"Ticket to Ride"

Recorded in February 1965 and released as a single in April, “Ticket to Ride,” featured in both the album and film Help! (see clip below), marked important Beatles “firsts.” One of John’s favorite pieces of the song—the double-time coda “My baby don’t care”—took the tune to 3:11, making it the first Beatles’ single longer than three minutes. Also, “Ticket to Ride” is the first of the band’s songs to feature Paul on lead guitar.

While the song is primarily a Lennon composition, there is some dispute (as there often now is) about how big of a role McCartney played in its writing. John claimed that Paul was responsible for the way Ringo plays drums on the track. Paul claims that the two of them wrote the whole song together in a three-hour session, and it’s really more of a 60-40 composition, leaning slightly towards John.

Whatever the case, critics agree that “Ticket to Ride” is an important piece in the band’s canon, indicating a shift in their musical style. Many of the songs on Help! point to this shift. "Ride's" unique rhythm, chiming guitars, and heavy drumming make for weightier music than they’d previously released.