The Beatles: All US Number Ones Ranked Worst To Best
6. Penny Lane
13th Number One, 1967 - Written by Paul McCartney
Despite being a number one hit, Penny Lane is an oft-overlooked song, doomed to live in the shadow of its B-side, the critically acclaimed, Lennon-composed Strawberry Fields Forever. But Penny Lane is one of The Beatles' best chart-toppers - that chorus alone guarantees it.
Inspired by a street in Liverpool where Paul used to come off the bus before visiting John, Penny Lane is rare amongst these twenty singles for its evoked nostalgia, a theme generally unaddressed by The Beatles outside of a romantic context. With its depiction of a normal day in a small town where everyone knows everyone, the song makes you feel right at home, even if your physical setting is a much different one.
Fun Fact: The street signs at the real Penny Lane have a history of being stolen, so much so that the town's officials quit replacing them and stuck to painting the street's name on the side of buildings.