10 Beatles Songs Where They Tried Something New
The Beatles always strived to do something new in all their songs. That’s what made them so unique and innovative. However, for this list, here are 10 of the best Beatles songs where they incorporated something cutting edge.
10. ‘All My Loving’
“All My Loving” might not seem like a song where The Beatles tried something new, but it is. It’s an ordinary love song, but Paul McCartney said John Lennon’s last-minute addition made it magical. The rhythm guitarist added the fast strumming that sounds like the engine of a train or tires on a bridge. The speaker dreams about coming home to their love, and John’s strumming embodies that. Even in their early days, The Beatles came up with interesting ways to express their lyrics through music.
9. ‘A Hard Day’s Night’
The beginning chord in “A Hard Day’s Night” isn’t something The Beatles had done before, nor any other rock group. The song’s story is also something that no one had ever written about before. Songs coming out of rock were usually love songs of some kind. The Beatles were pushing the envelope in their songwriting like no other.
8. ‘Yesterday’
“Yesterday” was the first Beatles song to have only one member play. Paul wrote it, but it is credited as a “Lennon-McCartney” song. Soon, the rest of The Beatles would get solo songs. For instance, John got “Julia,” Paul got “I Will” and “Blackbird,” and Ringo got “Good Night.” However, their best work was when they all came together.
7. ‘Norwegian Wood’
John’s “Norwegian Wood” is the first Beatles song to feature a sitar. George Harrison added the Indian instrument because he’d begun to play it. He’d fallen in love with Indian music after hearing it during a scene in The Beatles’ second feature film, Help! George’s sitar lifts the acoustic song.
6. ‘I’m Only Sleeping’
By the time The Beatles recorded “I’m Only Sleeping,” they were experimenting a lot. The tune is one of the group’s first songs to feature backward loops. The Beatles used the technique many times and essentially pioneered it. They only got better at it from there.
5. ‘Tomorrow Never Knows’
“Tomorrow Never Knows” also uses the same sound effects as “I’m Only Sleeping.” However, the song is one of the first psychedelic Beatles songs. The Beatles never wrote lyrics like: “Turn off your mind/ Relax and float down stream/ It is not dying/ It is not dying/ Lay down all thoughts/ Surrender to the void.”
4. ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps’
George’s “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” is the first Beatles song to have someone from outside the band play. One day, George asked his friend Eric Clapton to play the song’s guitar solo. Clapton was shocked and almost denied it. However, George convinced him. Later, Billy Preston became another musician to accompany the group in their songs.
3. ‘Helter Skelter’
Paul’s “Helter Skelter” is also a Beatles song where they tried something new. The “Yesterday” singer heard The Who’s Pete Townshend said he’d written the “loudest, dirtiest, rockiest” song, “I Can See for Miles.” Paul liked that description and went into the recording studio to see if he could top “I Can See for Miles.” The song was unlike anything The Beatles had ever recorded before. However, then Charles Manson “hijacked” it.
2. ‘A Day in the Life’
“A Day in the Life” is another Beatles song that was unlike anything they’d ever recorded. It’s one of their best songs for many reasons. John and Paul have different stories, and it all comes to a head when a whole orchestra plays loudly. There’s also a pretty spooky backward tape played at the end.
1. ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’
“Strawberry Fields Forever” is one of The Beatles’ most psychedelic songs. However, it’s made special because of the Mellotron. Not many people were using the instrument at the time, and it became one of The Beatles’ signature sounds. By then, The Beatles were masters at finding unique sounds.
The Beatles were as famous as they were because they tried new things as much as possible. The most important thing they did was experiment with their music. They wanted every song to reach its highest potential.
