Emag.co.uk Entertainment News Leader
While the Beatles have a formidable 29 hit singles on Pop Culture Madness’ current list of most requested songs, many of the Beatles most popular songs are from 1964.
It was February 7, 1964 when the four Beatles landed in New York to launch their first tour in the United States and which officially launched Beatlemania globally.
Prior to then, the Fab Four had hit songs on the British charts like I Want To Hold Your Hand and Please Please Me but little or no air play outside the United Kingdom.
Beatles First Royalty Agreement
According to Beatles Discography, the Beatles first recording contract in 1962 paid band members a royalty of one penny per single record sold (split four ways among John, Paul, George and Ringo). For sales outside the U.K., that rate was half that.
Of course, later the Beatles would earn much higher rates. Still, some analysts make the point that the Lads from Liverpool were the most prolific in their earlier days when they focused on their passions for creative music and song writing than was the case after they became huge commercial successes.
Top-Requested Beatle Hits Songs from 1964
Thirteen of the Beatles top singles are from 1964, accounting for about 45% of the Fab Fours’ most popular and enduring songs.
- Twist and Shout … Number 1 most requested hit single
- I Saw Her Standing There … Number 3
- I Want To Hold Your Hand … Number 10
- A Hard Day’s Night … Number 13
- I Feel Fine … Number 15
- Love Me Do … Number 17
- She Loves You … Number 20
- Please Please Me … Number 44
- All My Loving … Number 46
- If I Fell … Number 55
- I Should Have Known Better … Number 61
- I’m Happy Just To Dance With You … Number 71
- Sie Liebt Dich (She Loves You) … Number 75.
Phil Medley and Bert Burns originally wrote the Beatles’ top-ranked song Twist and Shout for the Isely Brothers, who enjoyed a top 20 hit with the song in 1962. The dynamic writing duo of John Lennon and Paul McCartney wrote all other songs on the above list.
Top-Requested Beatle Singles from 1965 to 1970
In contrast to their 13 hits in 1964, the Beatles have 2 most requested singles from 1965 and 3 from 1966 – the last year in which Lads from Liverpool toured together. George Harrison’s soulful ballad Something is the only song listed below not written by Lennon and McCartney.
- All You Need Is Love – Number 4 from 1967
- Hey Jude – Number 7 from 1968
- Yellow Submarine – Number 8 from 1966
- Help! – Number 1 from 1965
- Something (George Harrison) – Number 9 from 1969
- Eleanor Rigby – Number 15 from 1969
- Come Together – Number 17 from 1969
- Strawberry Fields Forever – Number 19 from 1967
- Lady Madonna – Number 19 from 1968
- Paperback Writer – Number 20 from 1966
- Let It Be – Number 20 from 1970
- Penny Lane – Number 24 from 1967
- Hello Goodbye – Number 28 from 1967
- Get Back – Number 39 from 1969
- Yesterday – Number 44 from 1965
- Baby You’re a Rich Man – Number 64 from 1967.
The Beatles have 5 songs on the list from 1967, the same year that their founding manager Brian Epstein died. Internal squabbling and outside interference followed that tainted the group’s creativity.
After 2 more top hits in 1968, three in 1969 and the finale Let It Be in 1970, Paul McCartney publicly announced the band’s breakup on April 10, 1970. Paul then filed a lawsuit against John, George and Ringo on December 31, 1970.
