Six decades after Beatlemania began, The Beatles are still among the most well-known and beloved bands in the world, so some people find it hard to believe that many people haven’t heard of them. While more than two out of every three Gen Zers may be aware of the Beatles, the study’s findings on the band’s level of popularity among that generation are questionable. Thus, there are chances to share one’s Fab Four fandom. We believe that these six Beatles songs would be an excellent place to start for someone who has never heard any of the band before. They not only capture the essence of the band’s legacy but also showcase its different eras.
1. “I Love You,”
First off: Don’t start with this song if your friend’s main barrier to accepting The Beatles as the greatest pop/rock group of all time is that their early songs were corny. Put it at number six. Alright, having stated that…It seems sense to begin with this song considering it was both the Beatles’ first hit and their first recording. The song encapsulates everything that made The Beatles so popular, therefore it’s also a fantastic way to start exploring their back catalog. It has a timeless example of Paul McCartney and John Lennon’s harmonies and is instantly catchy. It’s not ostentatious in the slightest, and if it doesn’t sound like Ringo Starr’s usual drumming, it’s because Ringo isn’t on the album version. Andy White is in charge of the kit, and Ringo is only playing the tambourine.
2. “My Own Life”
The Beatles recorded “Love Me Do” three years before releasing Rubber Soul, their sixth album. However, the latter album sounds as though it was recorded in a completely different era. The song “In My Life” is a prime example of the employment of panning techniques; George Harrison’s guitar is heard in one channel, while Lennon’s layered lead vocals and McCartney’s and Harrison’s backup vocals emerge in the other. Being the first song Lennon wrote on events in his own life, the song also marks a lyrical shift. On this track, producer George Martin plays a solo on the piano. Martin occasionally contributed keyboard work to The Beatles’ albums.
3. “Writer for Paperback”
Revolver, the Beatles’ follow-up to Rubber Soul, saw them experimenting more. Despite being recorded during the 1966 album sessions, “Paperback Writer” was not released on that record. The song has a rougher edge thanks to McCartney’s fuzzy guitar riff, but it still has the band’s previous material’s melodicism and vocal harmonies. With its fantastic bass line and witty delivery of the lyrics highlighting the song’s sleazy aspiring paperback novelist, it’s a great showcase for McCartney overall.
4. A Typical Day in Life Another significant shift in the Beatles’ sound came with Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, a loose concept album that was much more psychedelic than any of their earlier releases. The Beatles’ more psychedelic side might be suitably introduced to a new listener on a few of the album’s tracks, but “A Day in the Life” does so while simultaneously showcasing the band’s growing musical competence. The song’s three sections—more accurately, movements—are expertly blended into Lennon’s dreamy opening and closing portions, which are positioned between an energetic middle section when McCartney talks about rushing to catch a bus and leave the house. The difficult task of bringing the audience from one segment to the next is handled by the orchestral arrangements, which also lead us to the climactic crescendo that brings the audience to the loud chord that ends the song. “A Day in the Life” is one of the Beatles’ most ambitious songs even though it isn’t their most adventurous. Nonetheless, it’s decently listener-friendly and has been a mainstay of radio playlists ever since its release.
5. Turnabout
Compared to “Revolution 1” or “Revolution 9,” which can be found on The Beatles’ self-titled album (also known as The White Album), the single version of the song demonstrates the band’s ongoing transition toward a more dissonant sound and politically charged lyrics. Here, the guitars are even more fuzzier, and the masterful panning allows each instrument to have a distinct space to be heard while Lennon passionately advocates for nonviolent change. This upbeat song is further enhanced by a fun keyboard solo by Nicky Hopkins. 6. The Sun Is Coming
A tribute to guitarist George Harrison’s talents would be a song that any introduction to The Beatles would be incomplete without. Two of Harrison’s most well-known songs, “Something” and “Here Comes the Sun,” which are also two of The Beatles’ greatest songs, can be heard on Abbey Road. Harrison’s upbeat words “Here Comes the Sun” are perfectly complemented by the brightness of his acoustic guitar. In addition to being Harrison’s attempt to lift his spirits during a trying time, the song served as a counterbalance to other of the more intense tracks from The White Album, like “Helter Skelter” and “Revolution 9.”
