7 most popular The Beatles songs of all time

The Beatles are widely considered the most influential band of all time. The English rock band, which comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr, propagated the popularity of pop music in the 60s’.

Fondly called the Fab Four by their fans, the quartet achieved critical and commercial success with songs like Love Me Do, Here Comes The Sun and Come Together. The Beatles has sold the most records of all music acts with an estimated 600 million records sold.

The group’s impressive records also include the most number-one albums on the UK Albums chart and 20 number-one songs on the Billboard Hot 100. This article explores their most popular tracks.

Disclaimer: This article is ranked according to Spotify streams at the time of writing.

Here Comes The Sun, Come Together and 5 other most popular The Beatles songs to listen to in 2024

1) Here Comes The Sun (1,441,032,847 Spotify streams)

Here Comes The Sun was released on September 26, 1969, as a record from The Beatles' chart-topping album, Abbey Road. The band's lead guitarist, George Harrison penned the folk pop song.

Here Comes The Sun was a feel-good classic that celebrated new beginnings and a positive change after difficult times.

The lyrics of the first verse captured the essence of the song:

"Little darling/ It's been a long, cold, lonely winter/ Little darling/ It feels like years since it's been here"

Here Comes The Sun has sold over 1.8 million records so far and is three-time platinum-certified by the RIAA.

2) Come Together (779,109,644 Spotify streams)

Come Together visual (Image via Spotify)

Come Together was written by John Lennon in 1969 as a campaign song for John Leary. The Blues-Rock song was released on October 6, 1969, as the opening record from their critically acclaimed album, Abbey Road.

Crediting Lennon-McCartney both as writers, this song reportedly described the members of the band and Lennon himself.

The second verse read:

"He wear no shoeshine, he got toe-jam football/ He got monkey finger, he shoot Coca-Cola/ He say, "I know you, you know me"/ One thing I can tell you is you got to be free"

The record gained commercial success, spending sixteen weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

3) Let It Be (734,070,205 Spotify streams)

Released on March 6, 1970, Let It Be was a rock song from The Beatles' final and twelfth studio album of the same name. John Lennon and Paul McCartney were credited as songwriters on the track.

The piano ballad made use of alternate guitar solos to accentuate the vocals. The song was inspired by Paul McCartney’s mother who died when he was 14.

Let It Be promoted the ideology of embracing hope and peace amidst challenges.

A part of the second verse read:

"When I find myself in times of trouble/ Mother Mary comes to me/ Speaking words of wisdom/ Let it be"

The rock classic has sold over two million units so far and is platinum-certified in the UK, Spain, and Italy.

4) Yesterday (698,626,619 Spotify streams)

Visual for Yesterday track (Image via Spotify)

Yesterday was a heartbreak song in which an individual longed for closure from his ex-partner, after their failed relationship. The bridge read:

"Why she had to go/ I don't know, she wouldn't say/ I said something wrong/ Now I long for yesterday"

The song also shed light on the complex dynamics of love, talking abouthow problematic and difficult it can be.

Released on September 13, 1965, Yesterday was penned by the songwriting duo, Lennon-McCartney. This track by The Beatles was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1997.

5) Hey Jude (616,648,188 Spotify streams)

Hey Jude was a standalone single released on August 26, 1968. The pop-rock anthem's songwriting credited Paul McCartney and John Lennon.

In 1968, Hey Jude held the record for the longest number-one run on the Billboard Hot 100, spending nine weeks at the top of the chart. The track also peaked at the UK Singles chart.

Reportedly inspired by John Lennon's divorce from his ex-wife Cynthia, Paul McCartney wrote the song to comfort John's son, Julian, after his parents’ separation. The bridge featured Paul's words of comfort to Julian, encouraging him to remain positive-minded.

"And anytime you feel the pain, hey, Jude, refrain/ Don't carry the world upon your shoulders/ For well you know that it's a fool who plays it cool/ By making his world a little colder"

6) Twist and Shout (541,663,943 Spotify streams)

In March 1963, the English rock band released a cover of the rock and roll jam, created by Bert Berns and Phil Medley in 1961. The Beatles' version reigned at number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became the band's first and only cover song to sell millions of units in the US.

This upbeat song evoked a sense of excitement and liveliness. Its lyrics espoused the idea of lovers expressing affection for one another through dance.

A part of the third verse read:

"Baby, now (Shake it up, baby)/ Twist and shout (Twist and shout)/ C'mon, c'mon, c'mon, c'mon, baby, now (Come on, baby)/ Come on and work it on out (Work it on out)"

7) Blackbird (507,657,809 Spotify streams)

Blackbird by the Beatles was a mixed-genre song that married the storytelling feature of Folk music with the uniquely structured rhythm of Rock and Roll.

The folk-rock record was penned by Paul McCartney, and released on November 22, 1968, as a single from the band's eponymous album, The Beatles. Blackbird was inspired by the '60s Civil Rights Movement, addressing racism and injustice in America.

The second verse conveyed a sense of hope and positivity for victims of racism:

"Blackbird singing in the dead of the night/ Take these sunken eyes and learn to see/ All your life, you were only waiting/ For this moment to be free"

With over 600,000 units sold so far, Blackbird has become a platinum-certified single in the United Kingdom.

Other popular songs by The Beatles to listen to include In My Life, I Want To Hold Your Hand and Something.

Edited by DEEPALI