Alex Turner’s favourite John Lennon song
The Beatles are arguably the most influential band in history. It’s tough to find a rock act that has followed that doesn’t cite the Liverpudlian Fab Four as a major source of inspiration, and Alex Turner is no different.
From their early classic rock and roll days through to the more experiential sounds in their later period, The Beatles provided a wealth of inspiration. Still standing as one of the most iconic and beloved acts, they reached a level of fame that we might never see again. They, without a doubt, are one of the United Kingdom’s most popular exports when it comes to music.
Arctic Monkeys are another one, as the Sheffield-born indie band quickly rose to become one of the world’s biggest bands. If The Beatles defined the 1960s, Arctic Monkeys are a defining sound of today, helping to herald in the country’s indie obsession in the 2000s.
It’s no surprise, then, that frontman Alex Turner looks up to The Beatles as not only a source of musical inspiration but a kind of golden example of where his band could end up. When talking about his favourite track by the Fab Four, it stands out as a childhood memory that helped turn his attention to music.
As part of a celebration of John Lennon’s music, Alex Turner was asked by the singer and songwriter to choose his favourite song. His selection came in the form of ‘In My Life’, an ode to Liverpool sat on the band’s 1965 record Rubber Soul. “I’ve always loved that tune. I think it might be my mum and dad’s favourite Beatles tune, too,” Turner said, providing an insight into his early musical education.
In the age-old question of Lennon or McCartney, Turner’s answer is clear as he adds, “Do I prefer Lennon to McCartney? Yeah, that goes without saying.”
As a band, Arctic Monkeys seem to take plenty of lessons from The Beatles. While Turner’s personal favourite song is one of their more traditional and demure, as a band, they wade into darker waters. He continued, “’Happiness Is A Warm Gun’ is probably our favourite Beatles tune as a band.”
As both bands started as teenage boys sharing a love of music, Arctic Monkeys’ trajectory to the stars wasn’t too dissimilar from The Beatles. Getting to tour the world and gain fame alongside their best friends, both bands were born out of friendship and shared taste.
“I was watching that Gimme Some Truth film the other day,” Turner said, talking about the similarities he sees between his band and the Beatles. “They’re talking about the Beatles around the table, taking the piss out of the whole thing, saying: ‘So have you seen any of The Beatles…?’ ‘From one Beatle to another…’ Probably to them it did get to be a joke. I bet they did always take the piss out of it. It’s like that with us, we already take the piss out of ourselves.”
