(The Hit Hammer is where I'm reviewing each #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100. Starting from when the chart started in 1958 and eventually working my way to the present. To see my inspiration and more information about this blog, please refer to the "Poor Little Fool" post)
The Beatles - "She Loves You"
Hit Number 1: March 21, 1964
Stay at Number 1: 2 Weeks
It was no longer a secret, America's Beatlemania phase was in full effect. After the reign of terror by "I Want to Hold Your Hand" at the top spot was finished, it gave up its spot to yet another Beatles song. Surprisingly (and I didn't know this until right now) "She Loves You" is the best-selling Beatles song. You would have thought that maybe it would be "I Want to Hold Your Hand", "Hey Jude", "Let It Be" or another one of those super famous ones that everyone seems to know. But alas, the one that sold the most copies was "She Loves You", which is certainly a very notable Beatles song, but it doesn't have the lasting legacy that the aforementioned ones above have.
Lennon and McCartney composed the song after a concert at the Majestic Ballroom at Newcastle upon Tyne while touring with Roy Orbison (who will appear in this blog again soon) and Gerry and the Pacemakers. (They are best known for their hit "Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying" which made it to #4. It's an 8) They started writing it while on a tour bus, and continued to do so at their hotel that night. By the next day, it was finished. McCartney would later reveal that they got the idea for the song with Bobby Rydell's "Forget Him", with its call and response pattern. ("Forget Him" is a 6) He admitted that "as often happens, you think of one song when you write another... I'd planned an 'answering song' where a couple of us would sing 'she loves you' and the other ones would answer 'yeah yeah'. We decided that was a crummy idea but at least we then had the idea of a song called 'She Loves You'. So we sat in the hotel bedroom for a few hours and wrote it - John and I, sitting on twin beds with guitars." Apparently, Lennon was inspired to incorporate parts of Elvis' "All Shook Up" and the Isley Brothers' "Twist and Shout", a song the Beatles recorded themselves. ("All Shook Up" is a 9, and the Isley Brothers' version of "Twist and Shout" is a 7, while the Beatles' version is an 8) The yeahs come from "All Shook Up" and the falsetto "wooooos" come from "Twist and Shout".
One of the first to hear what the Beatles had going with this song was McCartney's dad, who liked the song just fine, but thought that there were too many songs that had "Americanisms" in them. McCartney responded to his dad by saying "No dad, you don't quite get it!" McCartney would have the last laugh, because the line "She loves you! Yeah, yeah, yeah!" is an immortal and catchy line, that is immediately the most recognizable part of the song. In other words, it's a monster hook. The other thing to point out about "She Loves You" is that there is no lead singer on the song. Lennon and McCartney sing together the whole time, taking turns on melody and harmony. Factoring all of this together: the lyrics, the arrangement, and even the backstory, it leads to a very lighthearted song. The best way for me to describe "She Loves You" is kind of like quickly riding a bike through a park on a sunny day. There's so much excitement, yet there's so much bubblegum in the lyrics. And that hook! The hooks these guys came up with are just unbelievable, and "She Loves You" is no different. I might go as far as to say that it's easier to get "She Loves You" stuck in your head than "I Want to Hold Your Hand". Maybe that's a hot take, but that's what I think.
Anyway, the Beatles would continue to work their magic after songs like "She Loves You" and "I Want to Hold Your Hand". America couldn't get enough of these guys, and teenage girls would have orgasms watching them in concert. (Seriously, look at videos of these guys performing live. It's insane) And they will continue to ride that wave for a few more years. Readers of the Hit Hammer, welcome to the British Invasion.
GRADE: 9/10
@ewueagles1 I agree that the earlier Beatles were better. And yeah the Beatles version of “Please Mr. Postman never hit #1, but I’d give it an 8. The Carpenters’ version will end up in here eventually though.
Another one of my favorite Beatles songs. I'm partial towards early Beatles. If I remember correctly, this was on the flip side of " I want to hold your hand." At least it was on the version I purchased in the 70's. I still like "I Want to Hold Your Hand" better but both songs are can't miss tunes. Alas, another of my fave Beatles tunes won't make the list I am afraid... Please Mr. Postman. Keep up the good work!!!