Beatles News
The Beatles had a couple of distinct eras. A better amateur music historian than I could probably split them up further than “Beatlemania,” “psychedelic,” and “folk rock,” but those three categories make the most sense to me. And the band’s smallest but still notable era has to be the latter. Let’s take a look at what I consider the best and worst songs from the Fab Four’s folky era, shall we?
It’s worth noting that I would also consider both Help!, Beatles For Sale, and Revolver to be “of the folk rock era” for the Fab Four, but I already covered them in the other lists in this series.
Best Song on ‘Rubber Soul’ — “Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)”
This was an easy pick. That absolutely beautiful sitar à la George Harrison, that swaying, propelling melody… There’s something about “Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)” that still entrances listeners after all these years.
Worst Song on ‘Rubber Soul’ — “Run For Your Life”
I was at a crossroads between “Think For Yourself” and “Run For Your Life” as the worst song on Rubber Soul, based less on my opinion and more on the opinions of the masses online. “Run For Your Life” was famously hated by John Lennon in retrospect and has some hard-to-ignore lyrics that are insanely creepy. “Think For Yourself” often ranks at the bottom for “best Beatles songs” lists from what I’ve seen. However, I think “Think For Yourself” is a bit of an underrated Harrison gem. “Run For Your Life”, however, is extremely difficult to defend.
Best Song on ‘The Beatles’ — “Blackbird”
“Blackbird” is one of the folkiest songs on the White Album, and it’s also one of the most beautiful works that the Fab Four ever released. During a time when the group was reluctant to make overt political statements (though this album’s “Revolution” came pretty darn close), Paul McCartney opted to pen a tune as an ode to and balm for Black Americans who were struggling during the Civil Rights Movement. “Blackbird” is such an angelic and soothing song, and one that won’t soon be forgotten.
Source: americansongwriter.com/Em Casalena
Original working lyrics for Paul McCartney's "Hey Jude" song are being offered for $599,415.
The 1968 manuscript shows important notes written by the Beatles songwriter that shaped the iconic finished version.
New Orleans-based gallery M.S. Rau said the lyrics were transcribed by Mal Evans, the band's road manager and studio assistant, before McCartney annotated the sheet by hand.
On the paper, he marked cues for tambourine, as well as for bandmates Ringo Starr and John Lennon.
Most significantly, in the final verse, he revised the closing line to "Remember to let her under your skin, then you'll begin to make it better", the version immortalized in the recording.
The Beatles recorded rehearsals and attempted backing tracks at EMI Studios in July 1968, before moving to Trident Studios, where eight-track equipment allowed them to construct the master recording between July 31 and August 2.
Released later that month, "Hey Jude" remained at number one in the United States for nine weeks.
The lot includes an RIAA Gold Record award for "Hey Jude" and a notarized letter from Craig Inciardi, a founding curator of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, documenting their origin and authenticity.
Source: gjsentinel.com
Paul McCartney is opening up about his late pal. Following a Los Angeles screening of the Wings documentary, Man on the Run, McCartney sat down for a conversation with director Morgan Neville and moderator Judd Apatow for a wide-ranging conversation.
After the Beatles split, McCartney formed a duo with his then-wife, Linda, and released an album titled Ram. Shortly thereafter, McCartney started his band, Wings. In both post-Beatles projects, McCartney’s one-time bandmate, John Lennon, was publicly critical.
“I think maybe he expected more from me,” McCartney theorized of Lennon, according to Variety.” He expected something different from me, and I wasn’t doing that. I was just doing ‘madcap.’”
McCartney noted that he “wasn’t privy” to Lennon’s inner thoughts at the time. However, he admitted that he was pleased when Lennon lightened up on the subject before his death. Paul McCartney Opens Up About John Lennon.
Despite the public spat, McCartney said that none of it affected how he felt about Lennon.
“I loved John and love him to this day and always will,” he said. “And it wouldn’t matter, as it didn’t matter, what he said or did, because I’d known him since I was 15, and so he was like this mad guy I knew, and I really looked up to him.”
“I always thought John was very cool, and I still do. But he could be a complete idiot, over some things,” McCartney added. “He was a lovely guy. And the thing is, if you look at his life, there’s reason for him to be crazy. A lot of bad things happened to him… He had a lot of stuff to get out. And comparatively, I was very lucky.”
Though Lennon may have been critical of McCartney’s post-Beatles work, the singer himself said that he’s come to “like that period” of his life.
Source: americansongwriter.com/Paige Gawley
It was like stepping into a time machine and going back 62 years.
One of the Beatles was singing rock songs, playing two instruments, making jokes and having a grand old time.
The Ringo Starr concert here in Washington got me thinking about the impact that he, John, Paul and George had on the music business, the country and the culture — and how Americans are still fascinated by the Fab Four, and even their grandchildren are listening to their ancient albums.
Ringo is 86 and touring again, bringing more energy to his shows than most of his Boomer-heavy audience.
Paul McCartney, who I’ve seen several times in recent years, is 84, still belting out the hits and, hip guy that he is, sharing short videos on social media.
It’s not about money — the two surviving Beatles became multimillionaires back in the day. They are still releasing new albums; McCartney’s "Dungeon Lane," about growing up in Liverpool, and with him playing most of the instruments, nearly matches some of his best work. Ringo, who played drums and piano at the concert, has been saluted by today’s top drummers as having inspired generations of those behind the kit with his unique, left-handed, play-to-the-song style that doesn’t show off by overwhelming each tune.
So what does this say about us as a society? It’s partly pure nostalgia, like a soup that reminds you of the way grandma made it.
For those who saw the group’s American debut on Ed Sullivan and remember the frenzy of Beatlemania — with screaming girls drowning out the group — it’s a throwback to the days when they were young and groovy and often spaced out. The swinging sixties were like that — and now many of those fans now talk about medications and doctors’ visits.
Some of the mystique is about the group’s incredible growth from "I Want to Hold Your Hand" to "Let It Be," with such groundbreaking records as "Rubber Soul," "Revolver," "Sgt. Pepper," the "White Album" and "Abbey Road." (In those days, when record players dominated our lives, music reigned because there were no Apple Watches, no TikTok, no group chats, no Netflix, no distractions from vinyl other than mediocre TV.)
Source: foxnews.com/Howard Kurtz
The Beatles helped revolutionize music in several incalculable ways, from re-energizing the British music scene to popularizing the concept album, but one of the smaller — but still significant — ways the Fab Four changed the creative landscape was rewriting the rules of what could be a radio hit.
“Hey Jude,” the 1968 standalone single penned by Paul McCartney, clocked in at 7 minutes and 12 seconds, around twice the length of an average pop single the band would be competing alongside for the coveted #1 spot on the charts.
To make matters worse, the second half of the song simply repeats a variation of “Nah, nah nah, nah nah, nah, nah, nah nah/ Hey, Jude” for at least 3 and a half minutes. While this creative decision has since made the anthem a crowd favorite at sports events (most recently, England’s 2026 World Cup stint, as an ode to Jude Bellingham), as well as McCartney’s concerts, there were concerns that this would be cut by radio stations, comprising on McCartney’s “fade-out to end all fade-outs,” as described in a 2018 retrospective on the song by The Guardian.
George Martin, the Beatles’ longtime producer, warned that the length would discourage DJs from playing the song altogether, clipping its commercial success. Lennon, however, offered his signature defiance in response: “They will if it’s us.”
Lennon’s pragmatism proved to be correct, with the song staying on top of the Billboard Hot 100 for 9 weeks, from September 28 to November 23, 1968, and broke the record for the then-longest #1 single in U.S. chart history — as well as the longest in song length.
Source: mensjournal.com/Bethany Gemmell
Paul McCartney is among hundreds of public figures backing a new international campaign calling on the United Nations to abolish trophy hunting. Launched on July 1, 2026, the initiative brings together celebrities, conservationists, former heads of state, Indigenous leaders and religious figures around a declaration calling for an end to trophy hunting. The launch was timed to coincide with the 11th anniversary of the killing of Cecil the lion in Zimbabwe, whose death in 2015 became a major international flashpoint in the debate over trophy hunting. The Wildlife & Conservation Foundation, through its Campaign to Ban Trophy Hunting, is coordinating the initiative. Its organisers say more than 500 founding signatories have backed the Declaration on the Abolition of Trophy Hunting, which was developed with the late primatologist and conservationist Jane Goodall.
McCartney is joined by a large group of actors, musicians and other public figures. The campaign's launch announcement names Michael Caine, Emma Thompson, Hugh Laurie, Judi Dench, Joanna Lumley, Hilary Swank, Bryan Adams, Annie Lennox, Liam Gallagher and Gary Lineker among its supporters. Jenson Button, Ricky Gervais, Pierce Brosnan, Alec Baldwin, Mark Ruffalo, Kim Basinger, Daryl Hannah, Brian Cox, Michael Palin, Alan Cumming, Kate Moss and Bianca Jagger are also listed. Other prominent names include the Dalai Lama, Priscilla Presley, Edie Falco, Bill Maher, Isabella Rossellini, James Cromwell, Alicia Silverstone, Alyssa Milano, Heather Mills, Belinda Carlisle and Ranulph Fiennes. The campaign also lists former Mexican President Ernesto Zedillo and former Botswana President Ian Khama among its supporters. The coalition extends beyond celebrities. Its supporters include conservationists, African community representatives, Indigenous leaders and religious figures. The campaign's declaration calls for governments to prohibit trophy hunting as well as the international import and export of hunting trophies, with the longer-term aim of securing a global agreement to abolish the practice.
Source: inkl.com
Even before the infamous Beatles breakup, the Fab Four had to navigate interpersonal dynamics that often bred contempt and competitiveness, particularly between the two principal songwriters, Paul McCartney and John Lennon. The prolific duo had plenty of respect for one another, much of which was established by becoming so close so quickly at such a young age. But they weren’t always forthcoming with their praise of the other—at least Lennon wasn’t.
In a 2018 interview with 60 Minutes, McCartney confirmed that he and Lennon had a competitive relationship when it came to their songwriting. If one musician came up with a particularly good track, the other would take it as motivation to write a better one. They were less interested in doling out compliments to the other, as made clear by McCartney’s memory that Lennon only complimented him once.
The idea of Lennon only openly admiring McCartney’s work once during their tenure as bandmates seems ludicrous in hindsight, given the knowledge we have of McCartney’s tremendous cultural impact. Nevertheless, Lennon played his cards close to the chest—except when it came to “Here, There And Everywhere”. John Lennon Praised Paul McCartney for This ‘Revolver’ Track.
Speaking to 60 Minutes, Paul McCartney put on a fake pained expression and said John Lennon only complimented him “once in that whole time,” as if to emphasize that he, too, thought the dynamic was strange in hindsight. McCartney remembered his bandmate listening to “Here, There, And Everywhere” and telling Macca, “‘That’s a really good song, lad. I love that song.’ And I was like, ‘Yes! He likes it!’ I’ve remembered it to this day. It’s pathetic, really,” he added with a smile.
In one of his final interviews before his death, Lennon told Playboy that “Here, There And Everywhere” was “Paul’s song completely, I believe,” adding that it was “one of my favorite songs of The Beatles.”
Source: americansongwriter.com/Melanie Davis
Over the course of their impressive 10-year run, the Beatles released 12 studio albums (13 if you include 1967's Magical Mystery Tour in the core canon). The Fab Four's catalog improved with each new release, and one particular entry in their discography, considered by some to be their magnum opus, took the world by storm on this day 57 years ago.
'Abbey Road' by the Beatles Was Released on Sept. 26, 1969
The Beatles released Abbey Road on Sept. 26, 1969. The four-piece rock outfit's 11th studio album was actually recorded after their final record, Let It Be, but released before it. On Oct. 6, the band unleashed a double A-side single featuring "Something" and "Come Together" to promote it.
While the atmosphere was less tense than the Let It Be recording sessions, the group still had their fair share of disagreements, clashing over the album's presentation and Yoko Ono's presence in the studio. However, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr looked back on the process with fondness, and John Lennon had positive things to say about Abbey Road as a whole.
Infusing musical styles such as rock, pop, blues, and progressive rock, Abbey Road boasts two of George Harrison's best contributions: "Something" and "Here Comes the Sun." The album was a massive commercial success, topping a whopping 11 global weekly charts, including the US Billboard Top LPs and the UK Albums Chart. Abbey Road peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard chart on Nov. 1, 1969, where it reigned for 11 weeks. It also spent a remarkable 507 weeks total on said chart.
'Abbey Road' Then and Now
Source: yahoo.com/Melody McCune
Jane Asher’s love story with Paul McCartney is set to play out on screen in the forthcoming Beatles biopics – however, the actor won’t be queuing up to see it in cinemas.
Asher, 80, has revealed in a new interview that she has no plans to watch Lucy Boynton’s portrayal of her in Sam Mendes’s four films about the Beatles.
The Bafta nominee began dating McCartney in 1963, with the pair’s romance inspiring numerous songs for the group, including “And I Love Her” and “I’m Looking Through You”. They announced their engagement in 1967 but called it off a year later amid rumours of McCartney’s infidelity.
In Mendes’s forthcoming series The Beatles – A Four-Film Cinematic Event, which is due for release in 2028, McCartney is being played by Hamnet’s Paul Mescal, while Bohemian Rhapsody’s Lucy Boynton is portraying Asher.
In a new interview, Asher said that the filmmakers “approached me about it, of course, but I said my usual”, referring to how she no longer speaks about her relationship with McCartney.
When asked how she felt about Boynton playing her, she told The Telegraph: “Well, of course, Lucy is beautiful. But I won’t watch the films, otherwise everyone will ask me what I thought.”
Source: the-independent.com/Lauren Morris
When John Lennon was asked about the song "Wait" in 1970, he couldn't recall writing it. "That must be one of Paul's," he said then.
Paul McCartney did, however, recall. It was mainly his composition, though it was credited to the usual "Lennon-McCartney." His story was that it was written in early 1965 when the Beatles were in the Bahamas shooting Help! the film. Shortly before that, the band had connected with Brandon deWilde, a child actor whose career had blossomed into big sitcom roles (Jamie) and an Academy nomination (for his role in 1953's Shane) as an adult.
"Brandon De Wilde was an actor, a James Dean type," George Harrison recalled in Anthology. "He liked the Beatles' music and he heard we were going to film in the Bahamas, so he came over from the States with a big bag of reefer. We smoked on the plane, all the way to the Bahamas. It was a charter flight, with all the film people – the actors and the crew – and we thought, 'No, nobody will notice.' We had Mal [Evans, the Beatles' road manager] smoking cigars to drown out the smell." Brandon deWilde, Witness to 'Wait'
It was deWilde that McCartney, apparently, wrote the song "Wait" in front of.
"He was a nice guy who was fascinated by what we did," McCartney recalled in Many Years From Now. "A sort of Brat Pack actor. We chatted endlessly, and I seem to remember writing 'Wait' in front of him, and him being interested to see it being written."
Lennon didn't really factor in, in McCartney's memory: "I think it was my song. I don't remember John collaborating too much on it, although he could have."
Source: ultimateclassicrock.com/Allison Rapp
