The YouTube channel You Can’t Unhear This examines the fascinating rise of “Here Comes the Sun,” a seemingly unassuming song that has unexpectedly become the most-streamed Beatles track on Spotify. The channel explores the song’s intriguing journey, examining how this George Harrison-penned tune, once nestled within the Abbey Road album, surpassed other iconic Beatles hits like “Hey Jude” and “Yesterday” to claim the top spot in the streaming era.
Through insightful analysis, You Can’t Unhear This uncovers the song’s unique appeal, its cultural significance, and the reasons behind its lasting resonance with modern audiences. This bright, optimistic tune was created during a period when John Lennon was absent, recovering from a car accident, leaving Harrison to take the lead. Despite its cheery simplicity, the song was somewhat hidden within the Beatles’ final studio album, Abbey Road.
While it might come across as a simple, sunny tune, “Here Comes the Sun” is a sophisticated composition that draws from a variety of influences, making it one of the most enduring and celebrated tracks in the Beatles’ catalog.
Harrison states in his autobiography, I, Me, Mine: “Here Comes the Sun” was written at the time when Apple was getting like school, where we had to go and be businessmen: ‘Sign this’ and ‘sign that.’ Anyway, it seems as if winter in England goes on forever, by the time spring comes you really deserve it. So one day I decided I was going to sag off Apple and I went over to Eric Clapton’s house. The relief of not having to go see all those dopey accountants was wonderful, and I walked around the garden with one of Eric’s acoustic guitars and wrote: “Here Comes the Sun”.
Robert Moog’s revolutionary synthesizer made its way into the recording of “Here Comes the Sun,” adding a layer of texture to the song. Although the Beatles incorporated this innovative instrument into their music, they weren’t the first to explore its potential—The Byrds had already made a name for themselves by experimenting with the Moog synthesizer before the Beatles’ use. Reflecting on the sound, some have noted that while the synthesizer added a unique element to “Here Comes the Sun,” its tones were still somewhat primitive. As one listener observed, “It certainly enhances the song, but the sounds are quite basic, almost childlike in their simplicity.” Nonetheless, the Moog’s presence in the track represents a step in the evolution of musical technology, contributing to the Beatles’ ongoing experimentation during their later years.
“Here Comes the Sun” wasn’t just a product of Harrison’s reflective mood; its creation involved a technically intricate and unconventional process that reflected the experimental nature of the later Beatles’ work. This complexity often goes unnoticed beneath the surface of what seems like a straightforward, uplifting melody.
Beyond its popularity on streaming platforms, “Here Comes the Sun” has made a profound cultural impact. The song was even considered for inclusion on the Voyager Golden Records, a collection of sounds and music sent into space in 1977 to represent human civilization to potential extraterrestrial life. However, due to rights issues with the label EMI, the song was ultimately left off the records.
The mixing session on August 20, 1969, when the band finalized the master tape for Abbey Road, holds a significant place in music history as it marked the last time all four Beatles were together in the recording studio. This momentous occasion symbolized the end of an era, as the iconic band—John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr—would never again collaborate in a studio setting. The session not only completed their final album but also brought the curtain down on the Beatles’ remarkable collective journey in the world of music creation.