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The Beatles churned out a string of hit songs during their relatively brief but infinitely brilliant career. They put dozens of songs on the Billboard charts, and their biggest hits spent several weeks at the top. Yet Paul McCartney had someone call one of The Beatles’ signature hit songs “organ grinder music” when he played it for him.

The Beatles, who released a hit song initially called "organ grinder music" by a club owner, in 1962: Ringo Starr (from left), George Harrison, John Lennon, and Paul McCartney.
The Beatles in 1962: Ringo Starr (from left), George Harrison, John Lennon, and Paul McCartney | Harry Hammond/V&A Images/Getty Images

The Beatles relied on ‘gimmicks’ with some of their early songs

They eventually became top-notch songwriters whose original songs changed the musical landscape, but The Beatles were a cover band when they started. Paul needed just one brief moment to know Ringo Starr was the perfect drummer for the band when he nailed a complicated Ray Charles song, and from there, the band’s creative juices started flowing, and the band started writing and playing more originals.

Once they got around to writing their own music, John Lennon once said they relied on a gimmick in most of their work. The gimmick, as John called it, was using a harmonica on many early songs.

When Paul demoed one of those early songs for a club owner, the listener told him it was “organ grinder music” and to stick to rock ‘n’ roll covers.

Paul McCartney had someone tell him ‘Love Me Do’ was ‘organ grinder music’

Before The Beatles made it big, they wowed German fans with their residencies in Hamburg. But one person wasn’t impressed — Star Club founder and co-manager Horst Fascher. When Paul played a little song called “Love Me Do” he and John were working on, Fascher gave Macca some strong feedback.

“’What do you think? Great, isn’t it?’” Fascher recalled Paul asking him in an interview with Der Spiegel. “’Paul, forget it. That organ grinder music just isn’t it. Stick to good old rock ‘n’ roll.’” 

Fascher admitted to Der Spiegel how woefully wrong his opinion was. “Love Me Do” turned out to be a huge success as The Beatles’ first single, a far cry from being organ grinder music. It didn’t reach No. 1, but it spent 18 weeks on the chart in the U.K., per Official Charts. When the Fab Four released it as a single in the U.S. in 1964, it spent 14 weeks on the Billboard singles chart and peaked at No. 1 in late May.

“Love Me Do” was The Beatles’ first hit, but it came along with a little white lie and a tiny bit of trauma in addition to Fascher disparaging it as “organ grinder music.”

The Beatles’ overcame some trauma with ‘Love Me Do’

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The Beatles’ later work rewrote the playbook for pop music. Bands could be experimental, philosophical, and catchy all at once. The group had to establish itself first, and “Love Me Do” made it happen, but it didn’t always come easy.

Fascher called “Love Me Do” organ grinder music, but that wasn’t the only strong opinion about the song. John once said singing it caused some trauma since it was the first time The Beatles broke away from playing covers.  

Paul also revealed a little white lie he told with “Love Me Do.” While trying to drum up press coverage for the band, Paul told journalists The Beatles had hundreds of original songs, with “Love Me Do” being a more recent one. In truth, the band had only a handful of original tunes in their portfolio at the time.

Fascher didn’t like “Love Me Do,” but The Beatles’ first hit was a far cry from organ grinder music.

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