10 Hard Rock Songs By The Beatles

10. Twist and Shout

When the group were just starting, the band's use of studio experimentation on their recordings was a distant vision of the future. Upon recording their debut record Please Please Me, the Beatles sauntered into Abbey Road Studios and cut almost the entire record completely live from the studio floor in a single day.

Though most of the band's material was the typical pop and R&B infused rock of the day, their cover of the Isley Brothers' "Twist and Shout" was the most rip-roaring track from their concert setlist. Coming at the very end of the evening, the band had pushed themselves to the absolute brink the entire day and saved their most ferocious cut for last.

John Lennon was also nursing a cold at the time of recording, which left his voice raw when it came time to do his final vocal. After much anticipation, Lennon went into the studio, removed his shirt, and proceeded to shred his vocal cords for one of the greatest displays of raw aggression ever put in a rock song. While grander musical ambitions lay ahead of them, "Twist and Shout" shows the group at their bar band beginnings, ready to conquer the world with their rock n roll fury.