Top 10 Early Beatles Songs

The early songs of The Beatles are earmarked by a lot of upbeat, high tempo tunes with themes that usually evolve around love and romance. But, the Rubber Soul album strayed away from this a bit, and songwriters Lennon and McCartney explored bigger questions about life in their lyrics. That’s what we see with this song about loneliness that talks of a man feeling lost, which is something that listeners, particularly young adults, can relate to. It doesn’t matter if you first listened to this song in the 1960s or in the 21st century – the poignant lyrics that discuss mindlessly wandering through our lives still rings all too true.

One of the first songs fans think of when they think of the early days of the four mop tops is this one. Inspired by those that work around the clock, this tune was written after the film of the same name was in the works. It’s pretty much impossible not to grin when this tune is playing, as it not only talks about the grind of everyday life, the theme behind it centers around working hard to provide for those we love. With George Harrison’s guitar solo mixed with Lennon and McCartney’s seamless vocals, it’s not surprising that this song has endured the test of time.

This song is one of the first of theirs to ever hit airways, and was written before The Beatles were even The Beatles. Despite it being one of their first, it’s undeniably one of their best. One of the most recognizable aspects of this tune is the harmonica laced throughout, which complements the simple lyrics and accompanying music perfectly. Like most of their earlier music, the words are uncomplicated but moving, and they’re filled with themes that are timeless. This is the song a lot of people associate with being the world’s introduction to The Beatles, and needless to say they started out strong, and kept getting stronger as the decade went on.

When you write songs about love found, you have to throw in a few about love lost, and that’s what you get with the optimistic “I’ll Follow the Sun.” It talks about having a positive outlook on life after a break-up, which is certainly a refreshing perspective in a world plagued with break-up songs that center around sadness and revenge. Paul McCartney was the penman behind this one, and he claims to have written this simple song in a simple manner – while smoking a cigarette during a recovery from the flu. His words remind us to always look on the bright side of things, finding the sun amongst the rain, and that’s a message that never goes out of style.

When we think of the early days of The Beatles, this is one of the first songs that comes to mind. While other artists were singing about wooing women and battling heartbreak, The Beatles peeled back the layers of love and wrote about its special little pure moments. “I Want to Hold Your Hand” was a huge hit in its day, staying in the top 50 in the U.K. for over 20 weeks, proving that this creative risk from the group definitely paid off. Since then, it’s been covered by countless artists and you’d be hard up to find someone even today who hasn’t heard of it, so we knew it needed to be featured in this list.

While it could be argued that some of the lyrics in this tune might not stand the test of time, others are truly timeless. It’s upbeat and fun, and the sound is distinctly from the early 60s, but we don’t hesitate to sing along to it over half a century later. It’s the b-side to our last entry, solidifying this Beatles era as one of romance and admiration for the female persuasion, which is pretty much perfect for four men who are barely out of their teenage years. When we hear this song we can picture The Beatles shaking their shaggy hair when they sing the “oohs” while their fans scream themselves into tears in the audience.

Anyone who’s ever been away from the love of their life can surely appreciate the lyrics of “All My Loving.” The words present the song as a beautiful love letter written by none other than Sir Paul McCartney. According to him, it was the first time that he wrote the words before the music, representing a turning point for him as a songwriter. Just like most of their early songs, this one is danceable and fun, but the words on the other hand, are not. The Beatles sing about the pain of missing someone, and it’s a beautiful contrast to the other love songs that they’ve become known for.

Some of their early songs are about admiration, some are about heartbreak, and this one takes on an interesting perspective – reassurance. The words tell a story of someone assuring another of his woman’s love for him. Rolling Stone ranked “She Loves You” at number 64 on their list of the greatest 500 songs of all time, and we have to agree that it’s one of our favorites as it’s quintessential of the early Beatles. It became so synonymous with The Beatles that they even infused the lyrics into arguably their most famous song, “Hey Jude,” and it’s a treat for all of their die-hard fans.

Even though John Lennon wrote this song in his mid-twenties, it’s filled with wisdom, nostalgia, and reflection of someone much older. He said that this was the first song he’d written about his own life, and it seems like even though he was extremely famous and successful, he looks back on his life through the same lens as everyone else. Because of this, the song is more accessible for a wider audience as the lyrics talk about the meaningful people and places we encounter and how they stick with us through our lives. Although a lot of the earlier Beatles songs are quite cheerful and hopeful, this one has a softer, simpler feel, which fits perfectly with Lennon’s touching words.

Paul McCartney really shows off his songwriting prowess with “Yesterday.” This song represents his growth from writing silly love songs – not that there’s anything wrong with that – to exploring deep, meaningful tunes. “Yesterday” allegedly came to him in a dream about his girlfriend at the time, and what a dreamy song it became. The story he tells through the song is one of longing for earlier days, wishing that the good times with the one you love could still be around today. It’s a break-up song for the ages, with an uncomplicated melody and sound that make it approachable for listeners of all ages, through any decade, anywhere in the world. Which early Beatles song is your favorite? Let us know in the comments!