3 of the Most Underrated and Overrated Songs From The Beatles’ Psychedelic Era

The Beatles would never be considered “underrated” under any circumstances. They were the biggest band of the 20th century, and their legacy is still felt today. In fact, their releases in the 1960s continue to make fans out of young listeners. That being said, the band has released a few songs that are underrated when compared to their major chart-toppers. Just as well, some of their songs could be described as overrated, too. And both those things can be true when talking about the band’s psychedelic era in the mid-to-late 1960s. Let’s look at two underrated psychedelic gems and one somewhat overrated tune from the Fab Four, shall we?

Videos by American Songwriter

Underrated: “Baby, You’re A Rich Man”

This jam was the B-side of “All You Need Is Love” in 1967. Apparently, the song was originally supposed to be part of the Yellow Submarine film but was instead released as a single. Everybody knows “All You Need Is Love”, but I feel like few know “Baby, You’re A Rich Man” quite as well. That’s a shame, because this is a genuinely fun psychedelic pop tune, born out of a true collaboration between Paul McCartney and John Lennon. It also features the clavioline, an early analog synthesizer.

Overrated: “Revolution 9”

I don’t think many would call this song overrated. “Unlistenable,” maybe, to those not used to sound collages or avant-garde music. “Revolution 9” from the band’s self-titled 1968 album scared the crap out of a lot of young listeners. And in retrospect, it has been praised for being ahead of its time and a highly influential piece of work. I won’t deny those notions, but I think the praise this song gets tends to get a little old. 

Plenty of musicians were dipping into the avant-garde before The Beatles got into it. “Revolution 9”, to me, is just the result of young men taking LSD and trying to be “different.” Considering avant-garde acts like The Velvet Underground and Frank Zappa were well-established before 1968, The Beatles weren’t really being “different” at all.

Underrated: “She’s Leaving Home”

This deep cut from Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band does not get the love it deserves. “She’s Leaving Home” melts together typical psychedelic elements of its time with baroque pop. And those lyrics? They’re some of McCartney’s best. If you were ever a teenaged runaway or a rebel, you might just relate to this psychedelic tune. This might just be one of The Beatles’ most underrated tunes ever, not just from their psychedelic era. Even Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys was a fan and famously said that he and his wife “cried” when listening to McCartney perform the song for them in 1967.

Photo by David Magnus/Shutterstock