Apparently "Here Comes the Sun" is the most popular Beatles song with millennials. Huh?!?

Good thing for me I didn't say that.

 

I would figure a lot of people would consider White Album his coming out party, as WMGGW is considered one of his finest moments

 

Here Comes The Sun’s brilliance as an everlasting composition and recording is being revealed in its popularity.

It’s “Beatles” but not attached to Beatle-ness like early Beatles.

It is universal in its sentiment, but it isn’t anthemic (which have proven to have a bit of a shelf live, a la Stairway, Free Bird (which is now simply a punchline).

It is filled with an optimism borne out of skepticism.


Little darling, it's been a long cold lonely winter
Little darling, it feels like years since it's been here
Here comes the sun (doo doo doo)
Here comes the sun, and I say, it’s alright

Little darling, I feel that ice is slowly melting
Little darling, it seems like years since it's been clear
Here comes the sun
Here comes the sun, and I say
It's all right

A song of hope that has empathy and invites the listener as a confidante (little darling). Could be a kid, a teenager, a lover, a best friend. No wonder it holds up so well. With a timeless arrangement, performance and recording to boot.
George would be rightly proud of this achievement in 2020. Ringo and Paul should feel the same as their performances are enormous and downright emotional (drums, bass, harmonies....).

It’s one of the greats....

 

I'm not saying you did. Just clarifying.

Sure, but most people aren't singing high praises about his other songs on The White Album. Abbey Road is when he truly becomes "worthy".

 

It's a great song. Every time I hear it makes me feel great. It probably has the same effect on people younger than me, millennial or whatever. What's the problem again?

 

Tomorrow never knows...

 

"Here Comes the Sun" was the first full song I learned to play on guitar when I was 16.

 

Boomers saw the Beatles on Ed Sullivan...apparently they are a "game changer"

 

It's my GF favorite song and she's the same age as me.

 

Early Rod Stewart vocals (and then some)

 

I've never understood this. I think the reason is that over time, the "classic songs" change. Crazy Train, Bennie & The Jets and Purple Haze were all not hits but over time they became more well known. I think that is happening for Here Comes The Sun. If you asked a millennial to name 3 Beatles songs they would likely answer Come Together, Hey Jude and Here Comes The Sun. I think it is just a generational thing. Another song I think this is happening to is Smokin' by Boston. Due to use in TV, movies and most importantly video games(In particular GTA) it has risen in popularity over the last decade.

 

How is that "Reason To Believe" box?

 

Agreed, but the biggest single factor is that mood playlists are more popular than albums on streaming services. Streaming changes the way people listen to music.

Instead of listening to a single artist or single album they instead pick a mood they are in and let the algorithms feed them an assortment of songs from many different bands all of which they know and love. And in that context you can envision a song like Here Comes The Sun or Benny And The Jets being placed in many playlists that fit the moods of many listeners. Up-tempo, acoustic or piano flavored, not too heavy not too light, a great song but not an over played smash hit, Ed Sheeran music from decades ago, if you will.

 

Here Comes the Sun is also hugely popular on Youtube, their most popular song when Apple uploaded all the Beatles discography songs 2 years ago.

https://socialblade.com/youtube/channel/UC2XdaAVUannpujzv32jcouQ/videos/mostviewed

Personally it is not my favourite Beatle song, probably not in my top 25, but it is undeniably very, very popular especially among millennials whose demographic dictates these streaming platforms.

 

I never heard of a song called "Crazy Train". By whom?

Also, err... "Bennie and the Jets" was a huge hit in many countries including the USA and Canada. It's not a "deep cut".

 

But it was first released as a B-side where it did not do good. And I was referring to Crazy Train by Ozzy Osbourne which never charted.

 

American boomers, just to clarify.

 

While I get the points about the "Mood" playlists, I think the song (along with "Come Together") is so popular with millennials because of a combination of its inherent quality and its relative timelessness (in the sense of not being either mop-top pop or obviously psychedelic in the 1967 manner). I think generally, younger generations perceive music of the later '60s and early '70s to be a little closer to what they perceive as "cool." I would imagine that they would also prefer the Rolling Stones' "Gimme Shelter" (and the bigger songs from that '68-'71 period) to their earlier material for similar reasons.

 

Well, since I have never heard OF this song, let alone heard it, I'm a bit bemused by your claim that it's now considered a "classic" song. Maybe among fans of the artist, that would be all. Unlike for example Purple Haze, which is instantly recognisable to just about anyone of my age, even people like myself who are not really fans of Hendrix.

 

I'm a Boomer and I didn't see The Beatles on Ed Sullivan

 

What were you doing that night...??

 

"Benny (or Bennie) and the Jets" wasn't a hit? It only hit #1 on the US Billboard and Cashbox charts, as well as #15 on Billboards R&B charts, #1 in Canada, # 18 in Ireland, #13 in New Zealand, and certified Silver in the UK. Definitely a song that wasn't well known at the time of its release

EDITED to add: I see @bob_32_116 beat me to it.

But, for what it's worth, "Bennie" was an A Side in the US and Canada.

 

Crazy Train was ranked number 17 in Ultimate Classic Rock's 100 greatest classic rock songs. VH1 ranked it the 23rd greatest hard rock song ever. How have you never heard of it.

 

That was when it was re released as a single months after being a B-side