Ian MacDonald

The Beatles 40 best songs: at 19 Helter Skelter

"I was in Scotland and I read in Melody Maker that Pete Townshend had said: 'We've just made the raunchiest,…

10 years ago

The Beatles 40 best songs: At 21 A Hard Day’s Night

“The title came from a throwaway crack from Starr. “We were working all day and then into the night,” he…

10 years ago

The Beatles 40 best songs: at 31 “Yesterday”

I just started playing it and this tune came, 'cuz that's what happens. They just, sort of-- they COME, you…

11 years ago

The Beatles 40 best songs: at 33 “We Can Work It out”

 "In We Can Work It Out, Paul did the first half, I did the middle eight. But you've got Paul…

11 years ago

Today: The Beatles recorded “Ticket To Ride” in 1965 – 48 years ago

The Beatles were such a prolific album act that it's sometimes hard to abstract their later singles; here, they ride…

12 years ago