The Beatles on the Charts

Billboard magazine named The Beatles the greatest performing musical act of all time, and their albums continue to chart to this day. This is no surprise to the author, who combed through nearly 60 years of the magazine, week by week, to compile a list of every song and album that charted. The end result is an intriguing look at the band’s influence, including their solo efforts. The author assigns points to the positions of songs and albums on the charts in order to create a list ranging from the least successful to the most successful. Each entry includes a picture of the album cover or single sleeve, along with an analysis of the song or album. Also provided are introductory chapters about the Beatles and an explanation of how the Billboard charts have been tabulated and changed over the years.

Michael A. Ventrella is an attorney living in the Pocono Mountains.

Michael A. Ventrella
Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 243
Bibliographic Info: 326 photos, appendix, index
Copyright Date: 2023
pISBN: 978-1-4766-9079-7
eISBN: 978-1-4766-4848-4
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments vi

Introduction 1

About The Beatles 3

About the Charts 7

Singles 13

Albums 89

Alternate Countdowns 173

The Beatles Challenge 179

The Beatles Discography 181

The Charts 189

Index 235

• “As a devoted charts guy since my teenage years, following the Billboard charts religiously to see how my favorite artists were doing with their singles and albums, the success of the Beatles is truly beyond amazement. They not only had more #1 and Top 10 singles and albums than any other group, their solo-careers had more chart success than any individual artists from a previous group. Lightning struck twice for the Beatles—together and on their own. The charts are the truest reflection of that success, which is why this book is so important.”—Ken Michaels, Beatles Every Little Thing radio show

• “When Michael A. Ventrella first said that he was going to do a Beatles book, I was underwhelmed. I felt that every Beatles subject under the sun had already been done. I was pleasantly surprised when I read his The Beatles on the Charts. Not only is it an entertaining read, it actually covers ground not covered in most other books, namely chart action of The Beatles group and solo hits, but also chart action from the beginning to the present day and in a point ranked order instead of chronological or popularity order. As a result, what you might think will end up as number one in his listing isn’t necessarily what you might expect, and that’s where the fun begins. Ventrella’s insights, plus his ranking system give the familiar singles and albums a decidedly unique twist and is a fun read for both novice and expert Beatles fans alike.”—Mark Arnold, author of Mark Arnold Picks on the Beatles

• “For years I said I’d never personally write a Beatles book because I felt everything was already written about them. Meanwhile, colleagues and friends proved that I couldn’t be more wrong, as new books continued to come out all the time and so many of them managed to fill voids, add to the legacy, or present a new picture. The Beatles on the Charts checks all the boxes. It’s a fun read, ridiculously well-researched, and presents information—specifically how and why they charted—in a completely new way. Ventrella’s introduction sets the tone, and then the charts continue the saga. You’ll learn why ‘Take It Away’ ranks higher in the charts than ‘Please Please Me,’ or how ‘All Those Years Ago’ could possibly come in above ‘Help!’ or ‘Get Back.’ …this book will rank high on your charts.”—Charles Rosenay, author, Beatles festival producer

• “For the U.S. Beatles narrative since 1964 the group’s Billboard chart performance has served as an instant thumbnail guide to their powerful popular culture presence….Michael A. Ventrella deftly takes the story through multiple iterations of chart rules and statistics to reveal successes deep into the solo years. This is an impressive guidebook to nearly six decades of Beatles music.”—Walter J. Podrazik, co-author All Together Now: The First Complete Beatles Discography

• “Michael Ventrella has impressively filled a gap in Beatles knowledge: the complete chart history of singles and albums, including solo works, up to recent years. The Beatles on the Charts not only provides invaluable information, but is written in an engaging, often humorous tone. Fans and scholars will find this book a vital addition to the growing body of Beatles research.”—Kit O’Toole, Songs We Were Singing: Guided Tours through The Beatles’ Lesser-Known Tracks

• “Michael Ventrella has found a way to look at the entirety of the Beatles catalog (both as a group and solo) with a ranking system based on a formula for how the recording charted, resulting in a new and fun way to consider their output. More than just a rundown of what was released and how it performed, Michael presents an up-to-date discography that’s an entertaining read. Whether or not you agree with how these got ranked, you’re still going to enjoy following along with the countdowns in this book.”—James Ryan, author of Alt Together Now

• “The Beatles on the Charts is a different and entertaining way of looking at the chart success that the Beatles had and continue to have. The book ranks all of the group and solo songs and albums that charted under a point system that yields several anomalies and head scratchers. Chronology freaks (such as myself) may initially question the premise, but it is interesting to see where the songs and albums land when ranked by a purely statistical points system applied over a span of 60 years that saw radical changes to consumer tastes and spending habits, as well as how people get their music and how songs and albums are ranked.”—Bruce Spizer, Beatles author/historian

• “Michael Ventrella has done it with this book, entering a part of the Beatles bookland that needed to be filled. The book is thoroughly researched and well-documented. It examines everything from the group years to the solo years, with anything that made the charts! I will be using this book all the time while researching for my podcast.”—Hudson Ranney, host of Know I Know: A Solo Beatles Podcast

• “Michael Ventrella’s The Beatles on the Charts is an essential Fab Four reference book. Readers will enjoy returning to Ventrella’s book, time and time again, to examine the band’s unparalleled chart successes from the early 1960s through the present.”—Kenneth Womack, author of John Lennon 1980: The Last Days in the Life

“[A] fun, useful book…Fans of the Beatles love discovering their chart history, but many don’t have access to the information…Ventrella has done it for you, so thank him by getting a copy of this book!”—Beatlefan