As a prominent member of The Beatles, Paul McCartney ranks among the most important musicians in history. As a songwriter, instrumentalist, and vocalist, McCartney is responsible for writing and contributing to some of the greatest songs ever written. But what are his favorite Beatles songs? In this article, we will dive into Paul McCartney’s personal favorite songs with The Beatles, as well as his favorite John Lennon and George Harrison compositions.
Here, There and Everywhere
Paul McCartney stated on multiple occasions that “Here, There and Everywhere” is his favorite personal song. “If pushed, I would say that ‘Here, There and Everywhere’ is my own favorite of all my songs,” He wrote in The Lyrics: 1956 To The Present.
The Beatles released the underrated ballad on their seventh studio album Revolver. In a 1980 interview, Lennon praised McCartney for “Here, There and Everywhere”, stating it was one of his favorite Beatles songs.
Read more: The Meaning Behind “Here, There and Everywhere” by The Beatles
Yesterday
Although McCartney cited “Here There and Everywhere” as his favorite song, he also stated “Yesterday” was a ‘close second’. “You look at your songs and kinda look to see which of the ones you think are maybe the best constructed and stuff. I think ‘Yesterday’ – if it wasn’t so successful – might be my favorite,” McCartney told Scott Muni in 1984.
“But, you know, you get that thing when something is just so successful. People often don’t want to do ‘the big one’ that everyone wants them to do. They kind of shy away from it.”
Read more: The Story Behind “Yesterday” by The Beatles
You Know My Name (Look Up the Number)
“You Know My Name (Look Up the Number)” is probably a relatively unknown song among casual Beatles fans. The bizarre track was released as the B-side to A-side single “Let It Be”. Paul McCartney said the song ranked among his Beatles favorites – probably not because of its ‘greatness’, but because of the fun he had making the record.
[The song] is a zany, zany little B-side that nobody knows, but we had such fun making it,” McCartney told Apple Music. “It’s like a little comedy record. And I just remember the joy of making it.”
Eleanor Rigby
“Eleanor Rigby” is easily one of Paul McCartney’s greatest songs. Not only musically – although no Beatles played instruments on the record – but also lyrically. Instead of writing a song around the typical theme of love, McCartney wrote “Eleanor Rigby” around the theme of loneliness.
“I think it is one of my best songs,” McCartney told the LA Times. “It reminds me of the time I tried to take piano lessons. I was already in the Beatles, but I thought it would be cool or have some formal music training. Around the same time, I wrote the melody for ‘Eleanor Rigby’ and played it for the teacher, but he just blanked it. But I liked the tune and later wrote the words.”
From Me To You
The early Beatles track “From Me To You” isn’t as popular as “She Loves You” or “I Want To Hold Your Hand”, but it is nevertheless an important song in the Beatles’ history. According to McCartney, “From Me To You” was a ‘pivotal song’.
“Our songwriting lifted a little with that song,” he stated in his biography Many Years From Now. “It was very much co-written. We were starting to meet other musicians then and we’d start to see other people writing. After that, on another tour bus with Roy Orbison, we saw Roy sitting in the back of the bus, writing ‘Pretty Woman’. It was lovely. We could trade off with each other. This was our real start.”
That middle eight was a very big departure for us,” Paul McCartney said in The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions by Mark Lewisohn. “Going to G minor [from C major] takes you to a whole new world. It was exciting.”
Julia
Thus far, we only discussed Beatles songs Paul McCartney had significant contributions to. But what is his favorite John Lennon composition? When asked the question, McCartney stated he loved “Strawberry Fields Forever” and “Across The Universe”, but picked “Julia” as his favorite Lennon song.
[Julia] is about the mom he couldn’t live with,” McCartney said on the Adam Buxton Podcast. “So I love the poignancy of that because I’d been with him round to Julia’s house to visit her. And I knew how deeply he loved her. So ‘Julia,’ I would go with.”
Something
“Something” is Paul McCartney’s favorite George Harrison song. The song – released on Abbey Road – was arguably Harrison’s songwriting highlight with The Beatles (although “Here Comes the Sun” and “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” are also worthy contenders). McCartney frequently plays “Something” during live shows, having played the song over 400 times.
“I thought it was George’s greatest track,” McCartney said about “Something” in the The Beatles Anthology. “I think Frank Sinatra used to introduce ‘Something’ as his favourite Lennon/McCartney song. Thanks Frank.”
Read more: The Story Behind “Something” by The Beatles
Other Beatles Songs Paul McCartney Loves
On several other occasions, Paul McCartney named several more of his personal favorite songs with The Beatles. Among those songs were “Hey Jude”, “Fool on the Hill”, “Let It Be”, and “Blackbird”. Although McCartney didn’t necessarily clarify why those songs were his personal favorites, it’s easy to reason why he picked them. They’re outstanding songs synonymous with McCartney.
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Whenever life kicks me in the gut or I am down, I listen to “Let It Be.” It is my all-time fav song. I had a death in the family and have it on about once a day lately.
I remember I was about seven years old listening to my crystal radio. I had never heard the Beatles and I don’t think anyone I knew ever heard of them. On comes “From Me To You”. This was some time in 1962. So that was the first and the rest of the Beatles songs became my favorite. Great memories because of those Beatles.
When I was young , two of my friends and I sat through A Hard Days Night three times. In those days that didn’t make you leave after just one showing. It was in the Kent Movie Theater on McClean Avenue in Yonkers, New York.
Great Memories!!
John, Paul and George were all phenomenal songwriters.
My favorites are Come Together, Here Comes the Sun and A Day in the Life.
Far too many to choose from, but the one I’ve always loved to sing is IF I FELL.
The Beatles are by far, the greatest band of all time. My favorite song is, “The Long and Winding Road”. It is such a great song 🎵 listen to it in a biblical way and it is unreal. They have played such an amazing role in my life. The Beatles ❤️
I agree 100%.
The Beatles are the only band that never made a bad song.
You can’t do that and I call your name.
I couldn’t name one favorite song as my favorite.
Just about anything they or he or individual wrote is still the best for me. I still love them now as I and millions still do.