Music History

5 Beatles Hits That Were Actually Cover Songs

What Happened

A new article from Mental Floss highlights five Beatles songs that many fans assume were original compositions but were actually covers. The piece examines how the Liverpool quartet transformed existing songs into their own iconic versions during their early recording career.

The Beatles recorded dozens of covers throughout their career, particularly in their early years when they were still developing their songwriting partnership between John Lennon and Paul McCartney. Many of these cover versions became so closely associated with the band that listeners today often don’t realize they weren’t original Beatles compositions.

7 Hit Songs You Didn't Know Were Written by The Beatles

What Happened

Throughout their careers, John Lennon and Paul McCartney wrote dozens of songs for other artists, many of which became major hits without most listeners knowing their true origins. These songs, credited to the famous Lennon-McCartney partnership, helped launch careers and topped charts around the world.

The seven most surprising hits include:

‘Fame’ by David Bowie (1975) - Lennon co-wrote this funk-driven track and played guitar and vocals on it. The song became Bowie’s first number-one hit on the Billboard Hot 100.