The Beatles: All US Number Ones Ranked Worst To Best
2. Yesterday
10th Number One, 1965 - Written by Paul McCartney
Yesterday is a perfect song. It tells a shattering story from the point-of-view of a broken-hearted man, who takes on the guilt over his loved one walking away. It's a feeling most people can identify with, and be moved by. The melody accompanying the vocals is simple and beautiful, haunting and eternal. There is only one problem with Yesterday, and it hinges on a technicality - it's not the perfect Beatles song. It's a Paul McCartney song.
The Beatles were indeed innovators, and their curious contributions to the history of pop music go beyond the records they broke or the sound techniques they employed - they were also among the first acts to release a song under their group name without actually featuring said group. Later chart-toppers by the Supremes and Wham!, performed solely by their lead vocalists, would keep this pattern going.
It's believed that Yesterday is the most covered song of all time, which must have stung the remaining Beatles, who hated it so much that they vetoed its release in the UK.
Fun Fact: The melody came to Paul in a dream, and he spent weeks trying to figure out whether it was really his or stolen. George could have taken a page out of his book - might have prevented him from being sued over his first solo release.