Beatles News

No one can really compare to Paul McCartney. Musicians have been trying to catch up to his impeccable run since the 60s. His lyricism is elite, and his melody-making is unmatched. It’s not easy to write a song and have people go, “Huh, this sounds like McCartney.” He’s far too singular for that.

However, the three songs below all get pretty darn close. They aren’t exact replicas, but they get close enough to be considered part of McCartney’s sonic legacy.
“Grapejuice” — Harry Styles

Harry Styles has long professed his love for Paul McCartney. In the past, he’s talked about being inspired by RAM, and you can hear those kinds of tones in “Grapejuice.” This track, taken from Harry’s House, is all the jaunty, playful lyricism and melodies of McCartney’s work. With a few slight changes, this song could be a McCartney hit.

“Yesterday, it finally came, a sunny afternoon / I was on my way to buy some flowers for you / Thought that we could hide away in a corner of the heath / There’s never been someone who’s so perfect for me,” are the lyrics to “Grapejuice,” but you’d be forgiven if details

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band by The Beatles was named the greatest rock album ever recorded by Digital Dream Door. Even today, almost sixty years after it was first released, the record remains one of the most influential pieces of music ever released.

The Beatles were already massive rock stars by the time Sgt Pepper's came around in 1967; through albums like Revolver and A Hard Day's Night, the band had cemented themselves as musical pioneers who weren't afraid to take risks with their work.

Sgt. Pepper's was their eighth studio album, and by all accounts, their riskiest. It wasn't just a collection of songs, but rather one of the first instances of a concept album—each member of the Beatles was playing a character, making up the fictional band mentioned in the title.

Since the Beatles had announced they wouldn't be touring in August 1966, the band was no longer under pressure to write songs that they could easily perform live. This meant they could experiment with new producing technologies, such as reversed recording and audio distortion.

This set the frameworks for an extremely psychadelic record, blending typical rock and roll melodies with a sound that most audiences had nev details

On Boxing Day 1964, Another Beatles Christmas Show opened at the Hammersmith Odeon in London. The idea was ostensibly to repeat the previous year’s highly successful formula, with a cast of contemporaries including The Yardbirds, Freddie and the Dreamers, Sounds Incorporated and Elkie Brooks.

The Fab Four appeared throughout the show in various sketches, such as one in which they played Antarctic explorers on a quest to find the Abominable Snowman.

The fans came in their thousands, screaming from start to finish, and while the show finished with an 11-song set from The Beatles, they were very much wearying of such engagements.  The Beatles perform a sketch dressed in 'Eskimo' costumes at 'Another Beatles Christmas Show' at Hammersmith Odeon in London on 24th December 1964

Since they first became national figures in early 1963, they had joined in with the staples of the British light entertainment industry, from these Christmas shows, which echoed the UK’s tradition of pantomime, to performing skits on popular TV programmes like The Morecombe & Wise Show, mixing comedy with music.

But as this Christmas run dragged on, they grew to hate the pantomime pieces so much that th details

When people think of The Beatles, they largely think of Paul McCartney and John Lennon. Because that pair delivered most of the band’s top-selling hits, they became the central songwriting force within the group. But, that being said, they weren’t the only successful songwriters in The Beatles. George Harrison also delivered his fair share of hits when given the opportunity by his fellow bandmates. There was one song that was rejected not once but three times by his fellow Beatles but ultimately became a hit for George Harrison in his solo career. Find out which song that was below.

One factor in The Beatles’ breakup was the fact that Harrison felt creatively pushed out of the loop by McCartney and Lennon. The pair all but steamrolled over everyone else in the room, at least according to some perspectives. Harrison managed to scrape a few songs through, but one that didn’t make the cut was “Isn’t It A Pity.”

“Isn’t it a pity? / Isn’t it a shame? / How we break each other’s hearts / And cause each other pain,” he sings in this somber track, touching on the breakdown of a relationship and heartache. Many listeners attribute this song to his fe details

The Beatles released 229 songs during their decade as a band.

The vast majority of Beatles tunes were written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, with 22 credited to guitarist George Harrison and only two composed by drummer Ringo Starr. While Starr’s songwriting contributions were few, they had unmistakable charm and a lasting impact on the Beatles’ catalog.

Starr was the first Beatle to temporarily leave the band in 1968, feeling like an "outsider" amid escalating turmoil. Ironically, it was only after this brief hiatus, taken to escape the band’s tensions, that he wrote and recorded his most significant contribution to The Fab Four.

Let’s press play on the iconic tracks Ringo Starr wrote for The Beatles and read between the lines to discover the stories behind them.
"Don't Pass Me By"

"Don't Pass Me By" was written by Ringo Starr and featured on the 1968 double album The Beatles (White Album). Starr originally wrote the track in 1963 and encouraged his bandmates to record it, but it wasn’t until 1968 that they finally did. The story behind the song is detailed in The Beatles Anthology. Starr composed the tune while playing piano at home and was particularly pl details

Not many 85-year-olds are as fit as Ringo Starr. The former Beatle has released yet another album. On it, he indulges his lifelong passion for country music – with some high-profile guests.

Working on his 2025 album Look Up with T Bone Burnett was so much fun that he is now following it up. The restless Brit has been back in the studio with the American country icon and has emerged with his 22nd studio album, Long Long Road.

The album title has something autobiographical about it, and, at 85, Starr is looking back.

“Yeah, well, we’re talking about that now because of Long Long Road. It’s like the road I’ve taken,” he says, pointing to the various stops in his life.

“We got out of Liverpool, and we went to London, and then we went to New York, and, you know, all of those are stop marks on your walk of life. It’s so far out.”

But despite its retrospective theme, Long Long Road is still a modern country album, thanks also to prominent guest musicians Burnett brought into the Nashville studio for the recordings – Sheryl Crow, Annie Clark aka St Vincent, Molly Tuttle and Sarah Jarosz.

Source: scmp.com

Pattie Boyd got a reminder of her place in rock history this week. The former wife of both George Harrison and Eric Clapton revealed on Instagram that she attended a recent intimate concert by Clapton and heard him perform two songs famously written about her: “Layla” and “Wonderful Tonight.”

Perhaps no woman has inspired as many classic rock songs as Boyd. The former model and actress was the muse behind Harrison’s “I Need You,” “For You Blue” and “Something,” as well as Clapton’s “Bell Bottom Blues,” in addition to “Layla” and “Wonderful Tonight.”

Clapton fell for her while she was married to his friend Harrison and wrote both “Bell Bottom Blues” and “Layla” out of his unrequited love for her. She and Harrison divorced in 1977, and she married Clapton in 1979, but their marriage was over by 1989.

Clearly, time has healed wounds. As Boyd revealed in an Instagram post this week, she took in one of Clapton’s two concerts at G Live in Guildford on Monday, April 20, held as warm-up shows for his 2026 tour. “Fabulous to see Eric in the relatively intimate G-Live details

A public reunion of the world's best-loved songwriting duo nearly took place the night of April 24, 1976.

During a broadcast of the sketch comedy Saturday Night Live, executive producer Lorne Michaels delivered a plea to camera for a Beatles reunion. Lorne Michaels offering $3000 for a Beatles reunion.

"It's also been said that no one has yet to come up with enough money to satisfy you. Well, if it's money you want, there's no problem here," Michaels said.  "The National Broadcasting Company has authorised me to offer you this cheque to be on our show. A certified cheque for $3000."

The crowd laughed at what was a comically small sum.  "This cheque is made out to The Beatles," Michaels continued.

"You divide it anyway you want: if you want to give Ringo less, that's up to you."  Unbeknownst to Michaels, Lennon and McCartney were watching TV together a few blocks away.

The pair had buried the hatchet and had tuned in to what was at the time a new comedy program. Lennon later revealed they gave serious consideration to crashing the studio for a sudden cameo. "We were watching it and almost went down to the studio, just as a gag," he said.

"We details

With “Long Long Road,” his twenty-second studio album, Ringo Starr has settled into one of his career’s finest grooves. While he will surely be remembered for his classic 1970s LPs “Ringo” (1973) and “Goodnight Vienna” (1974), his recent return to his country roots has been a genuine boon for music lovers everywhere.

Starr’s previous forays into country and western include the exquisite “Beaucoups of Blues” (1970), produced by Pete Drake, and last year’s “Look Up.” With T. Bone Burnett holding forth in the producer’s chair yet again, “Long Long Road” matches its predecessor’s penchant for warmhearted storytelling and well-played musical confections.

And like his frequent tours with his All-Starr Band, Starr’s backing band on “Long Long Road” features a selection of top-notch players and guest artists. Having written or co-written six of the album’s songs, Burnett has proven himself to be one of Starr’s most able and industrious collaborators. He also has a knack for teasing out some of Starr’s best performances in years.

Source: salon.com/Kenneth Womack

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Cover songs pop up in the most unexpected places. Even in the 80s, when everyone was trying to take music fearlessly into a new era, artists often made those futuristic moves with songs that were somewhat long in the tooth.

These four songs from 1988 all ascended to high levels on the US pop charts. And all were first performed in the 60s.
“Got My Mind Set On You” by George Harrison

Cloud Nine represented a return to the limelight for George Harrison after years of mostly steering clear of the machinery of the music scene. To make this grand return, Harrison chose “Got My Mind Set On You” as the LP’s first single. Aside from the modern drum sound, the song seemed as Beatlesque as Harrison had permitted himself to be on a recording in many years. That’s why people are often surprised to learn that Harrison sourced the song from a 1962 R&B single by James Ray. Harrison first heard it in 1963 while on a pre-Beatlemania visit to America. Those minimal lyrics, which emphasize the single-minded pursuit of the narrator, clearly stuck with Harrison. The song hit No. 1 in January of 1988, the last ever US chart-topper by a solo Beatle.
“A Groovy Kind Of Love” details

Released in 1967 as the final track on the album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, “A Day in the Life” by The Beatles was accompanied by some of the band’s most iconic songs, from “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” to “With a Little Help from My Friends.”

But unlike the pop and rock influences present in the other songs on the album, the side two song took an experimental turn that ended up influencing the genre for decades to come.

It starts with a soft strumming guitar that’s quickly joined by piano, followed by John Lennon’s voice softly singing about reading the news, telling the story of a man’s tragic death as the drums kick in. The song then takes a turn with orchestral glissandos and tape effects, shifting the mood dramatically, before there’s an abrupt twist via an alarm clock sound. Paul McCartney then sings in an upbeat tone about waking up and starting his day, eventually explaining he “went into a dream.”

At that point, vocal harmonies jump in, moving the song back to Lennon’s dreamy soundscape, which once again gets interrupted by urgent strings that border on musical discord. A piano chord breaks through details

Beatles legends Sir Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr have teamed up to record what could be their final song together - a nostalgic duet about growing up in Liverpool. Home To Us will appear on Sir Paul’s new album when it is released next month.  ‌

And there is even a new ‘Fab Four’ on the track, as it also features backing vocals from the Pretenders’ Chrissie Hynde and Texas’ Sharleen Spiteri.  ‌A small gathering of fans were treated to an album preview in Los Angeles last week with Beatle Sir Paul. And amongst the songs played was Home To Us, which initially Ringo played drums on but later also sang on. The pair are thought to duet on the chorus.

‌Sir Paul told the audience: “Ringo’s never done a duet with one of the Beatles.”  Ringo also confirmed he had made a song with Sir Paul on the Jimmy Kimmel show earlier this week, but kept the full details under wraps.‌

Ringo said: “It started two years ago with the drums, it was like in reverse, the drums went on first. It’s amusing and very real because that is where we come from.”  The theme of the song is based about where they grew details

Ringo Starr is getting candid about his days with the Beatles, including the one rule the band never broke even as their fame skyrocketed.

The legendary drummer revealed the one simple habit that remained unchanged until the very end. They always shared rooms on tour.

"You guys were roommates when the Beatles would tour," host Jimmy Kimmel said during Monday's episode of his show, prompting Starr to reflect on the band’s early days.

The legendary drummer said the band always shared two rooms between four members. "Well, we were always four of us in two rooms," Starr said. "So, I was roommates with everybody. You know, Paul was roommates with everybody. Depended where they put the suitcases. We just went and shared a room."

The host asked whether that changed once they became the biggest band on the planet. Starr revealed it didn’t.

"No, right up to the last day of the last tour — or the last night of the last tour — we shared," Starr said.

Long before private jets and sprawling entourages became standard for global superstars, Starr and his bandmates — Paul McCartney, John Lennon and George Harrison — were simply four young men navigating f details

 “ If I didn’t do it as a job, I would do it as a hobby, because it’s just in me. There’s something magical in any art form about discovering ‘that thing’ ... it’s just so exciting, and it never gets boring.” ”

Neville, whose work explores the inner lives of cultural figures from backup singers to Fred Rogers, approached the project with a guiding principle rooted in music itself. Before assembling the film, he began by constructing what he described as a “soundtrack” of McCartney’s post-Beatles songs, using them as a narrative blueprint.

“The great thing about making a film about a songwriter is their songs,” Neville said. “The songs tell you that they need to be there, because he’s narrating some part of his life through them.”

That approach shaped the structure and emotional arc of “Man on the Run.” The result is a peek into a life propelled by a sense of restlessness, insatiable creativity, exploration, and forward motion. Despite setbacks that could have discouraged others — a bizarre television special, a handful of commercial flops and an infamous international arrest &mdash details

Ranking The Beatles is either a rite of passage—or a guaranteed way to start an argument you won’t win. For a band this canonized, even suggesting one album sits below another feels borderline reckless. Just as we did with our ranking of every Rolling Stones album, that’s exactly why we’re doing it anyway.

And before anyone jumps in: yes, there are technically debates about how many studio albums exist. But in 2026, the only list that matters—the one that drives the streams, the searches, and the algorithm—recognizes 13. That includes Magical Mystery Tour, officially folded into the canon during the CD era reset. Using cultural impact, streaming longevity, and actual front-to-back replay value, this is the ranking that reflects how people listen now—not just how music critics wrote about them 50 years ago.
13 Yellow Submarine (1969)

While the title track is a global icon, the album is often viewed by historians as a contractual obligation rather than a cohesive studio statement. As the Beatles' most incomplete album, it paired four new tracks with George Martin’s orchestral film score, lacking the unfiltered creative density found in their primary discography. details