‘Love Me Do’: Roger Daltrey’s favourite song by The Beatles
Drawing inspiration from the rock ‘n’ roll pioneers of the 1950s and infusing it with a distinctly Liverpudlian flair, The Beatles emerged onto the scene in 1962, signalling a cultural shift from the past to an uncharted future – a transition they might not have fully grasped at the time.
Their influence rippled through the fabric of society, impacting their contemporaries and challenging established norms. The gates of success swung open for a multitude of other groups in their wake, among them The Who, led by frontman Roger Daltrey, who remains keenly aware of the transformative power set in motion by The Beatles’ arrival.
While Daltrey might presently be reflecting on a six-decade-long career with The Who, which now looks to be drawing to a close, he has hit heights and experienced a level of critical and commercial success rarely seen in the contemporary era. This is due to the internet’s dominance over music consumption.
Daltrey emerges as one of the more outspoken rockstars, unafraid to venture into the realm of controversy—a characteristic that aligns seamlessly with his persona and the trajectory of The Who. The foundation of their career lies in the rebellious anthem ‘My Generation’, a rallying cry for societal change that significantly contributed to its realisation. In both speech and song, Daltrey and The Who embody a spirit of defiance that has become synonymous with their enduring legacy.
Yet, for all of Daltrey’s somewhat questionable viewpoints, there can be no doubt that when it comes to his era’s music, he knows what he’s talking about. This was something he outlined when appearing on BBC Radio 2’s Tracks of My Years when he looked back on his life through the prism of ten significant songs that have soundtracked it.
One of the highlights of Daltrey’s collection was ‘Love Me Do’ by The Beatles, their 1962 debut single. His favourite song by the band, he is acutely aware of its consequence and nature as the beat of the butterfly wing that kicked off the immense cultural shift that the rest of the decade came to represent.
“You got to have this song, because when we first heard that come out from radio Luxembourg, not BBC, they wouldn’t play,” he said. “But again, the sound of ‘Love Me Do’ was the key ignition that started the swinging 60s and the whole business, the whole music industry changed.”
Daltrey added: “They had an extraordinary sound, that harmonica, the sound of the harmonies together was so different of everything that ever that had been before.”
Listen to ‘Love Me Do’ by The Beatles below.
