UK Lennon-McCartney Number Ones
(Released by The Beatles unless otherwise stated).
Number in brackets represents the number of weeks held.
1963
Please Please Me
(There is some disputation surrounding the legitimacy of this song's chart position. This is because at this time, in the early sixties, there was no standardised chart. However, 'Please Please Me' made the number one spot in 'Melody Maker', 'New Musical Express', 'Disc', and the BBC's 'Pick of the Pops'.)
From Me To You (7)
She Loves You (4, and then back again for a further 2)
I Want To Hold Your Hand (5)
Hello Little Girl - The Fourmost (?)
Bad To Me - Billy J Kramer and the Dakotas (3)
1964
Can't Buy Me Love (3)
A Hard Day's Night (3)
I Feel Fine (5)
World Without Love - Peter and Gordon (2)
1965
Ticket To Ride (3)
Help! (3)
Day Tripper/We Can Work It Out (5)
1966
Paperback Writer (2)
Yellow Submarine/Eleanor Rigby (4)
Michelle - The Overlanders (3)
1967
All You Need Is Love (3)
Hello Goodbye (7)
1968
Lady Madonna (2)
Hey Jude (2)
Those Were The Days - Mary Hopkin (6)
With A Little Help From My Friends - Joe Cocker (1)
1969
Get Back (6)
The Ballad Of John And Yoko (3)
Obladi Oblada - Marmalade (1, and then back again for another 2)
This means 17 or 18 (depending on your stance on Please Please Me) Lennon - McCartney songs were number one in the UK. This alone is a record. In total, well over 70 weeks, the Beatles' had the number one spot. Not bad considering their first was in '63 and their last in '69. It is inconceivable how many more number ones they might have had in the UK if they'd have used any number of their other songs to be released as singles. For example, 'Yesterday' was never released by the Beatles as a UK single! Add to that the chart success other artists have had with Lennon - McCartney compositions, and you've got an incredible, unattainable record.
US Lennon-McCartney Number Ones
1963
She Loves You/I'll Get You
1964
I Want To Hold Your Hand/I Saw Her Standing There
Can't Buy Me Love/You Can't Do That
Love Me Do/P.S. I Love You
A Hard Day's Night/I Should Have Known Better
I Feel Fine/She's A Woman
1965
Eight Days A Week/I Don't Want To Spoil The Party
Ticket To Ride
Help!/I'm Down
Yesterday/Act Naturally
We Can Work It Out/Day Tripper
1966
Paperback Writer/Rain
1967
Penny Lane/Strawberry Fields Forever
All You Need Is Love/Baby You're A Rich Man
Hello Goodbye/I Am The Walrus
1968
Hey Jude/Revolution
1969
Get Back/Don't Let Me Down
Something - George Harrison/Come Together
1970
Let It Be/You Know My Name (Look Up The Number)
The Long And Winding Road/For You Blue
No less than 20 Beatles' number ones from '63 to '70 in the USA! One of which (Something) being written by Harrison. The release dates varied from that of the UK. This is shown in Love Me Do, which hit number one in the US in '64, but only made number 17 in the UK in 1962. The Beatles were the first British group to have any success in America, and remain the most successful.
Complete UK Single Releases, Date and Chart Position
Love Me Do/P.S. I Love You - 1962 - 17
Please Please Me/Ask Me Why - 1963 - 1
From Me To You/Thank You Girl - 1963 - 1
My Bonnie/The Saints - 1963 - 38
She Loves You/I'll Get You - 1963 - 1
I Want To Hold Your Hand/This Boy - 1963 - 1
Sweet Georgia Brown/Nobody's Child - 1964 - Did not chart
Why/Cry For A Shadow - 1964 - Did not chart
Can't Buy Me Love/You Can't Do That - 1964 - 1
Ain't She Sweet/Take Out Some Insurance On Me Baby - 1964 - 24
A Hard Day's Night/Things We Said Today - 1964 - 1
I Feel Fine/She's A Woman - 1964 - 1
Ticket To Ride/Yes It Is - 1965 - 1
Help!/I'm Down - 1965 - 1
We Can Work It Out/Day Tripper - 1965 - 1
Paperback Writer/Rain - 1966 - 1
Yellow Submarine/Eleanor Rigby - 1966 - 1
Penny Lane/Strawberry Fields Forever - 1967 - 2
All You Need Is Love/Baby You're A Rich Man - 1967 - 1
Hello Goodbye/I Am The Walrus - 1967 - 1
Lady Madonna/The Inner Light - 1968 - 1
Hey Jude/Revolution - 1968 - 1
Get Back/Don't Let Me Down - 1969 - 1
The Ballad Of John And Yoko/Old Brown Shoe - 1969 - 1
Something/Come Together - 1969 - 4
Let It Be/You Know My Name (Look Up The Number) - 1970 - 2
Complete US Single Releases, Date and Chart Position
Please Please Me/Ask Me Why - 1963 - Did not chart
From Me To You/Thank You Girl - 1963 - Did not chart
She Loves You/I'll Get You - 1963 - 1
I Want To Hold Your Hand/I Saw Her Standing There - 1964 - 1
My Bonnie/The Saints - 1964 - 26
Please Please Me/From Me To You - 1964 - 3
Twist And Shout/There's A Place - 1964 - 2
Can't Buy Me Love/You Can't Do That - 1964 - 1
Do You Want To Know A Secret/Thank You Girl - 1964 - 2
Why/Cry For A Shadow - 1964 - 88
Love Me Do/P.S. I Love You - 1964 - 1
Sie Liebt Dich/I'll Get You - 1964 - 97
Take Out Some Insurance On Me Baby/Sweet Georgia Brown - 1964 - Did not chart
Ain't She Sweet/Nobody's Child - 1964 - 19
A Hard Day's Night/I Should Have Known Better - 1964 - 1
I'll Cry Instead/I'm Happy Just To Dance With You - 1964 - 25
And I Love Her/If I Fell - 1964 - 12
Slow down/Matchbox - 1964 - 17
I Feel Fine/She's A Woman - 1964 - 1
Eight Days A Week/I Don't Want To Spoil The Party - 1965 - 1
Ticket To Ride - 1965 - 1
Help!/I'm Down - 1965 - 1
Yesterday/Act Naturally - 1965 - 1
Roll Over Beethoven/Misery - 1965 - Did not chart
Boys/Kansas City - 1965 - Did not chart
We Can Work It Out/Day Tripper - 1965 - 1
Nowhere Man/What Goes On - 1966 - 3
Paperback Writer/Rain - 1966 - 1
Yellow Submarine/Eleanor Rigby - 1966 - 2
Penny Lane/Strawberry Fields Forever - 1967 - 1
All You Need Is Love/Baby You're A Rich Man - 1967 - 1
Hello Goodbye/I Am The Walrus - 1967 - 1
Lady Madonna/The Inner Light - 1968 - 4
Hey Jude/Revolution - 1968 - 1
Get Back/Don't Let Me Down - 1969 - 1
The Ballad Of John And Yoko/Old Brown Shoe - 1969 - 8
Something/Come Together - 1969 - 1
Let It Be/You Know My Name (Look Up The Number) - 1970 - 1
The Long And Winding Road/For You Blue - 1970 - 1
