The Beatles' Least Favorite Beatles Songs

Every Beatles fan has a list of Fab Four tracks they play on repeat, and a few they don’t hesitate to skip. 

Fans debate their greatest albums, haggle over their most underrated tunes, and proudly display their favorite Beatles’ vinyls as rock ‘n’ roll relics. Behind the cultural monument that is The Beatles' song catalog were four songwriters: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr, each with their own opinions about what worked and what didn't. 

Surprisingly, many of The Beatles' most beloved songs are ones the band members themselves later criticized, dismissed, and disliked performing. Over the decades, they’ve confessed to cringing at lyrics, regretting rushed recordings, and feeling like a few tracks didn't live up to their standards. Sometimes, the songwriter criticized their own work;  other times, it was a bandmate, tasked with performing the song repeatedly, who voiced their disapproval.

The difference between songs beloved by millions and those The Beatles themselves wished they’d done differently provides a rare glimpse into the minds of the Fab Four.

Without further ado, here are The Beatles' least favorite Beatles songs. 

1. JOHN LENNON
2. PAUL MCCARTNEY
3. GEORGE HARRISON
4. RINGO STARR

JOHN LENNON

John Lennon had a long list of Beatles’ songs he wasn’t fond of. The late music icon openly shared his distaste for Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band tracks, "Lovely Rita," "When I'm Sixty-Four" (both written by McCartney), and "Lucy In The Sky with Diamonds." When asked about the inspiration behind “When I’m Sixty-Four”, Lennon said, "Paul’s, completely. I would never dream of writing a song like that." Lennon was especially blunt in his self-critique, harshly criticizing "Good Morning Good Morning," calling it a "throwaway, a piece of garbage," and "Run For Your Life," a song he just "knocked off."

He also singled out "Hello, Goodbye," Mean Mr. Mustard," "Birthday," "It's Only Love," and, one of the band's most popular tracks of all time, "Let It Be," among his least favorite Beatles tracks. 

PAUL MCCARTNEY

Like Lennon, Paul McCartney wrote a handful of songs for The Beatles, but was more composed about expressing which ones he didn't like. Topping the legend’s list of his least favorite Beatles tracks is Revolver's "She Said She Said," written by Lennon and Harrison during an acid trip. In fact, it's one of the few Beatles songs McCartney isn't featured on. The world-renowned musician is also admittedly not a fan of "Revolution 9," largely because Lennon’s partner, Yoko Ono, was present in the studio when it was recorded. 

Other songs supposedly among the star's least favorite (according to British music critic Ian MacDonald's Revolution in the Head: The Beatles' Records and the Sixties) are "Yer Blues" and "Across the Universe," both written by Lennon. McCartney also described "What You're Doing" (his own composition) as a "filler" track. 

GEORGE HARRISON

Despite appearing more reserved, the late George Harrison was not afraid to voice his thoughts about which Beatles’ tunes he did not enjoy, one being the White Album's "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da," a song written by McCartney. The guitarist also disliked "Maxwell's Silver Hammer," stating: "The worst session ever was ‘Maxwell’s Silver Hammer’. It was the worst track we ever had to record. It went on for f****** weeks. I thought it was mad." These weren't the only McCartney tracks he labeled as "fruity."

Harrison also wasn’t particularly enamored by “Do You Want to Know A Secret” (which features his vocals) and “Don’t Bother Me” (a song he wrote).

RINGO STARR

One of Ringo Starr's least favorite Beatles songs is their very first, "Love Me Do." The drummer was present in the studio, ready to record the track, and was unexpectedly replaced by a session drummer at the last minute. McCartney recalled that, after Starr was sent back to Liverpool without having contributed to the track, people questioned him about the recording, and he never got over it.

"Little Child" was written with his vocals in mind, but he turned down the opportunity and instead chose to sing on "I Wanna Be Your Man." Like Lennon and Harrison, Starr was not a fan of "Maxwell's Silver Hammer," describing the session as the "worst ever." One of Starr's most disliked tunes, and possibly the most surprising on his list, is one of The Beatles' most popular songs of all time, "Here Comes the Sun." He opposed the track because its 7 ½ time signature proved difficult for him to master.