10 Hard Rock Songs By The Beatles

The band's White Album is a very eclectic mix of different sounds. With each member composing their own material, the styles of each track range from country to ballads to rock to even experimental soundscapes. However, "Helter Skelter" is probably the most visceral across the entire album, with a sound that bludgeoned the listener from the word go.

Opening with a descending riff, the song launches into a pummeling sonic force with McCartney leading the charge with his raucous screams. While other bands like the Doors and the Who were pushing the limits of what rock and roll could do at the time, the Fabs' healthy respect for noise on this track showed that they were still keeping tabs on rock's changing styles. While some lunatics like Charles Manson thought it was about the coming Armageddon, the song stems from an innocent tale of a playground slide, with the singer going from the bottom to the top.

Thanks to the fantastic use of blaring guitars and Ringo's impeccable drum performance, this song shut up any skeptics who thought that McCartney could only write soft ballads for the group. Dating metal by only a few years, this track definitely causes blisters to manifest on rock musicians for a damn good reason.