthia and Julian soon after the separation. The working title Hey Jules, was changed to Hey Jude, as it was easier to sing.

Also at this time, the Beatles formed their own management company, Apple. Hey Jude would be the first single on their newly formed Apple records.Weighing in at over 7 minutes (the final coda - fade out - lasts more than 4 minutes) it was hihgly unusual at the time since radios often refused to air aongs that were longer than 3 minutes. However, being the Beatles, they were the exception to the rule. Hey Jude would become the longest single (at the time) to ever top the UK charts.

My favorite story about Hey Jude, is about when Paul first played it to John. The lyrics were still unfinished, so when he got to the part 'the movement you need is on your shoulder' he turned to John and said don't worry I'll fix that bit, to which John replied supposedly replied no you won't, it's the best part of the song. This explains why this completely non-sensical lyric is in the middle of such a poignant song, it was merely a place holder, that became permanent.

Interesting note: While researching information on Hey Jude, I discovered that at ~2:58 into the song, McCartney hits a wrong note on the piano and cursed, but instead of removing the offensive remark, Lennon insisted they leave it in (but bury it low in the background so it' sbarely audible). Now I'll have to start listening a little more closely to see if I can hear it.

Released April 11, 1969
Peak Position #1 (6 weeks)

Get Back is the most widely documented single in the Beatles catalog. Much of this is due to the fact that the song was written almost spontaneously during an unstructured jam session Once the melody evolved, McCartney introduced some of the lyrics which were reworked from a previous George Harrison song Sour Milk Sea.

For the Get Back sessions, long time friend Billy Preston was invited to th studio by George Harrison, as a way of diverting the band from their continuous bickering. For the keyboard solo, Preston was allowed to play whatever he wanted, thus contributing an essential component to the song.

Two notable firsts for Get Back include:

1. It is the only Beatles single to credit another artist (Billy Preston)

2. It is the only Beatles single to debut at #1

My favorite part of Get Back is actully not on the single version. After the Beatles performance of the song on the Abbey Road roof top, John quips 'I'd like to say thank you on behalf of the group and ourselves and I hope we've passed the audition.' In order to make the album version of the song different from the single, producer Phil Spector used the additional banter on Let It Be.

Released May 30, 1969
Peak Position #1 (3 weeks)

The Ballad of John and Yoko is a ballad in the traditional sense in that it is a narrative poem, which is different from the more modern interpretation of a slow, sentimental love song.

The ballad relates the curcumstances surrounding John and Yoko's marriage and subsequent activities, including their first bed-in (at the Amsterdam Hilton).

Once Lennon had the inspiration for the song, he called McCartney and suggested the two of them record it immediately (George was on Holiday, and Ringo was filming The Magci Christian). As a result, Lennon sang lead vocals and played lead guitars, acoustic guitar and percussion while McCartney played drums, bass guitar, maracas, piano, and sang backing vocals.

Released October 31, 1969
Peak Position #1 (1 week)

Something was the first song written by George Harrison to be released as an A-side single. It was also the only Beatles single (with B-side Come Together) to feature songs that were already available on album (Abbey Road).

The song was started during recording sessions for The Beatles (The White Album), and was shelved for several months until George could sort out the middle section. It is widely considered that Harrison's inspiration for the song was his current wife Patty Boyd, but Harrison claims that he simply wrote it (actually thinking about Ray Charles). The notion that Patty Boyd inspired the song came from the promotional video which spliced together footage of the Beatles and their wives (George & Patti, John & Yoko, Paul & Linda, and Ringo & Maureen).

Despite Georges own reservations about the song (he preferred Old Brown Shoe to be released) Lennon and McCartney praised Something as one of the best songs Harrison had ever written.

Something is the second most covered Beatles song, after Yesterday.

Released March 6, 1970
Peak Position #2

Let It Be was inspired by a dream that McCartney had about his mother during the tense recording sessions of The White Album. His mother (Mary) who died of cancer when McCartney was only 14, was the inspiration for the lines 'mother Mary comes to me' and the songs title Let It Be.

Let It Be also marks the only known contribution by Linda McCartney (backing vocals) on a Beatles record.

Let It Be was ranked as the #20 Greatest song of all time by Rolling Stone in 2004.

Let It Be would be the last single released by the Beatles while they were still an active group. Both the Let It Be album and their final single would be released after Paul quits the band, and the Beatles break up.

All of the singles images and much of the historical information (inspirations & chart positions) comes from an assortment of articles in Wikipedia