From its cover to its tracklist; The Beatles’ ‘Abbey Road’ is an iconic album. Released on September 26, 1969, the album was The Beatles’ final push towards unparalleled greatness – unless you rate ‘Let It Be’ higher of course. But what are the greatest songs on ‘Abbey Road’? For this article, I’ve ranked every song on ‘Abbey Road’ from worst to best.
10. Her Majesty
I start this list with “Her Majesty”. The hidden track is actually a pretty neat tune, but with its running time of only 23 seconds, it can hardly be called a song. Therefore, I consider it the worst ‘song’ on Abbey Road.
Because it’s ranked number 10, sharp-eyed folks may have already noticed I decided to rank the “Abbey Road Medley” as one, even though the title clearly states every song ranked. I apologize profusely.
9. Maxwell Silver Hammer
“Maxwell Silver Hammer” has a significant place in the Beatles’ history – and not a positive one. According to Ringo, the recording of McCartney’s song was the worst track The Beatles ever had to record. The Beatles recorded the song over the course of three days, but according to Ringo ‘it went on for weeks’. The result? A mediocre track.
8. Octopus’s Garden
“Octopus’s Garden” is one of two songs Ringo Starr wrote for The Beatles. While the song isn’t anything extraordinary, “Octopus’s Garden” is still a delightful song. Ringo’s vocals and lyrics are great, and Harrison’s guitar work is fantastic.
7. Oh! Darling
For number 7 I picked “Oh! Darling”. The R&B/doo-wop-inspired song is a great addition to Abbey Road and even got rare praise from John Lennon. With a side note, however, as Lennon believed he would’ve done a better vocal job than McCartney.
6. Come Together
“Come Together” is easily one of the most iconic songs in The Beatles’ entire repertoire. Heavily inspired by Chuck Berry’s 1956 single “You Can’t Cach Me”, Lennon wrote the song after Timothy Leary asked for a campaign song for the 1970 California gubernatorial election. “Come Together” was released as Abbey Road’s lead single (with “Something”) and topped the US Billboard Hot 100.
5. Because
Famous for Lennon, McCartney, and Harrison’s incredible vocal harmonies, “Because” is easily one of the highlights of Abbey Road. The song was inspired by Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata”, which the classically trained Yoko Ono played for John Lennon. In 1969, George Harrison stated the song ranked among his Abbey Road favorites. “I think that’s one of the tunes that will impress most people. It’s really good.”
Read more: Ranking The Beatles Albums From Worst To Best
4. I Want You (She’s So Heavy)
For number 4 I picked the longest song on Abbey Road: “I Want You (She’s So Heavy)”. The song is well-known for its bluesy sound, trance-like repetition, and minimalistic lyrics. Despite being close to 8 minutes long, the song only uses 14 different words. But the minimalistic lyrics don’t hurt “I Want You (She’s So Heavy)”, as it is one of the best songs on Abbey Road.
3. Here Comes the Sun
George Harrison wrote “Here Comes the Sun” in Eric Clapton’s garden after ditching a Beatles meeting. The song literally (arrival of spring) and metaphorically (avoiding Beatles meetings) delves into the arrival of sunnier days. “Here Comes The Sun” is a beautiful song, but it isn’t George Harrison’s best song on Abbey Road.
2. Abbey Road Medley
Despite the title’s claim of ‘every song ranked’, I’ve decided the rank the “Abbey Road Medley” as one unit. The medley, initially dubbed “The Long One”, was an idea by McCartney and used spare bits of unfinished songs. Despite contributing 3 songs, Lennon wasn’t a big fan of the medley. But I rate it highly, with “You Never Give Me Your Money”, “Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight”, and “The End” being the highlights of the medley.
Read more: The Story Behind the “Abbey Road Medley” by The Beatles
1. Something
In my opinion, “Something” is the best song on Abbey Road. Highly praised by the likes of Frank Sinatra, “Something” proved to the other Beatles – and the world – that George Harrison had some serious songwriting chops too. Lennon considered to song the album’s best, and vouched for “Something” to be released as a single. It became Harrison’s first A-side single with The Beatles. Together with “Come Together”, “Something” topped the US Billboard Hot 100.
Read more: The Story Behind “Something” by The Beatles
That wraps up my ranking of The Beatles’ Abbey Road songs. Do you agree with my ranking? What would you change? What would your personal ranking look like? Please let me know in the comments below!
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