The Beatles will probably always be known as the greatest rock band of the 20th century. Plenty of fans and even the Fab Four’s contemporaries have released tribute songs that pay homage to the group’s legacy. Not all are created equal, though. Let’s look at a few songs that pay homage to The Beatles that are actually really good.
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“Hold My Hand” by The Rutles
Noticing any similarities? Sometimes, parody is the best form of flattery. The spoof band The Rutles was originally a fictional band created by Neil Innes and Eric Idle for a BBC comedy show, but they ended up being so good on a musical level that they released two albums and even toured. Their parody of The Beatles’ “I Want To Hold Your Hand” was so good that it went beyond parody. Even George Harrison himself liked them so much that he helped them film a music video, in which he also made a cameo.
“Beatles Forever” by ELO
This one’s very on the nose, but it’s too good a homage to The Beatles to pass up on this list. Jeff Lynne has always been a bona fide Beatles fan, and his tribute to the group, “Beatles Forever”, is a well-made and lovely tribute to the biggest band of the 20th century. And, shockingly, it has never been officially released by ELO since its recording in 1982.
“Heal The Pain” by George Michael
George Michael paid his respects to The Beatles in 1991 with the release of “Heal The Pain”. The whole vibe of this song is giving Beatles-era pop, and it’s yet another instance of Michael not being super lame about his musical tastes. Always a strong defender of liking whatever tunes you want, despite what culture might otherwise dictate, Michael seemed to apply that same way of thinking to his own music. If you listen closely, “Heal The Pain” has almost the same chord progression as the Fab Four’s “Eight Days A Week”.
“Titles” by Barclay James Harvest
A bit of an underrated song written as a homage to The Beatles, Barclay James Harvest dropped “Titles” on his 1975 prog-rock album Time Honoured Ghosts. In this song, you’ll hear the names of quite a few Beatles tunes, from “Across The Universe” to “Lady Madonna”. Harvest, a self-proclaimed Beatles fan, would also feature John Lennon’s guitar on the song “Galadriel”.
Photo by Archive Photos/Getty Images
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