The Beatles, always No. 1

Sounds will come and sounds will go but we will always have The Beatles. I thought of this when I came across 1 by The Beatles, the latest compilation by the legendary foursome to hit the market. Just the sight of the red digipack made me feel I was in for something very special. Oh, well, to my generation, anything by John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr together will always be special.

Strange, because this 1 is not really a new album. It is actually an old compilation from 10 years ago. I have a feeling I have it on vinyl somewhere. But it was brought up to date with the use of digitally remastered tracks. And would you believe, even these remasters were done for another collection, the complete Beatles boxed set of all the albums, all the singles and lots of other great stuff from two years ago. But 1 is once more a hit.

Maybe it was the idea that the music made listeners feel good. It conjures up an earlier time when life seemed new and young and carefree. Maybe it was also because the songs were composed and recorded by four boys who only wanted to make rock and roll, but who amazingly sparked a pop music revolution. Something like that still has to happen again or might never happen again. It must also be because Beatles music has become timeless. Old in years but always new in perspective. Admit it, no pop album has ever sounded as fun, as good or as poignant as those made by The Beatles.

Would you like to have a copy of 1 even if you already have the other Beatles albums with most likely all of the cuts in this CD? Yes, if you are a Beatles collector who chances are has these boys on colored singles from the ’60s, LPS, cassettes, CDs and on some cloud after you have downloaded their songs from iTunes. But take note, downloads do not come with a 32-page booklet with information about the songs and a foreword by producer George Martin. He was the Parlophone executive who took a gamble on the kids from Liverpool that manager Brian Epstein brought in for an audition. Back then when almost everybody was saying, no, to The Beatles, Epstein and Martin said yes.

Then if you are one of those merely curious about why The Beatles now get the same reverence usually given to music greats like Mozart or Gershwin or Presley, 1 is the best sampler you can get. It also makes an excellent introduction to the Beatles for young people. It will be great for kids to discover The Beatles. Studying their music is an excellent exercise in the intricacies of pop. Who knows, like what happened to the Beatles themselves, this music will also take them from the simple to the sublime. Truth to tell, these songs will be the classical music of tomorrow. So it is best to learn them now.

All of the songs included made No. 1 in the US and UK charts, hence the title. If I am not mistaken, The Beatles 1 was the first album of No. 1’s. Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson only came after. The album line-up also lists the hits in chronological order beginning with the bubble gum Love Me Do from 1962, and ending with the wistfully sad The Long And Winding Road from 1969. You will get a good idea of how Beatles music evolved over the years from the CD sequence.

Here now are the 27 No. 1 songs by The Beatles. These are Love Me Do, From Me To You, She Loves You, I Want To Hold Your Hand, Can’t Buy Me Love, A Hard Day’s Night, I Feel Fine, Eight Days A Week, Ticket To Ride, Help!, Yesterday, Day Tripper, We Can Work It Out, Paperback Writer, Yellow Submarine, Eleanor Rigby, Penny Lane, All You Need Is Love, Hello Goodbye, Lady Madonna, Hey Jude, Get Back, The Ballad Of John And Yoko, Something, Come Together, Let It Be and The Long And Winding Road.