Everyone has their opinion on who is the best Beatle. There’s a solid case to be made for Paul McCartney, who made mammoth songwriting contributions to the Fab Four, but others have found themselves drawn to Ringo Starr or to the so-called quiet Beatle, George Harrison. But if we amend the question slightly and ask which Beatle had the best voice, excluding all other factors, who comes out on top? Bruce Springsteen has an answer.
While some Beatles sang more than others, every member of the band took on lead vocal parts at some point during their decade-long existence as a band. Though he wasn’t a main lyricist, Ringo Starr sometimes doubled up on drums and vocals, such as on the playful ‘Yellow Submarine’ and the gorgeous ‘With a Little Help from My Friends’. It almost feels like a rare treat to hear him on the mic, but he doesn’t quite take the title for Springsteen’s favourite.
George Harrison would show off his vocal prowess occasionally too, such as on the twinkling ‘Here Comes The Sun’, which remains one of the band’s warmest and most well-loved tracks. This is partially thanks to Harrison’s lead vocals, which are just as dainty and lush as the twangs that surround them. He would continue to show off his talents on the mic when he embarked upon a solo career beyond The Beatles.
As one of the band’s main songwriters, McCartney often found himself behind the microphone. His smooth tones afforded his melodies and lyrics even more emotional power, and his voice has become one of the most familiar in music history. Melancholic tracks like ‘Yesterday’ and ‘Let It Be’ make a solid case for McCartney to be crowned the best singer in The Beatles, but even he isn’t Springsteen’s pick.
Rather, the so-called Boss affords the title to McCartney’s early songwriting partner, John Lennon. The rhythm guitarist was the only Beatle to make Springsteen’s list of his favourite vocalists of all time, which he divulged to Rolling Stone. Lennon takes fourth place on his list, just behind fellow 1960s icon Bob Dylan and just ahead of soul legend Aretha Franklin.
Like McCartney, Lennon often took up lead vocal parts for The Beatles for songs he had led during the writing process. Lennon had the ability to adjust his tone to each piece he took on, enhancing the emotions contained within the lyrics and instrumentation, and perhaps this is why he’s the only Beatle to make Springsteen’s list.
He lent his distinctive voice to tracks like ‘Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds’ and ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’, both of which show off a slightly more playful sound. There’s an early rock and roll energy to his words on ‘A Hard Day’s Night’, but Lennon could evoke emotion with his voice too, as evidenced by solo tracks like ‘Imagine’ and ‘Beautiful Boy’. He allowed the song itself to thrive, bending his voice to each composition’s needs at will while maintaining a certain raw, real quality.
Some Beatles fans will disagree with Springsteen’s choice, finding more warmth in McCartney’s tones or cherishing the rarity of a Starr-led track, but Lennon is a solid pick. He knew what each song needed, whether he had written it or not, and he used this knowledge to adjust his vocal style accordingly.
