When it comes to The Beatles, even their so-called “worst” songs often reveal a brilliance hidden beneath the surface, and one track often debated in this light is “Revolution 9.” Dismissed by many listeners upon its 1968 release on the White Album as indulgent noise or an unlistenable experiment, the avant-garde sound collage was radically different from the band’s polished pop catalog.
Yet, with time, it has gained recognition as a daring masterpiece that anticipated elements of electronic music, sampling, and ambient soundscapes decades before they became mainstream. While it may not fit the mold of a traditional Beatles hit, its chaotic layering of voices, tape loops, and distorted sound bites reflects the political unrest, cultural upheaval, and boundary-pushing creativity of its era, making it one of the band’s most misunderstood but artistically significant works.
‘Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da’ – The Beatles
John Lennon might have described it as “granny shit” music, and George Harrison and Ringo Starr might not have been cockahoop either, but is ‘Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da’ really the worst Beatles song? For my money, it’s not even close. In fact, it gets pretty close to explaining the potency of their appeal.
Firstly, it taps into their innovative wont by borrowing from the then-untapped worlds of reggae and ska. Musically, it is one of the first examples of the four chords of modern pop, but McCartney modally mixes it up to inject this simplicity with an idiosyncratic edge. Then there’s the absurdist fun of the narrative. And to top it off, the backstory – with John Lennon bashing the keys in frustration – imbues the song with a window into their brotherly creative bond.