John Lennon – ‘Mother’

For anyone wanting to learn more about John Lennon, specifically his upbringing, look no further than ‘Mother’. One of the saddest songs in his entire discography, ‘Mother’ captures the yearning and the heartbreak that always lingered in Lennon’s mind, only venturing out to the surface when he was under the kind of influence that allowed his demons to roam freely.

In fact, George Harrison once said that he never realised how “screwed up” his former bandmate was until he released John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band, and songs like ‘Mother’ prove precisely why – because Lennon rarely shared his darkness except through the art of song. Most of Lennon’s peers were absolutely floored by the song, too, including Lou Reed, who couldn’t quite believe his ears the first time he’d heard it.

“That was a song that had realism,” he said. “When I first heard it, I didn’t even know it was him. I just said, ‘Who the fuck is that? I don’t believe that.’ Because the lyrics to that are real. You see, he wasn’t kidding around. He got right down to it, as down as you can get. I like that in a song.”

Paul McCartney – ‘Let Me Roll It’

A commonly misinterpreted song in McCartney’s discography, ‘Let Me Roll It’ isn’t the double entendre that you might think. At the time of release, people thought it was a hit at Lennon, especially as it appeared to be written in Lennon’s specific style with lyrics that seemingly addressed a rift between the two parties.

However, according to McCartney, the song was about something much simpler, which, if for nothing else, just adds to its appeal. “To tell you the truth, that was more [about] rolling a joint,” said McCartney. “That was the double meaning there: ‘let me roll it to you.’ That was more at the back of my mind than anything else.”

John Lennon – ‘Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)’

Yes, this song was popular long before TikTok came along. No, the original version isn’t the same slowed-down, creepy version you hear all over the platform – it’s actually a beautiful arrangement written for his son, Sean, written in a way to soothe him after a particularly bad dream.

The song is one of the most heartwarming that Lennon ever wrote, so much so that McCartney even once said that it’s his favourite from his former musical partner. Though this likely has something to do with the secret message Lennon poured into the song, specifically in the line, “Every day, in every way, it’s getting better and better,” in tribute to his former band member.

Lennon’s wife, Yoko Ono, also agreed that it’s one of his best, both including him in their separate episodes of Desert Island Disks as essential Lennon tracks. It’s easy to see why – it’s personal and with a hard-hitting message of hope and togetherness, two themes Lennon often explored in his music.

George Harrison – ‘Got My Mind Set on You’

This might seem a little cliché, but then again, popular tracks always become popular for a reason. Some might argue that ‘Got My Mind Set on You’ has nothing on ‘A Day in the Life’, especially as it’s also not a Harrison original, but let’s look at it like this.

Written as part of Harrison’s Cloud Nine album – where, as we know, magic occurred left right and centre and spawned one of the greatest-ever supergroups in history – the song proved that Harrison could make quite the scene by putting his own stamp on something, even if it was what Weird Al Yankovic once called a song that is “just six words long”.

It’s also a simple display of everything Harrison was good at, especially when it came to applying his own spin on established tropes or older classics. ‘Got My Mind Set on You’ is direct about all the reasons that Harrison excelled in his solo work. It’s catchy, fun, and most importantly, nostalgic.

Paul McCartney – ‘Home Tonight’

Not many people mention this song when you bring up McCartney’s solo stuff, but that’s precisely why it belongs in this list. At first listen, you might wonder what’s so good about this particular track, but you can’t really argue with its lively and upbeat sweetness, all quintessential markers of McCartney’s solo music.

One that came much later than his so-called golden era, ‘Home Tonight’ is fun, funky, and a little weird when you look at the lyrics, but it captures everything great about who McCartney is as a solo artist, giving it that jam-like feel that’s both simple, endearing, and McCartney-level accomplished. Sometimes great songs don’t have to have a deeper meaning, and that’s OK.

George Harrison – ‘My Sweet Lord’

It is no secret that George Harrison’s songwriting talents routinely flew under the radar within The Beatles’ camp, rarely, if ever, placed on quite the same pedestal as the countless Lennon-McCartney compositions. So, when embarking upon his solo career, the songwriter had free rein to explore all the influences that he had been steadily amassing during his Beatles days. ‘My Sweet Lord’ was, in essence, the culmination of those influences. 

On many levels, ‘My Sweet Lord’ is indebted to Harrison’s unending appreciation for his Indian influences (the lord in question being Krishna), but it also exemplifies the kind of universal power that the songwriter struck upon with ease. Whether viewing it as a song of worship or simply a run-of-the-mill love song, there is a distinct and unique beauty to ‘My Sweet Lord’ which is unparalleled within The Beatles’ own discography. It might not sound quite as experimental as ‘A Day in the Life’, but its complex Indian-inspired arrangement, coupled with that universal message of love and understanding, goes a long way to explaining the song’s enduring appeal. 

George Harrison – ‘Mama You’ve Been On My Mind’

Bob Dylan was one of the people that George Harrison sought solace in when the mood in The Beatles’ camp was less than harmonious, so it is no surprise that the folk hero’s influence is all over Harrison’s early solo work. In addition to the multiple All Things Must Pass tracks that the pair wrote together over the course of a Thanksgiving weekend in 1968, Dylan’s heartbreak anthem ‘Mama You’ve Been On My Mind’ was a regular jam for the performer.

In addition to leading The Beatles through an impromptu version of the pulchritudinous track during the late 1960s, Harrison also recorded the song during the 1980s, which eventually made its way onto Early Takes. The emotive power of Dylan’s songwriting has always been unmatchable, but when supported by the gentle vocal delivery of Harrison on this rendition, ‘Mama You’ve Been On My Mind’ takes on an entirely different, elevated existence, easily rivalling The Beatles’ own emotive efforts in the process.

John Lennon – ‘Isolation’

The multi-layered, psychedelic narrative built over the course of ‘A Day in the Life’ is no match for the incredibly complex real-life narrative John Lennon was living through in the days immediately following The Beatles’ ultimate demise. Plagued by unwanted attention, public scrutiny, legal troubles, and drug addiction, among a myriad of other unavoidable barriers, the songwriter was in an unshakably tough spot. 

Invariably, songwriting was Lennon’s way of dealing with those troubles, and ‘Isolation’ is the perfect musical microcosm of his life post-Beatles, and the fact that it was released as the B-side to the similarly heartbreaking masterpiece ‘Mother’ only adds to its power. 

Exemplifying the seemingly endless songwriting mastery of the bespectacled songwriter, the 1970 track is among his most gut-wrenchingly emotional, and it inevitably took on a new layer of emotive appeal following Lennon’s tragic death ten years later. 

Paul McCartney – ‘Monkberry Moon Delight’

It is not overly contentious – or shouldn’t be, anyway – to suggest that 1971’s Ram is an absolute masterpiece, and easily rivals multiple Beatles albums in terms of songwriting quality and sonic diversity. Among its incredible tracklisting, ‘Monkberry Moon Delight’ is a definite stand-out; an endlessly replayable ode to McCartney’s blues and R&B influences, particularly evident in his Screamin’ Jay Hawkins delivery. 

Much like how George Harrison was free to exercise his diverse influences after The Beatles split, McCartney also seemed to find a newly renewed creative freedom, and it is euphoric anthems like ‘Monkberry’ which best exemplify that fact. You can hear in the recording just how much passion and, ultimately, enjoyment McCartney is putting into the track, and that sense of spontaneity proves that you don’t necessarily need the innovative multi-layered composition and experimental production techniques of a song like ‘A Day in the Life’. 

Paul McCartney – ‘Junk’

A multitude of unanswered questions are raised when you look through the history of the Fab Four, but one of the most unfathomable is why McCartney’s ‘Junk’ was omitted from the multiple different albums it was slated for. A true labour of love going right back to the band’s transcendental trip to India in 1968, the song is among the most gorgeous, gentle compositions that McCartney has ever lent his name to. 

Featured on the far-too-often-maligned McCartney album, ‘Junk’ serves not only as a meditative masterpiece but also as a sign of how the songwriter can conjure up such an intense, visionary range of emotions with only a few simplistic lyrics. There is no overbearing production or vast orchestral accompaniment; it is simply McCartney in his purest, most stripped-back form, and it still has the power to make hairs stand on end over half a century later.