Photo above: Yours truly, DJ Dave with my three-year old dog Abbey Road, whom I named after the legendary album by the Beatles. Photo credit: Stephanie Woodson.
It is hard to believe that it has been 55 years since the Beatles “Abbey Road” (AR) album was released during the fall of 1969. Arguably, the last studio album that was recorded by the British rock band is among the most renowned rock albums from the late 60s.
The “Abbey Road” album had two release dates: In the United Kingdom, the LP came out on September 26, 1969 while in the United States, AR became available almost a week later on October 1st.
On this 55th anniversary of the 1969 Beatles album, I am sharing my thoughts on how the music of Abbey Road has aged, along with historical significance of individual songs. I will also have a countdown on what I consider to be the 8 best full-length tracks on AR.
I must note: this message is not a review of the Fab Four’s AR album. For those wanting to read opinions on the 1969 LP, there are plenty of online sources to view what others have written about “Abbey Road.”
The Beatles masterpiece LP is rated at #5 on Rolling Stone magazine’s “500 Greatest Albums of All Time” listing. Most music historians in 2024 praise AR as an outstanding Fab Four compilation.
“Abbey Road” contains 17 songs: It starts with 8 full-length tracks and ends with a 16-minute medley of 9 short songs. I will be describing the AR songs in a couple of groupings.
The first category will be breaking down the 9-song medley, while in the second section I will countdown my ranking of the AR 8 full-length tracks.
Here are the 9 medley songs:
- You Never Give Me Your Money
- Sun King
- Mean Mr. Mustard
- Polythene Pam
- She Came in Through the Bathroom Window
- Golden Slumbers
- Carry That Weight
- The End
- Her Majesty
As I recently re-listened to the Beatles 16-minute medley, I came away appreciating the brilliance of what some have nicknamed “The Abbey Road Suite.”
I believe the AR medley was a foundational building block for the progressive rock sub-genre of music that became popular in the early 70s. This outstanding medley utilizes a variety of musical instruments, many that weren’t normally associated with pop rock sounds in 1969.
Some main characteristics of the 9-song medley and interesting facts:
- Classical and jazz music elements
- Multiple tempo changes within songs
- Subject matter with lyrics in songs are mostly unrelated
- Songs tied together by chord transitions and/or sound effects
- The last song “Her Majesty” is considered a “hidden track” and is only 14 seconds long
My favorite 3 songs on the medley are “Golden Slumbers/Carry that Weight/The End.” I have seen Paul McCartney twice in concert during the past ten years and at both shows, he ended his encore performance with these 3 songs from the AR medley.
Now it is on to my countdown of the 8-full-length tracks on AR. Here are the songs in order of placement on the album:
- Come Together
- Something
- Maxwell’s Silver Hammer
- Oh! Darling
- Octopus’s Garden
- I Want You (She’s So Heavy)
- Here Comes the Sun
- Because
My countdown goes from what I consider to be the least significant song to the number 1 overall best Beatles track on “Abbey Road.”
8. Maxwell’s Silver Hammer
Primarily written by Paul McCartney
Credited as a Lennon/McCartney written song
McCartney has lead vocals on song
A tune that has an upbeat sound, is catchy and sounds pleasant but the song is actually Paul McCartney’s contribution to “death pop.” A student named Maxwell Edison commits homicides with a hammer. Ringo Starr cleverly plays an anvil on this avant-garde ode.
7. Octopus’s Garden
Written by Ringo Starr & Beatles drummer sings lead vocals
This whimsical ditty was only the 2nd song written by Ringo recorded by the Beatles. Starr created “bubbling sound effects” for his country flavored tune. Jim Henson’s Muppets covered the song with multiple Sesame Street videos. Starr published a children’s book called “Octopus’s Garden” in 2013.
6. Because
Primarily written by John Lennon
Credited as a Lennon/McCartney written song
Lennon has lead vocals on song
The Beatles Bible states that John Lennon wrote “Because” after he heard Yoko Ono play Ludwig van Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata on a piano. The track features a harpsichord and Moog synthesizer. Has dreamy 3-part harmonies by Harrison, McCartney and Lennon.
5. I Want You (She’s So Heavy)
Primarily written by John Lennon
Credited as a Lennon/McCartney written song
Lennon has lead vocals on song
An almost 8-minute tune. Written as a love song to Yoko Ono by John Lennon. It incorporates progressive rock sounds. The most psychedelic composition on the AR album. Billy Preston is guest organist. Multi-tracked guitars, driving bass and a Moog synthesizer blend together for a superb musical delight.
4. Oh! Darling
Primarily written by Paul McCartney
Credited as a Lennon/McCartney written song
McCartney has lead vocals on song
The British band paid tribute to 50s rock ‘n’ roll, R&B and doo-wop sounds on this throwback track with a catchy melody. The Trio of Lennon, Harrison and McCartney recorded outstanding three-part doo-wop vocal harmonies to backup Sir Paul’s larynx-shredding lead vocals.
3. Come Together
Primarily written by John Lennon
Credited as a Lennon/McCartney written song
Lennon has lead vocals on song
“Come Together” was released as a double-A-sided 45-rpm single along with “Something” on October 6, 1969. It peaked at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Hard driving blues rock tune. Paul McCartney’s exceptional melodic bass line riff rocks on this tune.
Who knows what this John Lennon sardonic nonsensical lyric actually means? The phrase, “Here comes old flat-top” is a direct quote from Chuck Berry’s, 1956 song “You Can’t Catch Me.” Ringo Starr proclaimed in 2021 that “Come Together” was his favorite Beatles song of all time.
2. Something
Written by George Harrison & Beatles guitarist sings lead vocals
“Something” was released as a double-A-sided 45-rpm single along with “Come Together.” This George Harrison penned love ballad to his first wife Pattie Boyd, is the only Beatles #1 song not written by Lennon/McCartney.
The opening lyric was taken from the title of “Something in the Way She Moves”, a track by another Apple Records artist James Taylor. Harrison’s guitar riffs on this tune are exquisite.
This song received the Ivor Novello Award for “Best Song Musically and Lyrically” in 1969, ranked as the 17th-most recorded song of the 20th century and is #110 on Rolling Stone Magazine’s “500 Greatest Songs of All Time” listing.
- Here Comes the Sun
Written by George Harrison & Beatles guitarist sings lead vocals
Without a doubt, I consider “Here Comes the Sun” as the best song on “Abbey Road.” I place this melodic acoustical tune as my 5th favorite Beatles song of all-time.
Together with his second contribution to AR, “Something”, many music historians place Harrison’s song-writing on par with that of Lennon & McCartney. The “Quiet Beatle” wrote his beloved composition when he was outside visiting his friend Eric Clapton’s home in early 1969.
An exceptional acoustic guitar part by Harrison was enhanced by producer George Martin’s hiring of an orchestra of violas, cellos, piccolos, flutes and clarinets. It gives this cheerful pop song a classical feel.
During the 21st century, Harrison’s track is the most streamed Beatles song on Spotify and other online music platforms around the world. Folks of all ages love the positive, encouraging message of Harrison’s number 1 AR song on my countdown: “Here Comes the Sun.
That wraps up my musical musings of the Beatles “Abbey Road” album at 55. I look forward reading your comments below on any aspect of AR, including what you consider to be the best song on the album.
As music historians state, the Beatles had much tension when recording tracks for “Abbey Road” and were on the verge of breaking up. Hardly anyone knew that AR would be the swansong achievement for the greatest rock band of the 20th century.
I rate the Beatles “Abbey Road” as a masterpiece and one of the best albums from the late 60s.
I close this article by quoting lyrics from the last song recorded collectively by all four of the Beatles and also the final song of the AR medley, “The End.” Rock on!
“And in the end, the love you take, Is equal to the love you make.”
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DJ Dave's Musical Musings 
Paul loved piecing together songs in the late 60s to early-mid 70s. He did another medley on Red Rose Speedway and songs such as Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey, Treat Her Gently/Lonely Old People and Band On The Run combined completely different pieces – BOTR 3, THG/LOP 2 and UA/AH heaven knows how many.
Fabulous blog on one of the greatest albums of all time. Oh how the memories come back with the most positive vibes. Thanks David for sharing.
My all-time favorite Beatles album! Although I was very familiar with all their music, this was the first album I ever listened to in its entirety back in 9th grade. So many classic songs… but I always favored the medley on side 2 starting with Golden Slumbers. 55 years and still loved by old and new generations!
Thanks for sharing this story again. I’ll always remember “Here Come the Sun”. Still a pick me me up song when I’m feeling low. To me, it means brighter days are coming!
Great post, and here are my random thoughts.
-As far as my favorite song goes, I kind of go back and forth depending on my mood, but primarily Here’ Comes the Sun and Come Together are my faves.
-I love the fact that their assistant and roadie Mal Evans played the “hammer” part on Maxwell’s Hammer. He was tasked with finding an anvil. That’s the kind of stuff they had him doing a lot, it seems. I’ve read some accounts that indicate the lads were a little underwhelmed at his sense of timing. And….I wonder what ever became of that anvil! Does someone own it??
-The deluxe version of Abbey Road is really worth having in my opinion. There are some really interesting extras on there.
-Finally, reading the post makes me realize that it’s been a while since I pulled out that vinyl and played it beginning to end. I might have to just do that tomorrow!
fitting end to a era.
People sometimes ask me the impossible question of what my favorite Beatles album is and I have to say I can give them my top five but not a #1. But if they really press me (depending on the day) Abbey Road is a frequent choice. Oddly enough, I do think it sort of resembles what the Beatles were thinking of doing at the time of their demise: presenting something that was more like an old-school variety show rather than either a standard or concept album or what was then emerging as a “rock concert” format. So I **love** this album, but it did and still does strike me a bit as consisting of about half (almost-) novelty or experimental songs (Maxwell, Octopus, Because, the whole medley) and the other half blues-pop-ballads tunes. There isn’t a single traditional Beatles-style stand-alone rocker on the entire thing, but they were never going to be going back to that anyway. In spite of that, or maybe because of it, it’s still one of their most brilliant musical presentations and a very fitting pinnacle to their recording career.
Here is one of my favorite videos – comedian and juggler Chris Bliss doing an interpretive routine to the last part of the medley, starting with “Golden Slumbers.” I don’t know what is so compelling about this, but I can never get enough of it: https://www.google.com/search?q=golden+slumbers+juggler&oq=golden+slumbers+juggler&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOTIKCAEQABiABBiiBDIKCAIQABiABBiiBDIKCAMQABiABBiiBNIBCjEzNzU2ajBqMTWoAgCwAgA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:5d85d971,vid:AAILqBg_cJo,st:0