The Beatles Album That Inspired Stevie Nicks

Stevie Nicks is in a league of her own. She’s a rock goddess. Nevertheless, she had to seek inspiration from somewhere. Not even artists of her caliber create in a vacuum. Like so many rock artists in her generation, the Beatles were a strong source of inspiration for Nicks. Find out which Beatles album affected Nicks’ songwriting, below.

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The Beatles Album That Inspired Stevie Nicks

The Beatles’ 1965 album, Help!, has many era-defining tracks. “Help!,” “Ticket to Ride,” and “Yesterday” to name a few. As such, it’s not hard to see why Nicks gleaned inspiration from the album–particularly when it comes to writing love songs.

Nicks has her fair share of love/breakup songs. She has meditated on relationships as much as any other rock star–perhaps more. She could be considered an authority on the practice, but according to Nicks it’s the Beatles that deserve the praise in that department.

“Listening to Help! was like having these wise elders giving you all the information about what love is,” Nicks once said. “It was like having four great teachers showing you how to write songs.”

In particular, Nicks is fond of “Yesterday.” This Paul McCartney-penned track has fascinated songwriters ever since its release. From the simple acoustic guitar melody to the powerful lyrics about regret, “Yesterday” is a certified classic. “It’s the perfect song,” Nicks once said of this Help! cut.

Yesterday
All my troubles seemed so far away
Now it looks as though they’re here to stay
Oh, I believe in yesterday

In the same interview, Nicks spoke further about her love of the Beatles’ songwriting process.

“These guys truly wrote about the intricacies of relationships,” she continued. “It was going deeper, and that’s what we were surprised by…I would sit on my bed and learn all these songs – not the incredible chords they used, but I could get through them.”

Revisit the inspiring songwriting of Help!, below.