Two or more independent VOCAL lines sung at once (vocal polyphony); includes vocal countermelodies. For an instrumental secondary line, use musical-element/Countermelody.
'Do You Want to Know a Secret' (1963) is the earliest Beatles song to use Counterpoint, which goes on to appear on 12 in all.
Song count per year
% of each member's catalogue with this tag (by writing credit)
| # | Title | Year | Album | Lead Vocal(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Do You Want to Know a Secret | 1963 | Please Please Me | George | Lead and backing 'Do-da-do' simultaneous |
| 2 | It Won't Be Long | 1963 | With The Beatles | John | Backing vocals answer beneath the lead |
| 3 | You Won't See Me | 1965 | Rubber Soul | Paul | Sustained backing vocals run beneath the lead |
| 4 | Rain | 1966 | Past Masters | John | Backing 'When the sun shines down' under lead |
| 5 | Paperback Writer | 1966 | Past Masters | Paul | A 'Frere Jacques' counter-line runs under the lead in the later verses |
| 6 | Eleanor Rigby | 1966 | Revolver | Paul | 'All the lonely people' set against 'Ah, look at all the lonely people' in the coda |
| 7 | She's Leaving Home | 1967 | Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band | Paul, John | Answering backing vocal against the lead in the chorus |
| 8 | Getting Better | 1967 | Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band | Paul | 'Better' vs 'It can't get no worse' |
| 9 | Hello, Goodbye | 1967 | Magical Mystery Tour | Paul | Chorus 2 lead over 'hello, goodbye' overlay |
| 10 | I Am the Walrus | 1967 | Magical Mystery Tour | John | King Lear vs 'Everybody's got one' simultaneously |
| 11 | Magical Mystery Tour | 1967 | Magical Mystery Tour | Paul | 'Roll up' traded against 'It's got everything you need' |
| 12 | I've Got a Feeling | 1970 | Let It Be | Paul, John | Lennon's 'Everybody had a hard year' against McCartney's 'I've got a feeling' |
Lead and backing 'Do-da-do' simultaneous
Backing vocals answer beneath the lead
Sustained backing vocals run beneath the lead
Backing 'When the sun shines down' under lead
A 'Frere Jacques' counter-line runs under the lead in the later verses
'All the lonely people' set against 'Ah, look at all the lonely people' in the coda
Answering backing vocal against the lead in the chorus
'Better' vs 'It can't get no worse'
Chorus 2 lead over 'hello, goodbye' overlay
King Lear vs 'Everybody's got one' simultaneously
'Roll up' traded against 'It's got everything you need'
Lennon's 'Everybody had a hard year' against McCartney's 'I've got a feeling'
Updated
Book
All the Songs
Margotin & Guesdon
Sheet music
Musicnotes – Beatles Piano/Vocal/Guitar
Musicnotes
Book
The Beatles: Complete Scores
Hal Leonard
affiliate link – supports this wiki