The best songs on ‘Revolver’, according to The Beatles
Amassing a global audience for their loved-up pop songs during the early part of the 1960s, The Beatles were always destined for something greater. Each and every album built upon their skills in both songwriting and musical innovation, but it was 1966’s Revolver that marked a stark change in the band’s output. Their final album prior to retiring from live performance, the landmark release arguably saw the Fab Four at their most creative and experimental, making it a firm favourite among fans and the band itself.
Seemingly every Beatles fan has their own ideas of which specific record was the band’s greatest album, but Revolver is a name that crops up more than most. With groundbreaking songs like ‘Tomorrow Never Knows’ and ‘Eleanor Rigby’ employing the kind of studio innovation that would go on to define the later period of The Beatles, and tracks like ‘Here, There, and Everywhere’ affirming that the band never lost their knack for writing timeless love songs, Revolver was an undisputed triumph.
Revolver was also notable for its inclusion of songs written by George Harrison. Although the guitarist had written multiple works for the band prior, beginning with ‘Don’t Bother Me’ from With The Beatles, the 1966 record placed a greater importance on his efforts than previous releases. As such, songs like ‘Taxman’, ‘Love You To’, and ‘I Want to Tell You’ added entirely new levels of sonic diversity to The Beatles’ repertoire, alongside some particularly strong efforts from the Lennon-McCartney partnership.
This bold new era for the band, placing ultimate importance on studio work rather than live performance, was virtually unheard of within the wider music industry. Nevertheless, after years of chaotic tours, fan riots, and even near-death experiences at the hands of power-drunk dictators, becoming a studio band allowed The Beatles to breathe a sigh of relief, and work more tirelessly on their material.
It should come as no surprise, therefore, that Revolver was among the most enjoyable for the band to record. For a brief moment, a fascination with experimentation and creativity eclipsed the egos of the band members, allowing for a much more harmonious experience than the recording of later records like Let It Be.
Although none of The Beatles ever formally compiled a list of their favourite Beatles songs to work on, various interviews and comments over the years have marked certain songs as favourites of the band members. Of those favourites, a handful come from Revolver. Paul McCartney, for instance, has regularly highlighted ‘And Your Bird Can Sing’ and the classic ‘Eleanor Rigby’ as particular favourites of his from his years in the Fab Four.
Interestingly, Harrison also noted ‘Eleanor Rigby’ as one of his favourite Beatles tracks, choosing it over the multiple songs he wrote for Revolver himself. Luckily, John Lennon often selected the Harrison-penned ‘Taxman’ as one of his preferred Beatles songs, readdressing the balance. Elsewhere, Lennon also cited McCartney’s ‘Here, There and Everywhere’ as a favourite, despite being famously uninterested in many of The Beatles’ later love songs.
Although the 1966 album featured Ringo Starr’s ‘Yellow Submarine’, the drummer has never highlighted any tracks from Revolver as particular favourites. Seemingly, Starr favours the band’s later works, with ‘Come Together’ from Abbey Road being his ultimate favourite. For his bandmates, though, Revolver hosted multiple career highlights for The Beatles.
The Beatles’ favourite songs from Revolver:
- ‘Eleanor Rigby’ (Paul McCartney, George Harrison)
- ‘And Your Bird Can Sing’ (Paul McCartney)
- ‘Here, There and Everywhere’ (John Lennon)
- ‘Taxman’ (John Lennon)
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