Beatles News
Few figures in popular culture carry the kind of gravitational pull John Lennon still commands. As a member of The Beatles, he helped reshape music in real time, first as part of a sharp-suited pop phenomenon, then as one of the central architects of rock’s psychedelic and political awakening. By the early 1970s, Lennon had lived a life few could comprehend: global adoration, unprecedented wealth, and a creative freedom that bordered on dangerous.
That perspective, hard-earned and deeply personal, is what makes a handwritten letter Lennon wrote in 1971 so striking, and so heartbreaking. The letter was addressed to Steve Tilston, then a 21-year-old folk musician riding modest underground momentum following the release of his debut album An Acoustic Confusion. Tilston had recently appeared in an interview with ZigZag magazine, where he was asked whether sudden wealth and fame would damage his songwriting.
Tilston answered honestly: he thought it would. Lennon disagreed.
According to Tilston, recalling the moment years later, “I thought it was bound to, but obviously John Lennon disagreed, and he wrote to me to point out the error of my ways.” What followed was a thoughtful, candid letter, unmistakably Lennon in tone, humour, and slightly chaotic handwriting, offering a corrective from someone who had already been to both extremes.
“Being rich doesn't change your experience in the way you think,” Lennon wrote. He continued: “The only difference, basically, is that you don't have to worry about money, food, roof, etc. But all other experiences, emotions, relationships, are the same as anybody’s.”
Then, in classic Lennon fashion, he undercut the seriousness with lived authority: “I know. I've been rich and poor. So has Yoko (rich, poor, rich). So whadya think of that.”
The letter was signed “Love, John & Yoko,” complete with doodles and, remarkably, Lennon’s phone number.
Source: Jake Danson/classichits.ie
With all the machismo that often surrounds the rock ‘n’ roll world and its inhabitants, it’s no wonder that so many rock bands have become aggressive toward one another at some point in their careers. Even without the massive egos and on-stage pressure, working with someone in close quarters can be difficult. The Eagles, Aerosmith, and, more recently, Jane’s Addiction, are all no exceptions. And neither were The Beatles.
The Beatles’ most ubiquitous conflict is certainly the months-long breakup that bookended their time together as the Fab Four. But they had their fair share of rows while they were cutting their teeth, too. According to John Lennon and George Harrison, the worst of this aggression came out in the hours-long gigs they would play in Hamburg, boosted by dangerous mixes of booze and uppers.
How The Beatles Killed Time During Their Lengthy Nightclub Sets
Even the most seasoned musician is bound to feel at least a little weary after playing at performance-level for four hours straight, and The Beatles were doing it while they were just starting out. With the help of upper pills handed out by the Hamburg nightclub waitstaff, the musicians managed to play their rock music for hours on end—some of which were spent getting rather, er, creative with the stage production.
“The things we used to do!” John Lennon later recalled in Anthology. “We used to break the stage down. That was long before The Who came out and broke things. We used to leave guitars playing on stage with no people there. We’d be so drunk, we used to smash the machinery. And this was all through frustration, not an intellectual thought. ‘We will break the stage, we will wear a toilet seat round our neck, we will go on naked.’ We just did it through being drunk.”
Source: Melanie Davis/americansongwriter.com
Paul McCartney recalls being "depressed" post-Beatles and recounts the formation of Wings in Paul McCartney: Man on the Run
PEOPLE can exclusively reveal the trailer for the new Prime Video documentary, premiering Feb. 27
Wings enjoyed a string of hits in the '70s, including "Live and Let Die" and "Silly Love Songs"
The Beatles were Paul McCartney’s entire life. When the group parted ways, he thought his pen had run dry for good.
The English singer-songwriter, 83, opens up about his life in the wake of the break-up of the iconic British invasion band (McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr) in the new Prime Video documentary Paul McCartney: Man on the Run.
In the trailer for the Morgan Neville-directed doc — which PEOPLE is exclusively premiering — McCartney reflects on the depression he experienced after the Beatles’ break-up, and recounts how he climbed out of it while steering his career in a new direction with his '70s band Wings.
"I’ve always loved the Beatles, but Wings was the band putting out records when I was young," Neville, who directed the Oscar-winning 2013 documentary 20 Feet from Stardom, tells PEOPLE exclusively. "I remember buying them in stores and obsessing over them. Having a chance to revisit this time with Paul took me back like it took him back. In many cases, Paul hadn’t thought about those times in many years. So really it was a sense of rediscovering things together."
In the Man on the Run trailer, McCartney says, “The Beatles had been my whole life, really. When we split up, I thought I'll never write another note of music ever. I had fear of being a grown-up.”
'Paul McCartney: Man on the Run' documentary poster.
"I felt very depressed, but I was very lucky because I had Linda,” the musician continues, referring to his late wife and Wings co-founder, whom he married in 1969 and who died in 1998 at age 56.
Source: Bailey Richards/people.com
Why would a band member want to sabotage a song that could potentially become a hit? Well, there are quite a few reasons, some of them nonsensical. Let’s take a look at a few rock songs from the 20th century that ended up becoming hits, but not without some resistance from band members who (allegedly) tried to ruin them from the start.
“Across The Universe” by The Beatles (1969)
This gorgeous song, written by John Lennon, is one of the most memorable tracks in The Beatles’ discography. It inspired a movie musical based on their music, after all. And yet, apparently, Paul McCartney was not a fan. And Lennon accused him of trying to ruin the song during the recording process.
“Paul would […] sort of subconsciously try and destroy a great song,” said Lennon. “Usually we’d spend hours doing little detailed cleaning-ups of Paul’s songs; when it came to mine […] somehow this atmosphere of looseness and casualness and experimentation would creep in. Subconscious sabotage.”
He would also say in his famed 1980 Playboy interview that the “guitars are out of tune” on “Across The Universe” and that “nobody’s supporting me or helping me with it and the song was never done properly.”
“Creep” by Radiohead (1992)
The grip this alt-rock song had on the public in the early 1990s was wild. And it’s a really good song, no matter how you look at it. In the years following the release of “Creep”, though, Radiohead tired of it and would try to avoid performing it when they could. But before then, one Jonny Greenwood allegedly tried to “f*ck the song up” during recording.
In the spot where the verse shifts to the chorus, you can hear three loud blasts of noise from Greenwood’s guitar. Today, it adds charm to the song. But back then, it was apparently a bit of an accident according to Greenwood, who claimed he did not know how quiet the song was supposed it be. Member Ed O’Brien claimed that it was intentional.
Source: Em Casalena/americansongwriter.com
Take a look inside George Harrison’s childhood home, as guided tours launch for the first time.
Harrison lived at the three-bedroom house in Speke between 1950 and 1962, moving from Arnold Grove in Wavertree at the age of six. The house became a regular rehearsal spot for The Quarrymen and The Beatles, before the Harrison family eventually moved away and George enjoyed worldwide fame.
The property at 25 Upton Green was purchased by Ken Lambert at auction in 2021, who turned the house into a living museum where Beatles fans can stay overnight.
Guests can book to stay at the historic house through Airbnb, with the listing noting: “Walk and stay in George’s bedroom, where he first heard himself and the band on the radio” and “Sit and strum a guitar in the same room where George, Paul, and John sat and rehearsed during the early years.”
While the property has been available on Airbnb for more than three years, tours officially launch today (January 13), delivered by co-owner Dale Roberts. Available once a month, the tours will offer 1.5 hour guided experience inside the house, with unrestricted photography and the chance to try out the instruments inside.
Take a look inside the historic home.
Source: Emma Dukes/liverpoolworld.uk
Paul Mescal has said fans “will benefit from knowing as little as possible” about the upcoming Beatles biopics before watching them.
The actor will portray Paul McCartney in Sam Mendes’ four-film series about the Fab Four, which is currently scheduled for a simultaneous release in April 2028. He has said he will be doing his own singing for the role and has spent time with McCartney to prepare.
Speaking to Variety about The Beatles – A Four-Film Cinematic Event, Mescal was hesitant to reveal any details about the new movies. “I don’t want to get into the Beatles thing, not coyly, but actually because I think the world hopefully will benefit from knowing as little as possible going into it,” he explained.
Mescal went on to confirm that production for the forthcoming project was still ongoing. “We’re a while away from finishing,” he told the outlet. “That’s my job for all of 2026.” He also said he and co-stars Harris Dickinson (who is playing John Lennon), Joseph Quinn (George Harrison) and Barry Keoghan (Ringo Starr) were “pinching ourselves” over being involved in the biopics.
“I think the endeavour is totally singular,” he told the publication.
‘The Beatles’ cast: Joseph Quinn, Barry Keoghan, Harris Dickinson and Paul Mescal. Credit: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for CinemaCon
“On a personal level, I’m so thrilled to be working on something at this scale, but also rooted in performance with Sam and great writers.”
Mescal continued: “But also just to be living and working in London and to have some sort of stability in what has been like a kind of mad six, seven years since Normal People came out.” The Irish actor has had a busy few years since breaking out with the success of Normal People in 2020, starring in a string of films, including Aftersun and All Of Us Strangers, and taking on the lead role in Gladiator II.
Mescal’s two latest movies are indie romance The History Of Sound and Chloé Zhao’s Oscar-tipped Hamnet. The latter just won Best Drama Film at the Golden Globes 2026. He is currently working on Richard Linklater’s adaptation of the musical Merrily We Roll Along.
Meanwhile, Mescal recently explained that he intended to “ration” his work ahead of the release of the Beatles biopics in 2028. “People will get a break from me and I’ll get a break from them,” he said.
Each film of Mendes’ series about the Fab Four will be told from the perspective of one band member. They will also be the first-ever movies to be granted music rights to the Beatles’ discography.
Last month saw the likes of David Morrissey, Leanne Best, Bobby Schofield and James Norton join the cast. Other actors set to star in the films include Saoirse Ronan, Anna Sawai, Aimee Lou Wood and Mia McKenna-Bruce, who are playing Linda McCartney, Yoko Ono, Pattie Boyd and Maureen Starkey, respectively.
Source:Tom Skinner/nme.com
The Beatles Anthology was originally released as a vinyl, CD, DVD box set, and hardbound book volume in 1995. It came 25 years after the band had broken up. And according to the interviews with the group in the new Episode 9, it was better off for it.
Doing it after some time had passed, the band members said, allowed for perspective. They also — and by this time, it was just the three of them after Lennon’s assassination in 1980 — were in a better mood to talk to each other.
The acrimony surrounding the band’s breakup would have made it difficult to work on such a project — and 30 years on, the public would have more of an appetite for a retrospective.
This new edition of the Anthology has been restored and remastered by the wizardry of Peter Jackson of The Lord of the Rings fame. It was he who created the Get Back movie in 2021 out of the ashes of the previous footage shot for the Let it Be film by another director in 1969. And so 30 years after the first retrospective, we have another one with some more nuance and certainly better picture quality than before. There is also the previously mentioned new episode which is essentially a behind the scenes of the making of the 1995 version and now takes on a historical appeal of its own.
Of particular interest to Filipinos is the fate of the 10 minutes of coverage given to the band’s tour date in Manila in 1966, which was famously, or rather infamously, marked by trouble from arrival to departure, highlighted by an almighty schedule mix-up with Imelda Marcos, then the First Lady of the Philippines.
To say the band was unimpressed with their treatment would be an understatement, The segment, which had previously been the start of Episode 6 is now at the end of Episode 5. However, it still opens with Ringo Starr saying: “I hated the Philippines,” and it goes downhill from there. There is footage of people burning records towards the end of the Philippine section, giving the impression that it happened in Manila. Partly for this reason, I was moved to write an account of The Beatles’ 48 hours in Manila in my new book You Won’t See Me: When The Beatles Ghosted Imelda. It certainly takes the official narrative into account, but it also uncovers a lot of new voices along the way — some of whom give a much more rounded idea of what happened when the band came here and why.
For one thing, the fans were not unfriendly — quite the opposite. Even after The Beatles’ so-called “snub” of the First Lady, the opinion of fans and many of the older generation stayed firmly on the side of the band — in contrast to the notion that they were an unruly mob.
Source: Jasmine Payo/rappler.com
Many called George Harrison the quiet Beatle, but this chaotic TV performance proved he was actually the funniest Beatle! When Harrison was booked for a TV appearance, no doubt the producers were expecting a beautiful spiritual song, or maybe a Beatles classic. But no, he had other plans. Harrison quickly derailed his performance of “My Sweet Lord” by laconically singing “I like to be a pirate, a pirate’s life for me!”, causing chaos in the studio.
The backing band seemed to be thrown for a loop by this, but they managed to keep up while Harrison steamed ahead with his cheeky sea shanty. The presenter objects to the change in material, but Harrison sends him on his way off stage without missing a beat, and then the performance keeps getting weirder from there. The Music Man has to say that this classic performance shows everything we love about the late and dearly missed George Harrison!
Harrison delivered “The Pirate Song,” as he titled it, at the Rutland Weekend Television Christmas special in 1976. Fan channel Kitsu Beatles in recent years uploaded a restored HD version of the performance. Fans loved the skit and added comments such as “Now I understand all the people who say that George had the best solo career” and “George is not only my favorite Beatle but he just might be my favorite human being.”
Harrison has delivered many timeless performances over the years, one of the greatest of which is his cut of “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” at the Prince’s Trust Rock Gala in 1987. Harrison plays here with his Beatles bandmate Ringo Starr on drums, along with Beatles collaborator Eric Clapton on lead guitar. This rendition of Harrison’s Beatles hit is notable for being one of his most powerful live vocal performances, as well as for featuring a mesmerizing dueling guitar solo from Harrison and Clapton at the end.
Source: themusicman.uk
Paul McCartney has always had a passion for live performance. Right from The Beatles’ heady days in Hamburg – when the group would play for eight to 10 hours a day – to his current globe-trotting international runs, the legendary songwriter has relished a connection with audiences. It’s part of what set him apart from the other members of the Fab Four – while John Lennon and George Harrison were keen to get off the road, he always had an itch to get out there and tour.
The legendary figure’s live shows are packed with classic after classic, with the data at Setlist.com making for revealing reading.
Of the 40 most-played songs on Macca’s tours – and around 800 shows have been inputted to the site – the majority are from his Beatles days, testimony to the group’s enduring popularity. The most-represented post-Beatles record is Wings’ all-time classic ‘Band On The Run’, which supplies live highlights such as ‘Jet’.
A closer look at the Top 10 reveals some of the most popular moments of the Paul McCartney live show – ‘Live And Let Die’ and ‘Band On The Run’ are the most-cited Wings tracks, with the Top Three representing a golden Beatles run-down.
Singalong classic ‘Hey Jude’ is in third place, with Paul McCartney’s plaintive ode ‘Let It Be’ in second place. Only just out in front in first place is ‘Lady Madonna’, a piano driven number which has been played in concert 800 times.
It’s remarkable testament to the power ‘Lady Madonna’ holds, but also the competitive nature of a Paul McCartney set list. A decade ago, a similar poll placed ‘Let It Be’ comfortably out in front – who knows what the next tour holds…
Source: Robin Murray/clashmusic.com
The Beatles are back in the spotlight with deluxe releases, viral TikToks and a new wave of young fans discovering the legends. Here’s what you need to know right now.
The Beatles are having yet another moment, and if you thought their story ended in the 60s, you’re missing half the fun. From chart-topping remixes and deluxe reissues to TikTok edits and emotional fan reactions, the most legendary band in pop history is trending with a whole new generation. Whether you grew up with their vinyl, discovered them through your parents, or only know them from that one TikTok sound, this is your quick guide to the latest Breaking News, the must-hear tracks, and how to dive into The Beatles live experience from your screen.
The wild thing about The Beatles right now? Their "new" hits are often songs that are decades old – but getting a second life thanks to remasters, documentaries, and social media. Here are some of the tracks you keep seeing on playlists, charts, and soundtracks:
"Now and Then" – Marketed as the "last Beatles song" and built from a John Lennon demo with help from modern audio technology, this track became a global talking point. The vibe is bittersweet, reflective, and emotional – like a goodbye letter that took decades to arrive.
"Here Comes the Sun" – A constant streaming monster. Soft, warm, and hopeful, this George Harrison classic has become a go-to "feel better" track on playlists, background music for vlogs, and slow-motion travel edits.
"Let It Be" & "Hey Jude" – Eternal sing-along anthems. These songs keep showing up in movies, talent shows, and viral clips of strangers harmonizing in public spaces. Big chorus, big emotion, instant nostalgia even if you weren’t alive when they dropped.
Sonically, The Beatles still feel surprisingly fresh: tight pop hooks, short songs, and melodies that you can whistle after one listen. That’s why new listeners slide from a random TikTok sound straight into a full-on back-catalog binge.
Social Media Pulse: The Beatles on TikTok
The newest wave of Beatles fandom isn’t happening in smoky clubs – it’s on your For You Page. Clips of old TV performances, AI-cleaned live vocals, fan animations, and edits of John, Paul, George, and Ringo are everywhere.
The vibe in the comments? A mix of shock ("Wait, this is from the 60s?"), nostalgia, and a lot of "I finally get why my parents are obsessed." The fanbase mood right now is a blend of deep respect and excited discovery.
Scroll a bit and you’ll find everything from recreated Abbey Road walks to painstaking recreations of 60s outfits, edits of isolated vocal tracks, and side-by-side comparisons of old and newly remixed audio. For many younger fans, TikTok and YouTube are the new "greatest hits" albums.
Source: ad-hoc-news.de
