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TL;DR:

  • Queen’s Brian May felt one of The Beatles’ songs embodied all of his teenage yearnings.
  • He revealed his individual thoughts on John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr.
  • The tune in question charted higher in the United States than in the United Kingdom.

Queen’s Brian May said one of The Beatles‘ songs had a huge impact on him. In addition, he revealed which member of the Fab Four he thought was the most talented. Notably, the song he liked so much became a hit twice in the United Kingdom.

Queen’s Brian May fell in love with 1 Beatles song but wasn’t allowed to see them live

During a 2020 interview with Loudersound, May discussed his parents’ reaction to The Beatles when he was young. “I wasn’t allowed to go to see The Beatles in concert when I was a kid,” he said. “My parents thought pop concerts were attended by the wrong sort of people. So I never got to see the 20th century’s biggest phenomenon live.”

However, he had fond memories of one song in particular. “But from the moment I heard ‘Love Me Do’ on the radio, I knew this bunch of guys were magic … that they voiced all my hidden joy and yearnings as a teenager struggling to make his way into the world of the ’60s,” he said.

Queen’s Brian May felt John Lennon was ‘the heart’ of The Beatles’ ‘awesome power’

May believes John was the most talented member of the Fab Four. “It is impossible to doubt that the combination of the four lads was unique, a piece of magic in a million — the perfect rock group to inspire all rock groups, and rewrite the framework of not only popular music, but the whole culture of the young,” he said. “But, as time went on, it became apparent that John Lennon was at the heart of this awesome power.”

May was a huge fan of John, describing him as the coolest guy on earth. At the same time, he praised Paul McCartney’s melodies, the spirituality of George Harrison, and Ringo Starr’s drumming. He felt Ringo’s drums stopped the band from getting too sentimental.

Related

Why The Beatles’ ‘Love Me Do’ Confused Kiss’ Gene Simmons

How ‘Love Me Do’ performed on the charts in the United States and the United Kingdom

“Love Me Do” was huge in the United States. It reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for a single week, staying on the chart for 14 weeks. The tune appeared on the album 1962-1966, which reached No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and lasted on the chart for 175 weeks.

According to The Official Charts Company, “Love Me Do” originally reached No. 17 in the United Kingdom and remained on the chart for 18 weeks. Later, the track recharted at No. 4 and lasted on the chart for seven weeks. On the other hand, 1962-1966 hit No. 3 and lasted on the chart for a total of 167 weeks. Notably, “Love Me Do” inspired covers by Bijele Strijele and David Bowie.

“Love Me Do” was huge for May and huge for the world.

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