5 Famous Beatles Songs That Weren’t Singles
Some of The Beatles‘ songs that became huge hits are mostly forgotten today. On the other hand, some of The Beatles’ songs that remained album tracks are as popular as ever. Notably, a very famous Beatles album track has its own music video.
5. ‘A Day in the Life’
“A Day in the Life” is one of The Beatles’ most acclaimed songs and one of the most important songs in the history of psychedelia. It even had a star-studded music video featuring appearances from Mick Jagger and Mike Nesmith. Despite this, the song was never actually a single.
Fans can find a lot in the song by reading between the lines. Much of the song’s lyrics revolve around mundane things like going to the movies or combing one’s hair. The music turns horribly sinister at several points in the track. Perhaps the song is about how so many horrible things lie behind banality.
4. ‘Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds’
According to the book All We Are Saying: The Last Major Interview with John Lennon and Yoko Ono, John Lennon said “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” was inspired by Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking Glass. While “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” isn’t a direct adaptation of the book, it better encapsulates Carroll’s strange whimsy more than just about any other song.
Today, the song might be famous mostly because of a rumor that it’s about LSD. John denied this was the case. On the other hand, Deseret News reports Paul McCartney told the Daily Mirror the song was about LSD during a 2004 interview.
3. ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps’
George Harrison was largely sidelined on The Beatles’ early albums. “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” is one of the songs that prove he was an incredible songwriter. It also proves The Beatles could rock hard, even though they also gave the world a lot of cute songs like “I Want to Hold Your Hand” and “Michelle.”
2. ‘Helter Skelter’
It’s hard to look at “Helter Skelter” with fresh eyes. Would this song still be famous if not for its infamous connection to Charles Manson? It’s hard to say.
Despite this, it’s very easy to see the song would still be an important song in rock ‘n’ roll history if the Manson Family never existed. Even if “Helter Skelter” is not the original heavy metal song, it was early to the party. No wonder it inspired covers by so many heavy metal artists, including Marilyn Manson, Rob Zombie, and Mötley Crüe.
1. ‘Across the Universe’
A folky diversion in the bluesy album Let It Be, this tune has some of John’s best lyrics. Some of the lines are nonsense, but John manages to make them sound beautiful and celestial.
Let It Be might be the most controversial album in the Fab Four’s discography. Some see it as inspired, others think it’s sloppy. Let It Be includes its title track, “Across the Universe,” and “Get Back.” If anyone thinks the album is bad, that’s only because the band set a really high standard for itself.
