10 Best George Harrison Solo Songs That You Need To Hear
Even after decades of passing, the solo tracks of English rock legend George Harrison have pierced the hearts of rock music lovers.
George Harrison, the former member of The Beatles, played a significant role in the crucial era of rock and roll music.
His contributions to the band’s revolutionary sound and success made him a center of the international cultural conversation.
George was often called “the quiet Beatle” until he left the band in 1970.
For most of his career, he learned musical instruments from Ravi Shankar and incorporated Indian instruments into his music.
George’s spiritual influence is also reflected in his songs, such as My Sweet Lord and Within You Without You. Below are 10 of George Harrison’s greatest solo songs.
| Songs | Spotify Streams |
| My Sweet Lord | 524,630,517 |
| All Things Must Pass | 40,597,980 |
| Got My Mind Set on You | 282,893,491 |
| What is Life | 126,253,923 |
| Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth) | 73,014,197 |
| Isn’t It a Pity | 24,068,467 |
| All Those Years Ago | 23,723,942 |
| Wah Wah | 20,548,121 |
| Blow Away | 10,661,436 |
| When We Was Fab | 7,989,110 |
10. When We Was Fab
| Album | Cloud Nine |
| Released Date | January 25, 1988 (US) |
When We Was Fab emits a subtle feeling of hallucination and nostalgia through music and lyrics.
George Harrison, along with Jeff Lynne, co-produced the track, while Lynne’s techniques gave it a rich and layered production.
It reflects his time with The Beatles, particularly the ‘Fab Four’ era and ‘Beatlemania’ days.
The song speaks mostly about their era and how beautiful they would be together if everything were good.
After a five-year hiatus from his career, George eventually returned to the industry with the album Cloud Nine.
It is one of George’s creations featuring on the US Mainstream Rock and Billboard Hot 100 the same year.
9. Blow Away
| Album | George Harrison |
| Released Date | February 14, 1979 (US) |
The cheerful and mid-tempo pop track Blown Away is often remembered for its catchy melody, upbeat rhythm, and outstanding lyrics.
It can’t be denied that his experiences dealing with frustrations influenced the song’s development.
It eventually emerged as George’s best as it came from the core, explaining the moment of clarity of not letting minor things destroy happiness.
Through Blown Away, George provided a basic suggestion about how he overcame problems by letting trivial worries ‘blow away.’
In 2010, AOL radio chose the song as George Harrison’s most popular song, falling just below his single My Sweet Lord.
8. Wah-Wah
| Album | All Things Must Pass |
| Released Date | November 27, 1970 (US) |
Wah-Wah is a high-energy rock song with a distinctive “wall of sound” production. It heavily uses guitar effects and the wah-wah pedal.
George wrote the song’s lyrics during his temporary departure from The Beatles, which later became permanent.
The music visibly reflects his frustration and disappointment toward the band members following the tensions during the “Let It Be” sessions.
Further, Wah–Wah expresses George’s sense of relief from the pressure and strained relationship with The Beatles in the late 1970s and conveys anger to them.
The audience often praises the rock song for its raw emotion, which eventually contributed to the success of the whole album.
7. All Those Years Ago
| Album | Somewhere in England |
| Released Date | May 11, 1981 (US) |
All Those Years Ago is an upbeat pop-rock song by George, with a nostalgic and reflective tone, that pays tribute to his former bandmate.
The composer wrote the lyrics of the track for Ringo Starr before the death of his beloved friend Lenno from The Beatles.
Later, the tragic homicide of John Lennon in 1980 influenced George to rewrite the verses and pay tribute on the occasion.
All Those Years Ago indulges in the times he spent with Lennon and The Beatles, and each word on the song celebrates the legacy they built together.
The music was George’s ninth studio album, and it charted second on the US Billboard Hot 100 and topped Billboard Adult Contemporary in 1981.
6. Isn’t It a Pity
| Album | All Things Must Pass |
| Released Date | November 27, 1970 (US) |
Isn’t It a Pity is a reflective ballad featuring a rich arrangement of the orchestra and the melody expressing pensive sadness by George Harrison.
Composer and singer George was influenced by his strong disappointment with The Beatles’ internal conflicts.
The artist, speaking with Timothy White in 2000, said:
It’s just an observation of how society and myself were or are. We take each other for granted – and forget to give back. That was really all it was about.
The lyrics express sorrow over the misunderstanding and divisions that arose between people around him that led any relationship to a down point.
Isn’t It a Pity earned critical acclaim, which contributed much to the triumph of the album All Things Must Pass.
5. Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)
| Album | Living in the Material World |
| Release Date | May 7, 1973 (US) |
Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth) was the opening track of the album ‘Living in the Material World.’
Indian music has always interested him for most of his life, which is reflected in his spiritual quest.
Guided by Hinduism and spirituality, George composed the music as a prayer to the divine power for himself and anyone who liked it.
Further, Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth) is a plea to make him and everyone free of Karma and the cycle of rebirth.
This 1973 opening track was the 42nd song on Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1973.
4. What is Life
| Album | All Things Must Pass |
| Release Date | February 15, 1971 (US) |
What is Life is one of George’s love songs, which is an authentic yet unique blend of experiences of music exploration with The Beatles.
The former guitarist of The Beatles composed the music using Phil Spector’s Wall of Sound technique.
What is Life was the product of his decade-long journey exploring musical styles during his solo career.
With a brilliant idea of a buoyant expression of love and devotion, George Harrison wrote and directed the song.
For decades, critics and audiences have believed that the artist directed the 1969 lyric for both a woman and a deity.
Though the track did not win major awards then, it was a commercial success, charting in multiple countries and becoming B-side just to My Sweet Lord.
3. Got My Mind Set on You
| Album | Cloud Nine |
| Release Date | October 12, 1987 |
James Ray recorded ‘Got My Mind Set on You’ in 1962, but George Harrison‘s track version gained more fame and recognition.
Though the audience knows only about George and Jeff Lynne, Rudy Clark is credible for the lyrics.
The cover of Rudy’s 1962 original reflected his love for rock and roll & his ability to modernize older classics without disturbing the taste of authenticity.
In the track Got My Mind Set on You, the lyrics show the willingness to do anything and spend anything for love.
The song was George’s first hit single in five years, which later went on to top the Billboard in the US.
2. All Things Must Pass
| Album | All Things Must Pass |
| Release Date | November 27, 1970 |
All Things Must Pass was George Harrison’s first solo album after the official break-up of The Beatles.
George and Phil Spector produced the song as the title track of George’s triple album in 1970.
His exploration of spirituality and study of Eastern philosophies influenced the track and the triple album.
The song’s inspiration came mainly from the Bhagavad Gita and, in some ways, the teachings of his Indian guru, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.
All Things Must Pass reflects the bitter truth of life: that it arises, changes, and disappears, and it embraces the idea that everything will eventually end.
Every pop music lover celebrated the studio album, and it later went on to become the most acclaimed solo of any member of the Beatles.
The Grammy Council awarded the track with the Grammy award and Grammy Hall of Fame in 1970.
1. My Sweet Lord
| Album | My Sweet Lord |
| Release Date | November 23, 1970 (US) |
George Harrison released My Sweet Lord as a pre-single on the triple album “All Things Must Pass.”
The song charted highest of all time in George’s career and sold a record-breaking single in 1971.
Analyzing the lyrics shows the heavy influence of spirituality and love towards Hinduism and Hindu mythic traditions.
My Sweet Lord integrates elements of Hinduism and Christianity, and his links with the Hare Krishna movement at the time tell more about the hit musical.
George praised lord Krishna in the music, blending the Hebrew terms like hallelujah with the Vedic chants of ‘Hare Krishna.’
His lyrics also suggest his inclination towards spirituality. George has included some Vedic mantras in the post-chorus just before the outro, as below:
My sweet Lord (Gurur Sakshaat)
My sweet Lord (Para Brahma)
My, my, my Lord (Tasmayi Shree)
My, my, my, my Lord (Guruve Namah)
My Sweet Lord was a massive hit, reaching one on the charts worldwide. Later, the track received retrospective honors and a Record World Award in 1971.
