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The 100 Best Beatles Solo Songs

When the Beatles broke up in 1970, they figured it was the end of the story. But they got that wrong. Over 50 years later, John, Paul, George, and Ringo are more influential, famous, beloved than ever. That means the world is finally catching up with one of the weirdest chapters in the Beatles' saga: their solo music. All four Fabs kept making music, on their own eccentric terms. All four dropped classic albums. All four released total garbage. The solo Beatles story is a gloriously messy, crazed, chaotic world of its own.

So let's celebrate that story: the 100 greatest Beatles solo songs, starring John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. The hits, the flops, the deep cuts, the fan favorites, the cult classics, the covers. Some of these songs are legendary tunes sung around the world at weddings and parties. Some are buried treasures only the most hardcore Beatlemaniacs know. And one is "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey." As a great man said, it don't come easy. 

Every fan would compile a different list—that's the beauty of it. We love to keep arguing about the Beatles' solo records. I have spent my life arguing that Ringo's 1970 country album Beaucoups of Blues is an underrated masterpiece, and I will argue this forever. Hell, I once had this argument with Ringo. (I can't tell if I persuaded him or not—he was too busy laughing at me.)

Keep in mind: this is NOT a list of their greatest hits. These songs aren't here because of commercial success, radio airplay, sales or popularity. The only thing that matters is the level of Beatle magic. That means some incredibly famous hits didn't make the cut. To pick just the most obvious example, the words "say," "say," and "say" do not appear consecutively here at all. 

These days, fans dig deeper than ever into the solo Beatles' music. Records that were once impossible to find are now easy to hear with one click. So the arguments keep getting more sophisticated. When Paul released Ram in 1971, the whole world agreed it was an atrocity. Now it's easily his most famous and acclaimed album. Fans are just now discovering gems like John's Mind Games or George's Living in the Material World. The arguments keep changing—that's what makes it fun.

This list gives all four Beatles room to make noise. Obviously, it's tricky because Paul has a far bigger songbook than the others combined—he's still thriving as a songwriter in his 80s, while John and George had their lives cruelly cut short. But the whole point of a list like this is mixing them up as equally as possible, or at least as far as the music demands. So they're all fighting for space on this list, just as they always were on Beatles albums. (The Top Ten has three songs by each of the main songwriters, plus a Ringo banger.) But all 100 of these songs live up to that Beatles spirit. The dream will never be over.

Rolling Stone's 100 Best Songs Of `06 With AFI, Sonic Youth, Mastodon, Green Day, BYOP

'Tis the season for lists, and the latest comes from the venerable Rolling Stone magazine. The magazine has published what they describe as the 100 Best Songs of the Year and selections include tracks from: AFI, My Chemical Romance, Mastodon, Green Day/U2, Raconteurs, Fall Out Boy, Sonic Youth, Be Your Own Pet, Dropkick Murphys, The Coup, Flaming Lips and Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

Rolling Stone's '500 Greatest Songs' Podcast Kicks Off With A Fleetwood Mac Classic

Each week, writers Brittany Spanos and Rob Sheffield will dive into an entry from our popular, influential, and hugely argued-over list. First up: Stevie Nicks' 1977 breakup ballad "Dreams"

In 2004, Rolling Stone launched its 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list. Tabulated from a massive vote that had artists, industry figures, and critics weighing in, the list has been a source of conversation, inspiration, and controversy for two decades — one of the biggest, and most argued-over, features the magazine has ever done.

In 2021, we completely overhauled the list, with a new batch of voters to better reflect modern-day consensus. Now, our new podcast based off the list, Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs, will take a closer look at the entries from 2021. Made in partnership with iHeart, Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs finds hosts and Rolling Stone staffers Rob Sheffield and Brittany Spanos discussing a new song each week, delving into its history and impact with the help of a special guest — including fellow RS colleagues, producers, and the artists themselves.

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For the first episode, the hosts dive deep into Fleetwood Mac's "Dreams." Ranking at Number Nine on the 2021 list, the Stevie Nicks-penned track has the highest ranking of any song not ranked on previous iterations of the 500 list. In recent years, the Stevie Nicks masterpiece found new life — and a new audience — thanks in part to a viral TikTok clip, but its history runs deep. The hosts delve into the fascinating story of the song, placing it within the context of the nonstop romantic drama that was Fleetwood Mac in the 1970s.

This week, Rob and Brittany are joined by Senior Music Writer Angie Martoccio. The trio dig into Nicks' enduring and timeless appeal that seems to grow stronger with each passing year. Check out the episode above, on iHeart, or wherever you get your podcasts, and look for new episodes every Wednesday.

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