The 10 greatest songs recorded at Abbey Road
It seems that all around the world, recording studios continue shutting down, but one that’s still in operation and remains as iconic as ever is the illustrious Abbey Road.
It shouldn’t come as a surprise to people that recording studios are closing. It’s not that people don’t like using said studios, but we live in an age where music pays less than it ever has in history, and subsequently, bands can’t afford studio time anymore. Instead, people are forced to learn to record and produce from home, creating bedroom music, which can still work, but misses out on a range of benefits that usually come from going to a studio.
There is an energy that comes with playing in a studio that you struggle to recreate in a DIY setting. When you’re playing with your band, each member locking eyes in the same room, hearing the same music and reacting to it, it creates an immeasurable sensation that has resulted in some great music. Abbey Road is one of the best examples of a studio that has an infectious energy which influences the artists who play there, as there have been more great songs recorded within those walls than we can count.
In a bid to condense this plethora of classics into something more digestible, Far Out have put together their definitive list of the ten greatest songs that were recorded at Abbey Road Studios. From The Beatles to Florence + The Machine, Punk Floyd to Dave, there is no escaping that these studios breed genius.
The greatest songs ever recorded at Abbey Road:
‘Come Together’ – The Beatles
The band most famous for their recording efforts at Abbey Road are quite easily The Beatles. They put together so much material there that they opted to name one of their albums after the famed location. Beatles fans are incapable of picking their favourite song from the band, and for good reason, as they’ve got plenty. This abundance of quality means picking their greatest track recorded at Abbey Road is difficult, but ‘Come Together’ feels like a pretty good option.
There is something infectious about that song which is difficult to put your finger on. The rolling nature of it, the abstract and yet charming vocals, the slightly more aggressive guitars during the chorus, it all comes together to make one of The Beatles’ most iconic songs. Still listened to today, the quality of the recording that took place within those four walls is something which has aged magnificently.
‘Imagine’ – John Lennon
Once the Beatles broke up, it marked an opportunity for John Lennon to begin writing songs which were a better reflection of himself. Gone were the days of pop-happy jaunty numbers, as Lennon instead was ready to usher in harsh truths about himself, scathing indictments on politicians, and general thoughts on the way we should live our lives.
When he released ‘Imagine’ it received mixed reviews. Many liked the message behind it and thought Lennon delivered it beautifully, meanwhile, others felt as though the track was somewhat hypocritical given it came from a millionaire. Regardless of your opinion, one thing is for sure, the fact that people still talk about the song at length shows that it had longevity, that Lennon tapped into something within the average listener, and that it sounded beautiful.
‘Stand By Me’ – Oasis
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve likely seen some of the heartwarming and adrenaline inducing videos that have come out of the Oasis reunion. It’s impossible to watch something like that and not have your hairs stand on end, as the band’s energetic, nostalgic and blood-pumping music ricocheted off the walls in stadiums around the world.
They’re another example of iconic artists who have graced the recording studios in Abbey Road. The band recorded the classic Be Here Now at Abbey Road, which comes packed with some of the greatest songs they ever committed to the airwaves. On there is the ballad ‘Stand By Me’, which many a fan has been singing at the top of their lungs whenever they’ve heard it over the past couple of decades. That song remains one of the band’s best, and equally is one of the best tracks to come out of Abbey Road.
‘Spectrum (Say My Name)’ – Florence and the Machine
Florence and the Machine have a sound which seems to follow time and culture like a shadow. It feels as though no matter what phase the musical world is going through, and what is happening on a broader scale, there is Florence Welch’s iconic voice and the band’s large sound lingering somewhere in the background. It’s timeless, soothing, and something that can in part be attributed to Abbey Road.
The band’s sophomore album, Ceremonials, was recorded at the iconic studio, and it saw the band make some of their most commercially successful music. ‘Spectrum (Say My Name)’ still manages to fill dancefloors and pack out stadiums everywhere, as the band produced a song that wasn’t just good, it was utterly timeless.
‘My Sweet Lord’ – George Harrison
Arguably, one of the biggest examples of being underappreciated is George Harrison and his songwriting abilities in the Beatles. He was constantly writing for the band, but received pushback due to the fact it didn’t fit the iconic sound the band was going for. As a result, Harrison was sitting on classics; classics that couldn’t be released until he began working on his solo career.
When he was ready to work on solo music, Harrison headed back to Abbey Road, which is where he recorded the track ‘My Sweet Lord’. If you could record the sound of a flower opening, it would resemble something like this: part pop song, part prayer. George Harrison allows his spirituality and his creativity to lock arms in this undeniable classic.
‘Interstellar Overdrive’ – Pink Floyd
One of the great things about Pink Floyd is how much their sound adapted over time. As band members came and went, the style of Pink Floyd shifted from one which was more focused on writing great individual songs, to another that focused on elongated concept albums. Piper At The Gates of Dawn is an example of the former, as with Syd Barrett at the helm, the band put together some sharp and sweet sounding songs.
Even though the album isn’t a favourite amongst other members of the band, fans still flock to it, and for good reason. Songs like ‘Interstellar Overdrive’ are a great example of the kind of music that Pink Floyd were capable of making and a reflection of their attitude towards creative boundarylessness.
‘The Great Gig in the Sky’ – Pink Floyd
Once Syd Barrett left Pink Floyd, Roger Waters tried to emulate his style of writing but realised it didn’t suit him. The band leaned heavily on various themes, opting for longer songs and creating complex concept albums that kept one specific sound or story at its heart. One of their greatest albums from this period was Dark Side Of The Moon, and one of the greatest songs from this album was ‘The Great Gig in the Sky’.
Can you even call it a song? It feels more like a euphoric release, the kind of sound that lines epiphanies when they happen. The vocals and instrumentation on this track are massive, and it’s interesting to hear the two different styles of Pink Floyd perfectly captured by Abbey Road.
‘Be Thankful For What You’ve Got’ – Massive Attack
Blue Lines was the first Massive Attack album I ever heard. It was one of those perfect listening experiences where each song blended into one another, it sounded less like a collection of tracks and more like one free-flowing example of rap, jazz and hip-hop. It was truly an experience to listen to, and now, after multiple times revisiting, I can appreciate the songs for individual pieces of work as well as the album as a whole.
When considering all of those songs, there is no escaping the fact that one of the most memorable, catchy and notorious songs on the whole record is ‘Be Thankful For What You’ve Got’. The rhythm is slightly off-kilter and yet still sounds great. Equally, the song has been recognised by those it inspired, given it has been sampled plenty of times since it was originally recorded at Abbey Road.
‘Black’ – Dave
The majority of iconic records which were put together at Abbey Road lean towards an iconic rock and pop sound, but music has always evolved, and with that evolution, the artists who have made albums at Abbey Road have also practised different genres. Arguably one of the UK’s greatest lyricists recorded his record PSYCHODRAMA at Abbey Road, and while it might be a different genre to some of the Beatles and Pink Floyd’s earlier offerings, that doesn’t make it any less moving.
The first time that a lot of people came across Dave’s song ‘Black’ was when he performed it on stage at the Brits in what was one of the most moving sets the awards have ever seen. Many flocked to the album to re-listen to the track following the show, and while some studio recordings don’t do a live performance justice, the job that Dave managed to do getting that emotional sound down at Abbey Road studios is inspiring. The track remains one of the most powerful rap songs in recent history, and is one example of many of great songs brought to life in Abbey Road.
‘It’s No Good’ – Depeche Mode
The ninth album, Ultra, by the exciting, eclectic and pioneering synth-pop ultras, Depeche Mode, was recorded at Abbey Road, and the studio’s iconic setting can be heard in nearly every setting. While those synth-infused elements were still present, the band explored more rock-heavy influences, the result is one of their most unique sounding records.
The record is littered with great songs, to the extent that almost any of them could have made it onto this list; however, it would be remiss to talk about Ultra and not mention the hit that was ‘It’s No Good’. To create a track which is catchy but also unrelenting in its intensity is tricky, but the band nailed it with a track which once reverberated off the walls of Abbey Road before it found its way into living rooms around the world.
