The Beatles were already reaching breaking point when they were working on The White Album; countless fights, arguments, and walkouts almost became a typical day in the studio with the Fab Four, with some songs heading to the trash can rather than the album. One of the songs was a song that George Harrison wrote, which was “Not Guilty,” even after over 100 takes.
"Not Guilty" Was Inspired by the Beatles' Trip to India. George Harrison brought this iconic song to a Beatles rehearsal and it was rejected.

The trip was partially to do with Harrison associating the band with Indian instrumentation and the teachings of the Maharishi. However, The Beatles quickly denounced the Maharishi after rumors began to spread about alleged inappropriate advances to female students. While Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr were not as interested in the Maharishi, Lennon would write “Sexy Sadie” to hit out at the Maharishi after the rumors spread. Why Was "Not Guilty" Rejected?

The Beatles are considered the greatest band for many reasons, with one of them being due to having extremely high standards in their music. Even after 102 takes, the band, including Harrison, was not 100% happy with “Not Guilty,” but that was not why it was rejected. The recording executives chose to leave it off the album, to Harrison’s dismay, due to its lyrical content, as it revealed his growing tensions and frustrations with McCartney and Lennon. Not wanting to expose the band’s ongoing tension and strife, it was ultimately decided that “Not Guilty” would be excluded. However, to Lennon’s delight, “Sexy Sadie” made its way onto the tracklist.

Despite using 102 takes, only 20 of these takes were completed. A great amount of the takes were time spent perfecting and learning the song. However, with 102 takes of learning and recording “Not Guilty,” a song that expressed Harrison’s frustrations with McCartney and Lennon, the other members became less interested in recording the song. Sadly, 102 takes would end up being meaningless.
Surrounded by press, The Beatles wave at fans as they arrive in New York City in 1964.

Source: Teguan Harris/collider.com

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Among their many other recommending characteristics, The Beatles could bring about a joyous feeling in their listeners as well as anyone. It’s difficult to listen to them for too long without a smile creeping up on your face.

Certain songs in their catalog elicit wider grins than others, of course. This quartet of tracks stands out from the pack for the happiness quotient each of the songs delivers. “I Saw Her Standing There”

It’s difficult to pick just one song from The Beatles first year of recording for this list. There are so many tracks from that time period that deliver the goods in the joy department. We’re going with “I Saw Her Standing There” for several reasons. The music rushes along at a heightened speed without stopping for too long to contemplate. Meanwhile, the story is aspirational and satisfying. Although it’s unspoken, the narrator seems to be punching above his weight class as he prepares to woo the girl of his dreams across the dance floor. Yet there they are at song’s end, living happily ever after. And let’s not count out the power of the “whoo” shouts that punctuate each verse.
“I Feel Fine”

Conflicting recollections of the participants involved make it impossible to know if the feedback the band created at the beginning of “I Feel Fine” was a happy accident or a calculated plan. In any case, it’s a thrilling start to a song that just keeps raising the ebullience stakes from there. There’s a little bit of Motown in his track, both in terms of the chugging rhythm and the interweaving backing vocals. Unlike “I Saw Her Standing There”, the narrator here already has the love of his favorite girl in his pocket when the song begins. And the knowledge of how she feels about him is so powerfully joy-inducing that he has no choice but to share it with “all the world.” That phrase is a good estimation for the Fab Four’s listening audience circa 1964.
“Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da”

Source: Jim Beviglia/americansongwriter.com

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 A rose garden honouring the 'fifth Beatle' is being created at Strawberry Field. Work is almost complete on a memorial rose garden in honour of the late Sir George Martin CBE and his wife Lady Judy Martin.

Sir George Martin was the Beatles’ long-time producer and collaborator, often dubbed ‘the fifth Beatle’, though his impressive career saw him work with other huge names such as Céline Dion, Elton John and Shirley Bass.

Before her passing in 2024, Lady Martin envisioned the creation of the rose garden as a lasting tribute to her husband and personally gifted Strawberry Field with rose bushes, thoughtfully chosen from David Austin, which will now form the centrepiece of the special memorial.

The garden at the iconic venue will honour both Sir George and Lady Martin - who was a patron of Strawberry Field - shaped with the involvement and support of their children, Lucie Kitchener and Giles Martin.

Donated by Cliff Cooper, CEO of Orange Amps, it will be the first public memorial of its kind dedicated to the legendary Beatles’ producer.
Work progresses on the memorial rose garden for Sir George Martin at Strawberry Field, Liverpool.placeholder image
Work progresses on the memorial rose garden for Sir George Martin at Strawberry Field, Liverpool. | Ian Fairbrother

It will feature a striking curved wall will feature a biography of his career engraved in Portland stone alongside 30 discs commemorating the No.1 UK hit singles produced by Sir George Martin during his celebrated career.

Designed as a place of peace and reflection, the 95 square metre accessible garden will also include a calming water feature, and a circular raised rose bed with seating areas, offering visitors a beautiful and contemplative space within the historic Strawberry Field grounds.

The Sir George and Lady Martin Rose Garden is scheduled to open in spring 2026.

Source: Emma Dukes/liverpoolworld.uk

George Harrison's best solo album is also his biggest hit, having sold more than all of his other LPs combined. John Lennon's worst solo album is likewise his lowest-selling classic-era release. He barely cracked the Top 50, much less the Top 40.

But elsewhere, there's a notable anomaly within the Beatles' lengthy solo discography: Their best-selling albums aren't always the best – and their worst-selling albums aren't always the worst, either.

For instance, Lennon's second proper solo project, 1971's double-platinum chart-topping Imagine, was the top-seller released under his own name. Yet the following list of best (and worst) solo albums by every member of the Beatles doesn't include it.
What Was the Worst Beatles Solo Album?

Harrison's worst album nearly cracked the Top 10 in both the U.S. and his native U.K., and included a smash No. 2 hit single. He had albums that fared far, far worse on the charts.

At the same time, 1971's Wild Life was Paul McCartney's biggest classic-era flop – despite introducing his next pop juggernaut of a band, Wings. That, however, wasn't his worst album. Instead, it's one that topped the U.K. charts on the way to a gold certification in America. McCartney's top-selling album isn't his best, either.

Ringo Starr is the only former Beatles star whose albums tended to garner similar reactions from critics and fans. His best album is his top-selling solo release, the only one to reach the Top 10 in the U.K. and U.S., and his only platinum-seller. Similarly, Starr's worst is also his lowest-charting ever, at a paltry No. 162. (To be fair, however, Starr has more than 10 LPs that never charted at all in the U.K., and four in the U.S.)

So, expect some surprises as we rank the best (and worst) solo album by every member of the Beatles: The Best (and Worst) Solo Album by Every Member of the Beatles

Their best-selling albums aren't always the best – and their worst-selling albums aren't always the worst, either.

Source: Nick DeRiso/ultimateclassicrock.com

Robbie Williams surpasses The Beatles with 16 UK No. 1 albums. Williams delayed Britpop's release to avoid competition with Taylor Swift’s album. “Britpop is the record I’ve always wanted to make...means everything to me,” said Williams.

For nearly six decades, The Beatles have held the record for the most No. 1 albums in the U.K. Now, that title belongs to Robbie Williams. With his latest release, Britpop, the singer earns his 16th chart-topper, pushing him past the Fab Four.

The milestone comes after Williams made the decision to delay Britpop’s release to avoid direct competition with Taylor Swift — a move that ultimately proved to be well worth the wait.

The former Take That member officially surpassed the long-standing benchmark after the album debuted at No. 1 on the U.K. Official Albums Chart.

Williams had been tied with The Beatles since January 2025, when the soundtrack for his biopic, Better Man, claimed the top spot. His chart-topping catalog now includes 12 solo studio albums, two greatest hits collections, the Better Man soundtrack and his 2022 compilation XXV.

“Britpop is the record I’ve always wanted to make, and seeing it become my 16th Number 1 album means everything to me,” Williams said in a press statement.

“Thank you to all the fans who have been with me every step of the way. You’ve made my dreams come true.”

The Beatles had held the record since 1967, when Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band topped the charts, with their most recent No. 1 coming in 2000 via the compilation 1.

Williams was transparent about his ambitions when he announced the album delay in October 2025.

Speaking to fans during a London performance, he explained the timing, saying, “We’re all pretending [the scheduling change] is not about Taylor Swift, but it f****** is. You can’t compete with that.”

At the time, Swift had just released The Life of a Showgirl, and as expected, it soared to the top of the charts. The release earned her 15th No. 1 on the Billboard 200.

“I was worried about making you [fans] all wait for the record,” he continued. “But then I was like, ‘F*** it’ … How many times in your life do you get to have the most No. 1 albums the U.K. has f****** ever had?”

Now, Williams is preparing to return to the stage, with a short U.K. tour performing Life Thru a Lens and Britpop in full, followed by a summer European run.

Source: Isabella Torregiani/parade.com

May Pang is an American Chinese former music executive and personal assistant to John Lennon and his wife, Yoko Ono. Pang eventually became Lennon’s lover and companion in the 1970s, during what is known as his “Lost Weekend.” The exhibition can be encompassed in three words: surprise, happiness and moment.

“Everybody comes in and they're very surprised when they see these photos, because they've never seen him look so happy,” Pang said. “All these photos are of the moment.”

The exhibition, titled “The Lost Weekend: the Photography of May Pang,” will showcase unseen candid photos of John Lennon and friends taken in 1973 to 1975, and coincides with the digital release of the feature film documentary on Lennon, Pang and their relationship, titled, “The Lost Weekend: A Love Story.”

“I want them to see the John that I knew. So when they come in, they'll see this John Lennon,” Pang said. “That's not the [John] who he was with – whether it be with Cynthia or with Yoko. This is the John that was with me.”

The event will be hosted on Friday, Feb. 20 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., on Saturday, Feb. 21 from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. and on Sunday, Feb. 22 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Winterville Cultural Center, 371 N. Church St. Admission is free, and limited photos are available for purchase. Pang will be present throughout the weekend to meet visitors, share stories and discuss her experiences, according to a press release.

Source: Carolyn Diver/redandblack.com

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