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Curated playlist

RPM Top Singles number-one singles

  • Something (Beatles song)The Beatles song "Something" once had a hole in its second line. At a rehearsal being filmed for a documentary, George Harrison could get as far as the words "Attracts me" and no further. John Lennon offered a stand-in phrase, "like a…
  • Get Ready (The Temptations song)The Temptations' "Get Ready" stalled at No. 29 on the pop charts in 1966. Producer Norman Whitfield soon took over.
  • Help! (song)John Lennon later called the Beatles' 1965 song Help an unconscious cry for help.
  • Let It Be (song)The Beatles song "Let It Be" debuted at number 6 in 1970, higher than any song before it.
  • Ticket to Ride (song)John Lennon later claimed "Ticket to Ride" was the first heavy metal record ever made.
  • Bohemian RhapsodyKenny Everett promised not to play Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" and then played it fourteen times in two days.
  • Eleanor RigbyThe Beatles song "Eleanor Rigby" hit number one without a single Beatle playing an instrument.
  • Paperback WriterPaul McCartney wrote "Paperback Writer" after his Aunt Lil asked why he never wrote about anything but love.
  • The Long and Winding RoadPaul McCartney cited one Beatles song in court as a reason to end the band. It was "The Long and Winding Road."
  • I Want to Hold Your HandA 14-year-old girl introduced the Beatles to American radio. Marsha Albert's letter got one song played.
  • Hey JudeJohn Lennon told Paul McCartney that "Hey Jude" line he wanted to cut was the best in the song. McCartney kept it.
  • Rapper's DelightNile Rodgers threatened legal action over "Rapper's Delight" after hearing it in a club.
  • Penny LanePaul McCartney found the Penny Lane trumpet sound while watching Bach on television.
  • Lucy in the Sky with DiamondsJohn Lennon wrote "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" after his three-year-old son showed him a drawing.

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