Beatles’ “Something” Charts in UK 55 Years After Release

The Beatles’ “Something,” penned by George Harrison, entered the UK singles charts on this day in 1969, marking a significant moment in the band’s history and solidifying Harrison’s songwriting prowess within the group.

Harrison reportedly approached the song’s iconic guitar solo with a newfound spontaneity, deviating from his usual meticulous planning. “Now that,” Harrison said in a 1988 interview with Guitar World, “is an example of that kind of thing where I find roughly where I can go.” He further admitted, “I think also I sort of smoked something, and I didn’t really know what I was doing,” but was “very pleasantly surprised” by the final result, noting its “certain spontaneity.”

Widely believed to be inspired by his then-wife, Pattie Boyd, “Something” has become one of The Beatles’ most enduring songs, second only to “Yesterday” in terms of covers. The song garnered praise from unexpected sources, including Frank Sinatra, who famously called it “the greatest love song of the past 50 years,” despite often misattributing it to Lennon and McCartney. Elvis Presley also reportedly favored Harrison’s songwriting, with his stepbrother David Stanley revealing in a March 2025 interview with The Daily Express that the King of Rock n’ Roll considered Harrison the most prolific writer in the band. You can learn more about the history of The Beatles here.

The enduring popularity of “Something” demonstrates the lasting impact of The Beatles’ music and Harrison’s contributions to their sound, influencing generations of musicians and songwriters. Representatives for the Harrison estate have not yet commented on the anniversary.