The Biggest Pop Hits by the Beatles

In “The Beatles: Get Back,” the 2021 documentary produced by New Zealand film director Peter Jackson and released by Disney+, viewers are treated to a rare glimpse into the creative interactions among the members of a rock ‘n roll band widely considered be one of the most influential of all time – a feat made all the more impressive by the band’s brief tenure. The Beatles existed for only a decade, and its sole global tour lasted for only three years, from 1963 to 1966. (They are nonetheless musical history’s most covered artists.)

The eight-hour miniseries shows John, Paul, Ringo, and George – performers so famous that last names aren’t needed here – rehearsing for the band’s last studio album, “Let it Be.” With the input of the band’s long-time producer George Martin and the soulful piano chops of Billy Preston, the 35-minute 12-track album would quickly become a global hit, reaching gold and platinum status in several countries.

The album included two of the Fab Four’s top 25 biggest hits in their decade-long collaboration: “Let It Be,” which spent 14 weeks on the Billboard Top 100, and “The Long and Winding Road,” the band’s last single released while the Beatles were still active. 

To determine the biggest pop hits by The Beatles, 24/7 Tempo reviewed performance data on the Billboard Hot 100 song. Songs were ranked based on an inverse score wherein a week at No. 1 is worth 100 points, a week at No. 2 worth 99 points, and so on, up to a week at No. 100 worth one point. Chart data is current through the week of August 20, 2022.

By far, the Far Four’s most successful singles were released during the peak Beatlemania years of 1964 and 1965. In those two electric years, The Beatles would release 14 of their biggest hits, four of which would be among its most popular ever. Two of these – “She Loves You” and “I Want to Hold Your Hand” -would reach No. 1 on the Billboard Top 100 within a week of each other in January 1964. (You won’t be surprised to learn that the artist with the most No. 1 hits is The Beatles.)

Five of the Beatles ten biggest hits were released after 1965, including “Hey Jude” in 1968 and “Come Together” in 1969. “Got to Get You into My Life,” became The Beatles’ last biggest hit when it was re-released on a compilation album and single in 1976, a decade after it appeared on the album “Revolver” and six years after the group’s breakup.