Written by Ava Moon. Illustration courtesy of Bella Galegos (@byebyebellla)
This year, when I arrived back home for the holidays, I was met with two things: the quintessential Christmas carols my mother plays on a literal 24-hour loop, and The Beatles. Carols aside, reconnecting with The Fab Four wasn’t necessarily a new venture for me. The songs of John, Paul, George and Ringo’s discography decorated my childhood so much so, that their music has become my favorite of all that Moons have indoctrinated me with since birth. Naturally, that means that the weeks spent Christmas shopping with my grandmother (a lifelong fan herself) were defined by Sirius XM’s “The Beatles Channel,” and like all great radio stations, reminded me of many underrated classics and personal favorites. Thus, my inspiration for the curation of this list. So whether you’re a casual listener, someone who believes they definitely would’ve been a part of Beatlemania, or anywhere in between–I present five Beatles songs that are perfect for your 2025 playlist.
“And I Love Her” (“A Hard Day’s Night”, 1964)
“And I Love Her,” off of their third studio album, isn’t the only love song on this list (spoiler), but what can I say–I love, love, especially from The Beatles. As a shared beloved song by both my grandmother and I, we agreed that the gentle guitar (see what I did there?), and smooth vocals coupled with lyrics that address the song’s subject in a way we ALL want to be addressed, make it a must for your date-night playlist. Think about a song you’d want to listen to as you and your lover stroll down the beach under the moonlight, and yeah, that’s “And I Love Her.”
“Let it Be” (“Let It Be”, 1970)
When I find myself in times of trouble, John, Paul, George and Ringo come to me, speaking words of wisdom in “Let it Be.” Hey look, I get it, that was super on the nose, but seriously, it’s true. Much like “Hey Jude,” this song has a certain healing quality to it that I just scratches my brain. Famously written and recorded around the time of the band’s dissolution, it speaks to its listener through a smooth melodic piano ballad in the intro into a beautifully quintessential guitar riff. Even through my own moments of yearning for relationships past, stressing, worrying, etc. (you get the gist), I go back to this song to hear the three simple words.
“Day Tripper” (1965)
As someone who loves a day trip, I love this song. And I mean like a literal trip somewhere – preferably home by 9 pm. But then again, I’m lame. Although this song was inspired by another type of “trip” (one probably a lot cooler than mine–but don’t do drugs), it’s a certified must for your 2025 playlist. It’s upbeat, it’s fun, it feels so reminiscent of the 60s. We’ve covered Paul quite a bit, but in my opinion, Ringo outshines them all. The drum set truly makes this song what is, accompanying an equal killer guitar riff.
“Something” (Abbey Road, 1969)
So, this is the next love song on the list–and the first of my beloved George Harrison. This song, once hailed by Frank Sinatra as “the greatest love song of the past 50-years,” is genuinely one of my favorite songs ever. It’s a pick from their 1969 album Abbey Road, that captures the essence of all the little romantic things we pine over when we’re in love. But it’s truly the underpinning of uncertainty and yearning that contribute to the beauty of this song. In the very beginning, Harrison sings, “Something in the way she moves/ Attracts me like no other lover.” Then moments later he goes on with, “Something in the way she woos me/ I don’t want to leave her now/ You know I believe and how,” which ultimately adds that extra layer to the song’s meaning. If you love this song as much as I do, I suggest you check out the rest of George Harrison’s body of work in the band and throughout his solo career.
“While My Guitar Gently Weeps” (The White Album, 1968)
And here we are at the end, with yes, another George Harrison song. I would say this song reigns supreme as one of the best songs, in both The Beatles’ and Harrison’s collective discographies (and of course it’s from The White Album, 1969). If you are a fan of truly incredible work on the guitar, this song HAS to make your next playlist. According to Harrison, upon opening “I Ching” (or “Book of Changes), he found that the first words were “gently weeps,” and wrote a song around the idea that everything is relative to everything. So naturally, as a writer and artist myself, I’m drawn to a story and song like this. Lyrically it’s complex and speculative, with an Eric Clapton-credited electric guitar riff. It’s everything that you could want from a song, like every song The Beatles have made.
Just when you thought you were off the hook to go off and add these picks to your playlist, I’m here to hit you with some more. Luckily for you, I’ll save my opinions and random facts, and just give you some of my honorable mentions. There may never be another group as successful, talented or influential as John, Paul, George and Ringo, but thankfully, their songs will forever remain timeless classics, perfect for any playlist.
Honorable Mentions: “Penny Lane” (1967), “Blue Jay Way” (1967), “Strawberry Fields Forever” (1967), “Michelle” (1965), “Yesterday” (1965), “Ticket to Ride” (1965), “Can’t Buy Me Love” (1964), “All My Loving” (1963), “I Saw Her Standing There” (1963), “When I’m Sixty-Four” (1967)
