4 Somewhat Forgotten Beatles Compilations That Should Be on Your Radar

Like any elite band, The Beatles have seen their work collected in different compilations over the years. Some of those projects, like the “Blue” and “Red” albums, The Beatles Anthology, and 1, have gained great acclaim.

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But if you look hard enough, you might just unearth several collections of The Beatles’ work that are off the beaten path. Here are four that you might have missed that are worth your attention.

‘Hey Jude’

When the Hey Jude album was released in February 1970, The Beatles were in a limbo period. It happened between when John Lennon announced he was leaving the group (September 1969) and when they actually announced the breakup to the world (April 1970). As such, fans greeted this collection with great enthusiasm. It sold very well. Then-manager Allen Klein put the package together as part of the deal he’d worked out with Capitol Records. Like the famous title track, this compilation is made up of all songs that were generally only available for purchase before that as singles. It started the process of The Beatles and their handlers making it easier for fans to collect all their songs.

‘Love Songs’

Once the “Red” (1962-66) and “Blue” (1967-70) compilations arrived in 1973, it opened the door for many more of their kind to hit the market. Some were a bit haphazard. We’re thinking of ragged collections like Rock ‘n’ Roll Music from 1976. Love Songs hit home a bit better a year later by narrowing the focus down to exactly what the album title suggests. It only included Beatles originals. That’s opposed to Rock ‘n’ Roll Music and its attempt to smoothly incorporate covers as well. What Love Songs ultimately emphasizes, over two LPs, is the ridiculous amount of songwriting brilliance this group had at its disposal. This one is recommended for a special night with your significant other.

‘Rarities’

Rarities arrived in 1978 in the United Kingdom. That version focused on filling out gaps in the catalog with songs that hadn’t appeared on British LPs. The US version in 1980 used a different strategy, unearthing several unique versions of well-known songs. In a way, it anticipated the Anthology project that was still 15 years away. And it gave Fab Four fans something truly different from what they’d previously heard. For example, “Penny Lane” features an unexpected trumpet flourish at the end of the song. “I Am The Walrus” includes a few extra bars. It also has what sounds like a John Lennon hiccup in the middle of the song. These oddities offered fans excellent bang for their buck.

‘Live At The BBC’

The Anthology project showed there was an eager market for Beatles’ box sets, as long as what was being offered was something a little bit different from what fans had already heard many times before. Live At The BBC didn’t get quite the same kind of fanfare when it was released a year prior to Anthology in 1994. But it nonetheless provided a treasure trove of coolness. Taken from sessions that the group did regularly in their early years at the BBC, the three discs contained plenty of fantastic covers and a few unheard originals. Topping it all off, the in-between song patter provided by the members of the group highlights just how quick-witted they all were.

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