The Beatles: 10 Perfect Non-Single Tracks
2. Helter Skelter: The Beatles (1968)
The Beatles have acted as a blueprint for every rock act to follow. They embodied almost every sub-genre in rock. You name it they did it, from blues, psychedelic rock, proto-punk and even heavy metal.
Out of all the Beatles' records the White Album best represents their ability to turn their hand to whatever genre that suited their mood. Among the eclectic styles and sounds, was nestled a track that hailed in the devil horns, and inspired future metal pioneers to turn up the distortion.
Although "Helter Skelter" has the unfortunate reputation of being associated with Charles Manson, it is nevertheless one of the greatest tracks from the White Album. Born out of a desire to rival The Who's increasingly heavier sound, Paul McCartney wrote the song with the express intention of making the dirtiest, meanest sound he could.
The heavily fed back guitar riff was played with a ferocity unheard-of from a mainstream artist, at the time. Talk about Black Sabbath inventing heavy metal, the Liverpudlian lads got there a whole two years before the boys from Birmingham.