3 of The Beatles’ Best Cover Songs From Before They Revolutionized Rock and Roll

We often see The Beatles in the same light as Bach, Mozart, and Beethoven. Some kind of superior form of human who composed music that almost feels like it’s of or even beyond the natural world. Like the greats before them, The Beatles changed music history and left behind standards. Standards covered by legends like Prince, Tom Petty, Stevie Wonder, and Oasis, to name a few.

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So it’s easy to forget how Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr were first drawn to the music of their own heroes: Chuck Berry, Little Richard, The Everly Brothers, Carl Perkins, and others. Here’s a glimpse back to the early years and three of the best cover songs recorded by The Beatles before they revolutionized rock and roll.

“Roll Over Beethoven” by Chuck Berry

The Beatles covered Chuck Berry more than any other artist in the early years, often led by John Lennon. But George Harrison began singing “Roll Over Beethoven” instead of Lennon in 1961. A recorded version appears on With The Beatles, and Berry’s hit remained in the band’s set until 1964. This one’s important because it connects the person who pioneered rock and roll with the world’s greatest rock band in a song telling the greatest classical composer to step aside. There’s a new sheriff in town: “Roll over Beethoven / And tell Tchaikovsky the news.”

“Honey Don’t” by Carl Perkins

Paul McCartney described “Honey Don’t” as another “Cavern item”, referring to the Cavern Club in Liverpool where The Beatles were regular performers. Ringo Starr sings and plays drums on Carl Perkins’ tune, also previously sung by Lennon. Starr had performed it during his pre-Beatles days with Rory Storm and said he’d always been drawn to country rock music. Perkins released “Honey Don’t” in 1956 as the B-side to “Blue Suede Shoes”, its more famous rockabilly classic.

“Twist And Shout” by The Isley Brothers

On October 13, 1963, The Beatles performed at the London Palladium. An event that’s widely thought to be the start of Beatlemania. The band closed the set with “Twist And Shout”, which remains one of the Fab Four’s most popular covers. It also closes Please Please Me, The Beatles’ debut. Producer George Martin called the song “a real larynx-tearer”, but Lennon was up to the challenge. Still, Lennon said the track “nearly killed me.” Though it’s a cover, Lennon’s broken voice sounded like a pop mutiny, on the way to revolutionizing the very music that inspired him.  

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