Song · The Beatles
“Because” by The Beatles
Released 1969
“Because” by The Beatles appears on 3 radio countdowns from 1 station between 2009 and 2020. It was first released in 1969. Its best result is #46 on the WXPN 885 Desert Island Songs (2009). In the combined RockLists rankings it is #3,782 indie & aaa song of all time.
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"Because" is John Lennon's hushed hymn on Abbey Road, the Beatles' 1969 album, and it sits right before the long medley that closes side two. Lennon got the idea while listening to Yoko play Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata and asking her to play the chords backwards; he built the song around what came out.
It opens with George Martin on electric harpsichord, shadowed by Lennon's guitar swirling through a Leslie speaker, and then Paul McCartney's bass and the voices arrive. Lennon, McCartney and George Harrison sang a three-part harmony and then did it twice more, so nine voices hang in the air like frost. Harrison adds a rare touch of Moog synthesizer, and the effect is eerie, gorgeous and a little otherworldly, a moment of stillness before the finale.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
RockLists rankings
Indie & Adult Alternative
All Rock Formats
All-time and decade countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 46 | WXPN | WXPN 885 Desert Island Songs (2009) | 885 |
| 2012 | 501 | WXPN | WXPN 885 Greatest Rock Songs (2012) | 885 |
| 2020 | 578 | WXPN | WXPN 2020 Greatest Songs of All Time | 2020 |
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