It’s hard to imagine The Beatles ever not having a no. 1 song, especially in the United States where Beatlemania was in full swing for years. However, The Beatles had quite a few songs that didn’t quite hit no. 1 in the States. Let’s look at a few surprising examples!
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1. “Twist And Shout”
“Twist And Shout” is one of The Beatles’ most famous cover songs and a track that is closely associated with their early days of fame. John Lennon’s vocals are particularly stunning in this song. However, “Twist And Shout” didn’t quite make it to the top of the US charts when it was first released. It peaked at no. 2 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.
2. “Yellow Submarine”
Few jaunty little tunes are as fun as “Yellow Submarine”. Unfortunately for The Beatles, not everybody loved it. Despite being one of the Fab Four’s catchiest hits, “Yellow Submarine” only made it to no. 2 on the Hot 100 chart in the US.
3. “With A Little Help From My Friends”
This unfortunate entry on our list of Beatles songs that didn’t hit no. 1 in the US is quite shocking. And a noteworthy cover of “With A Little Help From My Friends” actually beat out The Beatles on the US charts.
This 1967 song from Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band only made it to no. 71 on the US Hot 100 chart after it was re-released in 1968. However, Joe Cocker’s cover of the tune made it to no. 68 on the Hot 100 chart in 1968, beating out The Beatles in a surprising way.
4. “Eleanor Rigby”
This legendary song from the 1966 album Revolver deserves its flowers. The Beatles didn’t often dive into baroque pop, but they did so with “Eleanor Rigby” in a memorable way. Shockingly, this unique Beatles tune only made it to no. 11 on the Hot 100 chart in the US.
5. “Here Comes The Sun”
Out of all the entries on our list of Beatles songs that didn’t hit no. 1 in the United States, this one is probably the most shocking. “Here Comes The Sun” is a stunning track from the 1969 album Abbey Road, and it’s also one of George Harrison’s best contributions to the band. “Here Comes The Sun” only made it to no. 3 on the US Billboard Hot Rock Songs after it was released.
Photo by Ivan Keeman/Redferns
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