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The Beatles had already won over music fans when they released their debut album, Please Please Me. The title song was the first of several Fab Four hits that didn’t surprisingly didn’t hit No. 1. When the album hit shelves in England on March 22, 1963, it started an incredible run of success. Let’s look at the five best Please Please Me songs, tunes that helped launch The Beatles’ legendary career.
‘Please Please Me’ ignited an unprecedented streak for The Beatles
Once Please Please Me made it on the charts in England, it locked down the top spot for an incredible 30 weeks, per the Official Charts Company. The debut album lasted for 70 weeks on the charts. Sgt. Pepper and Abbey Road are the only Beatles albums with longer tenures.
Perhaps most impressively, Please Please Me was the first of eight straight Beatles studio albums to reach No. 1. Magical Mystery Tour broke the streak in 1968. For a debut to leave such an impact underscores The Beatles’ mastery of their craft and music fans’ desire for a new sound in the early 1960s.
The five best Please Please Me songs remain some of The Beatles’ best and show a band with the tools to conquer the world with their groundbreaking music. (Presented in the order they appear on the album).
1. ‘I Saw Her Standing There’
Paul McCartney said he stole the bass riff from Chuck Berry. If you’re looking to pen a catchy hit song, there are far worse artists to mimic, and The Beatles wrote an earworm with “When I Saw Her Standing There.”
Between the vocal melodies, hand-clap percussion, the primal howl at the start of the line “Oh when I saw her standing there,” and harmonization on the chorus, it’s easy to see why “I Saw Her Standing There” is one of The Beatles most downloaded and streamed songs (per Official Charts).
2. ‘Misery’
“Baby It’s You” is a favorite among Beatles fans, but we rank “Misery” a bit higher for a few reasons:
- It’s a Paul McCartney-John Lennon tune. In a battle between two songs that share a similar sentiment, we place the original song over the cover.
- George Martin’s piano line adds a wonderful melodic accompaniment to the bridge.
- “Misery” comes in nearly a minute shorter. “Baby It’s You,” with its slower tempo and longer run time, drags on a bit, whereas “Misery” is a brief yet memorable tune.
Put it all together and you have one of the best songs from Please Please Me on your hands (or is that in your ears?).
3. ‘Please Please Me’
The title track showcases nearly every element that made The Beatles so successful throughout their career. You get sugary sweet melodies, expert harmonization, George Harrison’s solid guitar work, and Ringo Starr’s understated yet effective drumming to anchor it all.
Oh, and John showcases his solid harmonica playing as he sets the first melodic hook in the song. “Please Please Me” went to No. 2 in England, reached No. 3 on the Billboard singles chart once U.S. fans got wise to The Beatles, and anchored the debut album. The band nearly abandoned the song, but they stuck with it an delivered one of the best songs from Please Please Me.
4. ‘Love Me Do’
Is “Love Me Do” complicated? No. Is it repetitive? Yes. Cynthia Lennon called it monotonous. But so what? On an album comprised mostly of covers, this jaunty original might be one of the most important songs in The Beatles’ catalog.
It whetted fans’ appetite for Fab Four songs as the first single. It cracked the top 20 in England in 1962, which couldn’t have hurt the band’s confidence as they prepared to record Please Please Me in early 1963.
5. ‘Twist and Shout’
How can you not include one of The Beatles’ most streamed songs on the list? It’s a cover song made famous by the Isley Brothers, but The Beatles put their stamp on it.
The final tune recorded during a one-day marathon session required only one take. That’s because The Beatles couldn’t have done a second one. John’s voice was shot from battling a cold and a full day of recording vocals. The Fab Four showed how fab they were by nailing “Twist and Shout.”
The triple vocal harmonies, George’s guitar solo, and Ringo’s subtly complex drumming put a stamp on Please Please Me’s final track. “Twist and Shout” was a cover, but it was a chance for the Beatles to showcase a harder edge that they put on display in the coming years.
The Beatles debut album started an incredible run for the band, and the best songs from Please Please Me remain standouts in the band’s catalog.
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