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TL;DR:
- The Beatles’ “Here Comes the Sun” is surprisingly popular given its history.
- It never charted on the Billboard Hot 100.
- The tune pales in comparison to other folk songs by The Beatles and other uplifting songs by the band.
The Beatles‘ “Here Comes the Sun” is one of the most famous tunes in the Fab Four’s catalog. It’s probably their most overrated song. In addition, “Here Comes the Sun” is not their best song about the sun.
Why The Beatles’ ‘Here Comes the Sun’ was unlikely to become a famous song
Abbey Road is one of The Beatles’ most famous albums. It includes major hits like “Come Together” and “Something” alongside lesser-known gems like “I Want You (She’s So Heavy)” and “Oh! Darling.” Possibly the most well-remembered tune on the album is “Here Comes the Sun.” It’s surprising this is the case for a few reasons.
Firstly, “Here Comes the Sun” was penned by George Harrison. While George was a star who had hits of his own, he is usually overshadowed in the public consciousness by the Lennon-McCartney songwriting partnership. Furthermore, “Here Comes the Sun” was never a single and it didn’t chart on the Billboard Hot 100. All these things are working against the recognition of “Here Comes the Sun.” However, the main reason the song shouldn’t be so famous is it’s not very good.
The Beatles released many better folk songs and better songs with positive lyrics
The Beatles went through several eras, including their bubblegum era, their folk era, and their psychedelic era. “Here Comes the Sun” is a folk song the Fab Four released a few years after their folk era reached its pinnacle with Rubber Soul. Comparing “Here Comes the Sun” to the band’s other folk songs, it’s nothing special. It doesn’t have the wit of “Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown),” the melody of “I Me Mine,” the intriguing menace of “Girl,” or even the classic pop appeal of “Michelle.”
The endurance of “Here Comes the Sun” likely has something to do with its lyrics. It’s a song about finding happiness after hard times, making it a predecessor to modern self-empowerment anthems. But it doesn’t hold a candle to other Beatles tracks with uplifting lyrics like “Hey Jude,” “Let It Be,” and “All You Need Is Love.” Frankly, it’s a simple little tune from a songwriter and a band who proved again and again they could do a lot better. It’s sad “Here Comes the Sun” overshadowed so many of George’s better tunes.
How ‘Here Comes the Sun’ compares to other Fab Four songs about the sun or sunshine
“Here Comes the Sun” isn’t even the band’s best song about the sun! “Good Day Sunshine” from Revolver has a much better melody and more energy. Even the ignored instrumental track “Sun King” from Abbey Road is arguably superior to “Here Comes the Sun,” as it has some pretty harmonies.
“Here Comes the Sun” isn’t the classic it’s made out to be but it’s definitely brought a lot of joy to fans over the years.
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