Beatles News

The most controversial moment in The Beatles’ career was certainly when John Lennon called the band “bigger than Jesus.” While the comment was meant to be a bit of hyperbole about how big Beatle mania was, it was taken literally. Many album-burnings later, The Beatles lost their seemingly unshakeable grip on the world.

While Lennon apologized for his comments, it never truly erased this dark spot on the band’s tenure. As the band’s time together drew to a close, Lennon became more and more open about his lack of faith in religion, as well as other systems of belief. This change didn’t help his case with the infamous “Jesus” comment. After shouldering a pretty big PR crisis during his band years, Lennon proved he wasn’t afraid to speak his mind in his solo career, releasing a song that felt like him doubling down on his prior controversy.

Lennon famously pondered a world without religion in “Imagine.” He wasn’t shy about his opinion that many organized religions did more harm than good. His solo career was riddled with songs that explore the idea of “false idols,” including the topic of conversation today: “God.”

“Hey Jude” was released over 50 years ago, and it’s still one of The Beatles’ most revered songs. The tune carries a message that’s meant to be hopeful, with lines like “Take a sad song and make it better.” However, the story behind “Hey Jude” is actually a little depressing. Here’s the tale of how Paul McCartney became inspired to write “Hey Jude”. Spoiler, it’s a tearjerker.

In 1968, McCartney was on his way to visit Cynthia Lennon and her son, Julian. At the time, Cynthia was going through a divorce from his fellow Beatle John Lennon. Lennon had been having an affair with Yoko Ono, his later second wife. Apparently, the separation from Cynthia ended up being quite nasty.

According to The Beatles Anthology, it was on the drive there that McCartney came up with what he describes as “a hopeful message” for Lennon’s son, Julian. Julian was around 5 years old at the time.

McCartney said of the drive, “I would always turn the radio off and try and make up songs, just in case… I started singing, ‘Hey Jules – don’t make it bad, take a sad song, and make it better…’” details

Collider ranked "Dig It" as the worst Beatles song, calling it "an empty song."
Paul McCartney confirmed John Lennon announced leaving the band in a meeting.
McCartney said he and Lennon reconciled before Lennon's death: "It was beautiful."

Despite disbanding in 1970, The Beatles have maintained their international popularity. However, not all their songs are exactly beloved.

In February 2026, Collider released a ranking of the top worst Beatles songs. The list featured tunes like “Savoy Truffle” from 1968, 1965’s “Run for Your Life,” “Your Mother Should Know” from 1967, 1965’s “What Goes On,” and “Little Child” from 1963.

According to the publication, the top five worst Beatles songs include 1964’s “Honey Don’t,” 1970’s “Maggie Mae,” 1968’s “Why Don’t We Do It in the Road?,” and “Wild Honey Pie” from 1968. 1970’s “Dig It” from the band’s final album, Let It Be, secured the number one spot on the list. Collider reported that “Dig It” was an empty song, not worthy of Let It Be.

In a 2018 int details

Every evening at 6pm, a gin and tonic was brought to him.

High on a mountainside on the Caribbean island of Montserrat, overlooking a valley leading down to the ocean, stood a recording studio. George Martin, who’d built it, liked to let his hair down when he made albums there. Within reason, that is.

The famously suave producer, renowned for his cut‑glass accent, had a well‑known distaste for rock ’n’ roll excess. His routine at AIR Montserrat was much more civilised: every evening at 6pm, a gin and tonic was brought to him by a butler in a white jacket. Martin, an immaculate dresser himself, would relax in shorts and flip‑flops.

“You could walk out of the studio, take three steps and you’d be in a swimming pool,” says Midge Ure, who recorded at AIR Montserrat in the ’80s. “It was a glamorous, luxurious environment. It was your place; nobody else went there. Very chilled, very British in its weird little way.”  Gold and platinum discs rolled in.

Ure’s band Ultravox had persuaded Martin to produce their 1982 album Quartet. The 56‑year‑old “Fifth Beatle” wasn’t used to synthesiser bands, but he surprised them w details

Long before the days of vulnerable tracks like “I’m a Loser” and “Help!” (and even further from the raw emotions of “Cold Turkey” and “Mother”), John Lennon was hiding his sentimentality in plain sight. The songs he wrote for The Beatles didn’t always reference his past personal life. But there were a few glimpses to be had, if one knew where to look.

One such window into Lennon’s childhood came in the form of “Do You Want To Know A Secret”, an early single from the band’s U.K. and U.S. debuts, Please Please Me and Introducing… The Beatles, respectively. In a testament to his initial subversiveness, Lennon didn’t perform lead vocals on the song, despite being the one who wrote it.

Instead, George Harrison sang lead—a creative decision Lennon would later cite as a matter of practicality, not humility. In any case, a No. 2 placement on the Billboard Hot 100 proved this choice to be a positive one.
How Julia Lennon Helped Inspire “Do You Want to Know a Secret”

John Lennon had an incredibly turbulent childhood, experiencing emotional strain and trauma that no child should ever have to endur details

Actors Paul Mescal and Barry Keoghan have been spotted in Liverpool as filming for a new Beatles biopic is under way.

A series of roads across the city and landmarks including Crosby Plaza Cinema have had a 1950s and 60s makeover for the shooting of the production, directed by Sir Sam Mendes. Four films are planned for simultaneous release in 2028, with each telling the story of the individual Fab Four band members.

Mescal is set to star as Sir Paul McCartney, Barry Keoghan as Ringo Starr, Harris Dickinson as John Lennon and Joseph Quinn as George Harrison.  Actor Paul Mescal in character as Paul McCartney riding a bike with a guitar on his back past a brick wall

Filming has taken place at a number of locations across the city.  Classic cars, buses and film posters from the 1950s alongside people dressed in fashions of the era have been spotted across the city in recent days.

Mescal has been photographed in character at various locations in south Liverpool including McCartney's famous childhood home on Forthlin Road and Lennon's on Menlove Avenue.

Cara D Photography Classic cars typical of the late 1950s and early 1960s are parked on the road in front of terraced details

Since The Beatles were the most popular and famous band in the world during their heyday, you’d think they would have one at least one Grammy for Song of the Year… and they did. In 1967, at the ninth annual Grammy Awards ceremony, the Fab Four took home the prestigious trophy for the ballad “Michelle.”

As a songwriters honor, the trophy was presented to Paul McCartney and John Lennon. “Michelle” beat out “The Impossible Dream,” from the musical Man Of La Mancha; the Frank Sinatra classic “Strangers In The Night”; “Farewell My Love (Lara’s Theme),” from the film Dr. Zhivago; and the title theme to the movie Born Free.

That was the only time a Beatles composition won the Song of the Year prize, but it wasn’t the only time the band was nominated. From 1965 through 1971, four other Beatles tunes composed by Lennon and McCartney were in the running for the honor, but they lost every time.

Here’s a look at the Fab Four’s other Song of the Year contenders:
“A Hard Day’s Night” (1965)

At the 1965 Grammy ceremony, The Beatles were honored as the Best New Artist, while their song “A details

The Beatles will be the subjects of four pioneering movies in 2028 focusing on each of the Fab Four.

But it's one of the supporting cast who's getting their own play much sooner, with Tom Wright's new play Please Please Me taking a closer look at the life of Brian Epstein, the band's manager.

Meet the Beatles: The Fab Four are cast in new Brian Epstein movie Midas Man. Who is the Fifth Beatle? George Martin, Brian Epstein, Pete Best and more.

The full cast and creative team has been announced for the production, which has also extended its booking thanks to high demand. It will run from April 16 to May 29 at the Kiln Theatre in Kilburn, London. Tickets are available now.

Please Please Me is directed by Kiln Artistic Director Amit Sharma and stars Calam Lynch (Brian), Noah Ritter (John), William Robinson (Peter/Mike), Arthur Wilson (Geoffrey/Harry), and Eleanor Worthington-Cox (Cynthia/Cilla).

"I couldn't be more thrilled to bring this extraordinary cast together for Please Please Me," Wright said.

"Each of them walked into the audition room and gave me that unmistakable tingle - surprising me and revealing new depths in their characters.

"I’m delighted audiences are details

“Live and Let Die,” the explosive theme for the 1973 James Bond film “Live and Let Die,” announced to the world that Paul McCartney was not content to live in anyone’s shadow. Performed with Wings, the band McCartney formed after the breakup of the Beatles, the song was more than a franchise anthem; It was emblematic of McCartney’s reinvention of himself as an artist. Grand, cinematic, and bold, it signaled his determination to move forward rather than linger in the nostalgia of the former greatness of the Beatles.

Director Morgan Neville’s documentary “Man on the Run” follows McCartney as he steps out from the immense shadow of his past and attempts to redefine himself on his own terms. This film reveals not only the pressures of legacy, but McCartney’s journey to finding himself without “a little help from his friends.”

Through unprecedented access to previously unseen footage, rare archival materials, and deeply personal interviews, the documentary captures a transformative era marked by reinvention, family unity, artistic risk-taking, and the iconic Wings years.

The film begins at the breakup of the Beatles, highlighting the rift details

Len Garry, who was best known for playing with The Quarrymen and bandmates Paul McCartney and John Lennon, died at the age of 84.

According to report, Garry, who had been diagnosed with dementia in 2024, was recently rushed to hospital with a chest infection.

Jane Garry, his daughter, announced his death on social media Monday.

“My dad ‘Len Garry’ passed away at home in the early hours this morning,” she posted. “The doctor told us he had hours to live and I said straight away ‘he has to come home.’ Which the doctor allowed. I travelled with dad in the ambulance and got him home. My mum, my sister, my brother in law and myself stayed by Dad’s bed holding his hand, talking to him and telling him how much we love him and how proud we are of him as he was passing away and taking his last breaths. I love you Dad and I will miss you Dad for the rest of my life. I’m beyond devastated. Dad believed in God and we believe he is in heaven now.”

Len Garry was a part of The Quarrymen in the 1950s. Roughly a decade later after Garry left the group, the band became the Beatles in 1960.

He reunited with the surviving non-Beatles members of The details

Ringo Starr will release a new album on April 24.

Long Long Road marks the former Beatle's second collaboration with producer T Bone Burnett, following 2025's successful Look Up, his first country album in more than 50 years.

Listen to the album's first single, "It's Been Too Long," below.
Hear Ringo Starr's 'It's Been Too Long'

The 10-track Long Long Road, like its predecessor, is a country record that features songs by a list of high-profile artists.

Billy Strings, Sheryl Crow, St. Vincent, and, on "It's Been Too Long," Molly Tuttle and Sarah Jarosz join Starr.

"I'm blessed to have T Bone in my life right now and working with me on these records," Starr noted in a press release announcing Long Long Road. "After we did the last record, which I love listening to, this one just sort of happened.

"I like to say sometimes I make the right moves, like you can go left or right at any point, and one of the right moves was hooking up with T Bone for Look Up, and now for this one, which I'm calling Long Long Road, because I've been on a long long road."
What's on Ringo Starr's New Album?

Source: ultimateclassicrock.com/Michael Gallucci

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John Lennon and Paul McCartney, renowned for their work with The Beatles and as solo artists, also wrote for a variety of musicians over the decades. Their songwriting genius shines through multiple genres, with their signature style leaving a recognizable imprint on the songs they gave to others.

Liverpool natives Lennon and McCartney performed with The Quarrymen in the late 1950s before they brought in George Harrison and Ringo Starr to form The Beatles in 1962. Together, the friends-turned-bandmates were responsible for some of the most beloved Beatles tracks, including "I Want to Hold Your Hand," "She Loves You," "Eleanor Rigby," and "In My Life," to name only a few hits. When The Beatles broke up in 1970, Lennon and McCartney frequently found themselves at odds, but rekindled their friendship in the years leading up to Lennon's tragic passing in 1980.

While their own releases are cemented in music history, many of the hit songs they wrote for other artists remain relatively obscure as Lennon-McCartney compositions.

Listen closely, and you’ll hear their distinct voices echoing throughout each of these seven songs, regardless of who’s on the mic.

"FAME" (DAVID BOWIE)
"SAY SAY details

You’ll have no problem finding various lists containing folks’ opinions on The Beatles’ best songs. That’s not our intention here. Instead, we’re trying to pinpoint the four songs that did the most to cement their legacy as the consensus greatest band in music history.

In other words, without these four songs, they still would have been great, but maybe not quite as monumental. See if you agree.
“I Want To Hold Your Hand”

In terms of their recorded output, “I Want To Hold Your Hand” represented a somewhat natural progression in complexity and songwriting acumen. You could reasonably argue that “Please Please Me” and “She Loves You”, both of which preceded it as singles, were of better quality. But “I Want To Hold Your Hand” proved to be the right song at the right time. It broke The Beatles in America. They crossed a threshold that no previous British artist had managed. And it sent their worldwide superstardom to unprecedented levels. We’ll never know if any of their other early songs might have done the same had they been released in the same time frame. But we can say for sure that “I Want To Hold Your H details

Although The Beatles didn’t write or record the original version of “Twist And Shout”, this early rock ‘n’ roll number became inextricably linked to the Fab Four’s musical legacy when they released their rendition of Phil Medley and Bert Berns’ song on March 2, 1964. (This came almost a full year after the band released the track on their debut album, Please Please Me, in their native U.K.)

The Beatles’ version of “Twist And Shout” was a massive success, topping the charts in the U.S., Argentina, New Zealand, and Finland. The song also reached Top 10 status in Canada, Australia, Spain, Sweden, and the Netherlands. “Twist And Shout” was also notable in that it was The Beatles’ first and only cover song to reach No. 1 in the U.S. Interestingly, this chart-topper ranking only came from Cash Box. On the Billboard Hot 100, the song only reached No. 2 because The Beatles’ other single, “Can’t Buy Me Love”, was riding high at No. 1.

However, that success didn’t come easy. According to John Lennon, who performed lead vocals on “Twist And Shout”, the song “nearly killed” him.  The details

When Let It Be arrived in 1970, it was meant to signal a fresh start for The Beatles—a stripped-down return to the camaraderie that once defined them. Instead, the sessions exposed deep fractures, with creative clashes and personal resentments spilling into the music, leaving some historians and fans to view the release as the moment the world’s biggest band could no longer hold itself together.

On Sunday, March 1, Far Out Magazine compiled a list of albums that left musicians "cursed," and Let It Be took the No. 1 spot. The album was one of the final projects of Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr.

"It was a disaster," biographer Barry Miles previously wrote, according to the outlet. "Paul bossed George around; George was moody and resentful. John would not even go to the bathroom without Yoko at his side … The tension was palpable."

And many fans would agree that Let It Be was the beginning of the end for The Beatles.

"'Let It Be' is a project that was scarred by the huge shadow of resentment the Beatles had for each other when it finally came out," Giles Martin, son of late Beatles producer Sir George Martin, previously told People magazine. "That's details