![12. 'I Wanna Hold Your Hand': It would be easy to smirk slightly at the incredibly innocent sentiment - if it wasn't for the song's genuine earnestness and doo-wop energy. But maybe avoid watching the footage of them performing in live in the '60s - there's a little too much head bobbing and shuffling.]()
12. 'I Wanna Hold Your Hand': It would be easy to smirk slightly at the incredibly innocent sentiment - if it wasn't for the song's genuine earnestness and doo-wop energy. But maybe avoid watching the footage of them performing in live in the '60s - there's a little too much head bobbing and shuffling.
![11. 'Hello Goodbye’: As one of many rousing tracks on The White Album, you could imagine this joyful anthem fitting perfectly into any victorious scene in a sea of coming-of-age movies. Attempt to listen without singing along and you’ll inevitably fail... unless your heart is made of stone.]()
11. 'Hello Goodbye’: As one of many rousing tracks on The White Album, you could imagine this joyful anthem fitting perfectly into any victorious scene in a sea of coming-of-age movies. Attempt to listen without singing along and you’ll inevitably fail... unless your heart is made of stone.
![10. 'Hold Me Tight': The Beatles' second album, With The Beatles, is a dark horse in their discography and one of their best. 'Hold Me Tight' stands out on an album where every track is great.]()
10. 'Hold Me Tight': The Beatles' second album, With The Beatles, is a dark horse in their discography and one of their best. 'Hold Me Tight' stands out on an album where every track is great.
![9. 'Back In The USSR': This is The Beatles at their rawest and most urgent sounding, and feels like punk rock before its time. Its brilliant energy can get anyone on their feet and dancing, and it's a regular single still played at indie clubs all around the world.]()
9. 'Back In The USSR': This is The Beatles at their rawest and most urgent sounding, and feels like punk rock before its time. Its brilliant energy can get anyone on their feet and dancing, and it's a regular single still played at indie clubs all around the world.
![8. 'Lady Madonna': Pure aural joy - this song could make a dead man dance.]()
8. 'Lady Madonna': Pure aural joy - this song could make a dead man dance.
![7. 'Eleanor Rigby': Much of the focus on this song revolves around whether or not Eleanor Rigby really existed - but, in truth, that detail is inconsequential. It paints a picture of human loneliness with almost comic specificity:]()
7. 'Eleanor Rigby': Much of the focus on this song revolves around whether or not Eleanor Rigby really existed - but, in truth, that detail is inconsequential. It paints a picture of human loneliness with almost comic specificity: "Eleanor Rigby picks up the rice at a church where a wedding has been." It doesn't matter if Eleanor existed - she was, and is, all of us.
![6. 'A Day In The Life': The striking melody for this beautiful cut seems to have been stolen by every other band under the sun. The terrifying wall of sound that brings the uplifting, piano led transition of the song is also perfectly measured.]()
6. 'A Day In The Life': The striking melody for this beautiful cut seems to have been stolen by every other band under the sun. The terrifying wall of sound that brings the uplifting, piano led transition of the song is also perfectly measured.
![5. 'Come Together': Aerosmith brought this song back into public consciousness with an astounding cover. The original, though, is essential listening and a great introductory track to people just discovering The Beatles, who need something accessible before venturing into the more daring parts of their back catalogue.]()
5. 'Come Together': Aerosmith brought this song back into public consciousness with an astounding cover. The original, though, is essential listening and a great introductory track to people just discovering The Beatles, who need something accessible before venturing into the more daring parts of their back catalogue.
![4. ‘Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds’: Taken from Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, this track perfectly encapsulates the band’s floating state of mind as they experimented with a multitude of psychedelics. “Follow her down to a bridge by a fountain where rocking horse people eat marshmallow pies.”]()
4. ‘Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds’: Taken from Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, this track perfectly encapsulates the band’s floating state of mind as they experimented with a multitude of psychedelics. “Follow her down to a bridge by a fountain where rocking horse people eat marshmallow pies.”
![3. 'Help': The movie that it spawned may have been somewhat of a letdown, but the yearning grit of Lennon's voice is so Earthly and universal that you can understand why the Fab Four inspire so many grunge bands - however it has that incredible earworm quality of heavenly harmonies to rank it among one of the finest pop songs you could ever hope to hear.]()
3. 'Help': The movie that it spawned may have been somewhat of a letdown, but the yearning grit of Lennon's voice is so Earthly and universal that you can understand why the Fab Four inspire so many grunge bands - however it has that incredible earworm quality of heavenly harmonies to rank it among one of the finest pop songs you could ever hope to hear.
![2. 'Blackbird': Though it was credited to Lennon-McCartney, this one was written and performed by just McCartney. Written in response to the civil rights struggle in the US in the 1960s, it's a poignant, wistful ballad laced with hopefulness:]()
2. 'Blackbird': Though it was credited to Lennon-McCartney, this one was written and performed by just McCartney. Written in response to the civil rights struggle in the US in the 1960s, it's a poignant, wistful ballad laced with hopefulness: "All your life, you were only waiting for this moment to be free."
![1. 'Tomorrow Never Knows': The closing track on the brilliant Revolver, Tomorrow Never Knows is not only a knowing nod to the more experimental route that the band were about to take, but it was decades ahead of its time. Put it on today and it still sounds like the future - it's a psych-driven acid trip that countless artists will spend years trying and failing to emulate. It is pure, euphoric grace. By far, their finest moment.]()
1. 'Tomorrow Never Knows': The closing track on the brilliant Revolver, Tomorrow Never Knows is not only a knowing nod to the more experimental route that the band were about to take, but it was decades ahead of its time. Put it on today and it still sounds like the future - it's a psych-driven acid trip that countless artists will spend years trying and failing to emulate. It is pure, euphoric grace. By far, their finest moment.