The Beatles, who are widely regarded as the most iconic band in the history of popular music, boast a legacy that includes 12 studio albums and a plethora of other releases from 1963 to 1970.
Hailing from Liverpool, the Fab Four quartet comprising John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr crafted an array of chart-topping hits, with the lion’s share credited to the songwriting powerhouse duo of Lennon and McCartney.
Despite sharing credit for their compositions, it was not uncommon for either Lennon or McCartney to be the sole creative force behind a song, without any musical or lyrical contributions from the others.
Moreover, a handful of the band’s tracks are distinguished by featuring only one member on the recording, an issue that has sparked recent discussions among fans on Reddit.
One curious user posed the question: “Beatles songs that were literally just solo songs?” They elaborated: “I’m talking about songs that basically had no additions or suggestions from other members, and could’ve easily been a song they released on a solo album.”
One respondent highlighted Julia from the 1968 ‘White Album’, noting: “Literally only John did anything for the song.
They clarified: “By did anything, I meant play an instrument. John played every instrument.”
Another chimed in with Yesterday, adding that the “fifth Beatle” and producer George Martin had even proposed it be a McCartney solo release, but this idea was quashed by manager Brian Epstein.
One fan singled out the 1968 non-album track, The Inner Light, stating: “There are a few but none come closer to being an actual solo song than The Inner Light.”
They elaborated on its unique composition: “With it’s backing track recorded in India during the Wonderwall Music sessions and George being the only Beatle on the song except for John and Paul joining in on the final line, it’s the only Beatles song that would’ve made MORE sense as a solo release in my opinion.”
Another title from the White Album, Good Night (Lennon), was also acknowledged, along with Goodbye (McCartney) which is exclusively featured on the deluxe version of Abbey Road.
A Reddit user said of the song: “I believe Paul specifically wrote that for Mary Hopkins, and the version included on Abbey Road deluxe is just his home demo version.”
Other fans went on to highlight Harrison’s Within You Without You, which did include other musicians, but not any fellow Beatles.
Meanwhile, another enthusiast claimed to have compiled the definitive list. “I made this list a few years ago and I believe these are all the songs that have just a single Beatle featured on the recording,” they declared.
The list included: “Yesterday (Paul); Within You Without You (George); Wild Honey Pie (Paul); Blackbird (Paul); Julia (John); Mother Nature’s Son (Paul); Good Night (Ringo); Her Majesty (Paul).”
They concluded by noting: “Obviously some of the other Beatles were involved in different ways on these tracks, but they’re not on the recordings.”