Music · Song form

12-bar blues

The foundational blues structure: 12 bars following a I-I-I-I-IV-IV-I-I-V-IV-I-V pattern. Basis for rock'n'roll.

songs

John Lennon uses the 12-bar blues song-form on 14% of his sole-written songs (11 of 79) – roughly 4.1× the rate at which the other Beatles do (3% average).

John Lennon

Analysis

By Year

Song count per year

By Songwriter

% of each member's catalogue with this tag (by writing credit)

By Era

Early6 · 30%

Mid-period4 · 20%

Late10 · 50%

By Album

The Beatles (The White Album)5

Magical Mystery Tour1

Songs(20 of 32)

Year

Album

Writer

Lead vocal(s)

#	Title	Year	Album	Lead Vocal(s)	Notes
1	Little Child	1963	With The Beatles	John, Paul	–
2	Can't Buy Me Love	1964	A Hard Day's Night	Paul	–
3	You Can't Do That	1964	A Hard Day's Night	John	–
4	I'll Cry Instead	1964	A Hard Day's Night	John	–
5	She's a Woman	1964	Past Masters	Paul	Solo and outro are classic 12-bar blues
6	Baby's in Black	1964	Beatles For Sale	John, Paul	–
7	I'm Down	1965	Past Masters	Paul	both instrumental breaks are twelve-bar frames
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8	Run for Your Life	1965	Rubber Soul	John	Guitar solo is 12-bar form
9	The Word	1965	Rubber Soul	John, Paul	–
10	Flying	1967	Magical Mystery Tour	–	–
11	Revolution	1968	Past Masters	John	Verse follows blues progression in B
12	Birthday	1968	The Beatles (The White Album)	Paul, John	–
13	Why Don't We Do It in the Road?	1968	The Beatles (The White Album)	Paul	–
14	Yer Blues	1968	The Beatles (The White Album)	John	–
15	I'm So Tired	1968	The Beatles (The White Album)	John	Verse uses 12-bar AAB
16	Revolution 1	1968	The Beatles (The White Album)	John	Blues-influenced verse harmony
17	The Ballad of John and Yoko	1969	Past Masters	John	I, IV, V harmony
18	For You Blue	1970	Let It Be	George	–
19	One After 909	1970	Let It Be	John, Paul	–
20	Dig It	1970	Let It Be	John	I-IV-V vamp in F