The Beatles are one of, if not the most successful, bands of all time. We all know this, we see and hear their impact on music every day, and we know that they arguably don’t have a bad song. While they are incredibly talented, their grand success is truly an enigma given its scale and lasting influence. One aspect contributing to that fact is their 20 No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100.
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The Beatles have the most No. 1 hits of all time, and 34 other songs that reached the top 10. That being so, they have more than enough hits to spare. Well, some artists agreed with that thought, as they scored major success by covering some of The Beatles’ hits. So, without The Beatles, these three artists would be missing a No. 1.
“Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds” by Elton John
Elton John is a generational talent in his own right, but even he felt the need to seemingly garner some sure-fire success with a Beatles cover. In 1975, John covered The Beatles’ psychedelic classic, “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds”.
Following the release of the single, Elton John acquired his third No. 1 hit in the United States, as the cover peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1975. John’s rendition of the single stayed in the top spot for two weeks. It is one of John’s nine No. 1 hit singles.
“A World Without Love” by Peter And Gordon
While The Beatles never recorded and released a track of “A World Without Love”, it still technically belongs to Paul McCartney, as he wrote it when he was 16 years old. Regardless, The Beatles’ trash was another man’s treasure, it seems. And in this instance, it was Peter And Gordon‘s treasure.
Released in 1964, the McCartney-written track helped the duo acquire international success. After the release of the song, Peter and Gordon’s “A World Without Love” peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and on the United Kingdom Singles chart.
“With A Little Help From My Friends” by Joe Cocker
The most famous cover of any Beatles song is arguably Joe Cocker‘s rendition of “With A Little Help From My Friends”. Released in 1969, the song became the most successful track of Joe Cocker’s career and is what has cemented him as one of the most unique vocalists of all time.
After the release of Cocker’s single, it did not do incredibly well on the Billboard Hot 100, as it only peaked at No. 68. However, on the UK singles chart, the song peaked at No. 1 and gave Cocker his first No. 1 hit.