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8 Best Country Covers of Your Favorite Beatles Songs

The Beatles only lasted as a working band for 10 sweet years, between 1960 and 1970. Yet, they've left probably the greatest mark on contemporary music out of anyone. From the pop-rock of Please Please Me all the way through the utterly diverse sounds of Revolver, the four singer-songwriters made sure to leave a thorough mark.

McCartney, Lennon, Harrison and Starr were — and are, in two of their cases — artists who let themselves be influenced by a broad range of music, including country. In 1965, the band covered Buck Owens' "Act Naturally" for the U.K. version of their album Help!

Many country artists have shown their love by putting their own spin on the Fab Four's famous songs. Here are 8 of our favorite country covers of Beatles songs.

8. "A Hard Day's Night,"  Jon Littrell

Speaking of cult classics, this is about as far down that rabbit hole as you could get! Jon Littrell was an indie artist from San Antonio back in the 1960s. Litrell would go on to record over 40 more singles and entertained the San Antonio for decades with his band Bubba Littrell and the Melody Mustangs.

Littrell does a top-notch job on this Beatles classic.

7. Emmylou Harris - "For No One"

Rarely do other artist's interpretation of songs outdo the originals, especially if it's by The Beatles! Yet, many country fans agree that Emmylou Harris did just that with "For No One." She slows down the tempo on her Pieces of the Sky take, making it a real soul-bearing track. All in all, it's a certifiable highlight in her impressive (and ongoing!) career.

6. "Good Night" - Linda Ronstadt

The White Album is often revered by Beatles fans as perhaps their greatest body of work. It's no wonder that one of the best female voices of the 20th century would choose a song from this LP to cover. Ronstadt's rendition of "Good Night" was recorded a little later in her career, in 1996. Yet, her pristine voice is as resonant as anyone can remember. She offers a hypnotic, soothing quality to the orchestral song like only she can.

5. "Help!"  Dolly Parton

At first a torch-bearing, harmony-centric scorcher, Dolly's take on "Help!" shows her incredible knack for arranging music at work. The song ebbs and flows between eccentric on its verse and brooding throughout its chorus. Everything culminates with an incredible mandolin solo over the bridge. It builds up almost to a point and finally bubbles over. Then, Ms. Dolly and her band ease it back down for a respectable finish like only they can.

4. "In My Life," Johnny Cash

Here's one Johnny that doesn't need an introduction. His cover of "In My Life" appears on American IV, the final record that Cash put out before passing away. It's a touchingly wizened take on the song that dilutes the notorious Man in Black down to a simple, nostalgic human being.

3. "Let It Be" - Zac Brown Band

With Zac Brown's soulful vocals and piano at the forefront of this cover, you really can't go wrong. The band has adopted "Let It Be" as one of their go-to cover songs and always gets their audience singing along. There's an almost spiritual quality to the connection between artists and fans here that makes me wish there was a cleaner recording on an actual live album.

2. "One After 909" - Willie Nelson

Willie retains the road-trip quality of the original Beatles cut while stripping things down. The end result is a laid back backcountry jam like only a Highwayman can do it. Like Steve Earle's cover, Willie doesn't do much to change the song other than using acoustic instrumentation and his own vocals. Yet, he doesn't need to do anything else. It's mint.

1. "Paperback Writer" - Kris Kristofferson

Meanwhile, another Highwayman decided to do things differently with his spin on a Beatles tune. Ever the outlaw, Kris Kristofferson muddies things up with "Paperback Writer." The full-on rock backing band brings everything to new electric heights. Meanwhile, his iconic baritone alone is enough to take Beatles fans straight to the honky tonk.

 

 

Editor's Note: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that "Hard Day's Night" was Jon Littrell's only studio cut. Littrell actually recorded several more studio singles. We regret the error. 

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