Bruce Springsteen picks the best singer in The Beatles
Everyone has their opinion on who is the best member of The Beatles. It’s part of the enduring charm of the Fab Four.
There’s a solid case to be made for Paul McCartney, thanks to his cheeky charm and tireless songwriting contributions to the band. Others have found themselves drawn to Ringo Starr for his affable nature and humility. Or to the so-called quiet Beatle, George Harrison with his boyish smirk and shimmering soul. Then there’s the lovable bastard, John Lennon, with his wit, issues, and ingenuity.
But if we amend the question slightly and ask which Beatle had the best voice, excluding all other factors, who comes out on top? The gravel-voiced chanter, Bruce Springsteen, has an answer.
While some Beatles sang more than others, every member of the band took on lead vocal parts at some point during their decade-long existence as a band. Even Keith Richards once quipped that The Beatles were blessed to have four great singers in their band, whereas he didn’t even have one at his disposal.
Though he wasn’t a main lyricist, Ringo Starr sometimes doubled up on drums and vocals, such as on the playful ‘Yellow Submarine’ and the gorgeous rocker ‘With a Little Help from My Friends’. It almost feels like a rare treat to hear him on the mic and his smile almost shines through in the sound, but he doesn’t quite take the title for Springsteen’s favourite.
George Harrison would show off his vocal prowess occasionally too, such as on the twinkling ‘Here Comes The Sun’, which remains one of the band’s warmest and most well-loved tracks. This is partially thanks to Harrison’s lead vocals, which are just as dainty and lush as the twangs that surround them.
He would continue to show off his talents on the mic when he embarked upon a solo career beyond The Beatles, chirping away with his idiosyncratic Scouse drawl. But once again, he doesn’t get the nod from the Boss.
As one of the band’s main songwriters, McCartney often found himself behind the microphone. His smooth tones afforded his melodies and lyrics even more emotional power, and his voice has become one of the most familiar in music history. Melancholic tracks like ‘Yesterday’ and ‘Let It Be’ make a solid case for McCartney to be crowned the best singer in The Beatles alone.
Yet, Macca was also multifaceted enough to take on songs of booming complexity like ‘Golden Slumbers’ where he not only belts it out but does so with great range and gruffness across a glorious spectrum. But even he isn’t Springsteen’s pick. (Spoiler, he doesn’t go for Billy Preston, either).
Rather, the so-called Boss affords the title to McCartney’s early songwriting partner, John Lennon. The rhythm guitarist was the only Beatle to make Springsteen’s list of his favourite vocalists of all time, which he divulged to Rolling Stone. Lennon takes fourth place on his list, just behind fellow 1960s icon Bob Dylan and just ahead of soul legend Aretha Franklin.
Like McCartney, Lennon often took up lead vocal parts for The Beatles for songs he had led during the writing process. Lennon had the ability to adjust his tone to each piece he took on, enhancing the emotions contained within the lyrics and instrumentation, and perhaps this is why he’s the only Beatle to make Springsteen’s list.
He lent his distinctive voice to tracks like ‘Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds’ and ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’, both of which show off a slightly more playful sound. There’s an early rock and roll energy to his words on ‘A Hard Day’s Night’, but Lennon could evoke emotion with his voice too, as evidenced by solo tracks like ‘Imagine’ and ‘Beautiful Boy’. He allowed the song itself to thrive, bending his voice to each composition’s needs at will while maintaining a certain raw, real quality.
Some Beatles fans will disagree with Springsteen’s choice, finding more warmth in McCartney’s tones or cherishing the rarity of a Starr-led track, but Lennon is a solid pick. He knew what each song needed, whether he had written it or not, and he used this knowledge to adjust his vocal style accordingly.
But perhaps above all, when he sang, you sat up and took notice. That pretty much perfectly aligns with what set The Beatles apart in general. Their songs were impossible to ignore. And while Lennon might have taken the crown from a vocal perspective in this particular polemic, it took all four lads to make them Fab.
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