The best covers of Beatles songs (2023)

FAQs

The best covers of Beatles songs? ›

The song was offered as a demo to Chris Farlowe prior to The Beatles recording it, but Farlowe turned it down as he considered it “too soft”. According to Guinness World Records, “Yesterday” has the most cover versions of any song ever written.

The song was offered as a demo to Chris Farlowe prior to The Beatles recording it, but Farlowe turned it down as he considered it “too soft”. According to Guinness World Records, “Yesterday” has the most cover versions of any song ever written.

With members John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, the group is often considered the most influential band of the rock era. While active between 1960 and 1970, the group recorded hundreds of songs, with their "main catalogue" consisting of 213 songs, which include 188 originals and 25 covers.

"Hey Jude" is still the biggest hit music of the Beatles' run, but it's the best-played song in Billboard chart history. The Beatles have no doubt about their status as best-selling artists on the planet, with 183 million albums certified in America alone.

Lennon noted at the time: “I never liked 'Run For Your Life' because it was a song I just knocked off,” he revealed. The track takes a line from Elvis Presley's song 'Baby Let's Play House': “I'd rather see you dead, little girl, than to be with another man”.

The White Album First Pressing

The four band members were each given one of the first four pressings of the album, and Ringo Starr's copy recently came to auction and dispelled rumors that John Lennon was given the very first copy; instead, it sold for an astronomical and record-breaking $790,000.

During their eight years as a band, The Beatles had 20 No. 1 hits, and 34 Top 10 hits on the Billboard chart. Forming in 1962 and breaking up in 1970, not only did The Beatles' top songs, like "Hey Jude" and "Come Together," peak at number one, they also spent months on the charts.

Today, 'I Want to Hold Your Hand' remains The Beatles' highest-selling physical single of all time, with no less than 12 million copies sold worldwide.

By this metric, it might be accurate to call 'Hey Jude' the biggest-selling single from The Beatles in America, but until the official counts are released, the title of certifiable high-selling Beatles single still belongs to 'She Loves You'.

• Beatles Songs Covered by Elvis

Presley recorded about 665 different songs during sessions, and perhaps 50 additional titles in live performances during the '50, '60s, and '70s. As The Beatles had done for him, Elvis covered four Beatle songs, starting in 1969.

Who did most of the singing in The Beatles? ›

Turns out John Lennon led the pack, having sung lead on 109 Beatles tunes. Paul McCartney was a very close 2nd with 98. But while Lennon dominated the early Beatles albums (songs like “Please Please Me”), McCartney tended to sing more leads on the band's later recordings.

Let's start by looking at song counts: out of 208 songs recorded by the Beatles, 71 were written mostly by John, 68 mostly by Paul, 22 by George, 21 were cover songs from their early days, 16 John+Paul songs (songs in which they contributed equally), and 10 that were sung by Ringo, out of which 2 he wrote himself (Don' ...

According to Guinness World Records, Irving Berlin's "White Christmas" (1942) as performed by Bing Crosby is the best-selling single worldwide, with estimated sales of over 50 million copies.

“Helter Skelter” was released in 1968 on the second disc of The Beatles' White Album. More than 50 years later, the song has retained its aura of malevolence. Its infamy stems from its association with the cult leader Charles Manson, who claimed to hear prophetic messages in the lyrics.

1. “Brown Eyed Handsome Man,” Buddy Holly (1956) Originally written and recorded by Chuck Berry—whose 1964 rock hit “No Particular Place to Go” also made Lennon's playlist—”Brown Eyed Handsome Man” was first released as a B-Side to “Too Much Monkey Business” and later on Berry's 1957 debut After School Session.

In the ranking of least favorite band members, McCartney (21%) and Starr (18%) are a distant second and third to Lennon, while George Harrison is the least favorite of only 12%.

Yesterday and Today is remembered primarily for the controversy surrounding its original cover image. Known as the "butcher cover", it was taken by photographer Robert Whitaker and shows the band dressed in white coats and covered with decapitated baby dolls and pieces of raw meat.

Which Beatle had the most successful solo career? Despite Harrison's accolade, Paul McCartney achieved the greatest chart success through the sheer quantity of music he has released.

Most Expensive Beatles Items Sold

Memoribilia can get expensive depending on condition and rarity. The New York Times reported that John Lennon's Rolls Royce sold at a Southeby's auction for a whopping $2 million.

Most number one singles by a songwriter (US/UK)

McCartney is credited as the writer on 32 number one hits in the US to Lennons 26 (with 23 co-written), whereas Lennon authored 29 UK number ones to McCartney's 28 (25 co-written).

Who wrote the best Beatles songs? ›

While McCartney was known for his melodic basslines and catchy songwriting, Lennon was recognized for his introspective lyrics and rebellious spirit. Both artists brought their style to the band, but their collaboration created some of the Beatles' most memorable tracks.

1, 1964: The Beatles Score First Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 With 'I Want To Hold Your Hand' Forty-nine years ago today, the Fab Four rode the Beatlemania wave to their first of a record 20 Hot 100 leaders.

In a decade that produced countless hits for The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Elvis Presley, Tom Jones, Frank Sinatra, Cliff Richard and many more, Ken Dodd's track outsold them all – except for two songs by The Beatles: She Loves You and I Want to Hold Your Hand, both released in 1963.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, British rock band The Beatles are top of the list for best-selling artists worldwide, with 183 million units certified sales. Second is Garth Brooks with over 157 million units sales, followed by Elvis Presley with 139 million units.

20-dated chart. As a result, Drake passes The Beatles, who have 29, for the record over the list's 64-year history. The Beatles held the top-five mark for 55 years, having last reached the region in 1970 with “The Long and Winding Road”/”For You Blue,” which spent two weeks at No. 1.

• Beatles lead Elvis in #1 records

As to be expected, due to his far greater number of total chart entries, Elvis has the advantage over The Beatles in most performance categories. Presley placed 102 titles in Billboard's top 40, while The Beatles had 50 entries that made it that far up the chart.

Elvis told Nixon: “The Beatles had been a real force for anti-American spirit,” and also claimed, “The Beatles came to this country, made their money, and then returned to England where they promoted an anti-American theme.”

As teenagers, The Beatles, especially John Lennon, were strongly influenced by Elvis Presley. They started wearing their hair slicked back like Elvis. They admired his rebelliousness and his appeal to women, not to mention his musical talent. “Nothing affected me until I heard Elvis,” John Lennon said.

By traditional standards, Paul probably had the best singing technique. There was a sweetness to his tone and he displayed a great high range and good intonation on ballads, such as “Let It Be,” “The Long and Winding Road” and” Here, There and Everywhere.”

Who was the most talented guitarist in The Beatles? ›

In many respects Paul McCartney was the group's most rounded musician, and possibly even its best guitarist. It was he that devised many of the riffs and even played some of the most memorable solos, such as on Taxman (Revolver), Ticket To Ride and his killer Epiphone Casino riff on Paperback Writer.

On Aug. 15, 1965, the Beatles performed their biggest concert at Shea Stadium to a crowd of 55,000 screaming fans.

The Beatles

“None of us could read music… None of us can write it.” John Lennon admitted this about the band in a 1980 Playboy interview, “but as pure musicians, as inspired humans to make the noise, they [Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr] are as good as anybody.”

The Greatest Hit: The New No. 1 Song of All Time. "Blinding Lights" is now the top Billboard Hot 100 song of all time. The Weeknd and his collaborators reveal just how they made history.

“Blinding Lights” was also officially recognized as the biggest US Billboard Hot 100 single of all time. When released at the end of 2019, the song spent over 100 weeks in the charts. If you haven't already, be sure to give "Blinding Lights" a listen on Spotify.

If you conceivably require more proof that the Beatles were, and continue to be, the most influential rock musicians, consider this: every single one of the 184 songs the quartet wrote, recorded and released during their eight-year run has been covered.

Cover versions

These songs included Chuck Berry's "Rock and Roll Music", sung by Lennon, Buddy Holly's "Words of Love", sung by Lennon and McCartney with Harrison, and two by Carl Perkins: "Everybody's Trying to Be My Baby", sung by Harrison, and "Honey Don't", sung by Starr.

HELP!: The saddest Beatles album ever

And younger than Clint Eastwood. But that's not the point. The point is that to commemorate his birthday, I listened to The Beatles' album called Help!. And yes, it was only because that happened to be the only Beatles album at hand.

Of the four Beatles songs that have been banned over the years (including 'A Day in the Life' for references to suicide, 'Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds' for implied drug use, 'Back in the USSR' as part of the bizarre Gulf War ban), the prohibition of 'I Am the Walrus' might be the weirdest.

Which Beatle was banned from the US? ›

Leon Wildes and The Deportation Battle

They had released Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart Club, played the Shea Stadium, released the White Album and broken up. On March 23, 1973, John Lennon was ordered to leave the United States within 60 days. Ono, on the other hand, was granted permanent residency.

Over the years, many artists have topped the list of the country's most popular songs at the time, but none did so more often than The Beatles. With 20 no. 1 singles on the Hot 100 charts, the iconic British rock band are just one hit ahead of Mariah Carey, who has 19 notches in her belt.

A comprehensive account of the songs that the Beatles loved enough to cover themselves and, oftentimes, make their own. Between 1963 and 1970, The Beatles' catalogue included 25 cover versions – the vast majority included on their albums or EPs up to 1965. But over the last 30 years, many more have come to light.

It was 50 years ago today (January 3rd, 1970) that the Beatles recorded their final song together. Three of the four Beatles — Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr — gathered at London's Abbey Road studios to complete Harrison's tune "I Me Mine" for the group's Let It Be soundtrack.

The Beatles

“None of us could read music… None of us can write it.” John Lennon admitted this about the band in a 1980 Playboy interview, “but as pure musicians, as inspired humans to make the noise, they [Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr] are as good as anybody.”

Half a century after their breakup, The Beatles are still the biggest rock band of 2020, shifting 1.094 million album-equivalent units through the first six months of the year, 326,000 units ahead of the genre's second-place finisher, Queen.