Looking back, The Beatles could have been called The Chameleons because of how much they evolved. They began by writing short, sweet pop songs, then explored new styles as they changed their sound. Eventually, they recorded more complex and layered tracks that showcased their creativity. The longest Beatles songs highlighted the band’s songwriting talent and demonstrated how much they grew in just a few years.
Note: We only included songs from Beatles albums and singles, so the outtake “What’s the New Mary Jane” from The White Album won’t be on our list.
5. ‘A Day in the Life’
Run time: 5:37
If you were making a list of the Beatles’ signature songs, you’d include the closer from Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. John Lennon and Paul McCartney wrote a track that was the longest Beatles song up to that point in their career.
“A Day in the Life” lasts over five and a half minutes, but that includes nearly a minute of piano chord fading out and a 20-second sound experiment before the song ends. So, what might be the greatest Lennon-McCartney song is a relatively brief four-minute epic, which somehow makes it even more impressive.
4. ‘It’s All Too Much’
Run time: 6:25
One of George Harrison’s most experimental songs might also be the densest Beatles tracks in terms of sound. With its fuzzed-out guitar, humming Hammond organ, horns, handclaps, and a mix of drums and tambourine, it creates a rich, psychedelic tapestry that could be considered the most psychedelic song by the Fab Four.
Not only is “It’s All Too Much” one of the longest Beatles songs, but it’s also a continuous, high-energy track. From the moment George says “To Jorma” just before the feedback kicks in, the song hardly slows down throughout its nearly six-and-a-half minutes.
3. ‘Hey Jude’
Run time: 7:08
Although “Hey Jude” was credited to Paul and John, it was primarily a Paul creation. Paul wrote the song in mid-1968 as a comforting message for John’s young son, Julian, who was struggling with his parents’ divorce.
Paul wanted to reassure Julian that things would get better. Despite this, John also found personal meaning in the lyrics.
“Hey Jude” didn’t make it onto a studio album and was instead released as a highly successful single. It reached No. 1 in both England and the United States, becoming The Beatles’ most successful U.S. single by spending nine weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100. Its success was so great that it even prevented another Paul-produced song from hitting No. 1 in North America.
2. ‘I Want You (She’s So Heavy)’
Run time: 7:47
One of the standout tracks from Abbey Road was credited to John and Paul, but John did most of the work on “I Want You (She’s So Heavy).” The song represented a full-circle moment for The Beatles. They started with short, sweet love songs and, by the end, their love songs had become more intense, with “I Want You” being a prime example.
John kept the lyrics very simple, using only 15 words. This simplicity worked to the song’s advantage, letting the music take center stage and shape itself around the words. The song features moments of basic R&B, psychedelic blues, and a swirling sound at the end that hints at proto-metal. The free-form lyrics allowed the music to shine, making it one of the longest Beatles songs.
1. ‘Revolution 9’
Run time: 8:22
John Lennon moved away from pop music after meeting Yoko Ono, diving into avant-garde and experimental sounds with her. Although Yoko criticized his work on their experimental album Two Virgins, it didn’t stop him from including the sound collage “Revolution 9” on The White Album.
The Beatles’ longest song starts with a simple piano line but quickly evolves into a chaotic mix of tape loops, ambient noises, and random voices.
The Beatles’ longer songs were often their most experimental, and what set them apart from many other bands of the time was that their fans eagerly embraced these new and unusual sounds without hesitation.
