Deliberately overdriven signal for a gritty, saturated tone – covers distortion, overdrive, and fuzz.
Distortion first appears on a Beatles record on 'Think for Yourself' (1965).
Song count per year
% of each member's catalogue with this tag (by writing credit)
| # | Title | Year | Album | Lead Vocal(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Think for Yourself | 1965 | Rubber Soul | George | First use of fuzzbox on a bass record |
| 2 | Love You To | 1966 | Revolver | George | Fuzz-tone lead guitar |
| 3 | I'm Only Sleeping | 1966 | Revolver | John | One of the two backwards-guitar tracks recorded with fuzz, the other without |
| 4 | Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise) | 1967 | Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band | Paul, John, George | Heavy guitar distortion |
| 5 | Lady Madonna | 1968 | Past Masters | Paul | Session documentation states Lennon and Harrison played 'fuzzed guitars ... |
| 6 | Revolution | 1968 | Past Masters | John | Overloaded mic preamps for fuzz tone |
| 7 | Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da | 1968 | The Beatles (The White Album) | Paul | The bass line on the released recording is not a conventional bass guitar part -- it's McCartney's acoustic guitar, deliberately overdriven/distort… |
| 8 | Savoy Truffle | 1968 | The Beatles (The White Album) | George | Saxophones deliberately overdriven |
| 9 | Helter Skelter | 1968 | The Beatles (The White Album) | Paul | Backing track recorded "in the red zone" for maximum saturation |
| 10 | Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey | 1968 | The Beatles (The White Album) | John | – |
| 11 | Happiness Is a Warm Gun | 1968 | The Beatles (The White Album) | John | Distorted guitar in second section |
| 12 | Hey Bulldog | 1969 | Yellow Submarine | John | The overdubbed lead guitar solo was played through a fuzz box with a cranked amplifier, described in session sources as 'distorted guitar' - a spec… |
| 13 | Old Brown Shoe | 1969 | Past Masters | George | Intentional vocal distortion |
| 14 | You Never Give Me Your Money | 1969 | Abbey Road | Paul | Lennon's guitar tone |
| 15 | Mean Mr. Mustard | 1969 | Abbey Road | John | Fuzz tone on bass |
| 16 | Come Together | 1969 | Abbey Road | John | Heavily distorted lead guitar |
First use of fuzzbox on a bass record
Fuzz-tone lead guitar
One of the two backwards-guitar tracks recorded with fuzz, the other without
Heavy guitar distortion
Session documentation states Lennon and Harrison played 'fuzzed guitars ...
Overloaded mic preamps for fuzz tone
The bass line on the released recording is not a conventional bass guitar part -- it's McCartney's acoustic guitar, deliberately overdriven/distort…
Saxophones deliberately overdriven
Backing track recorded "in the red zone" for maximum saturation
Distorted guitar in second section
The overdubbed lead guitar solo was played through a fuzz box with a cranked amplifier, described in session sources as 'distorted guitar' - a spec…
Intentional vocal distortion
Lennon's guitar tone
Fuzz tone on bass
Heavily distorted lead guitar
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