'Abbey Road' turns 50: All the album's songs, ranked

“Abbey Road” turns 50 on Sept. 26, marking five decades since the most influential band of the 1960s – and all of rock ‘n’ roll, many say – released their swan song. Made over the course of sporadic studio sessions in spring and summer 1969 that gathered the group together amid their slow dissolve, “Abbey Road” was released just days after the meeting of the band members where John Lennon informed the band of his plans to split. 

While the band’s ugly legal divorce would play out publicly over the next several years as the Beatles’ members embarked on their solo careers, “Abbey Road” endures as a pure artistic achievement that closed their songbook on a high note.

Read on for a ranking of the album's classic tracks.

“Her Majesty”

It's nice enough, but at 25 seconds long, "Her Majesty" doesn't warrant a ranking above any of the album's other tracks.

“Octopus’s Garden”

Oh, Ringo. One of the Beatles' only compositions credited to the band's beloved drummer Ringo Starr, the endearingly goofy "Octopus's Garden" is a delight as a novelty, but unfortunately, doesn't quite stand up to the more substantive artistic visions elsewhere on the album.

“Mean Mr. Mustard”

Taken as a whole, the medley that takes up much of the second half of "Abbey Road" would land near the top of this ranking, and parts of it still do. "Mean Mr. Mustard," and its tale of a "dirty old man," is not among them.

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“Sun King”

One of the more forgettable aspects of the medley, "Sun King" functions as a companion to "Here Comes the Sun" that really wasn't necessary.

“Polythene Pam”

A snarling little snippet of Lennon vocals, the medley's ode to a dominatrix type doesn't have any defined purpose in the medley, but can be appreciated all the same. 

“Maxwell’s Silver Hammer”

One of the more humorous moments on the album, this prim McCartney production takes a turn once the titular Maxwell starts swinging his hammer to kill. 

More: 20 essential Paul McCartney tracks that prove he's the best of The Beatles

“Because”

Featuring lush, eerie-sounding harmonies over a crude synthesizer, the psychedelic impact of "Because" is diminished slightly by its faux-deep lyrics.

“She Came in Through the Bathroom Window”

This section of the medley doesn't make much of a musical impact, but its impeccable McCartney melody deserves its fair recognition.

“Oh! Darling”

Not quite as moving as his performance on “Golden Slumbers,” McCartney’s vocals on “Oh! Darling” are equally gut-busting, seeing the Beatles’ pretty boy unafraid to deliver throat-shredding grittiness in a desperate plea to win someone back. 

“You Never Give Me Your Money”

One of McCartney's finest moments on the album, the medley's first section is among its best for its mini-movements of its own.

“Here Comes the Sun”

Yes, it's a bit cheesy 50 years later, but "Here Comes the Sun" deserves recognition as a George Harrison classic that still has the capacity to move listeners to emotion. 

“Golden Slumbers / Carry That Weight / The End”

While the rest of the medley largely consists of distinctly quirky suites, it’s impossible to talk about these three songs and their overlapping refrains separately. 

“I Want You (She’s So Heavy)”

This Lennon high-water mark puts an emphasis on the "Heavy," an eight-minute epic that endures in the Beatles' catalog as one of Lennon's very best tributes to Yoko Ono.

“Come Together”

“I Want You (She’s So Heavy)” is only topped by "Come Together" as Lennon's best contribution to "Abbey Road," a Beatles essential from the second Lennon whispers "shoot" to open the song.

“Something”

This Harrison masterpiece, a ballad that starts quietly before blossoming into a grandiose production, isn’t just the best song on “Abbey Road,” it’s also the crowning achievement of Harrison’s time with the band, a representation of an artist who wasn’t always the showiest Beatle but emerged as particularly impactful.