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| volume 2 october 1999 |
Who is the main composer of the Beatles' songs? |
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| Answers to the question who composed and sung each Beatles' song | ||||||||
| by Per Myrsten | ||||||||
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| From the very beginnings of the Beatles Paul McCartney and John Lennon decided to publish their songs under both their names. So all their songs bear the cooperative hallmark "Lennon / McCartney". But, some songs were more Lennon's work, while others more exclusively show the hand of McCartney. Here's a list of all songs officially recorded by the Beatles, where you can see who is the main composer of each and every song they recorded. You can also see who sung the songs. | ||||||||
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| 1 | Please Please Me 1963 | |||||||
| Song | Main composer | Singer | ||||||
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Love Me Do | McCartney | Lennon / McCartney | |||||
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P.S. I Love You | McCartney | McCartney | |||||
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Please Please Me | Lennon | Lennon / McCartney | |||||
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Ask Me Why | Lennon | Lennon | |||||
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There's A Place | Lennon | Lennon | |||||
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I Saw Her Standing There | McCartney | McCartney | |||||
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Do You Want To Know A Secret | Lennon | Harrison | |||||
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Misery | Lennon / McCartney | Lennon / McCartney | |||||
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A Taste Of Honey | Scott / Marlow | McCartney | |||||
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Anna (Go To Him) | Alexander | Lennon | |||||
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Boys | Dixon / Farrell | Starr | |||||
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Chains | Goffin / King | Harrison | |||||
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Baby It's You | David / Williams / Bacharach | Lennon | |||||
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Twist And Shout | Medley / Russel | Lennon | |||||
| Total (8 / 14) | Lennon: 4 McCartney: 3 Lennon / McCartney: 1 |
Lennon: 5 McCartney: 3 Harrison: 2 Starr: 1 Lennon / McCartney: 3 |
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| 2 | With The Beatles 1963 | |||||||
| Song | Main composer | Singer | ||||||
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Hold Me Tight | McCartney | McCartney | |||||
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It Won't Be Long | Lennon | Lennon | |||||
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All My Loving | McCartney | McCartney | |||||
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I Wanna Be Your Man | Lennon / McCartney | Starr | |||||
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Little Child | Lennon / McCartney | Lennon / McCartney | |||||
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All I've Got To Do | Lennon | Lennon | |||||
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Not A Second Time | Lennon | Lennon | |||||
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Don't Bother Me | Harrison | Harrison | |||||
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Roll Over Beethoven | Berry | Harrison | |||||
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You Really Got A Hold On Me | Robinson | Lennon / Harrison | |||||
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Money (That's What I Want) | Bradford / Gordy | Lennon | |||||
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Devil In Her Heart | Drapkin | Harrison | |||||
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Till There Was You | Wilson | McCartney | |||||
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Please Mr Postman | Holland / Bateman / Garrett / Dobbins / Gorman | Lennon | |||||
| Total (8 / 14) | Lennon: 3 McCartney: 2 Harrison: 1 Lennon / McCartney: 2 |
Lennon: 5 McCartney: 3 Harrison: 3 Starr: 1 Lennon / McCartney: 1 Lennon / Harrison: 1 |
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| 3 | Long Tall Sally 1964 | |||||||
| Song | Main composer | Singer | ||||||
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Long Tall Sally | Johnson / Penniman / Blackwell | McCartney | |||||
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I Call Your Name | Lennon | Lennon | |||||
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Matchbox | Perkins | Starr | |||||
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Slow Down | Williams | Lennon | |||||
| Total (1 / 4) | Lennon: 1 | Lennon: 2 McCartney: 1 Starr: 1 |
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| 4 | A Hard Day's Night 1964 | |||||||
| Song | Main composer | Singer | ||||||
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Can't Buy Me Love | McCartney | McCartney | |||||
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You Can't Do That | Lennon | Lennon | |||||
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And I Love Her | McCartney | McCartney | |||||
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I Should Have Known Better | Lennon | Lennon | |||||
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Tell Me Why | Lennon | Lennon | |||||
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If I Fell | Lennon | Lennon / McCartney | |||||
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I'm Happy Just To Dance With You | Lennon | Harrison | |||||
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A Hard Day's Night | Lennon | Lennon / McCartney | |||||
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I'll Cry Instead | Lennon | Lennon | |||||
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I'll Be Back | Lennon | Lennon | |||||
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Any Time At All | Lennon | Lennon | |||||
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Things We Said Today | McCartney | McCartney | |||||
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When I Get Home | Lennon | Lennon | |||||
| Total (13 / 13) | Lennon: 10 McCartney: 3 |
Lennon: 7 McCartney: 3 Harrison: 1 Lennon / McCartney: 2 |
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| 5 | Beatles For Sale 1964 | |||||||
| Song | Main composer | Singer | ||||||
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Baby's In Black | Lennon / McCartney | Lennon / McCartney | |||||
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I'm A Loser | Lennon | Lennon | |||||
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Every Little Thing | Unclear (Lennon or McCartney) | Lennon | |||||
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I Don't Want To Spoil The Party | Lennon | Lennon / Harrison | |||||
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What You're Doing | McCartney | McCartney | |||||
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No Reply | Lennon | Lennon | |||||
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Eight Days A Week | McCartney | Lennon / McCartney | |||||
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I'll Follow The Sun | McCartney | McCartney | |||||
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Mr Moonlight | Johnson | Lennon | |||||
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Kansas City / Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey | Leiber / Stoller / Penniman | McCartney | |||||
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Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby | Perkins | Harrison | |||||
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Rock And Roll Music | Berry | Lennon | |||||
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Words Of Love | Holly | Lennon / McCartney | |||||
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Honey Don't | Perkins | Starr | |||||
| Total (7 / 14) | Lennon: 3 McCartney: 3 Lennon / McCartney: 1 |
Lennon: 5 McCartney: 3 Harrison: 1 Starr: 1 Lennon / McCartney: 3 Lennon / Harrison: 1 |
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| 6 | Help! 1965 | |||||||
| Song | Main composer | Singer | ||||||
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Ticket To Ride | Lennon | Lennon | |||||
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Another Girl | McCartney | McCartney | |||||
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I Need You | Harrison | Harrison | |||||
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The Night Before | McCartney | McCartney | |||||
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You Like Me Too Much | Harrison | Harrison | |||||
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You've Got To Hide Your Love Away | Lennon | Lennon | |||||
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Tell Me What You See | McCartney | McCartney | |||||
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You're Going To Lose That Girl | Lennon | Lennon | |||||
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Help! | Lennon | Lennon | |||||
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I've Just Seen A Face | McCartney | McCartney | |||||
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Yesterday | McCartney | McCartney | |||||
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It's Only Love | Lennon | Lennon | |||||
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Dizzy Miss Lizzy | Williams | Lennon | |||||
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Act Naturally | Morrison / Russel | Starr | |||||
| Total (12 / 14) | Lennon: 5 McCartney: 5 Harrison: 2 |
Lennon: 6 McCartney: 5 Harrison: 2 Starr: 1 |
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| 7 | Rubber Soul 1965 | |||||||
| Song | Main composer | Singer | ||||||
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Wait | Lennon / McCartney | Lennon / McCartney | |||||
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Run For Your Life | Lennon | Lennon | |||||
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Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown) | Lennon | Lennon | |||||
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Drive My Car | McCartney | Lennon / McCartney | |||||
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If I Need Someone | Harrison | Harrison | |||||
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In My Life | Lennon / McCartney | Lennon | |||||
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Nowhere Man | Lennon | Lennon | |||||
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I'm Looking Through You | McCartney | McCartney | |||||
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Michelle | McCartney | McCartney | |||||
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What Goes On | Lennon / McCartney | Starr | |||||
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Think For Yourself | Harrison | Harrison | |||||
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The Word | Lennon / McCartney | Lennon / McCartney | |||||
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You Won't See Me | McCartney | McCartney | |||||
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Girl | Lennon | Lennon | |||||
| Total (14 / 14) | Lennon: 4 McCartney: 4 Harrison: 2 Lennon / McCartney: 4 |
Lennon: 5 McCartney: 3 Harrison: 2 Starr: 1 Lennon / McCartney:3 |
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| 8 | Revolver 1966 | |||||||
| Song | Main composer | Singer | ||||||
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Tomorrow Never Knows | Lennon | Lennon | |||||
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Got To Get You Into My Life | McCartney | McCartney | |||||
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Love You To | Harrison | Harrison | |||||
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Doctor Robert | Lennon | Lennon | |||||
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And Your Bird Can Sing | Lennon | Lennon | |||||
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Taxman | Harrison | Harrison | |||||
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I'm Only Sleeping | Lennon | Lennon | |||||
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Eleanor Rigby | McCartney | McCartney | |||||
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For No One | McCartney | McCartney | |||||
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Yellow Submarine | McCartney | Starr | |||||
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I Want To Tell You | Harrison | Harrison | |||||
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Good Day Sunshine | McCartney | McCartney | |||||
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Here, There And Everywhere | McCartney | McCartney | |||||
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She Said She Said | Lennon | Lennon | |||||
| Total (14 / 14) | Lennon: 5 McCartney: 6 Harrison: 3 |
Lennon: 5 McCartney: 5 Harrison: 3 Starr: 1 |
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| 9 | Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band 1967 | |||||||
| Song | Main composer | Singer | ||||||
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When I'm Sixty-Four | McCartney | McCartney | |||||
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A Day In The Life | Lennon / McCartney | Lennon / McCartney | |||||
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Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band | McCartney | McCartney | |||||
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Good Morning Good Morning | Lennon | Lennon | |||||
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Fixing A Hole | McCartney | McCartney | |||||
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Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite | Lennon | Lennon | |||||
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Lovely Rita | McCartney | McCartney | |||||
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Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds | Lennon | Lennon | |||||
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Getting Better | McCartney | McCartney | |||||
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Within You Without You | Harrison | Harrison | |||||
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She's Leaving Home | McCartney | McCartney | |||||
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With A Little Help From My Friends | McCartney | Starr | |||||
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Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise) | McCartney | Lennon / McCartney / Harrison / Starr | |||||
| Total (13 / 13) | Lennon: 3 McCartney: 8 Harrison: 1 Lennon / McCartney: 1 |
Lennon: 3 McCartney: 6 Harrison: 1 Starr: 1 Lennon / McCartney: 1 Lennon / McCartney / Harrison / Starr: 1 |
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| 10 | Magical Mystery Tour 1967 | |||||||
| Song | Main composer | Singer | ||||||
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Magical Mystery Tour | McCartney | McCartney | |||||
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Your Mother Should Know | McCartney | McCartney | |||||
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Blue Jay Way | Harrison | Harrison | |||||
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Flying | Harrison / Lennon / McCartney / Starkey | Harrison / Lennon / McCartney / Starr | |||||
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The Fool On The Hill | McCartney | McCartney | |||||
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I Am The Walrus | Lennon | Lennon | |||||
| Total (6 / 6) | Lennon: 1 McCartney: 3 Harrison: 1 Harrison / Lennon / McCartney / Starkey: 1 |
Lennon: 1 McCartney: 3 Harrison: 1 Harrison / Lennon / McCartney / Starr: 1 |
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| 11 | The Beatles 1968 | |||||||
| Song | Main composer | Singer | ||||||
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Revolution | Lennon | Lennon | |||||
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Don't Pass Me By | Starkey | Starr | |||||
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Revolution #9 | Lennon | "Instrumental" | |||||
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Blackbird | McCartney | McCartney | |||||
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Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except Me And My Monkey | Lennon | Lennon | |||||
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Good Night | Lennon | Starr | |||||
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Ob-la-di, Ob-la-da | McCartney | McCartney | |||||
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Cry Baby Cry | Lennon | Lennon | |||||
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Helter Skelter | McCartney | McCartney | |||||
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Sexy Sadie | Lennon | Lennon | |||||
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While My Guitar Gently Weeps | Harrison | Harrison | |||||
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Mother Nature's Son | McCartney | McCartney | |||||
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Yer Blues | Lennon | Lennon | |||||
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Rocky Raccoon | McCartney | McCartney | |||||
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Wild Honey Pie | McCartney | McCartney | |||||
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Back In The USSR | McCartney | McCartney | |||||
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Dear Prudence | Lennon | Lennon | |||||
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Glass Onion | Lennon | Lennon | |||||
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I Will | McCartney | McCartney | |||||
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Birthday | McCartney | Lennon / McCartney | |||||
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Piggies | Harrison | Harrison | |||||
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Happiness Is A Warm Gun | Lennon | Lennon | |||||
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Honey Pie | McCartney | McCartney | |||||
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Savoy Truffle | Harrison | Harrison | |||||
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Martha My Dear | McCartney | McCartney | |||||
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Long Long Long | Harrison | Harrison | |||||
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I'm So Tired | Lennon | Lennon | |||||
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The Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill | Lennon | Lennon | |||||
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Why Don't We Do It In The Road? | McCartney | McCartney | |||||
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Julia | Lennon | Lennon | |||||
| Total (30 / 29) | Lennon: 13 McCartney:12 Harrison: 4 Starkey: 1 |
Lennon: 11 McCartney: 11 Harrison: 4 Starr: 2 Lennon / McCartney: 1 |
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| 12 | Yellow Submarine 1969 | |||||||
| Song | Main composer | Singer | ||||||
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Yellow Submarine | McCartney | Starr | |||||
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Only A Northern Song | Harrison | Harrison | |||||
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All Together Now | McCartney | McCartney | |||||
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It's All Too Much | Harrison | Harrison | |||||
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All You Need Is Love | Lennon | Lennon | |||||
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Hey Bulldog | Lennon / McCartney | Lennon | |||||
| Total (6 / 6) | Lennon: 1 McCartney: 2 Harrison: 2 Lennon / McCartney: 1 |
Lennon: 2 McCartney: 1 Harrison: 2 Starr: 1 |
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| 13 | Abbey Road 1969 | |||||||
| Song | Main composer | Singer | ||||||
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I Want You (She's So Heavy) | Lennon | Lennon | |||||
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Something | Harrison | Harrison | |||||
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Oh! Darling | McCartney | McCartney | |||||
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Octopus's Garden | Starkey | Starr | |||||
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You Never Give Me Your Money | McCartney | McCartney | |||||
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Her Majesty | McCartney | McCartney | |||||
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Golden Slumbers | McCartney | McCartney | |||||
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Carry That Weight | McCartney | McCartney | |||||
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Here Comes The Sun | Harrison | Harrison | |||||
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Maxwell's Silver Hammer | McCartney | McCartney | |||||
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Come Together | Lennon | Lennon | |||||
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The End | McCartney | McCartney | |||||
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Sun King | Lennon | Lennon | |||||
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Mean Mr Mustard | Lennon | Lennon | |||||
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Polythene Pam | Lennon | Lennon | |||||
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She Came In Through The Bathroom Window | McCartney | McCartney | |||||
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Because | Lennon | Lennon / McCartney / Harrison | |||||
| Total (17 / 17) | Lennon: 6 McCartney: 8 Harrison: 2 Starkey: 1 |
Lennon: 5 McCartney: 8 Harrison: 2 Starr: 1 Lennon / McCartney / Harrison: 1 |
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| 14 | Let It Be 1970 | |||||||
| Song | Main composer | Singer | ||||||
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Across The Universe | Lennon | Lennon | |||||
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Dig A Pony | Lennon | Lennon | |||||
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I've Got A Feeling | Lennon / McCartney | Lennon / McCartney | |||||
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Get Back | McCartney | McCartney | |||||
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Two Of Us | McCartney | Lennon / McCartney | |||||
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Maggie Mae | Trad. arr. | Lennon / McCartney | |||||
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Dig It | Lennon | Lennon | |||||
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For You Blue | Harrison | Harrison | |||||
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Let It Be | McCartney | McCartney | |||||
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The Long And Winding Road | McCartney | McCartney | |||||
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One After 909 | Lennon | Lennon / McCartney | |||||
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I Me Mine | Harrison | Harrison | |||||
| Total (11 / 12) | Lennon: 4 McCartney: 4 Harrison: 2 Lennon / McCartney: 1 |
Lennon: 3 McCartney: 3 Harrison: 2 Lennon / McCartney: 4 |
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| 15 | Songs not released on LP | |||||||
| Song | Main composer | Singer | ||||||
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From Me To You, 1963 | Lennon / McCartney | Lennon / McCartney | |||||
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Thank You Girl, 1963 | Lennon / McCartney | Lennon | |||||
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She Loves You, 1963 | Lennon / McCartney | Lennon / McCartney | |||||
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I'll Get You, 1963 | Lennon / McCartney | Lennon / McCartney | |||||
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I Want To Hold Your Hand, 1963 | Lennon / McCartney | Lennon / McCartney | |||||
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This Boy, 1963 | Lennon | Lennon / McCartney / Harrison | |||||
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She's A Woman, 1964 | McCartney | McCartney | |||||
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I Feel Fine, 1964 | Lennon | Lennon | |||||
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Yes It Is, 1965 | Lennon | Lennon | |||||
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I'm Down, 1965 | McCartney | McCartney | |||||
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Day Tripper, 1965 | Lennon | Lennon / McCartney | |||||
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We Can Work It Out, 1965 | Lennon / McCartney | McCartney | |||||
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Paperback Writer, 1966 | McCartney | McCartney | |||||
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Rain, 1966 | Lennon | Lennon | |||||
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Strawberry Fields Forever, 1967 | Lennon | Lennon | |||||
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Penny Lane, 1967 | McCartney | McCartney | |||||
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Baby, You're A Rich Man, 1967 | Lennon | Lennon / McCartney | |||||
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Hello, Goodbye, 1967 | McCartney | McCartney | |||||
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The Inner Light, 1968 | Harrison | Harrison | |||||
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Lady Madonna, 1968 | McCartney | McCartney | |||||
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Hey Jude, 1968 | McCartney | McCartney | |||||
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Don't Let Me Down, 1969 | Lennon | Lennon | |||||
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The Ballad Of John And Yoko, 1969 | Lennon | Lennon | |||||
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Old Brown Shoe, 1969 | Harrison | Harrison | |||||
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You Know My Name (Look Up The Number), 1970 | Lennon | Lennon / McCartney / Starr | |||||
| Total (25 / 25) | Lennon: 10 McCartney: 7 Harrison: 2 Lennon / McCartney: 6 |
Lennon: 7 McCartney: 8 Harrison: 2 Lennon / McCartney: 6 Lennon / McCartney / Harrison: 1 Lennon / McCartney / Starr: 1 |
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| 16 | All Songs Total | |||||||
| Main composer | Singer | |||||||
| Total (183) | Lennon: 73 McCartney: 69 Harrison: 22 Starkey: 2 Lennon / McCartney: 17 |
Lennon: 72 McCartney: 66 Harrison: 28 Starr: 11 Lennon / McCartney: 24 |
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| One song recorded by the Beatles isn't in this list. It is Bad Boy, written by Williams, from the LP A Collection of Beatles Oldies. It was sung by Lennon and is included in the total statistics above. Yellow Submarine is only counted once, even if it appears on two albums. Free As A Bird from 1995 and Real Love from 1996 are both Lennon compositions. They are not included in the statistics. The order of the songs in the list is the same as they were recorded in. | ||||||||
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| This document was originally published on Per Myrsten's web site Penny Lane. | ||||||||
| 1997 © PM Productions | ||||||||