4 Songs off The Beatles’ ‘Abbey Road’ That Everyone Loves To Hate, but I Can’t Get Enough Of

The Beatles’ 1969 magnum opus, Abbey Road, has the same sort of “love it or hate it” legacy as other mega albums like Pink Floyd’s Dark Side Of The Moon and Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours. Diehard fans will accuse people of choosing the “sell-out” option when they list these albums as their personal favorites, and in some cases, these fans will even argue that the album’s no good.

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As silly and subjective as this mindset is, it’s easy to see why albums that have been elevated to such high regard also have an immense amount of pressure to be absolutely perfect. Abbey Road is no exception, with many fans criticizing some tracks for being less-than-ideal offerings from the Fab Four.

That includes these four tracks—although, personally speaking, I can’t get enough of them.

“Maxwell’s Silver Hammer”

Not even the rest of The Beatles liked “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer”, but that’s where I disagree with John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. This Paul McCartney number is catchy, morbidly funny, and a great example of how effective groove switches can really be. My personal favorite part of the song is when you can hear McCartney snicker through the line “writing 50 times,” as if even he knew how absurd the song was.

“Octopus’s Garden”

Ringo Starr gets a lot of hate for his songwriting contributions to The Beatles, but “Octopus’s Garden” is downright sweet when you think about it. Starr learned about octopi making “gardens” in their homes under the sea while he was on vacation. Then, he writes a song about wanting to be “warm below the storm” with all of his friends. What whimsy! What tender thoughts! Cranky Beatles fans can pry this one out of my cold, dead hands.

“I Want You (She’s So Heavy)”

I was surprised to learn that some people really don’t like “I Want You (She’s So Heavy)” from The Beatles’ Abbey Road because, frankly, I think it’s the best song on the whole album. Sure, it’s lyrically repetitive. Some parts are a little strange, as one would expect from a John Lennon number. But it also rips and is a fantastic example of rock ‘n’ roll’s shift toward a heavier style that began in the late 1960s.

“Golden Slumbers”

One of the most common complaints about “Golden Slumbers” is how overly emotional and theatrical it is, and that’s precisely why I love it so much. From Paul McCartney’s gentle piano playing in the beginning to the way it crescendos into a string-filled climax, the song feels like you’re experiencing a flying dream in real life. Then, the transition into “Carry That Weight” is the icing on the cake, in my humble opinion.

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