Many contemporary songwriters toiling in pop, rock, and country would likely argue that the most important facet of a song is the melody. While lyrics are incredibly important in their own right, they often aren’t the thing that brings back the listner for more and more. On occasions, they have been, but what makes a song into an addiction is ultimately, the melody, and Michael Jackson seemingly attested to that perspective when talking about two Beatles songs in particular.
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Needless to say, The Beatles were masters at their craft. The majority of their songs didn’t just feature one incredible part, but several incredible parts. In other words, the melody, rhythm, hook, lyrics, and tempo were always performing at the highest of levels on any of their given songs. Regarding melody, two Beatles songs that Michael Jackson believed were so good that they didn’t even need lyrics were “Here Comes The Sun” and “Fool On The Hill”.
The High Praise Michael Jackson Had for The Beatles’ Melodies
Michael Jackson was always a staunch fan of The Beatles. However, what music-loving kid in the 1960s wasn’t? Nevertheless, that fandom stretched far beyond Jackson’s youth, as he often praised the musical genius of the Fab Four even when he was on the way to becoming just as big as them.
One of the premier facets of The Beatles’ music that struck a major chord with Michael Jackson was their melodies. Given that one of the most essential foundations of Jackson’s music is its catchiness and digestibility, this is of little surprise. Concerning his affinity for The Beatles’ melodies, Jackson stated, “I mean, I think melodies are always important, I mean, especially like some of the old Beatle things, I mean, I think the melodies are beautiful.”
“I mean, that’s what I think makes them stay around so long,” said Jackson. “If you just hum ‘Here Comes The Sun’ or ‘[The] Fool On The Hill,’ I mean the melody is so pretty you don’t …The lyrics are beautiful too, but you don’t really need it,” continued MJ, per George Harrison on George Harrison: Interviews and Encounters.
While Jackson praised the lyrics, he was certainly on to something in that take. After all, what do you think people remember more from these two songs? The lyrics or the melody? We won’t answer that for you, but generally speaking, the question applies to every Beatles song. In turn, that creates another question: Were The Beatles better lyricists or composers?
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