Glossary
A B C D, look up what you need to see. Every tag in the Beatles catalogue, A-Z. Each entry links to its tag page, where you can browse the songs that share it.
1442 unique terms across 25 sections. Auto-generated chord shapes, chord literals and track numbers are excluded.
A
- A6 songs
- A song built on the section sequence A, with each letter standing for a distinct section.
- Text: Lyric structure(4)Music: Song form(2)
- A Hard Day's Night (US)8 songs
- United Artists release, June 1964. Unlike the all-Beatles UK version, the US release included orchestral score tracks by George Martin on side two.
- Info: US release
- A-Side single30 songs
- The song was the primary promoted side of a standalone UK or US single release
- Info: Release type
- AA11 songs
- A song built on the section sequence AA, with each letter standing for a distinct section.
- Music: Song form(7)Text: Lyric structure(4)
- AAA6 songs
- A song built on the section sequence AAA, with each letter standing for a distinct section.
- Music: Song form(4)Text: Lyric structure(2)
- AAAA4 songs
- A song built on the section sequence AAAA, with each letter standing for a distinct section.
- Text: Lyric structure(3)Music: Song form(1)
- AAAAA3 songs
- A song built on the section sequence AAAAA, with each letter standing for a distinct section.
- Music: Song form(2)Text: Lyric structure(1)
- AAAAAA1 song
- A song built on the section sequence AAAAAA, with each letter standing for a distinct section.
- Text: Lyric structure
- AAAAAAA1 song
- Music: Song form
- AAAAABB1 song
- Music: Song form
- AAAACAA1 song
- A song built on the section sequence AAAACAA, with each letter standing for a distinct section.
- Text: Lyric structure
- AAABAAAA1 song
- Music: Song form
- AAABAB1 song
- A song built on the section sequence AAABAB, with each letter standing for a distinct section.
- Text: Lyric structure
- AAABBA1 song
- A song built on the section sequence AAABBA, with each letter standing for a distinct section.
- Text: Lyric structure
- AAABCAA1 song
- Music: Song form
- AAACAA1 song
- A song built on the section sequence AAACAA, with each letter standing for a distinct section.
- Text: Lyric structure
- AAB1 song
- Music: Song form
- AABA1 song
- A song built on the section sequence AABA, with each letter standing for a distinct section.
- Text: Lyric structure
- AABA form64 songs
- The 32-bar AABA song form: two matching A sections, a contrasting B (bridge), then a final A.
- Music: Song form
- AABAA6 songs
- Music: Song form
- AABAAA1 song
- Music: Song form
- AABAAABA1 song
- Music: Song form
- AABAAB6 songs
- A song built on the section sequence AABAAB, with each letter standing for a distinct section.
- Text: Lyric structure(4)Music: Song form(2)
- AABAABA16 songs
- A song built on the section sequence AABAABA, with each letter standing for a distinct section.
- Music: Song form(12)Text: Lyric structure(4)
- AABAABAB2 songs
- Music: Song form
- AABAABCBAABC1 song
- A song built on the section sequence AABAABCBAABC, with each letter standing for a distinct section.
- Text: Lyric structure
- AABAB17 songs
- A song built on the section sequence AABAB, with each letter standing for a distinct section.
- Music: Song form(10)Text: Lyric structure(7)
- AABABA55 songs
- A song built on the section sequence AABABA, with each letter standing for a distinct section.
- Text: Lyric structure(29)Music: Song form(26)
- AABABAA1 song
- Music: Song form
- AABABAAB1 song
- A song built on the section sequence AABABAAB, with each letter standing for a distinct section.
- Text: Lyric structure
- AABABAB2 songs
- A song built on the section sequence AABABAB, with each letter standing for a distinct section.
- Music: Song form(1)Text: Lyric structure(1)
- AABABABA2 songs
- A song built on the section sequence AABABABA, with each letter standing for a distinct section.
- Music: Song form(1)Text: Lyric structure(1)
- AABABB2 songs
- A song built on the section sequence AABABB, with each letter standing for a distinct section.
- Music: Song form(1)Text: Lyric structure(1)
- AABABBA1 song
- A song built on the section sequence AABABBA, with each letter standing for a distinct section.
- Text: Lyric structure
- AABABBAB2 songs
- A song built on the section sequence AABABBAB, with each letter standing for a distinct section.
- Music: Song form(1)Text: Lyric structure(1)
- AABABC2 songs
- A song built on the section sequence AABABC, with each letter standing for a distinct section.
- Music: Song form(1)Text: Lyric structure(1)
- AABABCAB3 songs
- A song built on the section sequence AABABCAB, with each letter standing for a distinct section.
- Music: Song form(2)Text: Lyric structure(1)
- AABACAB1 song
- Music: Song form
- AABACBA2 songs
- Music: Song form
- AABB2 songs
- A song built on the section sequence AABB, with each letter standing for a distinct section.
- Music: Song form(1)Text: Lyric structure(1)
- AABBA8 songs
- A song built on the section sequence AABBA, with each letter standing for a distinct section.
- Music: Song form(4)Text: Lyric structure(4)
- AABBAAB1 song
- Music: Song form
- AABBAB1 song
- A song built on the section sequence AABBAB, with each letter standing for a distinct section.
- Text: Lyric structure
- AABCA1 song
- Music: Song form
- AABCBAB2 songs
- A song built on the section sequence AABCBAB, with each letter standing for a distinct section.
- Music: Song form(1)Text: Lyric structure(1)
- AAC1 song
- A song built on the section sequence AAC, with each letter standing for a distinct section.
- Text: Lyric structure
- AACA8 songs
- A song built on the section sequence AACA, with each letter standing for a distinct section.
- Text: Lyric structure
- AACAA5 songs
- A song built on the section sequence AACAA, with each letter standing for a distinct section.
- Text: Lyric structure
- AACAAAA1 song
- A song built on the section sequence AACAAAA, with each letter standing for a distinct section.
- Text: Lyric structure
- AACABCA2 songs
- A song built on the section sequence AACABCA, with each letter standing for a distinct section.
- Text: Lyric structure
- AACBABCB3 songs
- A song built on the section sequence AACBABCB, with each letter standing for a distinct section.
- Text: Lyric structure(2)Music: Song form(1)
- AACBCA1 song
- A song built on the section sequence AACBCA, with each letter standing for a distinct section.
- Text: Lyric structure
- Aashish Khan2 songs
- Indian classical sarod player, son of Ali Akbar Khan.
- People: Sarod(1)People: Session musician(1)
- AB1 song
- Music: Song form
- ABA1 song
- Music: Song form
- ABAAB1 song
- Music: Song form
- ABAABA3 songs
- A song built on the section sequence ABAABA, with each letter standing for a distinct section.
- Music: Song form(2)Text: Lyric structure(1)
- ABAB7 songs
- A song built on the section sequence ABAB, with each letter standing for a distinct section.
- Text: Lyric structure(6)Music: Song form(1)
- ABABA10 songs
- A song built on the section sequence ABABA, with each letter standing for a distinct section.
- Music: Song form(5)Text: Lyric structure(5)
- ABABAB36 songs
- A song built on the section sequence ABABAB, with each letter standing for a distinct section.
- Text: Lyric structure(20)Music: Song form(16)
- ABABABA3 songs
- A song built on the section sequence ABABABA, with each letter standing for a distinct section.
- Music: Song form(2)Text: Lyric structure(1)
- ABABABAB8 songs
- A song built on the section sequence ABABABAB, with each letter standing for a distinct section.
- Music: Song form(4)Text: Lyric structure(4)
- ABABABABAB2 songs
- A song built on the section sequence ABABABABAB, with each letter standing for a distinct section.
- Music: Song form(1)Text: Lyric structure(1)
- ABABABB3 songs
- A song built on the section sequence ABABABB, with each letter standing for a distinct section.
- Music: Song form(2)Text: Lyric structure(1)
- ABABABBB1 song
- A song built on the section sequence ABABABBB, with each letter standing for a distinct section.
- Text: Lyric structure
- ABABABBCB1 song
- A song built on the section sequence ABABABBCB, with each letter standing for a distinct section.
- Text: Lyric structure
- ABABABC1 song
- Music: Song form
- ABABABCAB2 songs
- A song built on the section sequence ABABABCAB, with each letter standing for a distinct section.
- Music: Song form(1)Text: Lyric structure(1)
- ABABABCABAB2 songs
- A song built on the section sequence ABABABCABAB, with each letter standing for a distinct section.
- Music: Song form(1)Text: Lyric structure(1)
- ABABB5 songs
- A song built on the section sequence ABABB, with each letter standing for a distinct section.
- Text: Lyric structure(3)Music: Song form(2)
- ABABBAB5 songs
- A song built on the section sequence ABABBAB, with each letter standing for a distinct section.
- Text: Lyric structure(3)Music: Song form(2)
- ABABBABB3 songs
- A song built on the section sequence ABABBABB, with each letter standing for a distinct section.
- Text: Lyric structure
- ABABBABBAB1 song
- A song built on the section sequence ABABBABBAB, with each letter standing for a distinct section.
- Text: Lyric structure
- ABABBBABBB2 songs
- A song built on the section sequence ABABBBABBB, with each letter standing for a distinct section.
- Music: Song form(1)Text: Lyric structure(1)
- ABABC1 song
- Music: Song form
- ABABCAB10 songs
- A song built on the section sequence ABABCAB, with each letter standing for a distinct section.
- Music: Song form(5)Text: Lyric structure(5)
- ABABCABABCAB1 song
- A song built on the section sequence ABABCABABCAB, with each letter standing for a distinct section.
- Text: Lyric structure
- ABABCABB2 songs
- A song built on the section sequence ABABCABB, with each letter standing for a distinct section.
- Music: Song form(1)Text: Lyric structure(1)
- ABABCABBCAB1 song
- A song built on the section sequence ABABCABBCAB, with each letter standing for a distinct section.
- Text: Lyric structure
- ABABCABC5 songs
- A song built on the section sequence ABABCABC, with each letter standing for a distinct section.
- Text: Lyric structure(3)Music: Song form(2)
- ABABCABCAB13 songs
- A song built on the section sequence ABABCABCAB, with each letter standing for a distinct section.
- Text: Lyric structure(8)Music: Song form(5)
- ABABCABCABA2 songs
- A song built on the section sequence ABABCABCABA, with each letter standing for a distinct section.
- Text: Lyric structure(1)Music: Song form(1)
- ABABCBAB4 songs
- A song built on the section sequence ABABCBAB, with each letter standing for a distinct section.
- Music: Song form(2)Text: Lyric structure(2)
- ABABCBABB2 songs
- A song built on the section sequence ABABCBABB, with each letter standing for a distinct section.
- Music: Song form(1)Text: Lyric structure(1)
- ABABCCAB1 song
- A song built on the section sequence ABABCCAB, with each letter standing for a distinct section.
- Text: Lyric structure
- ABACAB2 songs
- A song built on the section sequence ABACAB, with each letter standing for a distinct section.
- Music: Song form(1)Text: Lyric structure(1)
- ABACABCAB2 songs
- A song built on the section sequence ABACABCAB, with each letter standing for a distinct section.
- Text: Lyric structure(1)Music: Song form(1)
- ABBA1 song
- Music: Song form
- ABBABB1 song
- Music: Song form
- ABBBA1 song
- A song built on the section sequence ABBBA, with each letter standing for a distinct section.
- Text: Lyric structure
- ABBCBCB1 song
- A song built on the section sequence ABBCBCB, with each letter standing for a distinct section.
- Text: Lyric structure
- ABCA2 songs
- A song built on the section sequence ABCA, with each letter standing for a distinct section.
- Music: Song form(1)Text: Lyric structure(1)
- ABCABC2 songs
- A song built on the section sequence ABCABC, with each letter standing for a distinct section.
- Music: Song form(1)Text: Lyric structure(1)
- AC1 song
- A song built on the section sequence AC, with each letter standing for a distinct section.
- Text: Lyric structure
- ACACBACB1 song
- Music: Song form
- ACBA1 song
- A song built on the section sequence ACBA, with each letter standing for a distinct section.
- Text: Lyric structure
- Acid rock2 songs
- Heavy, distorted psychedelic rock with extended improvisations and overt drug imagery.
- Music: Music genre
- Acoustic guitar91 songs
- Hollow-bodied guitar amplified naturally rather than electrically.
- Music: Arrangement
- add41 song
- Major or minor triad with added perfect 4th. Unlike sus4, the 3rd is retained.
- Music: Chord type
- Additional musicians103 songs
- Session musicians beyond the core Beatles lineup contributed instruments to the recording
- People: Unique personnel
- ADT28 songs
- Automatic Double Tracking - tape delay technique creating a doubled vocal without re-recording
- Studio: Studio technique
- AI vocal extraction1 song
- Use of machine-learning source separation to isolate a vocal from a mixed recording.
- Studio: Studio technique
- Alan Branscombe2 songs
- British jazz saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist active on the London session scene in the 1960s.
- People: Tenor saxophone(1)People: Session musician(1)
- Alan Civil4 songs
- Virtuoso English horn player, principal horn with leading London orchestras.
- People: Session musician(2)People: French horn(2)
- Alan Dalziel4 songs
- Played cello on 'A Day in the Life' and 'She's Leaving Home'.
- People: Session musician(2)People: Cello(2)
- Alan Holmes2 songs
- British saxophonist active in 1960s London session work.
- People: Session musician(1)People: Saxophone(1)
- Alan Loveday2 songs
- British violinist (1928-2016); leader of the Academy of St Martin in the Fields from 1969 to 1981.
- People: Session musician(1)People: Violin(1)
- Alan Parsons18 songs
- British engineer and producer who went on to lead the Alan Parsons Project.
- People: Assistant engineer
- Alex Nifosi2 songs
- Cellist credited on a Beatles recording.
- People: Cello(1)People: Session musician(1)
- Alf Bicknell3 songs
- The Beatles chauffeur from 1964 to 1966; part of the inner road circle during the touring years.
- People: Beatles team(1)People: Backing vocals(1)People: Sound effects(1)
- Alfred Waters2 songs
- Bassoonist credited on a Beatles recording.
- People: Session musician(1)People: Bassoon(1)
- Alistair Taylor3 songs
- Brian Epsteins personal assistant and the Beatles general manager throughout the 1960s.
- People: Backing vocals(1)People: Spoken word(1)People: Beatles team(1)
- All diatonic roots8 songs
- Every chord root is drawn from the prevailing diatonic scale.
- Music: Composition
- All major chords54 songs
- Song uses only major-quality chords (no minor, diminished, or augmented)
- Music: Composition
- All natural roots15 songs
- Every chord root in the song is a natural (non-altered) scale degree.
- Music: Composition
- Allan Grant2 songs
- Played backing vocals on 'I Am the Walrus'.
- People: Backing vocals(1)People: Session musician(1)
- Allen Ford2 songs
- British cellist active in 1960s London session work.
- People: Session musician(1)People: Cello(1)
- Alliteration12 songs
- Repeated consonant sounds at the start of nearby words for rhythmic effect
- Text: Lyrical device
- Americanism11 songs
- American place names, slang, or cultural references - often consciously affected.
- Text: Motif
- Amiya Dasgupta2 songs
- Indian musician and teacher of London's Asian Music Circle.
- People: Session musician(1)People: Tabla(1)
- Ampex AG-440 4-track recorder2 songs
- Ampex professional multitrack tape recorder used at some outside studios.
- Studio: Equipment
- Amrit Gajjar2 songs
- Indian musician active in Londons Asian Music Circle in the 1960s.
- People: Dilruba(1)People: Session musician(1)
- Andrew Bulbrook2 songs
- American violinist, member of Calder Quartet.
- People: Session musician(1)People: Violin(1)
- Andrew McGee2 songs
- British violinist active in 1960s London session work.
- People: Session musician(1)People: Violin(1)
- Andy White6 songs
- Scottish session drummer active on the London recording scene in the early 1960s.
- People: Session musician(2)People: Drums(2)People: Bongos(1)People: Percussion(1)
- Anil Bhagwat2 songs
- Indian tabla player who accompanied George Harrison on the Beatles' first fully Indian-instrumented recording.
- People: Tabla(1)People: Session musician(1)
- Animals31 songs
- Animals appear as characters, symbols, or central metaphors within the lyrics
- Text: Motif
- Anna Joshi2 songs
- Indian musician active in Londons Asian Music Circle in the 1960s.
- People: Session musician(1)People: Dilruba(1)
- Antithesis7 songs
- Contrasting ideas set in parallel for effect (e.g. 'love is old, love is new').
- Text: Lyrical device
- Apple73 songs
- The Beatles' own label (Apple Records), launched August 1968. Used for UK releases from Hey Jude onward and for the Let It Be era; all Apple UK releases were still distributed thr…
- Info: Label
- Apple US74 songs
- Apple's US arm, distributed by Capitol, on an original Apple issue between 1968 and 1970: the albums, the singles, and the 1970 Hey Jude compilation that put earlier songs on the…
- Info: Label
- Appoggiatura41 songs
- A dissonant non-chord tone on a strong beat that resolves by step to a chord tone.
- Music: Melody
- Arc Music Corp.2 songs
- Chess Records' publishing arm, controlling blues and R&B catalogue.
- Info: Publisher
- Arpeggiated chords3 songs
- Chord notes played individually in sequence rather than simultaneously strummed
- Music: Guitar work
- Art Ellefson2 songs
- Tenor saxophonist credited on a Beatles recording.
- People: Tenor saxophone(1)People: Session musician(1)
- Art rock6 songs
- Rock incorporating experimental composition, classical elements, or conceptual ambition.
- Music: Music genre
- Arthur Alexander1 song
- Born May 10, 1940 · Florence, Alabama. A pioneering soul-country singer-songwriter whose understated vocal style influenced a generation of British groups. The Beatles covered hi…
- People: Songwriter
- Autobiography23 songs
- The lyric draws on the songwriter's own life events or relationships.
- Text: Motif
- Avant-garde9 songs
- Experimental and non-conventional in structure, sound design, or conceptual intent - pushing beyond pop norms
- Music: Music genre
- Avant-garde influence8 songs
- Experimental art-music ideas - tape music, chance, sound collage.
- Music: Influence
B
- B-Side single20 songs
- The song appeared on the flip side of a single, typically supporting an A-side hit
- Info: Release type
- BAAB1 song
- Music: Song form
- BAABA2 songs
- A song built on the section sequence BAABA, with each letter standing for a distinct section.
- Music: Song form(1)Text: Lyric structure(1)
- BAABABA2 songs
- A song built on the section sequence BAABABA, with each letter standing for a distinct section.
- Music: Song form(1)Text: Lyric structure(1)
- BAABCABC1 song
- Music: Song form
- BAACABAA1 song
- A song built on the section sequence BAACABAA, with each letter standing for a distinct section.
- Text: Lyric structure
- BAB1 song
- A song built on the section sequence BAB, with each letter standing for a distinct section.
- Text: Lyric structure
- BABAAB1 song
- A song built on the section sequence BABAAB, with each letter standing for a distinct section.
- Text: Lyric structure
- BABAB4 songs
- A song built on the section sequence BABAB, with each letter standing for a distinct section.
- Music: Song form(2)Text: Lyric structure(2)
- BABABAB10 songs
- A song built on the section sequence BABABAB, with each letter standing for a distinct section.
- Music: Song form(5)Text: Lyric structure(5)
- BABABABAB2 songs
- A song built on the section sequence BABABABAB, with each letter standing for a distinct section.
- Music: Song form(1)Text: Lyric structure(1)
- BABABABB1 song
- Music: Song form
- BABABAC2 songs
- A song built on the section sequence BABABAC, with each letter standing for a distinct section.
- Music: Song form(1)Text: Lyric structure(1)
- BABABB3 songs
- A song built on the section sequence BABABB, with each letter standing for a distinct section.
- Text: Lyric structure
- BABABCAB3 songs
- A song built on the section sequence BABABCAB, with each letter standing for a distinct section.
- Text: Lyric structure(2)Music: Song form(1)
- BABABCABCAB2 songs
- A song built on the section sequence BABABCABCAB, with each letter standing for a distinct section.
- Music: Song form(1)Text: Lyric structure(1)
- BABABCB3 songs
- A song built on the section sequence BABABCB, with each letter standing for a distinct section.
- Music: Song form(2)Text: Lyric structure(1)
- BABABCCBCAB2 songs
- A song built on the section sequence BABABCCBCAB, with each letter standing for a distinct section.
- Music: Song form(1)Text: Lyric structure(1)
- BABACBCBAB1 song
- A song built on the section sequence BABACBCBAB, with each letter standing for a distinct section.
- Text: Lyric structure
- BABBABBABABABAAABA1 song
- A song built on the section sequence BABBABBABABABAAABA, with each letter standing for a distinct section.
- Text: Lyric structure
- BABCABCAB2 songs
- A song built on the section sequence BABCABCAB, with each letter standing for a distinct section.
- Music: Song form(1)Text: Lyric structure(1)
- BABCBAB2 songs
- A song built on the section sequence BABCBAB, with each letter standing for a distinct section.
- Music: Song form(1)Text: Lyric structure(1)
- Ballad39 songs
- A slow, melodically expressive song typically focused on emotional or romantic themes
- Music: Music genre
- Banjo1 song
- Stringed instrument with a drum-like skin head - bright, percussive tone.
- Music: Arrangement
- Banjolele1 song
- A banjo-ukulele hybrid: a ukulele neck on a small banjo body, giving a banjo's bright twang at ukulele pitch.
- Music: Arrangement
- Baroque influence6 songs
- Baroque-era European art-music - Bach-style counterpoint, harpsichord, ornamentation.
- Music: Influence
- Baroque pop14 songs
- Pop music incorporating harpsichord, strings, and other Baroque-classical textures.
- Music: Music genre
- Barrie Cameron2 songs
- British saxophonist active in 1960s London session work.
- People: Session musician(1)People: Saxophone(1)
- Barry Sheffield6 songs
- Recording engineer and co-founder of Trident Studios.
- People: Recording engineer
- Bartell fretless guitar2 songs
- Fretless electric guitar built by Paul Barth - used by George Harrison on Indian-flavoured tracks.
- Studio: Equipment
- Basil Tschaikov2 songs
- Clarinettist credited on a Beatles recording.
- People: Session musician(1)People: Clarinet(1)
- Bass clarinet2 songs
- The low, dark, reedy tone of the bass clarinet - rarely used but distinctive when it appears
- Music: Arrangement
- Bass ignores harmony6 songs
- The bass plays independently of the prevailing chord, creating deliberate harmonic tension
- Music: Bass work
- Bass intro1 song
- The record opens on bass alone, before any other instrument or voice enters.
- Music: Bass work
- BBABABAB1 song
- A song built on the section sequence BBABABAB, with each letter standing for a distinct section.
- Text: Lyric structure
- BBB1 song
- A song built on the section sequence BBB, with each letter standing for a distinct section.
- Text: Lyric structure
- BBBBBBBB1 song
- A song built on the section sequence BBBBBBBB, with each letter standing for a distinct section.
- Text: Lyric structure
- BCB1 song
- A song built on the section sequence BCB, with each letter standing for a distinct section.
- Text: Lyric structure
- BCBBB1 song
- A song built on the section sequence BCBBB, with each letter standing for a distinct section.
- Text: Lyric structure
- BCBCB1 song
- Music: Song form
- BCCB1 song
- Music: Song form
- Beatles '6511 songs
- Capitol release, December 1964. Mix of Beatles For Sale tracks with recent singles including 'I Feel Fine'.
- Info: US release
- Beatles team21 songs
- A track where members of the Beatles' inner circle (assistants, partners, family) appear in recording roles.
- People: Unique personnel
- Beatles VI11 songs
- Capitol compilation released June 1965. Remaining Beatles For Sale tracks plus early Help! tracks and singles.
- Info: US release
- Belted vocals18 songs
- McCartney sings in his full-power upper-chest register - raw, intense, and physically demanding
- Music: Vocal work
- Ben Foster1 song
- Liverpool-born British composer, orchestrator and conductor, best known for scoring Torchwood and orchestrating Murray Gold's music for Doctor Who.
- People: Orchestral scoring
- Bernard Davis2 songs
- Violist credited on a Beatles recording.
- People: Viola(1)People: Session musician(1)
- Bernard George2 songs
- Baritone saxophonist credited on a Beatles recording.
- People: Baritone saxophone(1)People: Session musician(1)
- Bernard Miller2 songs
- Violinist credited on a Beatles recording.
- People: Session musician(1)People: Violin(1)
- Berry Gordy1 song
- Born November 28, 1929 · Detroit. Founder of Motown Records and one of the most influential figures in 20th-century popular music. As a songwriter he co-wrote "Money (That's What…
- People: Songwriter
- Bert Courtley3 songs
- British trumpeter active in 1960s London session work.
- People: Session musician(1)People: Flugelhorn(1)People: Trumpet(1)
- Bert Russell1 song
- Born November 8, 1929 · The Bronx, New York. Stage name of Bert Berns, a brilliant songwriter and producer who fused R&B with Latin rhythms. Co-wrote "Twist and Shout" (Beatles v…
- People: Songwriter
- Bill Black double bass1 song
- The upright bass Bill Black played on Elvis Presley's 'Heartbreak Hotel'. Linda McCartney bought it for Paul in the late 1970s, and he played it on the 1995 reunion single.
- Studio: Equipment
- Bill Jackman2 songs
- Baritone saxophonist credited on a Beatles recording.
- People: Session musician(1)People: Baritone saxophone(1)
- Bill Monro2 songs
- Violinist credited on a Beatles recording.
- People: Session musician(1)People: Violin(1)
- Bill Povey4 songs
- Played trombone on 'Revolution 1' and 'Lady Madonna'.
- People: Session musician(2)People: Trombone(1)People: Tenor saxophone(1)
- Billy Preston22 songs
- American keyboardist and solo star ('Will It Go Round in Circles', 'Nothing from Nothing') who also played with Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, and the Rolling Stones.
- People: Guest musician(10)People: Electric piano(6)People: Organ(6)
- Blue Book Music1 song
- Bakersfield-country publisher associated with Merle Haggard and Buck Owens.
- Info: Publisher
- Blue note18 songs
- A flattened third, fifth or seventh sounded against a major harmony, giving a bluesy colour to a song that is not a blues.
- Music: Melody
- Bluegrass1 song
- Up-tempo Appalachian string-band music with banjo, mandolin and close harmony.
- Music: Music genre
- Blues18 songs
- Rooted in the 12-bar blues tradition with blues-scale phrasing and call-and-response vocabulary
- Music: Music genre
- Blues influence32 songs
- The lyric uses blues idiom: first-person complaint, repeated opening lines, plain declarations of trouble.
- Music: Influence(30)Text: Influence(2)
- Blues rock15 songs
- 12-bar blues forms played with rock-band intensity and electric guitars.
- Music: Music genre
- Bob Dylan influence20 songs
- Dylan's lyric ambition and folk-singer-songwriter craft as a model.
- Text: Influence
- Bobby Parker influence2 songs
- Guitarist-singer whose 'Watch Your Step' riff shaped several Beatles guitar figures.
- Music: Influence
- Bobby Scott1 song
- Born January 29, 1937 · Mount Pleasant, New York. Jazz pianist, singer, and composer best known for "A Taste of Honey", written with Ric Marlow for a 1960 Broadway play. The Beat…
- People: Songwriter
- Body percussion4 songs
- Percussion made with the body rather than an instrument, from claps and snaps to stomps and the sounds a singer makes.
- Music: Arrangement
- Boogie-woogie2 songs
- Up-tempo blues piano style driven by a rolling left-hand ostinato bass.
- Music: Music genre
- Boogie-woogie influence2 songs
- Up-tempo blues piano style built on a rolling left-hand ostinato bass.
- Music: Influence
- Borrowed chord164 songs
- A chord imported from the parallel major or minor key for unexpected color
- Music: Harmony
- Bram Martin2 songs
- British cellist active in 1960s London session work.
- People: Session musician(1)People: Cello(1)
- Brass26 songs
- Beatles songs with a brass arrangement - trumpets, trombones, French horn, tuba and the like.
- Music: Instrument group
- Brass solo1 song
- An instrumental passage featuring a brass instrument as the lead voice.
- Music: Solo / Riff
- Brian Holland1 song
- Born February 15, 1941 · Detroit. Co-founder of the Holland-Dozier-Holland songwriting team that defined Motown's golden era. Co-wrote "Please Mr. Postman", the Marvelettes hit c…
- People: Songwriter
- Brian Jones6 songs
- Founding member and multi-instrumentalist of the Rolling Stones.
- People: Guest musician(2)People: Backing vocals(1)People: Sound effects(1)People: Alto saxophone(1)People: Ocarina(1)
- Brill Building3 songs
- Original written by a New York Brill Building songwriting team.
- Info: Cover origin
- Brushes10 songs
- Drumming with wire brushes instead of sticks for a softer, sweeping sound.
- Music: Drum work
- Buddhadev Kansara2 songs
- Indian musician active in Londons Asian Music Circle in the 1960s.
- People: Session musician(1)People: Tamboura(1)
- Buddy Holly1 song
- Born September 7, 1936 · Lubbock, Texas. The most direct songwriting influence on the early Beatles - Lennon and McCartney studied his records obsessively, and the band name itse…
- People: Songwriter
- Buddy Holly influence14 songs
- Holly's simple, direct love-song lyricism and earnest emotional delivery
- Text: Influence
- Burns Nu-Sonic3 songs
- A short-scale bass built by the British maker Burns of London in the mid-1960s.
- Studio: Equipment
- Burt Bacharach1 song
- Born May 12, 1928 · Kansas City, Missouri. One of the great American popular composers, whose sophisticated melodies and unusual time signatures redefined 1960s pop. Co-wrote "Ba…
- People: Songwriter
- Byrds influence1 song
- Jangly 12-string Rickenbacker guitars and folk-rock vocal harmony.
- Music: Influence
C
- Call and response50 songs
- Lyrical pattern where a line is answered by a contrasting line - often between lead and backing vocals
- Music: Melody
- Camillo Felgen2 songs
- Luxembourgish lyricist (writing as Jean Nicolas) who translated the Beatles' 1964 German-language singles.
- People: Songwriter
- Capitol133 songs
- EMI's US subsidiary. Handled nearly all Beatles US releases from Meet The Beatles! (Jan 1964) onward. Repackaged many UK albums into different US tracklists (see US Release tag).
- Info: Label
- Capo9 songs
- Guitar played with a capo, transposing the open strings to a higher pitch
- Music: Guitar work
- Carl Perkins3 songs
- Born April 9, 1932 · Tiptonville, Tennessee. A founding figure of rockabilly and a personal hero of George Harrison. The Beatles covered three of his songs - "Honey Don't" and "E…
- People: Songwriter
- Carlos Villa2 songs
- Violinist credited on a Beatles recording.
- People: Session musician(1)People: Violin(1)
- Carole King1 song
- Born February 9, 1942 · Brooklyn, New York. A leading Brill Building songwriter who later became a defining solo artist of the 1970s. With Gerry Goffin she wrote dozens of hits f…
- People: Songwriter
- Casual language161 songs
- Lyric draws heavily on colloquial English, slang, or conversational fillers.
- Text: Vocabulary
- Cello24 songs
- Bowed cello providing deep, warm string resonance beneath the arrangement
- Music: Arrangement
- Challen blond-wood spinet1 song
- A small blond-wood Challen upright piano, distinct from the tack-treated Challen used elsewhere at Abbey Road.
- Studio: Equipment
- Challen tack piano12 songs
- Upright piano with tacks set in the hammers for a tinny honky-tonk sound.
- Studio: Equipment
- Chappell Recording Studios1 song
- Independent London studio with the era's only eight-track machine in mid-1968.
- Studio: Recording location
- Character song14 songs
- Songs built around a vivid fictional character or cast of characters.
- Info: Song family
- Charlie Bisharat2 songs
- American session violinist and recording artist active in film and pop.
- People: Session musician(1)People: Violin(1)
- Childhood66 songs
- Themes of childhood memory, lost innocence, growing up, or looking back at youth
- Text: Motif
- Children's song4 songs
- Written or performed in the style of a children's song - simple melody, playful imagery, nursery rhyme feel
- Music: Music genre
- Choir5 songs
- A vocal choir or chorus supplementing the Beatles' own voices for grandeur or contrast
- Music: Arrangement
- Chris O'Dell2 songs
- American who worked at Apple Records in the late 1960s and went on to tour-manage for Dylan and the Rolling Stones.
- People: Beatles team(1)People: Handclaps(1)
- Chris Thomas23 songs
- British producer whose later credits include Roxy Music, the Sex Pistols, and INXS.
- People: Producer(15)People: Tape loops(1)People: Orchestral scoring(1)People: Harpsichord(1)People: Electric piano(1)People: Mellotron(1)People: Organ(1)People: Piano(1)People: Recorder(1)
- Christopher Taylor2 songs
- Flautist credited on a Beatles recording.
- People: Flute(1)People: Session musician(1)
- Chuck Berry2 songs
- Born October 18, 1926 · St. Louis. The single most important influence on rock and roll songwriting and guitar playing. The Beatles covered "Roll Over Beethoven" on With The Beat…
- People: Songwriter
- Chuck Berry influence9 songs
- Berry's conversational storytelling style, teenage slang, and first-person rock and roll narrative voice
- Text: Influence
- Circle of fifths101 songs
- Chord progression moves through successive perfect fifths relationships
- Music: Harmony
- Clarinet8 songs
- Clarinet bringing warm woodwind color - associated with the music hall style of McCartney's arrangements
- Music: Arrangement
- Classic formation85 songs
- All four Beatles play their primary instruments - Lennon and Harrison on guitars, McCartney on bass, Starr on drums.
- People: Unique personnel
- Classical guitar7 songs
- Nylon-stringed acoustic guitar of the Spanish/classical tradition.
- Music: Arrangement
- Classical music influence22 songs
- European concert-music conventions, orchestration, or form.
- Music: Influence
- Clavioline1 song
- An early valve-driven monophonic electronic keyboard with a buzzy, reedy timbre, a forerunner of the synthesizer.
- Music: Arrangement
- Clifford Seville2 songs
- Flautist credited on a Beatles recording.
- People: Session musician(1)People: Flute(1)
- Close mic'ing42 songs
- Placing a microphone within inches of a sound source for intimate, detailed capture.
- Studio: Studio technique
- Communication110 songs
- Letters, calls, conversations - the act of reaching across distance.
- Text: Motif
- Confessional34 songs
- Intimate personal disclosure - private feelings exposed directly to the listener
- Text: Narrative
- Consecutive line122 songs
- Text: Repetition
- Consecutive verses107 songs
- Text: Repetition
- Consecutive word72 songs
- Text: Repetition
- Contrabass clarinet2 songs
- Lowest-pitched clarinet, an octave below the bass clarinet.
- Music: Arrangement
- Contrabassoon1 song
- Low-pitched double-reed woodwind sounding an octave below the bassoon.
- Music: Arrangement
- Cor anglais1 song
- Tenor double-reed woodwind, sounding a fifth lower than the oboe.
- Music: Arrangement
- Countermelody8 songs
- A second instrumental melodic line played against the main, usually vocal, melody.
- Music: Melody
- Counterpoint12 songs
- Two or more independent vocal lines sung at once, vocal polyphony, and it covers a countermelody sung rather than played.
- Music: Vocal work
- Counting15 songs
- Numerical sequences, counting, or numbers used as structural or thematic elements
- Text: Motif
- Country16 songs
- American rural music built on twang, pedal steel, and storytelling.
- Music: Music genre(13)Info: Cover origin(3)
- Country influence11 songs
- The arrangement borrows from country music: twang, pedal-steel bends, a shuffle or two-step feel.
- Music: Influence(8)Text: Influence(3)
- Country rock8 songs
- Country song forms and instrumentation merged with rock energy.
- Music: Music genre
- Cover25 songs
- A recording of a song written by someone outside the Beatles, often an American R&B or rock and roll original
- Info: Song type
- Cyril MacArthur2 songs
- Double bassist credited on a Beatles recording.
- People: Double bass(1)People: Session musician(1)
D
- D Griffiths2 songs
- Played backing vocals on 'I Am the Walrus'.
- People: Backing vocals(1)People: Session musician(1)
- D. Bradley2 songs
- Violinist credited on a Beatles recording.
- People: Violin(1)People: Session musician(1)
- Danny Moss2 songs
- Tenor saxophonist credited on a Beatles recording.
- People: Tenor saxophone(1)People: Session musician(1)
- Dark lyrics19 songs
- Lyrical content dealing with violence, despair, alienation, or mortality
- Text: Vocabulary
- Dave Harries1 song
- EMI recording engineer and technical engineer at Abbey Road.
- People: Recording engineer
- David Glyde2 songs
- British saxophonist active in 1960s London session work.
- People: Session musician(1)People: Saxophone(1)
- David Mason10 songs
- English classical trumpeter, principal with the BBC Symphony Orchestra and a leading interpreter of the baroque trumpet repertoire.
- People: Session musician(5)People: Trumpet(3)People: Piccolo trumpet(2)
- David McCallum2 songs
- Scottish violinist and orchestral leader; father of the actor of the same name.
- People: Violin(1)People: Session musician(1)
- David Sandeman2 songs
- Flautist credited on a Beatles recording.
- People: Flute(1)People: Session musician(1)
- David Smith2 songs
- Clarinettist credited on a Beatles recording.
- People: Session musician(1)People: Clarinet(1)
- David Wolfsthal2 songs
- British violinist active in 1960s London session work.
- People: Violin(1)People: Session musician(1)
- De Lane Lea Studios1 song
- Independent London studio used for 'It's All Too Much' in 1967.
- Studio: Recording location
- Death22 songs
- The song engages directly or metaphorically with mortality, dying, loss, or the afterlife
- Text: Motif
- Defining riff44 songs
- A short repeated figure so identifiable that it is inseparable from the song's identity.
- Music: Solo / Riff
- Del Shannon influence2 songs
- Early-1960s pop-rock singer known for dramatic minor-key melodies.
- Music: Influence
- Delbert McClinton influence2 songs
- American blues harmonica player who coached Lennon's harp style on 'Love Me Do'.
- Music: Influence
- Dennis McConnell2 songs
- Violinist credited on a Beatles recording.
- People: Session musician(1)People: Violin(1)
- Dennis Vigay4 songs
- Played cello on 'A Day in the Life' and 'She's Leaving Home'.
- People: Session musician(2)People: Cello(2)
- Dennis Walton4 songs
- Played saxophone on 'Honey Pie' and 'Penny Lane'.
- People: Session musician(2)People: Flute(1)People: Saxophone(1)
- Dense lyrics10 songs
- High word count with packed imagery - every line carries meaning
- Text: Vocabulary
- Derek Collins2 songs
- Tenor saxophonist credited on a Beatles recording.
- People: Session musician(1)People: Tenor saxophone(1)
- Derek Jacobs2 songs
- Violinist credited on a Beatles recording.
- People: Session musician(1)People: Violin(1)
- Derek Simpson4 songs
- Played cello on 'Strawberry Fields Forever' and 'Eleanor Rigby'.
- People: Cello(2)People: Session musician(2)
- Derek Watkins4 songs
- Played trumpet on 'Strawberry Fields Forever' and 'Revolution 1'.
- People: Trumpet(2)People: Session musician(2)
- Dialogue33 songs
- The song is structured as or includes a direct scripted conversation between characters
- Text: Motif
- Dick Morgan3 songs
- Cor anglais player credited on a Beatles recording.
- People: Session musician(1)People: Oboe(1)People: Cor anglais(1)
- Direct injection5 songs
- Recording an electric instrument's signal straight into the console, bypassing an amp.
- Studio: Studio technique
- Distinct mix34 songs
- The mono and stereo releases are different records rather than two balances of one, differing in length, in the take or overdub used, or in effects you hear on one and not the oth…
- Info: Release mix
- Distortion16 songs
- Deliberately overdriven signal for a gritty, saturated tone - covers distortion, overdrive, and fuzz.
- Studio: Studio technique
- Don Honeywill2 songs
- Tenor saxophonist credited on a Beatles recording.
- People: Tenor saxophone(1)People: Session musician(1)
- Don Lang2 songs
- Trombonist credited on a Beatles recording.
- People: Trombone(1)People: Session musician(1)
- Donald Weekes2 songs
- Violinist credited on a Beatles recording.
- People: Violin(1)People: Session musician(1)
- Donovan influence4 songs
- Folk songwriter Donovan's gentle acoustic, Travis-picking style.
- Text: Influence
- Doo-wop7 songs
- Late-1950s vocal-group style featuring close harmonies over a four-chord progression.
- Music: Music genre
- Double A-Side8 songs
- Both sides of the single were given equal promotion - neither was a 'B-side'
- Info: Release type
- Double bass14 songs
- Large bowed orchestral string instrument, lowest in the section.
- Music: Arrangement
- Double meaning20 songs
- A line carries a second reading the surface sense conceals.
- Text: Lyrical device
- Double tracked vocal139 songs
- A vocal overdubbed in sync with itself to create a thicker, reinforced sound
- Studio: Studio technique
- Dreams12 songs
- Sleep, dreaming, or the blurred boundary between reality and fantasy inform the lyric
- Text: Motif
- Drew Forde2 songs
- American session violist and music educator.
- People: Session musician(1)People: Viola(1)
- Drone30 songs
- A sustained note or chord held beneath shifting harmonies - common in Indian-influenced and psychedelic tracks
- Music: Harmony
- Drop D tuning3 songs
- Guitar's low E string tuned down a whole step to D for a heavier, fuller sound
- Music: Guitar work
- Drugs influence18 songs
- Lyrics written under or about psychedelic drug experiences - altered perception, expanded consciousness, hallucinatory imagery
- Text: Influence
- Drum intro6 songs
- The record opens on drums alone, before any other instrument or voice enters.
- Music: Drum work
- Duchess Music Corp.1 song
- American publisher associated with mid-century pop catalogue.
- Info: Publisher
- Duncan Campbell3 songs
- British trumpeter active in 1960s London session work.
- People: Session musician(1)People: Trumpet(1)People: Flugelhorn(1)
E
- Early song8 songs
- Written or originally performed before the Beatles' official recording debut era
- Info: Song family
- Eastern philosophy influence13 songs
- Indian philosophy, Buddhism, Taoism, or other Eastern spiritual traditions shaping the lyrical worldview
- Text: Influence
- Echo chamber3 songs
- Physical or electromechanical chamber used to add reverberation to a recording.
- Studio: Studio technique
- Eddie Kramer4 songs
- South-African-born recording engineer best known for his work with Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin.
- People: Recording engineer(2)People: Session musician(1)People: Vibraphone(1)
- Eddie Thornton2 songs
- Jamaican-born trumpeter and member of Georgie Fame's Blue Flames, active on the 1960s British R&B and session scene.
- People: Trumpet(1)People: Session musician(1)
- Eldon Fox6 songs
- Played cello on 'Glass Onion', 'Piggies' and other Beatles recordings.
- People: Cello(3)People: Session musician(3)
- Electric guitar174 songs
- Solid-body or semi-hollow guitar amplified through a pickup.
- Music: Arrangement
- Electric piano18 songs
- A Fender Rhodes or Wurlitzer electric piano rather than acoustic - intimate, slightly gritty
- Music: Arrangement
- Electric piano solo3 songs
- An instrumental passage with electric piano as the lead voice.
- Music: Solo / Riff
- Elgar Howarth2 songs
- English trumpeter, composer and conductor.
- People: Trumpet(1)People: Session musician(1)
- Elvis Presley influence3 songs
- The founding rock-and-roll star's rockabilly drive and vocal style.
- Music: Influence
- EMI BTR2 twin-track recorder33 songs
- EMI's valve British Tape Recorder, the two-track machine used at Abbey Road in the early 1960s.
- Studio: Equipment
- EMI BTR3 twin-track recorder5 songs
- A later EMI valve British Tape Recorder used at Abbey Road.
- Studio: Equipment
- EMI REDD.37 console42 songs
- EMI's REDD.37 valve mixing console, in Abbey Road's studios until 1964.
- Studio: Equipment
- EMI REDD.51 console152 songs
- Late-1950s valve mixing console used at EMI Abbey Road through 1968.
- Studio: Equipment
- EMI Studio 115 songs
- The largest of the three rooms at EMI's Abbey Road complex.
- Studio: Recording location
- EMI Studio 2181 songs
- The Beatles' primary recording room at EMI Abbey Road.
- Studio: Recording location
- EMI Studios201 songs
- EMI's flagship recording complex on Abbey Road in north London.
- Studio: Recording location
- EMI TG12345 console19 songs
- EMI's first solid-state mixing console, installed at Abbey Road in 1968.
- Studio: Equipment
- Engineer plays4 songs
- A track on which a credited recording engineer also performed - exceeding their technical role.
- People: Unique personnel
- Enotris Johnson1 song
- American R&B songwriter active in the 1950s. Co-credited with Little Richard and Robert Blackwell on "Long Tall Sally" - covered by the Beatles on the 1964 EP and a constant feat…
- People: Songwriter
- Epiphone Casino ES-230TD55 songs
- The semi-hollow Epiphone Casino electric guitar played by all three guitarists in the later period
- Studio: Equipment
- Epiphone Texan FT-794 songs
- McCartney's Epiphone Texan FT-79 flat-top acoustic guitar, used on Yesterday and other recordings.
- Studio: Equipment
- Eric Bowie6 songs
- Played violin on 'Glass Onion', 'Piggies' and other Beatles recordings.
- People: Violin(3)People: Session musician(3)
- Eric Clapton6 songs
- British rock and blues guitarist and a founder of the Yardbirds, Cream, Blind Faith, and Derek and the Dominos; one of the most influential players of his generation.
- People: Guest musician(2)People: Electric guitar(1)People: Backing vocals(1)People: Guitar(1)People: Lead guitar(1)
- Erich Gruenberg6 songs
- Distinguished Austrian-British violinist and orchestral leader.
- People: Session musician(3)People: Violin(3)
- Ernest Scott2 songs
- Violinist credited on a Beatles recording.
- People: Session musician(1)People: Violin(1)
- Evan Watkins2 songs
- Trombonist credited on a Beatles recording.
- People: Trombone(1)People: Session musician(1)
- Extended metaphor19 songs
- A sustained metaphor carried across multiple lines or the entire song
- Text: Lyrical device
- External location31 songs
- Recorded at a location other than a conventional studio.
- Studio: Recording location
- Extrametrical rhyme110 songs
- Rhyme between line-end and a word outside the line's basic meter.
- Text: Rhyme type
- Eye rhyme4 songs
- Words that look like they should rhyme but don't sound alike (love/move).
- Text: Rhyme type
F
- F Dachtler2 songs
- Played backing vocals on 'I Am the Walrus'.
- People: Backing vocals(1)People: Session musician(1)
- Fade-in4 songs
- Production technique that introduces a track from silence by gradually raising its level.
- Studio: Studio technique
- Fade-out46 songs
- Production technique that closes a track by gradually reducing its level to silence.
- Studio: Studio technique
- Falsetto8 songs
- A vocalist sings in the light, breathy upper register above their natural chest-voice range
- Music: Vocal work
- Feedback3 songs
- Controlled use of guitar or amp feedback as a deliberate musical element.
- Studio: Studio technique
- Feminine rhyme53 songs
- Rhyme on two or more syllables ending in an unstressed syllable (running/sunning).
- Text: Rhyme type
- Fender Bass VI7 songs
- A six-string bass guitar providing a broader harmonic and melodic range than a standard four-string
- Studio: Equipment
- Fender Bassman2 songs
- American 50-watt valve bass amplifier, used by the Beatles for both bass and guitar.
- Studio: Equipment
- Fender Esquire6 songs
- Single-pickup version of the Fender Telecaster electric guitar.
- Studio: Equipment
- Fender Jazz Bass10 songs
- The Fender Jazz Bass: a slim-necked electric bass with two single-coil pickups and a bright, punchy tone.
- Studio: Equipment
- Fender Rosewood Telecaster19 songs
- Solid rosewood-bodied electric guitar - Harrison's main guitar through 1969.
- Studio: Equipment
- Fender Twin Reverb2 songs
- American 85-watt valve guitar amplifier with built-in spring reverb.
- Studio: Equipment
- Fingerpicking13 songs
- Guitar played with individual fingers plucking strings rather than a pick
- Music: Guitar work
- Flanging/phasing3 songs
- Phase-shift effect produced by mixing a signal with a slightly delayed copy of itself.
- Studio: Studio technique
- Florence Greenberg / Scepter Records1 song
- Independent New York label that owned several Brill Building songs the Beatles covered.
- Info: Publisher
- Flute solo2 songs
- A prominent flute solo passage in the arrangement - rare in Beatles work, typically in baroque or pastoral settings
- Music: Solo / Riff
- Folk37 songs
- Acoustic-led, melodically direct, with structural and thematic influences from traditional folk music
- Music: Music genre
- Folk rock32 songs
- Folk-song structures and themes amplified with rock-band instrumentation.
- Music: Music genre
- Food and drinks27 songs
- Specific food or drink references appear as imagery, symbols, or subject matter
- Text: Motif
- Foreign language10 songs
- The song includes lyrics or phrases in a language other than English
- Text: Vocabulary
- Found inspiration25 songs
- Lyrics drawn from found text - newspapers, product packaging, posters, or overheard phrases
- Text: Motif
- Fragile Lennon20 songs
- Rare moments of emotional vulnerability and openness in John Lennon's writing
- Info: Song family
- Framus Hootenanny8 songs
- Twelve-string acoustic guitar - John Lennon's instrument on early 1965 sessions.
- Studio: Equipment
- Francie Schwartz2 songs
- American writer; a 1968 girlfriend of Paul McCartney.
- People: Backing vocals(1)People: Beatles team(1)
- Francisco Gabarro4 songs
- Session cellist at EMI Studios who played on the Beatles' Yesterday recording.
- People: Session musician(2)People: Cello(2)
- Frank Clarke2 songs
- Double bassist credited on a Beatles recording.
- People: Session musician(1)People: Double bass(1)
- Frank Reidy3 songs
- British clarinettist active in 1960s London session work.
- People: Clarinet(1)People: Session musician(1)People: Bass clarinet(1)
- Fred Alexander2 songs
- Cellist credited on a Beatles recording.
- People: Cello(1)People: Session musician(1)
- Fred Lucas4 songs
- Played backing vocals on 'Good Night' and 'I Am the Walrus'.
- People: Backing vocals(2)People: Session musician(2)
- Freddie Gorman1 song
- Born April 11, 1939 · Detroit. Detroit songwriter and singer, briefly a Motown staffer and a U.S. postal worker - the everyday inspiration for "Please Mr. Postman". Co-wrote the…
- People: Songwriter
- Freddy Clayton5 songs
- Flugelhorn player credited on a Beatles recording.
- People: Trumpet(2)People: Session musician(2)People: Flugelhorn(1)
- Frederick Alexander2 songs
- Session instrumentalist working in London studios in the 1960s.
- People: Cello(1)People: Session musician(1)
- French horn solo2 songs
- An instrumental passage featuring French horn as the lead voice.
- Music: Solo / Riff
G
- G Mallen2 songs
- Played backing vocals on 'I Am the Walrus'.
- People: Backing vocals(1)People: Session musician(1)
- Gary Walker2 songs
- Played backing vocals on 'All You Need Is Love'.
- People: Guest musician(1)People: Backing vocals(1)
- Gayleen Pease4 songs
- A fan from among the 'Apple scruffs' outside Abbey Road, invited in to sing backing vocals on 'Across the Universe'.
- People: Backing vocals(2)People: Beatles team(2)
- Geoff Emerick121 songs
- British recording engineer celebrated for the inventive microphone and tape techniques he pioneered at EMI's Abbey Road studios.
- People: Recording engineer(74)People: Assistant engineer(44)People: Tape loops(2)People: Backing vocals(1)
- George Harrison870 songs
- George Harrison on twelve-string electric guitar - Rickenbacker 360/12.
- People: Guitar(186)People: Electric guitar(163)People: Lead guitar(134)People: Backing vocals(127)People: Acoustic guitar(38)People: Handclaps(36)People: Lead singer(33)People: Songwriter(25)People: 12-string guitar(18)People: Rhythm guitar(16)People: Bass guitar(11)People: Tambourine(9)People: 12-string electric guitar(7)People: Sitar(6)People: Classical guitar(6)People: Maracas(6)People: Tamboura(6)People: Producer(6)People: Organ(5)People: Percussion(4)People: Tape loops(2)People: Synthesizer(2)People: Sound effects(2)People: 6-string bass(2)People: Swarmandal(2)People: Piano(1)People: Timpani(1)People: Drums(1)People: Harmonium(1)People: Mellotron(1)People: Harmonica(1)People: Bongos(1)People: Noises(1)People: Dilruba(1)People: Banjolele(1)People: Ukulele(1)People: Güiro(1)People: Finger snaps(1)People: Tack piano(1)People: 12-string acoustic guitar(1)People: Bass harmonica(1)People: Spoken word(1)People: Violin(1)
- George Martin310 songs
- Classically trained English producer, arranger, and head of EMI's Parlophone label, widely called the 'Fifth Beatle' for his central role in shaping the band's recordings.
- People: Producer(211)People: Orchestral scoring(31)People: Piano(26)People: Conductor(12)People: Organ(11)People: Harmonium(4)People: Backing vocals(2)People: Celesta(2)People: Harpsichord(2)People: Tape loops(1)People: Tambourine(1)People: Spoken word(1)People: Maracas(1)People: Glockenspiel(1)People: Electric harpsichord(1)People: Mellotron(1)People: Tack piano(1)People: Electric piano(1)
- Georgia Dobbins1 song
- American singer and songwriter, originally of the Marvelettes. Adapted an existing blues song into "Please Mr. Postman" and helped shape the lyric, sharing credit with the team t…
- People: Songwriter
- Gerry Goffin1 song
- Born February 11, 1939 · Brooklyn, New York. Lyricist and songwriting partner - and first husband - of Carole King. With King he co-wrote "Chains" (Beatles on Please Please Me) a…
- People: Songwriter
- Gibson J-160E66 songs
- Acoustic guitar with built-in pickup - Lennon and Harrison's main acoustic 1962-64.
- Studio: Equipment
- Gibson Les Paul Standard12 songs
- Solid-body humbucker electric guitar with sustain-rich tone.
- Studio: Equipment
- Gibson SG9 songs
- The Gibson SG: a lightweight solid-body electric guitar with a thin double-cutaway body and a biting tone.
- Studio: Equipment
- Giles Martin2 songs
- British record producer and son of George Martin, known for remixing the Beatles' catalogue (the 'Love' soundtrack and the anniversary reissues) and for completing the final Beatl…
- People: Orchestral scoring(1)People: Producer(1)
- Girl group influence3 songs
- Early-1960s American girl-group vocal style and arrangement.
- Text: Influence
- Glyn Johns19 songs
- Influential British engineer and producer whose credits span the Rolling Stones, the Who, Led Zeppelin, and the Eagles.
- People: Recording engineer(15)People: Producer(4)
- Goons influence6 songs
- The music borrows from The Goon Show: sped-up voices, sound-effect gags, deliberate silliness in the arrangement.
- Music: Influence(3)Text: Influence(3)
- Gordon Lewin3 songs
- British woodwind player active in 1960s London session work.
- People: Clarinet(1)People: Contrabass clarinet(1)People: Session musician(1)
- Gordon Pearce4 songs
- Played double bass on 'A Day in the Life' and 'She's Leaving Home'.
- People: Double bass(2)People: Session musician(2)
- Gospel3 songs
- Influenced by American gospel - communal singing, call-and-response, or a spirit of collective uplift
- Music: Music genre
- Graham Nash2 songs
- English singer and guitarist, a founder of the Hollies and later Crosby, Stills & Nash, and a close friend of the Beatles in the 1960s.
- People: Guest musician(1)People: Backing vocals(1)
- Grammy Hall of Fame8 songs
- Inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, an honour created in 1973 for recordings of lasting qualitative or historical significance.
- Info: Cultural impact
- Grammy winner5 songs
- Won a competitive Grammy, the American recording academy's award, for this song rather than for its album or for the group.
- Info: Cultural impact
- Granny song9 songs
- A music hall or vaudeville-style song aimed at older tastes; 'granny music' was a period nickname for the style, not McCartney's own coinage.
- Info: Song family
- Granville Jones2 songs
- Violinist credited on a Beatles recording.
- People: Session musician(1)People: Violin(1)
- Greg Bowen2 songs
- Played trumpet on 'Strawberry Fields Forever'.
- People: Trumpet(1)People: Session musician(1)
- Gretsch 6120 Chet Atkins Nashville2 songs
- Gretsch hollow-body electric guitar from the Chet Atkins line.
- Studio: Equipment
- Gretsch 6122 Country Gentleman25 songs
- Harrison's main hollow-body electric guitar of the mid-60s.
- Studio: Equipment
- Gretsch Duo Jet13 songs
- Hollow-body electric guitar with mahogany construction - Harrison's first quality guitar.
- Studio: Equipment
- Group vocals19 songs
- All band members sing together as a group rather than one lead with backings.
- Music: Vocal work
- Guitar and bass doubling6 songs
- Guitar and bass play the same line in unison or in octaves.
- Music: Guitar work
- Guitar intro3 songs
- The record opens on guitar alone, before any other instrument or voice enters.
- Music: Guitar work
- Guitar riff17 songs
- A short repeated guitar figure that anchors or defines a passage.
- Music: Solo / Riff
- Guitar solo74 songs
- A lead guitar solo - George Harrison's defining contribution to the Beatles' sound
- Music: Solo / Riff
- Gwynne Edwards2 songs
- Violist credited on a Beatles recording.
- People: Viola(1)People: Session musician(1)
H
- Half rhyme101 songs
- Near-rhyme where consonants match but vowels differ slightly (some/home).
- Text: Rhyme type
- Hamburg Steinway32 songs
- The Steinway baby grand kept in EMI's Studio Two, played on many of the group's piano parts.
- Studio: Equipment
- Hammond C-31 song
- Hammond's church-style console organ, the tonewheel instrument usually paired with a Leslie cabinet.
- Studio: Equipment
- Hammond L-1007 songs
- Hammond's compact spinet organ, a smaller drawbar instrument than the studio's RT-3 console model.
- Studio: Equipment
- Hammond RT-328 songs
- The Hammond B-3 tonewheel organ, typically routed through a Leslie rotating speaker cabinet
- Studio: Equipment
- Hans Geiger2 songs
- Violinist credited on a Beatles recording.
- People: Session musician(1)People: Violin(1)
- Hanuman Jadev2 songs
- Played shehnai on 'The Inner Light'.
- People: Shehnai(1)People: Session musician(1)
- Hard rock21 songs
- Loud, aggressive rock with heavy guitar distortion and powerful drums.
- Music: Music genre
- Hariprasad Chaurasia2 songs
- Renowned Indian classical flautist and music director, a master of the bansuri in the Hindustani tradition.
- People: Bansuri(1)People: Session musician(1)
- Harmonica15 songs
- Blues harmonica - played extensively by Lennon on early singles and BBC recordings
- Music: Arrangement
- Harmonica riff3 songs
- A short repeated harmonica figure that anchors or defines a passage.
- Music: Solo / Riff
- Harmonica solo7 songs
- A Hohner harmonica solo, most associated with John Lennon's early playing on singles and BBC sessions
- Music: Solo / Riff
- Harmonium11 songs
- Free-reed keyboard pumped by foot bellows, producing a sustained drone-like tone.
- Music: Arrangement
- Harold Jackson2 songs
- Trumpeter credited on a Beatles recording.
- People: Trumpet(1)People: Session musician(1)
- Harold Spain2 songs
- Trombonist credited on a Beatles recording.
- People: Session musician(1)People: Trombone(1)
- Harp7 songs
- Concert harp adding classical elegance or ethereal, heavenly texture to the arrangement
- Music: Arrangement
- Harpsichord6 songs
- Plucked keyboard instrument giving a baroque, quill-toned, historical character
- Music: Arrangement
- Harpsichord solo1 song
- An instrumental passage featuring harpsichord as the lead voice.
- Music: Solo / Riff
- Harry Klein7 songs
- Played saxophone on 'Honey Pie', 'Lady Madonna' and other Beatles recordings.
- People: Baritone saxophone(3)People: Session musician(3)People: Saxophone(1)
- Harry Spain2 songs
- Played trombone on 'All You Need Is Love'.
- People: Trombone(1)People: Session musician(1)
- Heavy drums6 songs
- Ringo Starr plays with unusual force and attack, driving the track rather than keeping time behind it.
- Music: Drum work
- Heavy guitars12 songs
- Thick, overdriven, or heavily amplified guitar tones define the song's sonic identity
- Music: Guitar work
- Heavy hi-hat5 songs
- The hi-hat cymbal drives the rhythmic feel more prominently than in a typical Beatles arrangement
- Music: Drum work
- Help! (US)7 songs
- Capitol release, August 1965. Only 7 Beatles tracks (versus 14 on the UK album), with 5 Ken Thorne orchestral score tracks filling side two.
- Info: US release
- Hemiola6 songs
- A rhythmic effect superimposing two beats in the space of three (or vice versa).
- Music: Melody
- Henry Datyner6 songs
- Played violin on 'A Day in the Life', 'Piggies' and other Beatles recordings.
- People: Session musician(3)People: Violin(3)
- Henry MacKenzie2 songs
- British clarinettist and prolific London session player.
- People: Clarinet(1)People: Session musician(1)
- Henry Myerscough2 songs
- Violist credited on a Beatles recording.
- People: Viola(1)People: Session musician(1)
- Hey Jude10 songs
- Capitol US-only singles compilation released February 1970. 10 tracks collecting non-album singles from 1964-1969.
- Info: US release
- High bass notes3 songs
- Paul McCartney plays unusually high register bass passages, sometimes in the guitar's territory
- Music: Bass work
- HMV Studios, Bombay1 song
- EMI's Bombay studio - George Harrison's 'The Inner Light' backing track session.
- Studio: Recording location
- Hofner 500/193 songs
- McCartney's iconic violin-shaped Höfner 500/1 bass - the visual symbol of the early Merseybeat Beatles
- Studio: Equipment
- Hofner 5140 Hawaiian Standard1 song
- A lap steel guitar, played across the lap with a slide rather than fretted.
- Studio: Equipment
- Hog Hill Mill2 songs
- Paul McCartney's private studio in East Sussex, used on the reunion singles.
- Studio: Recording location
- Hohner Chromonica4 songs
- The C chromatic John Lennon played; the source puts a chromatic on all four
- Studio: Equipment
- Hohner Pianet11 songs
- Hohner electromechanical reed piano with thinner, reedier tone than a Rhodes.
- Studio: Equipment
- Home recording3 songs
- Captured at a band member's home studio or with portable equipment.
- Studio: Recording location
- Hunter Davies2 songs
- British journalist and author of the Beatles' only authorised biography, published in 1968.
- People: Beatles team(1)People: Backing vocals(1)
I
- Ian Hamer2 songs
- British jazz trumpeter and arranger active on the London session scene in the 1960s.
- People: Session musician(1)People: Trumpet(1)
- Identical release97 songs
- Same album or single released in both UK and US markets with identical content, possibly on a different date.
- Info: US release
- Imperative94 songs
- Lyrics issuing direct commands or instructions - 'Come together', 'Let it be', 'Don't let me down'
- Text: Narrative
- Imperative in title13 songs
- The title is or includes an imperative - a direct command to do something.
- Text: Title
- Indian10 songs
- Beatles songs arranged with Indian classical instruments - sitar, tabla, tambura, swarmandal, dilruba and the like.
- Music: Instrument group
- Indian classical5 songs
- Rooted in North Indian classical music - raga scales, drone foundations, and tabla rhythm patterns
- Music: Music genre
- Indian music influence20 songs
- Indian classical scales, drones, or instruments shape the writing.
- Music: Influence
- Instructional11 songs
- The lyric tells the listener what to do - imperatives as the core mode.
- Text: Motif
- Internal rhyme131 songs
- Rhyme between a word inside a line and its end-word, or between two interior words.
- Text: Rhyme type
- Introducing The Beatles14 songs
- First US album, released by Vee-Jay Records in January 1964. Contains 12 tracks from the UK Please Please Me, minus 'Please Please Me' and 'Ask Me Why'.
- Info: US release
- Irene King4 songs
- Played backing vocals on 'Good Night' and 'I Am the Walrus'.
- People: Session musician(2)People: Backing vocals(2)
- Irony11 songs
- The lyrics say one thing but mean another - sarcasm, understatement, or deliberate contradiction
- Text: Lyrical device
- Isley Brothers influence1 song
- R&B/soul vocal group, source of the 'Twist and Shout' arrangement.
- Music: Influence
- Ivor Novello award11 songs
- The British songwriting award, presented by the Ivors Academy for the year's most performed, best selling or best written songs.
- Info: Cultural impact
J
- J Fraser2 songs
- Played backing vocals on 'I Am the Walrus'.
- People: Backing vocals(1)People: Session musician(1)
- J Smith2 songs
- Played backing vocals on 'I Am the Walrus'.
- People: Backing vocals(1)People: Session musician(1)
- J. Power2 songs
- Trombonist credited on a Beatles recording.
- People: Session musician(1)People: Trombone(1)
- Jack Brymer2 songs
- One of England's foremost classical clarinettists, principal with major London orchestras.
- People: Session musician(1)People: Clarinet(1)
- Jack Ellory2 songs
- Flautist credited on a Beatles recording.
- People: Flute(1)People: Session musician(1)
- Jack Emblow2 songs
- Played accordion on 'All You Need Is Love'.
- People: Accordion(1)People: Session musician(1)
- Jack Fallon2 songs
- British jazz double bassist and violinist active on the London session scene.
- People: Violin(1)People: Session musician(1)
- Jack Greene4 songs
- British violinist active in 1960s London session work.
- People: Violin(2)People: Session musician(2)
- Jack Holmes2 songs
- Played cello on 'All You Need Is Love'.
- People: Cello(1)People: Session musician(1)
- Jack Richards2 songs
- British violinist active in 1960s London session work.
- People: Session musician(1)People: Violin(1)
- Jack Rothstein4 songs
- British violinist active in 1960s London session work.
- People: Violin(2)People: Session musician(2)
- Jackie Lomax3 songs
- British singer-songwriter (1944-2013), first artist signed to Apple Records in 1968.
- People: Handclaps(1)People: Backing vocals(1)People: Guest musician(1)
- Jacques Esmenjaud3 songs
- Recording engineer credited on a Beatles recording.
- People: Assistant engineer
- James W. Buck2 songs
- Played french horn on 'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band'.
- People: French horn(1)People: Session musician(1)
- Jane Asher2 songs
- English actress and Paul McCartney's girlfriend through the mid-1960s, a fixture of London's arts scene.
- People: Beatles team(1)People: Backing vocals(1)
- Jangle pop4 songs
- Bright, chiming twelve-string guitars over melodic pop songcraft.
- Music: Music genre
- Janie Bradford1 song
- Born December 22, 1939 · Memphis. Motown receptionist who co-wrote "Money (That's What I Want)" with Berry Gordy in 1959 - Motown's first major hit and a Beatles staple covered o…
- People: Songwriter
- Jeff Jarratt10 songs
- EMI Studios staff engineer of the 1960s.
- People: Recording engineer(9)People: Assistant engineer(1)
- Jeff Lynne6 songs
- British singer, songwriter, and producer; frontman of Electric Light Orchestra and a Traveling Wilburys member with George Harrison.
- People: Producer(2)People: Electric guitar(2)People: Guitar(2)
- Jérôme Leroy1 song
- French conductor and orchestrator active in film and concert music.
- People: Conductor
- Jerry Leiber1 song
- Born April 25, 1933 · Baltimore. Half of the Leiber and Stoller team that wrote and produced some of the most influential rock and roll songs of the 1950s. With Mike Stoller he w…
- People: Songwriter
- Jew's harp1 song
- A small lamellophone held against the teeth and plucked, its twang shaped by the player's mouth cavity.
- Music: Arrangement
- Jewelry9 songs
- Rings, diamonds and other jewellery in the lyrics, usually standing for love, wealth or commitment.
- Text: Motif
- Jill Utting2 songs
- Played backing vocals on 'I Am the Walrus'.
- People: Session musician(1)People: Backing vocals(1)
- Jim Chester2 songs
- Saxophonist credited on a Beatles recording.
- People: Saxophone(1)People: Session musician(1)
- John Barham2 songs
- British arranger, pianist and composer (b. 1945); close collaborator of George Harrison who arranged choral and orchestral parts on Beatles and Apple records.
- People: Orchestral scoring
- John Bryning2 songs
- British actor active in mid-20th-century radio and theatre.
- People: Session musician(1)People: Spoken word(1)
- John Burden2 songs
- Played french horn on 'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band'.
- People: Session musician(1)People: French horn(1)
- John Jezzard2 songs
- British violinist active in 1960s London session work.
- People: Session musician(1)People: Violin(1)
- John Kurlander17 songs
- EMI second engineer on the Abbey Road sessions, later a film score engineer.
- People: Assistant engineer
- John Lee2 songs
- British trombonist active in 1960s London session work.
- People: Session musician(1)People: Trombone(1)
- John Lennon966 songs
- John Lennon contributing assorted noises and sound effects.
- People: Guitar(166)People: Rhythm guitar(115)People: Lead singer(115)People: Electric guitar(104)People: Songwriter(103)People: Backing vocals(95)People: Acoustic guitar(67)People: Handclaps(34)People: Piano(18)People: Organ(17)People: Lead guitar(15)People: Tambourine(15)People: Harmonica(15)People: Spoken word(8)People: Percussion(7)People: Bass guitar(6)People: 12-string guitar(6)People: Sound effects(6)People: Maracas(5)People: 6-string bass(5)People: Electric piano(4)People: Mellotron(4)People: Tape loops(4)People: Harmonium(4)People: Noises(4)People: 12-string acoustic guitar(2)People: Classical guitar(2)People: Drums(2)People: Congas(1)People: Harpsichord(1)People: Saxophone(1)People: Tenor saxophone(1)People: Ukulele(1)People: Harp(1)People: Bongos(1)People: Clavioline(1)People: Synthesizer(1)People: Glockenspiel(1)People: Trumpet(1)People: Celesta(1)People: Finger snaps(1)People: Producer(1)People: Lap steel guitar(1)People: Cowbell(1)People: Banjo(1)People: Jew's harp(1)
- John Marson2 songs
- Harpist credited on a Beatles recording.
- People: Session musician(1)People: Harp(1)
- John McCartney3 songs
- James Jim McCartney (1902-1976), Paul McCartneys father; trumpeter and pianist who led Jim Macs Jazz Band in 1920s Liverpool and inspired Pauls love of music.
- People: Handclaps(1)People: Backing vocals(1)People: Beatles team(1)
- John O’Neill2 songs
- Played backing vocals on 'I Am the Walrus'.
- People: Backing vocals(1)People: Session musician(1)
- John Ronayne2 songs
- Played violin on 'All You Need Is Love'.
- People: Violin(1)People: Session musician(1)
- John Scott3 songs
- British woodwind session player and film composer; played the flutes on 'You've Got to Hide Your Love Away'.
- People: Alto flute(1)People: Flute(1)People: Session musician(1)
- John Sharpe2 songs
- Violinist credited on a Beatles recording.
- People: Session musician(1)People: Violin(1)
- John Skinner3 songs
- EMI Studios commissionaire, who joined the sound-effects crowd on Yellow Submarine.
- People: Backing vocals(1)People: Sound effects(1)People: Beatles team(1)
- John Underwood10 songs
- Played viola on 'Eleanor Rigby', 'A Day in the Life' and other Beatles recordings.
- People: Viola(5)People: Session musician(5)
- John Wilbraham2 songs
- English classical trumpeter, a leading orchestral soloist.
- People: Trumpet(1)People: Session musician(1)
- Johnny Russell1 song
- Born January 23, 1940 · Sunflower County, Mississippi. Country songwriter and singer who co-wrote "Act Naturally" - Buck Owens's 1963 #1 covered by Ringo on Help! Later had his o…
- People: Songwriter
- Jose Luis Garcia2 songs
- Violinist credited on a Beatles recording.
- People: Session musician(1)People: Violin(1)
- José‐Luis García2 songs
- Violinist credited on a Beatles recording.
- People: Session musician(1)People: Violin(1)
- Joy Hall2 songs
- Played cello on 'Strawberry Fields Forever'.
- People: Cello(1)People: Session musician(1)
- Julien Gaillard2 songs
- British violinist active in 1960s London session work.
- People: Violin(1)People: Session musician(1)
- June Day2 songs
- Played backing vocals on 'I Am the Walrus'.
- People: Backing vocals(1)People: Session musician(1)
- Jurgen Hess4 songs
- Played violin on 'Eleanor Rigby' and 'A Day in the Life'.
- People: Violin(2)People: Session musician(2)
K
- Keith Cummings4 songs
- Played viola on 'Glass Onion' and 'Piggies'.
- People: Session musician(2)People: Viola(2)
- Keith Grant1 song
- Recording engineer and co-founder of Olympic Sound Studios.
- People: Recording engineer
- Keith Moon2 songs
- Drummer of the Who, famed for his explosive playing and chaotic reputation.
- People: Guest musician(1)People: Backing vocals(1)
- Keith Richards2 songs
- Guitarist and co-founder of the Rolling Stones.
- People: Backing vocals(1)People: Guest musician(1)
- Ken Scott85 songs
- British recording engineer and producer who went on to work with David Bowie, Elton John, and Supertramp.
- People: Assistant engineer(44)People: Recording engineer(41)
- Ken Townsend2 songs
- EMI engineer who invented ADT (artificial double tracking).
- People: Recording engineer
- Kenneth Essex4 songs
- Session viola player at EMI Studios who played on Beatles recordings including Yesterday.
- People: Session musician(2)People: Viola(2)
- Keyboard intro5 songs
- The record opens on a keyboard alone - piano, harpsichord, mellotron - before any other instrument or voice enters.
- Music: Keyboard work
- Keyboard riff1 song
- A repeating keyboard figure that functions as the song's hook rather than as a solo.
- Music: Solo / Riff
- Keyboard solo19 songs
- Umbrella for a solo on any keyed instrument (piano, electric piano, organ, harpsichord, celesta, mellotron, Moog); the specific instrument is also tagged.
- Music: Solo / Riff
- Keyboards127 songs
- Umbrella for the keyboard family: piano, organ, harpsichord, mellotron and the rest.
- Music: Instrument group
L
- Lap steel guitar1 song
- A guitar played flat with a slide, giving a sliding, vocal-like line.
- Music: Arrangement
- Lap steel solo1 song
- An instrumental passage with lap-steel guitar as the lead voice.
- Music: Solo / Riff
- Larry Williams3 songs
- Born May 10, 1935 · New Orleans. Specialty Records rock and roller whose raucous style hugely influenced Lennon. The Beatles covered three of his songs - "Slow Down" (Long Tall S…
- People: Songwriter
- Leo Birnbaum4 songs
- British violist active in 1960s London session work.
- People: Viola(2)People: Session musician(2)
- Leon Calvert6 songs
- British trumpeter and flugelhornist active in 1960s London session work.
- People: Session musician(2)People: Trumpet(2)People: Flugelhorn(2)
- Les Condon2 songs
- British jazz trumpeter active on the London session and big-band scene in the 1960s.
- People: Session musician(1)People: Trumpet(1)
- Les Maddox2 songs
- Violinist credited on a Beatles recording.
- People: Session musician(1)People: Violin(1)
- Leslie speaker20 songs
- Rotating-speaker cabinet originally built for Hammond organs, used widely on Beatles vocals and guitar.
- Studio: Equipment
- Leslie speaker processing15 songs
- Routing a vocal through a Leslie rotating-speaker cabinet for swirling effect.
- Studio: Studio technique
- Letter4 songs
- Written in the form of a letter, postcard, or direct personal message addressed to someone - P.S. I Love You, Paperback Writer, When I'm Sixty-Four
- Text: Motif
- Lewis Carroll influence4 songs
- Lewis Carroll's nonsense language, logical absurdity, and surreal wordplay evoking Alice in Wonderland
- Text: Influence
- Limited vocabulary45 songs
- Lyric uses few distinct words relative to total length - heavy repetition.
- Text: Vocabulary
- Linda McCartney2 songs
- American photographer, Paul McCartney's wife from 1969, and later co-founder of Wings.
- People: Beatles team(1)People: Backing vocals(1)
- Line cliché10 songs
- A line that moves by step or semitone against a chord that stays put, in the bass, an inner voice or the top, often the i-i(maj7)-i7-i6 'James Bond' figure.
- Music: Harmony
- Lionel Bentley2 songs
- Violinist credited on a Beatles recording.
- People: Violin(1)People: Session musician(1)
- Lionel Ross4 songs
- Played cello on 'I Am the Walrus' and 'All You Need Is Love'.
- People: Session musician(2)People: Cello(2)
- List song8 songs
- Lyrics structured as an enumeration - cataloging items, names, places, or actions
- Text: Narrative
- Literary influence12 songs
- Drawing on canonical literary works, mythology, poetry, or the Western literary tradition
- Text: Influence
- Little Richard2 songs
- Born December 5, 1932 · Macon, Georgia. Self-styled architect of rock and roll, whose explosive vocals and gospel-rooted piano transformed popular music. The Beatles covered "Lon…
- People: Songwriter
- Little Richard influence6 songs
- Little Richard's piano-pounding rock-and-roll energy and falsetto whoops.
- Music: Influence
- Live recording9 songs
- Recorded as a single live take rather than overdubbed in layers.
- Info: Recording type
- Lizzie Bravo4 songs
- Brazilian teenage fan among the 'Apple scruffs' outside Abbey Road, invited in to sing backing vocals on 'Across the Universe'.
- People: Backing vocals(2)People: Beatles team(2)
- Long chorus14 songs
- Music: Section traits
- Lou Sofier2 songs
- Violinist credited on a Beatles recording.
- People: Violin(1)People: Session musician(1)
- Louis Stevens2 songs
- British violinist active in 1960s London session work.
- People: Session musician(1)People: Violin(1)
- Love122 songs
- Thematically centered on romantic love - declaration, pursuit, loss, or celebration of it
- Text: Motif
- Love song13 songs
- Thematically centered on romantic love - declaration, pursuit, longing, loss, or celebration
- Info: Song family
- Lowery Music Co.1 song
- Atlanta-based publisher associated with R&B and country catalogue.
- Info: Publisher
- Lowrey Heritage Deluxe DSO-12 songs
- American spinet electronic organ - McCartney's instrument on 'Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.'
- Studio: Equipment
- Ludwig Downbeat32 songs
- Ringo Starr's first Ludwig kit, a 20-inch Downbeat in Black Oyster Pearl finish, bought in May 1963.
- Studio: Equipment
- Ludwig Hollywood Maple38 songs
- Five-piece Ludwig drum kit in maple finish - Ringo's primary kit from 1967 onwards.
- Studio: Equipment
- Ludwig Super Classic109 songs
- Ringo Starr's 22-inch Ludwig Super Classic in Black Oyster Pearl finish, his main kit from May 1964.
- Studio: Equipment
- Luther Dixon2 songs
- Born August 7, 1931 · Newark. Songwriter and producer central to the Shirelles' early-60s success at Scepter Records. Co-wrote "Boys" (covered by the Beatles on Please Please Me,…
- People: Songwriter
M
- Mack David1 song
- Born July 5, 1912 · New York City. Veteran Tin Pan Alley lyricist (and brother of Hal David), with credits stretching from the 1930s to the 1970s. Co-wrote "Baby It's You" with B…
- People: Songwriter
- Mahapurush Misra2 songs
- Played pakhavaj on 'The Inner Light'.
- People: Pakhavaj(1)People: Session musician(1)
- Mal Evans34 songs
- Road manager and personal assistant to the Beatles from 1963 until his death in 1976; close confidant and constant studio presence.
- People: Beatles team(13)People: Backing vocals(4)People: Sound effects(3)People: Handclaps(2)People: Spoken word(2)People: Percussion(2)People: Tambourine(2)People: Piano(1)People: Noises(1)People: Harmonica(1)People: Trumpet(1)People: Organ(1)People: Drums(1)
- Malcolm Addey2 songs
- EMI recording engineer at Abbey Road in the early 1960s.
- People: Recording engineer
- Manny Winters2 songs
- Flautist credited on a Beatles recording.
- People: Flute(1)People: Session musician(1)
- Many takes (20+)21 songs
- Twenty or more full takes recorded before settling on a master.
- Info: Recording type
- Marianne Faithfull4 songs
- English singer and actress at the centre of London's 1960s music scene and long associated with Mick Jagger and the Rolling Stones.
- People: Guest musician(2)People: Backing vocals(2)
- Marijke Koger2 songs
- Dutch artist of The Fool collective; designed clothing and album artwork for the Beatles in 1967.
- People: Session musician(1)People: Tambourine(1)
- Mark Dignam2 songs
- British stage, film and radio actor (1909-1991).
- People: Session musician(1)People: Spoken word(1)
- Martin D-2816 songs
- Large-bodied dreadnought acoustic guitar with a powerful low end.
- Studio: Equipment
- Maureen Starkey2 songs
- Ringo Starrs first wife (1965-75).
- People: Backing vocals(1)People: Beatles team(1)
- Medley11 songs
- Part of a continuous medley in which several short songs run together without breaks.
- Music: Song form
- Medley song9 songs
- Two distinct song fragments joined together into a single unified track
- Info: Song family
- Meet The Beatles!12 songs
- First Capitol Records album, released January 1964. Contains 9 tracks from With The Beatles plus 3 singles ('I Want to Hold Your Hand', 'I Saw Her Standing There', 'This Boy').
- Info: US release
- Mellotron7 songs
- A keyboard instrument playing back pre-recorded tape loops - most famously the flute intro of 'Strawberry Fields Forever'
- Music: Arrangement
- Mellotron Mark II6 songs
- Polyphonic tape-replay keyboard with flute, strings, and brass voices.
- Studio: Equipment
- Melodic bass21 songs
- The bass guitar carries a distinct melodic line that functions independently of the harmony
- Music: Bass work
- Meredith Willson1 song
- Born May 18, 1902 · Mason City, Iowa. Composer of The Music Man - the 1957 Broadway musical that gave the Beatles "Till There Was You" via Peggy Lee's 1961 cover. McCartney's ten…
- People: Songwriter
- Merseybeat29 songs
- Liverpool guitar-band style of the early 1960s - the Beatles' own milieu.
- Music: Music genre
- Michael Barnes2 songs
- Tubist credited on a Beatles recording.
- People: Session musician(1)People: Tuba(1)
- Mick Jagger6 songs
- Lead singer and co-founder of the Rolling Stones, the defining frontman of 1960s British rock.
- People: Guest musician(3)People: Backing vocals(2)People: Sound effects(1)
- Mike Leander1 song
- English arranger, composer, and record producer active across 1960s British pop.
- People: Orchestral scoring
- Mike McGear2 songs
- Paul McCartney's younger brother and a member of the comedy-and-music trio the Scaffold.
- People: Beatles team(1)People: Backing vocals(1)
- Mike Pinder2 songs
- Keyboard player and founding member of the Moody Blues.
- People: Backing vocals(1)People: Guest musician(1)
- Mike Redway4 songs
- Played backing vocals on 'Good Night' and 'I Am the Walrus'.
- People: Session musician(2)People: Backing vocals(2)
- Mike Stoller1 song
- Born March 13, 1933 · Belle Harbor, New York. Half of the Leiber and Stoller team. With Jerry Leiber he wrote "Kansas City" - a Beatles For Sale medley track - alongside dozens o…
- People: Songwriter
- Mike Valerio2 songs
- American session bassist and member of the LA studio scene.
- People: Session musician(1)People: Double bass(1)
- Mike Vickers5 songs
- British musician (b. 1940), founding member of Manfred Mann who later became a leading film and TV composer.
- People: Assistant engineer(4)People: Conductor(1)
- Mike Winfield3 songs
- Cor anglais player credited on a Beatles recording.
- People: Cor anglais(1)People: Oboe(1)People: Session musician(1)
- min(maj7)6 songs
- Minor triad with major 7th. A dark, sophisticated sound. E.g. Am(#7), CmM7.
- Music: Chord type
- Minimal harmony35 songs
- The song's harmony remains essentially on a single chord throughout.
- Music: Composition
- Minimal lyrics17 songs
- Very few unique words - the song relies on repetition, melody, and vocal texture over lyrical content
- Text: Vocabulary
- Missing Beatle30 songs
- One of the four Beatles is entirely absent from this recording
- People: Unique personnel
- Mixolydian48 songs
- Major with flat 7th - bluesy, rock feel (Norwegian Wood, A Hard Day's Night)
- Music: Mode
- Modal mixture106 songs
- Blending elements from multiple modes or borrowing from the parallel key
- Music: Harmony
- Mono172 songs
- Song was officially released in a mono mix. Most Beatles recordings from 1962-1968 had a dedicated mono mix (the primary mix until 1968). Tag regardless of whether a stereo mix al…
- Info: Release mix
- Monty Montgomery2 songs
- Trumpeter credited on a Beatles recording.
- People: Trumpet(1)People: Session musician(1)
- Moog synthesizer solo1 song
- An instrumental passage with the Moog synthesizer as the lead voice.
- Music: Solo / Riff
- Morris Miller2 songs
- British French horn player active in 1960s London session work.
- People: Session musician(1)People: French horn(1)
- Mosaic rhyme2 songs
- Rhyme between a single word and a multi-word phrase (jumble/come tumble).
- Text: Rhyme type
- Mother8 songs
- The song addresses or evokes a maternal figure - tender, complicated, or absent
- Text: Motif
- Motown3 songs
- Original released on Berry Gordy's Detroit Motown label or written by its in-house writers.
- Info: Cover origin
- Multi-day100 songs
- Recorded across more than one date, within roughly four months.
- Studio: Session duration
- Multi-month21 songs
- A long-gestation production: recorded across a span of about two months or more.
- Studio: Session duration
- Multi-syllabic rhyme22 songs
- Rhyme spanning multiple stressed syllables across both line-ends.
- Text: Rhyme type
- Music hall14 songs
- British pub entertainment tradition - theatrical, comedic, and crowd-pleasing in the Victorian/Edwardian style
- Music: Music genre
- Music hall influence27 songs
- British music-hall tradition - vaudeville sentimentality, comic novelty.
- Text: Influence
- Musique concrète influence2 songs
- Tape-music tradition of Pierre Schaeffer - recorded sounds as composition.
- Text: Influence
N
- N. Fawcett2 songs
- Bassoonist credited on a Beatles recording.
- People: Session musician(1)People: Bassoon(1)
- Nature47 songs
- Imagery drawn from natural landscapes, seasons, weather, plants, or the natural world
- Text: Motif
- Natwar Soni2 songs
- Indian tabla player active in Londons Asian Music Circle in the 1960s.
- People: Tabla(1)People: Session musician(1)
- Negation in title16 songs
- The title turns on a negation: no, not, never, or a contracted don't, won't or can't.
- Text: Title
- Neil Aspinall11 songs
- Road manager from 1961 and later head of Apple Corps until 2007; long-time Beatles insider.
- People: Beatles team(6)People: Güiro(1)People: Percussion(1)People: Harmonica(1)People: Tamboura(1)People: Backing vocals(1)
- Neill Sanders6 songs
- Played french horn on 'A Day in the Life', 'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band' and other Beatles recordings.
- People: Session musician(3)People: French horn(3)
- Neve 8078 console2 songs
- The analogue desk at McCartney's Hog Hill Mill studio, where the reunion singles were mixed.
- Studio: Equipment
- Nicky Hopkins2 songs
- British session pianist whose credits span the Rolling Stones, the Who, and most of his era's major British rock acts.
- People: Guest musician(1)People: Electric piano(1)
- NME Award3 songs
- A reader-voted award from the New Musical Express, then Britain's biggest-selling music paper.
- Info: Cultural impact
- No bass guitar18 songs
- No bass guitar on the recording. A bass line may still be there, played by a cello, a piano left hand or a guitar's low strings.
- Music: Bass work
- No Beatles playing4 songs
- None of the four Beatles play instruments on this track - entirely performed by outside session musicians
- People: Unique personnel
- No chorus55 songs
- Music: Sections
- No dominant22 songs
- The song never sounds the V chord (the dominant) of its home key.
- Music: Composition
- No drums16 songs
- The track features no conventional drum kit - percussion is absent, minimal, or replaced entirely
- Music: Drum work
- No subdominant24 songs
- The song never sounds the IV chord (the subdominant) of its home key.
- Music: Composition
- No verse-chorus50 songs
- The song avoids the conventional verse-chorus organization entirely
- Music: Song form
- Noise reduction3 songs
- Removing hum, hiss and clicks from a recording so it can carry a new production.
- Studio: Studio technique
- Noises14 songs
- Non-musical sounds, effects, or found objects used as intentional sonic elements
- Music: Arrangement
- Non-Beatles reference10 songs
- The lyrics quote or nod to a song by another artist.
- Text: Lyrical device
- Non-traditional percussion2 songs
- An everyday object played as an instrument, from a comb and paper to an anvil.
- Music: Arrangement
- Nonsense words26 songs
- Invented syllables or meaningless words used for rhythm or texture - ob-la-di, na-na-na, goo goo g'joob
- Text: Vocabulary
- Norman Jones4 songs
- Played cello on 'Strawberry Fields Forever' and 'Eleanor Rigby'.
- People: Cello(2)People: Session musician(2)
- Norman Lederman4 songs
- Played violin on 'Glass Onion' and 'Piggies'.
- People: Session musician(2)People: Violin(2)
- Norman Smith103 songs
- The Beatles' EMI engineer through Rubber Soul, later a producer.
- People: Recording engineer(102)People: Percussion(1)
- Nostalgia40 songs
- The song looks back longingly at the past, childhood, or lost experiences
- Text: Motif
- Novelty song8 songs
- A light-hearted, comedic, or deliberately silly track not intended to be taken seriously
- Music: Music genre
- Number one UK21 songs
- Beatles songs that reached number one on a major UK chart.
- Info: Chart performance
- Number one US22 songs
- Beatles songs that reached number one on a major US chart.
- Info: Chart performance
- Nursery rhyme8 songs
- Childlike sing-song imagery or direct allusion to nursery-rhyme texts.
- Text: Motif
O
- Observational30 songs
- The singer as detached observer, describing scenes, people, or events without personal involvement
- Text: Narrative
- Olympic custom console2 songs
- The custom-built mixing console at Olympic Sound Studios.
- Studio: Equipment
- Olympic Sound Studios6 songs
- Independent London studio used by the Beatles in 1967-1969.
- Studio: Recording location
- Only basic triads31 songs
- The song's harmony uses only plain major and minor triads, no extensions.
- Music: Composition
- Only one Beatle8 songs
- Only a single Beatle performed on the track - the remainder are session musicians
- People: Unique personnel
- Ooh vocals54 songs
- The group 'oooh!' exclamation - a signature gesture of the early Merseybeat sound
- Music: Vocal work
- Orchestral16 songs
- Beatles songs scored for a full or partial orchestra - a string section combined with brass and/or woodwind, or an explicit orchestral overdub.
- Music: Instrument group
- Organ48 songs
- Hammond or pipe organ adding body, sustain, and churchy or psychedelic texture
- Music: Arrangement
- Outside orchestrator7 songs
- An external arranger beyond George Martin wrote the string or brass parts
- People: Unique personnel
P
- Parallel harmony70 songs
- Chords moving in parallel motion, maintaining same voicing shape
- Music: Harmony
- Parlophone140 songs
- The EMI subsidiary label that released all UK Beatles records from 1962 through 1968 - George Martin's home label before Apple.
- Info: Label
- Pat Whitmore4 songs
- Played backing vocals on 'Good Night' and 'I Am the Walrus'.
- People: Backing vocals(2)People: Session musician(2)
- Pathé Marconi Studios3 songs
- EMI's Paris studios - the band's only non-EMI-London EMI-era session, January 1964.
- Studio: Recording location
- Patrick Halling2 songs
- Violinist credited on a Beatles recording.
- People: Violin(1)People: Session musician(1)
- Pattie Boyd8 songs
- British model and George Harrison's wife from 1966 to 1977; later Eric Clapton's wife and the subject of 'Something' and 'Layla'.
- People: Backing vocals(3)People: Beatles team(3)People: Handclaps(1)People: Sound effects(1)
- Paul Harvey3 songs
- British woodwind player active in 1960s London session work.
- People: Bass clarinet(1)People: Session musician(1)People: Clarinet(1)
- Paul is dead8 songs
- Songs linked to the 'Paul is dead' hoax through supposed hidden clues.
- Info: Song family
- Paul McCartney837 songs
- Co-founder, bassist, and vocalist. McCartney's melodic gift and musical versatility drove much of the band's pop appeal, from 'Yesterday' to the Abbey Road medley.
- People: Bass guitar(191)People: Backing vocals(155)People: Lead singer(97)People: Songwriter(90)People: Piano(65)People: Guitar(44)People: Handclaps(37)People: Electric guitar(23)People: Acoustic guitar(23)People: Lead guitar(14)People: Percussion(9)People: Organ(8)People: Drums(7)People: Electric piano(7)People: Producer(6)People: Spoken word(5)People: Tambourine(4)People: Maracas(4)People: Sound effects(4)People: Timpani(3)People: Bongos(3)People: Harpsichord(3)People: Synthesizer(3)People: Rhythm guitar(3)People: Harmonium(2)People: Orchestral scoring(2)People: Recorder(2)People: Tape loops(2)People: Clavichord(2)People: Double bass(2)People: Classical guitar(1)People: Chimes(1)People: French horn(1)People: Conductor(1)People: Flugelhorn(1)People: Foot stomps(1)People: Mellotron(1)People: Claves(1)People: Hand bell(1)People: Celesta(1)People: Finger snaps(1)People: Cowbell(1)People: Congas(1)People: Trumpet(1)People: Tamboura(1)People: Chocalho(1)People: Penny whistle(1)
- Paul Scherman2 songs
- British violinist active in 1960s London session work.
- People: Violin(1)People: Session musician(1)
- Pedal point16 songs
- A sustained or repeated bass note while harmonies above it continue to change
- Music: Harmony
- Peggie Allen2 songs
- Played backing vocals on 'I Am the Walrus'.
- People: Backing vocals(1)People: Session musician(1)
- Penny whistle1 song
- A simple six-hole metal fipple flute (tin whistle) with a bright, piercing tone.
- Music: Arrangement
- Perfect rhyme191 songs
- Endings sharing identical stressed-vowel-plus-consonant sounds (cat/hat).
- Text: Rhyme type
- Persona18 songs
- Sung in the voice of a fictional or imagined narrator rather than the songwriter.
- Text: Narrative
- Personification13 songs
- Non-human things given human qualities - the sun smiles, loneliness talks
- Text: Lyrical device
- Pete Shotton2 songs
- John Lennon's closest childhood friend and a founding Quarryman, later manager of the Apple Boutique.
- People: Beatles team(1)People: Handclaps(1)
- Peter Beavan2 songs
- British cellist active in 1960s London session work.
- People: Cello(1)People: Session musician(1)
- Peter Coe2 songs
- British jazz saxophonist active on the London session scene in the 1960s.
- People: Session musician(1)People: Tenor saxophone(1)
- Peter Halling2 songs
- British cellist active in 1960s London orchestral and session work.
- People: Session musician(1)People: Cello(1)
- Peter Willison2 songs
- Cellist credited on a Beatles recording.
- People: Session musician(1)People: Cello(1)
- Phil Goody3 songs
- Piccolo player credited on a Beatles recording.
- People: Flute(1)People: Piccolo(1)People: Session musician(1)
- Phil McDonald61 songs
- British balance engineer active at EMI's Abbey Road and other London studios through the 1960s and 1970s.
- People: Assistant engineer(39)People: Recording engineer(22)
- Phil Medley1 song
- Born December 15, 1916 · Baltimore. Co-author of "Twist and Shout" with Bert Berns (Bert Russell). Originally written for the Top Notes and made famous by the Isley Brothers, the…
- People: Songwriter
- Phil Spector16 songs
- Pioneering and controversial American record producer famous for the dense 'Wall of Sound' technique he developed on 1960s pop singles.
- People: Producer(12)People: Orchestral scoring(3)People: Conductor(1)
- Philip Guard2 songs
- British actor active in mid-20th-century radio and theatre.
- People: Session musician(1)People: Spoken word(1)
- Philosophical30 songs
- Lyrics exploring abstract questions about existence, consciousness, or the nature of reality
- Text: Motif
- Piano song12 songs
- Piano is the primary accompanying instrument rather than electric guitar
- Info: Song family
- Piccolo trumpet2 songs
- A small, high-pitched trumpet - played by David Mason on 'Penny Lane'
- Music: Arrangement
- Piccolo trumpet solo1 song
- An instrumental passage featuring piccolo trumpet as the lead voice.
- Music: Solo / Riff
- Place names18 songs
- Specific real locations - streets, cities, neighborhoods, or landmarks - are named in the lyrics
- Text: Motif
- Poetic lyrics21 songs
- Strong literary craftsmanship - precise imagery, extended metaphor, and careful word choice
- Text: Vocabulary
- Political8 songs
- Lyrics engaging directly with political power, protest, war, or social ideology
- Text: Motif
- Post-Beatles3 songs
- Songs released after the Beatles' breakup - the three reunion singles: Free as a Bird (1995), Real Love (1996), Now and Then (2023). All built on unfinished Lennon cassette demos,…
- Info: Year
- Premier Mahogany Duroplastic16 songs
- Ringo Starr's pre-Ludwig Premier kit in mahogany Duroplastic finish, used on the earliest EMI sessions.
- Studio: Equipment
- Producer plays66 songs
- A track on which a credited producer also performed - exceeding the producer's typical role.
- People: Unique personnel
- Progressive rock2 songs
- Rock with extended forms, complex meters, and conceptual scope.
- Music: Music genre
- Prominent drum fills9 songs
- The drum fills are prominent enough to shape how the song moves between its sections.
- Music: Drum work
- Promotional video18 songs
- Issued with a promotional film clip distributed to broadcasters.
- Info: Cultural impact
- Proto-metal2 songs
- Heavy, distorted guitar tones and aggressive dynamics that anticipate the hard rock and heavy metal genres
- Music: Music genre
- Psychedelia influence14 songs
- Psychedelic aesthetic - exotic instruments, studio effects, drug-imagery.
- Music: Influence
- Psychedelic41 songs
- Characterized by surreal lyrics, distorted sounds, studio experimentation, and mind-expanding sonic ambition
- Music: Music genre
Q
R
- R&B41 songs
- Rooted in American rhythm and blues - driving rhythm section, soulful vocal delivery, and blues inflections
- Music: Music genre(26)Info: Cover origin(15)
- Raga rock7 songs
- Rock incorporating Indian classical scales, drones, and instruments like sitar and tabla.
- Music: Music genre
- Ragtime2 songs
- Syncopated early-20th-century piano style over a steady march-like bass.
- Music: Music genre
- Ralph Elman4 songs
- British violinist active in 1960s London session work.
- People: Violin(2)People: Session musician(2)
- Ray Swinfield3 songs
- Piccolo player credited on a Beatles recording.
- People: Piccolo(1)People: Flute(1)People: Session musician(1)
- Ray Thomas4 songs
- Flautist, harmonica player and founding singer of the Moody Blues.
- People: Harmonica(1)People: Session musician(1)People: Guest musician(1)People: Backing vocals(1)
- Raymond Brown2 songs
- Trombonist credited on a Beatles recording.
- People: Session musician(1)People: Trombone(1)
- Raymond Newman2 songs
- Clarinettist credited on a Beatles recording.
- People: Session musician(1)People: Clarinet(1)
- Raymond Premru2 songs
- Trombonist credited on a Beatles recording.
- People: Trombone(1)People: Session musician(1)
- Real people27 songs
- Named real individuals appear as characters or subjects within the lyrics
- Text: Motif
- Recurring line194 songs
- Text: Repetition
- Recurring verse103 songs
- Text: Repetition
- Reduction mix81 songs
- Mixing a recording down to fewer tracks to free space on the tape machine.
- Studio: Studio technique
- Referenced in song9 songs
- This song is referenced by name or lyric in another Beatles song (e.g. The Fool on the Hill mentioned in Glass Onion, Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da mentioned in Savoy Truffle). Mirror tag of…
- Info: Song family
- Reginald Kilbey8 songs
- British cellist and arranger; a longtime London session player.
- People: Cello(4)People: Session musician(4)
- Reunion recording3 songs
- Post-breakup recording where surviving Beatles built new songs on top of Lennon demos. Covers Free as a Bird (1995), Real Love (1996), and Now and Then (2023).
- Info: Recording type
- Reunion singles3 songs
- Pseudo-album covering the three post-breakup Beatles songs: Free as a Bird (1995), Real Love (1996), and Now and Then (2023). All three began as unfinished Lennon cassette demos,…
- Info: Album
- Reverse9 songs
- Audio played or recorded in reverse for psychedelic or abstract effects
- Studio: Studio technique
- Revived recording6 songs
- Shelved and resumed after a long gap (e.g. a song revived years later, or an old demo finished by the surviving Beatles).
- Info: Recording type
- Revolver (US)11 songs
- Capitol release, August 1966. 11 tracks - 3 songs ('I'm Only Sleeping', 'And Your Bird Can Sing', 'Doctor Robert') had already been placed on Yesterday and Today.
- Info: US release
- Rex Morris6 songs
- Played trombone on 'Honey Pie', 'Revolution 1' and other Beatles recordings.
- People: Session musician(3)People: Tenor saxophone(1)People: Saxophone(1)People: Trombone(1)
- Rhetorical question11 songs
- A question asked for effect rather than for an answer, where the asking itself carries the point.
- Text: Lyrical device
- RIAA Gold single17 songs
- Certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America for a million copies of the single sold.
- Info: Chart performance
- Ric Marlow1 song
- Born March 31, 1925 · The Bronx, New York. American actor and lyricist who co-wrote the words to "A Taste of Honey" with composer Bobby Scott. Originally written for a 1960 Broad…
- People: Songwriter
- Rich harmony29 songs
- Multiple simultaneous vocal harmonies forming a dense, lush harmonic texture
- Music: Composition
- Rich vocabulary9 songs
- Lyric uses a wide range of distinct words relative to total length.
- Text: Vocabulary
- Richard Drapkin1 song
- American songwriter, also credited as Ricky Dee or Richard B. Drapkin. Wrote "Devil in His Heart" - a 1962 Donays single the Beatles covered as "Devil in Her Heart" on With The B…
- People: Songwriter
- Richard Hewson3 songs
- British arranger and composer (1943-2022); orchestrator and conductor active across British pop.
- People: Orchestral scoring(2)People: Conductor(1)
- Richard Langham44 songs
- EMI engineer on the Beatles' early Abbey Road sessions.
- People: Assistant engineer
- Richard Lush47 songs
- EMI balance and tape engineer from 1966, on Sgt. Pepper and the 1967 to 1969 sessions.
- People: Assistant engineer(46)People: Recording engineer(1)
- Richard Taylor2 songs
- Flautist credited on a Beatles recording.
- People: Flute(1)People: Session musician(1)
- Rickenbacker 32544 songs
- Lennon's three-quarter-scale solid-body electric guitar of the early 60s.
- Studio: Equipment
- Rickenbacker 325/121 song
- The twelve-string version of Lennon's Rickenbacker, a rarity on record.
- Studio: Equipment
- Rickenbacker 360/1213 songs
- Twelve-string semi-hollow electric guitar central to A Hard Day's Night.
- Studio: Equipment
- Rickenbacker 4001S86 songs
- McCartney's Rickenbacker 4001S bass - its bright, punchy, trebly tone defines the mid-period Beatles sound
- Studio: Equipment
- Rickenbacker 4252 songs
- Solid-body single-pickup electric guitar - George Harrison's first Rickenbacker.
- Studio: Equipment
- Rij Ram Desad2 songs
- Harmonium player credited on a Beatles recording.
- People: Harmonium(1)People: Session musician(1)
- Ring composition6 songs
- A section opens and closes on the same word or phrase, returning to where it began.
- Text: Lyrical device
- Ringo Starr434 songs
- Ringo Starr contributing assorted noises and sound effects.
- People: Drums(191)People: Tambourine(64)People: Handclaps(32)People: Percussion(28)People: Maracas(28)People: Backing vocals(21)People: Lead singer(12)People: Bongos(11)People: Cowbell(8)People: Songwriter(6)People: Congas(4)People: Timpani(3)People: Producer(3)People: Hand bell(2)People: Chimes(2)People: Finger cymbals(2)People: Sound effects(2)People: Piano(2)People: Claves(2)People: Tape loops(2)People: Harmonica(1)People: Chocalho(1)People: Sleigh bells(1)People: Noises(1)People: Finger snaps(1)People: Wind machine(1)People: Castanets(1)People: Tack piano(1)People: Organ(1)
- Ringoism3 songs
- Title coined from a Ringo Starr malapropism or spontaneous invented phrase (e.g. 'A Hard Day's Night')
- Text: Title
- Robert Bateman1 song
- Born September 22, 1937 · Detroit. Songwriter and producer at early Motown, part of the original "Brianbert" team with Brian Holland. Co-wrote "Please Mr. Postman" with the rest…
- People: Songwriter
- Robert Blackwell1 song
- Born May 23, 1918 · Seattle. Producer and bandleader at Specialty Records, where he produced Little Richard's biggest hits. Co-wrote "Long Tall Sally" with Little Richard and Eno…
- People: Songwriter
- Robert Burns2 songs
- Clarinettist credited on a Beatles recording.
- People: Session musician(1)People: Clarinet(1)
- Rock166 songs
- Guitar-driven popular music with electric instrumentation and a backbeat.
- Music: Music genre
- Rock and roll59 songs
- Mid-1950s American style - backbeat, 12-bar blues, and verse-chorus-verse.
- Music: Music genre(48)Info: Cover origin(11)
- Rockabilly8 songs
- 1950s fusion of country and R&B - slapback bass, electric guitar twang.
- Music: Music genre(7)Info: Cover origin(1)
- Roger Lord2 songs
- Principal oboist of the London Symphony Orchestra.
- People: Session musician(1)People: Oboe(1)
- Role swap79 songs
- At least one Beatle plays an instrument other than their usual one.
- People: Unique personnel
- Ronald Chamberlain2 songs
- Saxophonist credited on a Beatles recording.
- People: Session musician(1)People: Saxophone(1)
- Ronald Ross2 songs
- Session instrumentalist working in London studios in the 1960s.
- People: Baritone saxophone(1)People: Session musician(1)
- Ronald Thomas4 songs
- Played violin on 'Glass Onion' and 'Piggies'.
- People: Violin(2)People: Session musician(2)
- Ronnie Hughes2 songs
- Trumpeter credited on a Beatles recording.
- People: Session musician(1)People: Trumpet(1)
- Ronnie Ross2 songs
- English jazz baritone saxophonist who earlier taught the young David Bowie.
- People: Session musician(1)People: Baritone saxophone(1)
- Ronnie Scott4 songs
- English jazz tenor saxophonist and co-founder of London's famous Ronnie Scott's jazz club.
- People: Session musician(2)People: Alto flute(1)People: Tenor saxophone(1)
- Rooftop concert5 songs
- Performed at the Beatles' rooftop concert atop Apple, 30 January 1969.
- Info: Song family
- Roy Copestake2 songs
- Trumpeter credited on a Beatles recording.
- People: Trumpet(1)People: Session musician(1)
- Roy Lee Johnson1 song
- American R&B singer and songwriter. Wrote "Mr. Moonlight", which the Beatles covered on Beatles For Sale with Lennon's keening lead vocal. Originally a B-side by Dr. Feelgood and…
- People: Songwriter
- Rubber Soul (US)13 songs
- Capitol release, December 1965. Different tracklist from UK: dropped 'Drive My Car', 'Nowhere Man', 'What Goes On', 'If I Needed Someone'; added 'I've Just Seen a Face' and 'It's…
- Info: US release
S
- S.R. Kenkare2 songs
- Indian classical musician and player of the shehnai, a double-reed wind instrument.
- People: Session musician(1)People: Shehnai(1)
- Santur1 song
- Music: Arrangement
- Saxophone10 songs
- Saxophone providing R&B flavor, jazz texture, or raw rock and roll color
- Music: Arrangement
- Saxophone solo1 song
- An instrumental passage featuring saxophone as the lead voice.
- Music: Solo / Riff
- Scat singing14 songs
- Improvised wordless syllabic singing, often associated with jazz.
- Music: Vocal work
- Screen Gems-Columbia Music1 song
- Brill Building publishing arm of Columbia / Screen Gems.
- Info: Publisher
- Sectional modulation7 songs
- A whole section replayed in a new key - the same passage transposed. Distinct from a general Key change.
- Music: Composition
- Self reflection76 songs
- The songwriter reflects on their own identity, life, or creative process
- Text: Motif
- Sex13 songs
- The song contains overt or coded sexual language, double entendres, or erotic imagery
- Text: Motif
- Shaker1 song
- Handheld shaker giving a continuous grain of rhythm rather than a struck accent.
- Music: Arrangement
- Shared chords27 songs
- Two or more sections of the song are built from the same handful of chords.
- Music: Composition
- Sheila Bromberg2 songs
- British harpist and a longtime London orchestral and session player.
- People: Harp(1)People: Session musician(1)
- Shirelles influence1 song
- Early-1960s girl group whose songs the Beatles covered and echoed.
- Music: Influence
- Shouted vocals12 songs
- Lead vocal delivered with shouting force rather than sustained singing.
- Music: Vocal work
- Sidney Sax10 songs
- British violinist and noted orchestral leader who also worked as a session contractor, booking and leading string players for countless London recording dates.
- People: Session musician(5)People: Violin(5)
- Single51 songs
- Released as a standalone single not originally tied to any studio album
- Info: Release type
- Single day98 songs
- Recorded on a single date - basic track and any overdubs all done in one day.
- Studio: Session duration
- Sitar6 songs
- North Indian plucked string instrument - introduced to Western pop by George Harrison on 'Norwegian Wood'
- Music: Arrangement
- Skiffle3 songs
- The British DIY folk-jazz hybrid that first inspired teenage Lennon and McCartney before the Beatles formed
- Music: Music genre
- Skiffle influence2 songs
- Late-1950s UK folk-blues fad - washboard, tea-chest bass, acoustic guitar.
- Music: Influence
- Slide guitar6 songs
- Guitar played with a metal or glass slide giving a singing, gliding tone
- Music: Guitar work
- Smokey Robinson1 song
- Born February 19, 1940 · Detroit. Songwriter, singer, and Motown vice president - one of the most admired lyricists of his generation. Wrote "You Really Got a Hold on Me", which…
- People: Songwriter
- Smoking6 songs
- Cigarettes, tobacco and the act of smoking, including its coded and metaphorical uses.
- Text: Motif
- Social commentary29 songs
- Songs critiquing society, class structures, cultural norms, or contemporary life
- Text: Motif
- Something New10 songs
- Capitol compilation released July 1964. Remaining A Hard Day's Night tracks plus Long Tall Sally EP tracks.
- Info: US release
- Song for George6 songs
- Songs written by bandmates or covers that George sang lead vocal on, chosen specifically as vehicles for George's voice. Excludes songs George wrote.
- People: Unique personnel
- Song for Ringo9 songs
- Songs written by bandmates or covers that Ringo sang lead vocal on, chosen specifically as vehicles for Ringo's voice. Excludes songs Ringo wrote.
- People: Unique personnel
- Song on album184 songs
- An album-only track that was never released as a commercial single
- Info: Release type
- Song on Anthology102 songs
- Song appears on one or more of the Anthology discs (1995-1996 for volumes 1-3; November 2025 for volume 4). Alternate takes, demos, live recordings, outtakes, and new Jeff Lynne 2…
- Info: Release type
- Song on compilation75 songs
- The song was gathered onto an official compilation after its first release, on the Red and Blue albums, on 1, or on one of their reissues.
- Info: Release type
- Song on Giles Martin remix86 songs
- Song was remixed by Giles Martin for one of the deluxe anniversary editions (Sgt. Pepper 2017, White Album 2018, Abbey Road 2019, Let It Be 2021, Revolver 2022, Red/Blue 2023).
- Info: Release type
- Song on Let It Be... Naked11 songs
- Song appears on Let It Be... Naked (2003), McCartney's stripped-down re-edit of the Let It Be album without Phil Spector's overdubs.
- Info: Release type
- Song on Love39 songs
- Song appears on the Love album (2006) - the Cirque du Soleil soundtrack of mashups and remixes by Giles and George Martin.
- Info: Release type
- Soul7 songs
- Black American music combining gospel, R&B, and emotional vocal delivery.
- Music: Music genre
- Sound Techniques console7 songs
- The Sound Techniques-built mixing console at Trident Studios.
- Studio: Equipment
- Sounds Incorporated2 songs
- British instrumental band signed to Brian Epsteins NEMS Enterprises in the 1960s.
- People: Session musician(1)People: Brass(1)
- Special guest19 songs
- A notable musician outside the core Beatles lineup made a significant performing contribution
- People: Unique personnel
- Spiritual19 songs
- Lyrics exploring spiritual, religious, or transcendent themes and experiences
- Text: Motif
- Spoken melody4 songs
- The vocal is delivered as speech or near-speech rather than a sung melodic line.
- Music: Vocal work
- Stan Reynolds2 songs
- Trumpeter credited on a Beatles recording.
- People: Trumpet(1)People: Session musician(1)
- Stan Roderick2 songs
- Played trumpet on 'Strawberry Fields Forever'.
- People: Session musician(1)People: Trumpet(1)
- Stanley Reynolds2 songs
- Session instrumentalist working in London studios in the 1960s.
- People: Session musician(1)People: Trumpet(1)
- Stanley Roderick2 songs
- Played trumpet on 'Strawberry Fields Forever'.
- People: Session musician(1)People: Trumpet(1)
- Stanley Woods2 songs
- Trumpeter credited on a Beatles recording.
- People: Trumpet(1)People: Session musician(1)
- Steinway Grand3 songs
- A full-size Steinway concert grand piano, used at EMI for the more formal piano parts.
- Studio: Equipment
- Steinway Vertegrand32 songs
- Abbey Road's upright Steinway piano (the 'Mrs Mills' piano).
- Studio: Equipment
- Stephen Shingles4 songs
- Played viola on 'Eleanor Rigby' and 'She's Leaving Home'.
- People: Session musician(2)People: Viola(2)
- Stepwise bass line94 songs
- Three or more consecutive chords where the bass note moves by step (semitone or whole tone). Creates smooth, Bach-style voice leading.
- Music: Bass work
- Stereo200 songs
- Song was officially released in a stereo mix. From 1969 onward (Abbey Road, Let It Be) stereo was the primary mix; most earlier songs also received stereo mixes, sometimes years a…
- Info: Release mix
- Storytelling28 songs
- Lyrics structured as a narrative with characters, setting, and a clear arc
- Text: Motif
- Stream of consciousness13 songs
- Free-associative flow of images and thoughts without conventional narrative logic
- Text: Narrative
- String28 songs
- Beatles songs with a scored string section (violins, violas, cellos, double bass) - from the Yesterday quartet to full orchestral strings.
- Music: Instrument group
- String bending4 songs
- Bending a guitar string sideways to raise its pitch expressively.
- Music: Guitar work
- Studer J37 4-track recorder78 songs
- Four-track tape machine - the Beatles' standard recording machine 1965-68.
- Studio: Equipment
- Surrealism19 songs
- Dreamlike, irrational, or subconscious imagery that resists literal interpretation
- Text: Motif
- Swan3 songs
- Philadelphia label that licensed She Loves You for US release in Sep 1963 after Capitol passed. Reissued it to a #1 hit after Beatlemania broke in early 1964.
- Info: Label
- Sylvia King2 songs
- Played backing vocals on 'I Am the Walrus'.
- People: Backing vocals(1)People: Session musician(1)
T
- T. Moore2 songs
- Trombonist credited on a Beatles recording.
- People: Session musician(1)People: Trombone(1)
- Tabla3 songs
- North Indian hand drums used alongside sitar in Indian-influenced tracks
- Music: Arrangement
- Tack piano5 songs
- Upright piano with tacks set in the hammers for a tinny honky-tonk sound.
- Music: Arrangement
- Tape echo8 songs
- Echo effect generated by re-routing tape past a playback head at a delayed position.
- Studio: Studio technique
- Tape loops11 songs
- Pre-recorded tape loops used as a sound source within the arrangement.
- Music: Arrangement
- Tape splicing41 songs
- Physically cutting and rejoining magnetic tape to assemble or edit a recording.
- Studio: Studio technique
- Ted Barker2 songs
- Trombonist credited on a Beatles recording.
- People: Session musician(1)People: Trombone(1)
- Telefunken M10 4-track recorder42 songs
- Telefunken's four-track studio tape recorder, used at Abbey Road in the mid-1960s.
- Studio: Equipment
- Tenor flute1 song
- A tenor flute (a lower member of the flute family) used in a track's arrangement.
- Music: Arrangement
- Terence Weil2 songs
- Session cellist heard on 'Eleanor Rigby'.
- People: Cello(1)People: Session musician(1)
- Terry Condon3 songs
- EMI Studios employee in the 1960s, commonly identified as a doorman at Abbey Road.
- People: Backing vocals(1)People: Sound effects(1)People: Beatles team(1)
- Terry Doran2 songs
- Beatles aide; partner with Brian Epstein in the Brydor Cars dealership and later head of Apple Music.
- People: Maracas(1)People: Beatles team(1)
- The Beatles' Second Album11 songs
- Capitol compilation released April 1964. Leftover With The Beatles tracks plus singles and EP tracks not on Meet The Beatles!
- Info: US release
- The Early Beatles12 songs
- Capitol reissue of Vee-Jay material, released March 1965. Same content as Introducing The Beatles under the Capitol banner.
- Info: US release
- The Mike Sammes Singers6 songs
- Professional session vocal ensemble led by Mike Sammes.
- People: Backing vocals(2)People: Session musician(2)People: Choir(2)
- Third person37 songs
- About 'he/she/they' - the singer as an outside observer telling someone else's story
- Text: Narrative
- Three-part harmony38 songs
- Three sung lines moving together in harmonized intervals.
- Music: Vocal work
- Time reference24 songs
- A reference to a specific time, hour, day, or date in the lyric (e.g. 'five o'clock', 'Wednesday morning').
- Text: Motif
- Time signature change9 songs
- The song moves between two or more time signatures.
- Music: Time signature
- Title in chorus27 songs
- Text: Title
- Title in outro3 songs
- Text: Title
- Title in refrain11 songs
- Text: Title
- Title not in lyrics15 songs
- The song's title does not appear anywhere within its own lyrics
- Text: Title
- Tollie4 songs
- Vee-Jay subsidiary label that issued the US single of Twist and Shout / There's a Place (1964) during the Beatlemania rush.
- Info: Label
- Tony Fisher4 songs
- Played trumpet on 'Strawberry Fields Forever' and 'Magical Mystery Tour'.
- People: Trumpet(2)People: Session musician(2)
- Tony Gilbert4 songs
- Session violinist at EMI Studios who led the string quartet on Yesterday - the first Beatles recording to use strings.
- People: Session musician(2)People: Violin(2)
- Tony Randall2 songs
- Played french horn on 'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band'.
- People: French horn(1)People: Session musician(1)
- Tony Tunstall4 songs
- Played french horn on 'I Am the Walrus' and 'Martha My Dear'.
- People: French horn(2)People: Session musician(2)
- Top 40 UK2 songs
- Beatles songs that reached the top forty of a major UK chart.
- Info: Chart performance
- Top 40 US14 songs
- Beatles songs that reached the top forty of a major US chart.
- Info: Chart performance
- Traditional1 song
- A traditional or public-domain song with no single credited author, arranged by the Beatles.
- People: Songwriter
- Travel23 songs
- The song features travel, journeys, movement, or geographical displacement as a central element
- Text: Motif
- Tremolo4 songs
- Amplifier effect that modulates volume in a steady pulsing pattern.
- Studio: Studio technique
- Trevor Williams2 songs
- Violinist credited on a Beatles recording.
- People: Session musician(1)People: Violin(1)
- Trident Studios6 songs
- Soho-based eight-track studio used for several 1968-1969 sessions.
- Studio: Recording location
- Tristan Fry3 songs
- British classical percussionist and session player.
- People: Percussion(1)People: Timpani(1)People: Session musician(1)
- True Lennon-McCartney19 songs
- A genuinely co-written song where both Lennon and McCartney contributed substantially to both music and lyrics
- People: Unique personnel
- Trumpet19 songs
- Solo or ensemble trumpet - most memorably used on 'Penny Lane' with the piccolo trumpet
- Music: Arrangement
- Twin lead vocals9 songs
- Two singers carry two different lead lines at the same time, neither one acting as a backing vocal to the other.
- Music: Vocal work
- Twin songs21 songs
- Two Beatles songs that mirror or answer each other, in theme, chords, title or the part they play on a record.
- Info: Song family
- Two versions11 songs
- The song has two officially released versions with meaningful differences in arrangement or performance
- Info: Recording type
U
- Uncredited97 songs
- Unnamed session musician(s) played the baritone saxophone on this recording.
- People: Strings(9)People: Cello(7)People: Brass(6)People: Viola(6)People: Violin(6)People: Double bass(6)People: French horn(5)People: Trumpet(5)People: Trombone(5)People: Sound effects(5)People: Backing vocals(4)People: Tambourine(3)People: Bass trombone(3)People: Harp(2)People: Clarinet(2)People: Orchestra(2)People: Flute(2)People: Handclaps(2)People: Cowbell(2)People: Session musician(2)People: Timpani(1)People: Mellotron(1)People: Choir(1)People: Claves(1)People: Glockenspiel(1)People: Baritone saxophone(1)People: Tenor saxophone(1)People: Alto flute(1)People: Piccolo(1)People: Vibraphone(1)People: Recording engineer(1)People: Piano(1)People: Saxophone(1)
- Unique pre-chorus3 songs
- A one-off pre-chorus distinct from the rest of the song.
- Music: Section traits
- Unique writing credit4 songs
- The song carries an unusual or unexpected writing attribution outside the standard Lennon-McCartney, Harrison, or Starkey credits
- People: Unique personnel
- United Artists8 songs
- Released the US soundtrack version of A Hard Day's Night (1964) - a very different album from the UK Parlophone release, with orchestral George Martin tracks alongside the band's…
- Info: Label
V
- VariSpeed25 songs
- Recording tape sped up or slowed down to alter pitch or tempo
- Studio: Studio technique
- Vaudeville6 songs
- Early-20th-century variety-show style - music hall sentimentality, comic novelty.
- Music: Music genre
- Vee-Jay16 songs
- Chicago-based independent that licensed early Beatles tracks for US release in 1963-64 before Capitol committed. Released Introducing The Beatles and the US version of A Hard Day'…
- Info: Label
- Vignette19 songs
- Brief, vivid character or scene sketch - a snapshot rather than a full narrative
- Text: Narrative
- Viola19 songs
- Bowed orchestral string instrument, alto range, lower than the violin.
- Music: Arrangement
- Vocal canon1 song
- Voices entering in succession with the same melody, overlapping in time.
- Music: Vocal work
- Vocal effect8 songs
- An audible studio effect applied to a vocal - reverb, delay, distortion, processing.
- Studio: Studio technique
- Vocal harmonies146 songs
- Multiple sung lines moving together in harmonized intervals.
- Music: Vocal work
- Voni Morrison1 song
- American songwriter best known for co-writing Buck Owens hits the Beatles covered.
- People: Songwriter
- Vox AC3024 songs
- British 30-watt valve combo amplifier - the Beatles' primary stage and studio amp through the mid-60s.
- Studio: Equipment
- Vox Continental3 songs
- Transistor combo organ with distinctive reedy tone, used widely in 1960s rock.
- Studio: Equipment
W
- Walking bass4 songs
- A bass line that moves in steady quarter-notes through chord tones and passing notes.
- Music: Bass work
- Wall of sound4 songs
- Phil Spector's production aesthetic - dense layered orchestration recorded as a single mass.
- Studio: Studio technique
- Wendy Horan2 songs
- Played backing vocals on 'I Am the Walrus'.
- People: Backing vocals(1)People: Session musician(1)
- Wes Farrell1 song
- Born December 21, 1939 · Brooklyn, New York. Brill Building songwriter and music publisher who co-wrote "Boys" with Luther Dixon. The song was a Shirelles B-side; the Beatles' Pl…
- People: Songwriter
- William Garrett1 song
- American songwriter associated with the Marvelettes. Brought the original blues fragment that became "Please Mr. Postman" to Motown, sharing the writing credit with Georgia Dobbi…
- People: Songwriter
- Wilson Pickett influence2 songs
- Hard-driving Southern soul singer ('In the Midnight Hour').
- Music: Influence
- Woodwind22 songs
- Beatles songs with a woodwind arrangement - flutes, clarinets, oboe, bassoon, saxophones and related reeds and pipes.
- Music: Instrument group
- Wordplay21 songs
- The words are played with for their own sake: puns, invented compounds, choices driven by sound.
- Text: Lyrical device
- Work18 songs
- The working life - jobs, labor, commuting, the Monday-to-Friday grind - appears as subject matter
- Text: Motif
- Written for others4 songs
- Written by a Beatle for, or first given to, another artist.
- Info: Song family
- Written in India15 songs
- Written during the Beatles' 1968 Rishikesh stay studying with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.
- Info: Song family
Y
- Yesterday and Today12 songs
- Capitol US-only compilation, June 1966. Tracks pulled from UK Help!, Rubber Soul, and Revolver plus singles. Famous for the 'butcher cover' controversy.
- Info: US release
- Yoko Ono9 songs
- Conceptual artist and musician; John Lennons partner from 1968 and wife from 1969 until his death in 1980.
- People: Beatles team(3)People: Backing vocals(3)People: Handclaps(1)People: Spoken word(1)People: Tape loops(1)
0-9
- 12-string guitar25 songs
- Guitar strung with twelve strings in six pairs, producing a shimmering chorused tone.
- Music: Arrangement
- 3+ time signatures6 songs
- The song moves between three or more distinct time signatures across its sections.
- Music: Time signature
- 3M M23 8-track recorder34 songs
- American eight-track tape machine - used at EMI from late 1968.
- Studio: Equipment
- 6/41 song
- Six beats per bar, typically in two groups of three - slow waltz feel.
- Music: Time signature
- 7♭92 songs
- Dominant 7th with flattened 9th. Tense, dissonant sound common in jazz and blues.
- Music: Chord type
- 7♯95 songs
- Dominant 7th with raised 9th. The 'Hendrix chord' - gritty, bluesy tension. E.g. E7#9 in Purple Haze.
- Music: Chord type