Now that we’ve successfully navigated through their proper album catalog, our inaugural Artist In Residence series featuring The Beatles continues with a chronological journey through their singles library. This first section focuses on their initial releases in 1962 and 1963, a buzzing period that found the Fab Four breaking through in their United Kingdom homeland, leading up to their eventual arrival in the United States in February 1964, and the unleashing of Beatlemania that followed. Although the worldwide success of these early singles outside of the UK would be delayed until that whirlwind year of ’64, the energetic buzz they created in their home-country was certainly indicative of the electric, era-defining popularity that was to come.
There’s no denying that these hits are startlingly quaint and bubblegum in nature compared to the ambitiously experimental records the band would create in the years ahead, but they remain as charming and electrifying today as they did six decades ago. But isn’t that one of the most enjoyable aspects of The Beatles’ catalog? The breadth and range they accomplished in eight short years was incomparable and astounding, and both ends of their artistic spectrum remains endlessly captivating today, whether it be the progressive complexities of their later work, or the unadulterated pop-rock ear-candy contained in the hits featured here.
These were not merely teen-rock anthems, or the sort of boy-band throwaways that they would have been relegated as in lesser hands and in later eras. The unique energy, sparkling contagion, and exhilarating performances in these tracks completely redefined a rock & roll scene still in its infancy, and one reeling creatively from Elvis Presley’s current preoccupation with Colonel Tom Parker’s onslaught of cheesy film soundtracks. The surging magic of these records provided the jolt that 60s rock would need, eventually leading to the birth of the British Invasion, the advent of psychedelia and art-rock, and a historic litany of pop-culture moments that still define the entire pantheon of popular music more than half a century later.
“Love Me Do” (b/w “P.S. I Love You”), Parlophone, 1962
From the album, Please Please Me
Songwriters: John Lennon and Paul McCartney
Producer: George Martin
#1 (US- 1964 reissue), #4 (UK)
Is there a more important debut single in the history of recorded music? You don’t need to answer that. In a charmingly simple two-and-a-half minute package, legendary producer George Martin magically captures all of the formative ingredients that helped the early Beatles love bops—seemingly standard-1962 fare on the surface level–stand out amongst the rock and pop pack of the day. Paul’s charismatic vocals, the hypnotic harmonies his voice created with John’s, George and Ringo’s stellar rhythmic support, a candy-coated pop hook, and a piercing harmonica riff that supplied a unique folk-rock grit. The benchmark for pop ear-candy is forever changed from this moment forward.
“Please Please Me” (b/w “From Me to You”), Parlophone 1963
From the album, Please Please Me
Songwriters: John Lennon and Paul McCartney
Producer: George Martin
#3 (US- 1964 reissue), #2 (UK)
The first taste of what an enormous amount of surging adrenaline The Beatles would be able to so efficiently pack into two-minute radio smash. It makes a superb spotlight for the gruff gravitas that defined Lennon’s voice and became such an effective counterpoint to McCartney’s smoother qualities. The harmonica flourishes from “Love Me Do” are taken to a new level of urgency here, perfectly matching Lennon’s palpitating performance, before it reaches a fever pitch with McCartney’s harmonies at the peak. Thousands of listens later and its infectious nature never waivers.
“From Me to You” (b/w “Thank You Girl”), Parlophone, 1963
#41 (US), #1 (UK)
Songwriters: John Lennon and Paul McCartney
Producer: George Martin
The nostalgic and youthful adoration that I’ve always carried for this hit may suggest that I myself grew up in the midst of Beatlemania. In reality, I grew up in the 90s with a father who grew up in the midst of Beatlemania, and played these records with the same nostalgic joy during that time. Which is really the next best thing. More plum-pop perfection in the same joyful vein as its two predecessors. It deserved to have the same 1964-reissue success in the US as the hits that surrounded it.
“She Loves You” (b/w “I’ll Get You”), Parlophone, 1963
#1 (US), #1 (UK)
Songwriters: John Lennon and Paul McCartney
Producer: George Martin
The definitive performance that launched the band into the sales stratosphere in the United Kingdom, and eventually became the flagship record for Beatlemania in the US, even though it initially played bridesmaid to “I Want To Hold Your Hand” out of the gate. To denigrate it for the undeniable fluff of the “yeah-yeah-yeah” hook is to miss the entire point and perfection of this entire performance. It iconically captures the indescribable euphoria one feels in the earliest stages of a new romance. Anchored by the definitively ringing guitar chord progressions, this performance and production found the group and Martin elevating the standards of Please Please Me to the next refined level of pop excellence.
“I Want to Hold Your Hand” (b/w “I Saw Her Standing There”), Parlophone, 1963
#1 (US), #1 (UK)
Songwriters: John Lennon and Paul McCartney
Producer: George Martin
Writing for Rolling Stone in 2004, columnist Rob Sheffield dubbed “I Want To Hold Your Hand” as “the most joyous three minutes in the history of human noise.” Amen to that. This track just erupts with an arsenal of pure happiness, awash in jubilantly passionate singing and musicianship. It’s precisely why so many of us identify the Beatles’ early music with the universal promise and optimism of youth itself. In the wake of their debut on The Ed Sullivan Show on February 9, 1964, it became their first American No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Shortly thereafter, the entire top five of the chart was historically occupied by the Beatles, a landmark achievement that wouldn’t be duplicated until Taylor Swift in the 2020s, thanks to a completely altered chart climate due to the advent of streaming. Popular music, and pop culture in general, would never be the same; Beatlemania had emphatically arrived.
Next: Singles, 1964
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