Here Comes the Streams
May 10, 2023 12:24 AM Subscribe
"Here Comes the Sun" is now the first song by the Fab Four to hit a billion streams on Spotify. It has been the most popular song by the band since their streaming debut on their platform since 2015.
Here's a couple more articles on this theme of the Beatles' streaming track record for us to get our teeth into.
Discovering The Beatles' most popular streaming songs, album by album.
Come Together — how The Beatles’ song became one of their most streamed tracks. (Archive)
posted by rory at 12:57 AM on May 10, 2023 [1 favorite]
Discovering The Beatles' most popular streaming songs, album by album.
Come Together — how The Beatles’ song became one of their most streamed tracks. (Archive)
posted by rory at 12:57 AM on May 10, 2023 [1 favorite]
Not bad for the kid who struggled to get his own songs on Beatles records.
posted by Paul Slade at 1:44 AM on May 10, 2023 [5 favorites]
posted by Paul Slade at 1:44 AM on May 10, 2023 [5 favorites]
I love this song so much. It’s impossible to listen to and not feel happy. I could put it on a loop and listen all day.
One real delight in the song for me is George’s deft use of the Moog synthesizer (George’s very own Modular 3) throughout the song. They use the Moog throughout the album, but I feel it’s used to especially great advantage in Here Comes the Sun.
Also...Spotify has declared my browser is no longer supported. WTF???
posted by Thorzdad at 3:18 AM on May 10, 2023 [4 favorites]
One real delight in the song for me is George’s deft use of the Moog synthesizer (George’s very own Modular 3) throughout the song. They use the Moog throughout the album, but I feel it’s used to especially great advantage in Here Comes the Sun.
Also...Spotify has declared my browser is no longer supported. WTF???
posted by Thorzdad at 3:18 AM on May 10, 2023 [4 favorites]
Wow, timely! The weirdest thing happened Monday. I was downstairs talking to my husband and out of nowhere, Alexa (part of our thermostat system upstairs) suddenly decided to play Here Comes The Sun. We definitely didn't ask her to. Maybe Alexa wanted us to help the song hit a billion streams.
posted by ceejaytee at 4:06 AM on May 10, 2023 [6 favorites]
posted by ceejaytee at 4:06 AM on May 10, 2023 [6 favorites]
I was about to come in and complain about Come Together but I'm glad to be proved wrong 2nd comment in.
posted by Pyrogenesis at 4:12 AM on May 10, 2023
posted by Pyrogenesis at 4:12 AM on May 10, 2023
I noticed a while ago that Spotify would often play Here Comes the Sun when I was listening to playlists or had autoplay switched on, for some reason. I wonder if it’s algorithm assesses it as being similar to a lot of other songs, which seems to be what pushed previously little known songs like Strange by Galaxie 500 and Harness Your Hopes by Pavement to the top of their respective artists’ top most streamed songs.
That’s not to discount what a glorious song Here Comes the Sun is, and when it came up randomly in Spotify I would never skip it.
posted by Kattullus at 4:38 AM on May 10, 2023 [3 favorites]
That’s not to discount what a glorious song Here Comes the Sun is, and when it came up randomly in Spotify I would never skip it.
posted by Kattullus at 4:38 AM on May 10, 2023 [3 favorites]
This song is owned by Harrisongs, if they have negotiated a lower payout per stream than the Beatles Apple corp, then that could be influencing the algorithm to play it more often than other Beatles tracks.
posted by Lanark at 5:10 AM on May 10, 2023 [7 favorites]
posted by Lanark at 5:10 AM on May 10, 2023 [7 favorites]
I always wondered what Harrison would think of this.
(Which is now closer in time to the original release of the track than it is to today. Ooof.)
posted by loquacious at 5:41 AM on May 10, 2023
(Which is now closer in time to the original release of the track than it is to today. Ooof.)
posted by loquacious at 5:41 AM on May 10, 2023
Since watching the rooftop concert documentary last winter, ive found a deep and abiding love for the group. The two albums I come back to again and again are "on air - live at the BBC 2" and "the Beatles and beyond"
posted by rebent at 5:50 AM on May 10, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by rebent at 5:50 AM on May 10, 2023 [1 favorite]
Maybe Alexa wanted us to help the song hit a billion streams.
Perhaps you were the billionth. Someone has to be.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 6:24 AM on May 10, 2023 [3 favorites]
Perhaps you were the billionth. Someone has to be.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 6:24 AM on May 10, 2023 [3 favorites]
I firmly maintain the two best songs on the last Beatles album are the George songs - and both Something and HCTS are easily two of the best Beatles songs, period. When you compare both to his earliest songs, it's clear how much working around Lennon/McCartney forced George to up his game. As frustrating as it must have been, we all benefitted from it - this guy went from You Like Me Too Much to While My Guitar Gently Weeps to Here Comes the Sun to the All Things Must Pass album in like, six years.
posted by fortitude25 at 6:26 AM on May 10, 2023 [8 favorites]
posted by fortitude25 at 6:26 AM on May 10, 2023 [8 favorites]
It's also an incredibly popular tune for babies and toddlers, probably more so than any other Beatles track. My daughter's preschool played "Here Comes the Sun" every single day to wake the kids up from nap time and it's popular on playlists for new parents.
posted by Alison at 6:31 AM on May 10, 2023 [9 favorites]
posted by Alison at 6:31 AM on May 10, 2023 [9 favorites]
I think those Beatles are really going places.
posted by Ben Trismegistus at 6:39 AM on May 10, 2023 [10 favorites]
posted by Ben Trismegistus at 6:39 AM on May 10, 2023 [10 favorites]
Given what dicks Paul and (especially) John could be about George's songs, and how petty Paul can still be about songwriting credits for literally the most successful songwriting team in the history of music, this brings a smile to my face.
posted by The Card Cheat at 6:42 AM on May 10, 2023 [4 favorites]
posted by The Card Cheat at 6:42 AM on May 10, 2023 [4 favorites]
I really wish fine granular play numbers were available. Be interesting to see how much the movie "Yesterday" helped bump those numbers if at all.
posted by Mitheral at 6:45 AM on May 10, 2023
posted by Mitheral at 6:45 AM on May 10, 2023
Who'd you rather be?
The Beatles or The Rolling Stones?
Oh seriously,
You're gonna make mistakes, you're young
Come on baby, play me something, like "Here Comes The Sun"
posted by Phanx at 6:57 AM on May 10, 2023 [4 favorites]
The Beatles or The Rolling Stones?
Oh seriously,
You're gonna make mistakes, you're young
Come on baby, play me something, like "Here Comes The Sun"
posted by Phanx at 6:57 AM on May 10, 2023 [4 favorites]
I think those Beatles are really going places.
I hear guitar groups are on their way out.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 7:11 AM on May 10, 2023 [8 favorites]
I hear guitar groups are on their way out.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 7:11 AM on May 10, 2023 [8 favorites]
I have a vintage 1980's Sony alarm clock that plays "Here Comes the Sun" as the wake-up melody. That was fun for a short while until I ended up getting that damn song stuck in my head every morning. I switched it to clock-radio mode after that.
posted by fimbulvetr at 7:32 AM on May 10, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by fimbulvetr at 7:32 AM on May 10, 2023 [1 favorite]
A billion plays? They’ve probably netted at least $50 in royalties off that! (Obligatory…)
I’ve loved the Beatles pretty much all my life, since I stumbled on the movie Help! being played on a local TV station as the Sunday afternoon movie in 1977. It was like being hit with a lightning bolt.
Almost 50 years later and I’ve never ever tired of their music. “In My Life” will always be my favorite, but “Here Comes the Sun” is in my top 5. It’s just absolutely magical and suits pretty much all occasions. Feeling happy? Great song for that. Feeling really sad? It’s so comforting. Just want to chill and read a book? George and the gang will just be in the background providing good vibes. Feeling angry? If you want to calm down, it’s a great song. If you want to stay angry, maybe not so much…
I’m pleased that The Beatles seem to be embraced by younger generations. My 17-year-old isn’t obsessed with them like I was, but if I put on a Beatles album in the car or at home she often hums or sings along. I’d hoped to pass on some of my other favorites, but so far only The Beatles have really caught on.
posted by jzb at 7:33 AM on May 10, 2023 [4 favorites]
I’ve loved the Beatles pretty much all my life, since I stumbled on the movie Help! being played on a local TV station as the Sunday afternoon movie in 1977. It was like being hit with a lightning bolt.
Almost 50 years later and I’ve never ever tired of their music. “In My Life” will always be my favorite, but “Here Comes the Sun” is in my top 5. It’s just absolutely magical and suits pretty much all occasions. Feeling happy? Great song for that. Feeling really sad? It’s so comforting. Just want to chill and read a book? George and the gang will just be in the background providing good vibes. Feeling angry? If you want to calm down, it’s a great song. If you want to stay angry, maybe not so much…
I’m pleased that The Beatles seem to be embraced by younger generations. My 17-year-old isn’t obsessed with them like I was, but if I put on a Beatles album in the car or at home she often hums or sings along. I’d hoped to pass on some of my other favorites, but so far only The Beatles have really caught on.
posted by jzb at 7:33 AM on May 10, 2023 [4 favorites]
I really can listen to this all day long ...
Nina Simone - Here comes the sun (Francois K. remix)
posted by philip-random at 8:31 AM on May 10, 2023 [2 favorites]
Nina Simone - Here comes the sun (Francois K. remix)
posted by philip-random at 8:31 AM on May 10, 2023 [2 favorites]
I have a vintage 1980's Sony alarm clock that plays "Here Comes the Sun" as the wake-up melody. That was fun for a short while until I ended up getting that damn song stuck in my head every morning. I switched it to clock-radio mode after that.
Ah yes, the ICF-A10W. I collect those but the ones that played Here Comes the Sun command a premium. They had to switch over to Vivaldi (Spring, from the Four Seasons) after I believe there was a complaint from Harrison or Northern Songs who whoever held the rights to the music at the time.
posted by drstrangelove at 8:32 AM on May 10, 2023 [2 favorites]
Ah yes, the ICF-A10W. I collect those but the ones that played Here Comes the Sun command a premium. They had to switch over to Vivaldi (Spring, from the Four Seasons) after I believe there was a complaint from Harrison or Northern Songs who whoever held the rights to the music at the time.
posted by drstrangelove at 8:32 AM on May 10, 2023 [2 favorites]
My top Beatles-song-deserving-wider-recognition is No Reply from Beatles For Sale (1964).
posted by neuron at 9:04 AM on May 10, 2023 [7 favorites]
posted by neuron at 9:04 AM on May 10, 2023 [7 favorites]
I say it's alright.
posted by Abehammerb Lincoln at 9:06 AM on May 10, 2023
posted by Abehammerb Lincoln at 9:06 AM on May 10, 2023
It shows up in the John Hopkins Psilocybin Playlist.
Just saying.
posted by Pink Fuzzy Bunny at 10:48 AM on May 10, 2023 [4 favorites]
Just saying.
posted by Pink Fuzzy Bunny at 10:48 AM on May 10, 2023 [4 favorites]
I guess I'll cop to being the only who who thinks "Here Comes the Sun" is merely passable, "Come Together" is terrible, and "Let it Be" is alright at best (the first half is fine, the 2nd half yuck), and the first good song near the top of their Spotify list is a cover of Twist and Shout. A list of my favorite Beatles songs would be the opposite of that, which is probably why I've never been down with Spotify or any other digital music auto playlist generator.
posted by The_Vegetables at 10:52 AM on May 10, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by The_Vegetables at 10:52 AM on May 10, 2023 [1 favorite]
My top Beatles-song-deserving-wider-recognition is No Reply from Beatles For Sale (1964).
My pick would be The Night Before, from Help!
posted by The Card Cheat at 12:23 PM on May 10, 2023 [3 favorites]
My pick would be The Night Before, from Help!
posted by The Card Cheat at 12:23 PM on May 10, 2023 [3 favorites]
So how many times has the Here Comes The Sun video been seen on YouTube? Ah, says right there: 121M views. So far.
posted by Rash at 12:29 PM on May 10, 2023
posted by Rash at 12:29 PM on May 10, 2023
Maybe Alexa wanted us to help the song hit a billion streams.
Perhaps you were the billionth. Someone has to be.
Just wanted to point out that in the order of streams, I was the One After 909.
posted by New Frontier at 1:39 PM on May 10, 2023 [1 favorite]
Perhaps you were the billionth. Someone has to be.
Just wanted to point out that in the order of streams, I was the One After 909.
posted by New Frontier at 1:39 PM on May 10, 2023 [1 favorite]
I do wonder if the Spotify stats are even remotely accurate, I means why bother tweaking the algorithm if you can just edit the stats figures directly to fit whatever makes the accounts more profitable.
posted by Lanark at 2:14 PM on May 10, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by Lanark at 2:14 PM on May 10, 2023 [1 favorite]
My top Beatles-song-deserving-wider-recognition is
Revolution 9 obviously, though it's technically not really a song
posted by philip-random at 3:15 PM on May 10, 2023 [3 favorites]
Revolution 9 obviously, though it's technically not really a song
posted by philip-random at 3:15 PM on May 10, 2023 [3 favorites]
I have a strong suspicion that centuries from now "Here Comes The Sun" has as good or better a chance of sticking around in the culture than any single McCartney or Lennon song.
It's not my personal favorite, but it really has a timeless optimism that rises far above triteness and cliche, and is just a lovely song to listen to.
posted by tclark at 5:03 PM on May 10, 2023 [3 favorites]
It's not my personal favorite, but it really has a timeless optimism that rises far above triteness and cliche, and is just a lovely song to listen to.
posted by tclark at 5:03 PM on May 10, 2023 [3 favorites]
I was listening through a Beatles set with a few co-workers of various ages. The Gen-Z lot shrugged through twelve songs they didn't recognise and felt no attachment to but suddenly lit up when Here Comes the Sun popped on. The look on the faces of the older crowd when the kids excitedly told them that "I know this one, it's from the Bee movie!"
posted by womb of things to be and tomb of things that were at 6:51 PM on May 10, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by womb of things to be and tomb of things that were at 6:51 PM on May 10, 2023 [2 favorites]
"Here Comes the Sun" is also one of the most fun Beatles songs to learn to play when you get to be an intermediate guitar player (after "Blackbird" obviously).
posted by straight at 11:57 PM on May 10, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by straight at 11:57 PM on May 10, 2023 [1 favorite]
Lanark: I do wonder if the Spotify stats are even remotely accurate
I noticed something hinky a couple of years ago when I got the year-end stats from Spotify. There was a song, Night Shift by Lucy Dacus, that I had repeatedly listened to over and over again for a few weeks, but Spotify had it as my 50th most listened to song, or something like that. I did some looking around, and apparently there are all kinds of ways to trip up the Spotify listens-counter (mine seemed to be that I would hit the skip-back button when the song ended rather than have the song on repeat). It’s not related to the issue that you linked to, but I imagine that if their data-gathering doesn’t account for someone using a skip-back button to listen to a song again, then there are a bajillion other ways they’re failing in gathering data.
posted by Kattullus at 12:13 AM on May 11, 2023 [2 favorites]
I noticed something hinky a couple of years ago when I got the year-end stats from Spotify. There was a song, Night Shift by Lucy Dacus, that I had repeatedly listened to over and over again for a few weeks, but Spotify had it as my 50th most listened to song, or something like that. I did some looking around, and apparently there are all kinds of ways to trip up the Spotify listens-counter (mine seemed to be that I would hit the skip-back button when the song ended rather than have the song on repeat). It’s not related to the issue that you linked to, but I imagine that if their data-gathering doesn’t account for someone using a skip-back button to listen to a song again, then there are a bajillion other ways they’re failing in gathering data.
posted by Kattullus at 12:13 AM on May 11, 2023 [2 favorites]
My top Beatles-song-deserving-wider-recognition is
"I'm Down"
posted by kirkaracha at 9:55 AM on May 11, 2023 [1 favorite]
"I'm Down"
posted by kirkaracha at 9:55 AM on May 11, 2023 [1 favorite]
I will always love the Lennon trifecta: Please Please Me, Day Tripper, Strawberry Fields Forever.
Really all but a handful are pretty damn good.
posted by aiq at 3:35 PM on May 11, 2023
Really all but a handful are pretty damn good.
posted by aiq at 3:35 PM on May 11, 2023
A nice version of "Here Comes The Sun" is in "The Concert for Bangladesh". Stunning backup band too.
(My favorite underserved Beatles song isn't one, it's "Apple Scruffs". Kind of modal sounding, and some tricky vocalizing.)
("Day Tripper" is the best Beatle song. John Lennon, stunt riffmaster.)
posted by Chitownfats at 2:33 AM on May 13, 2023
(My favorite underserved Beatles song isn't one, it's "Apple Scruffs". Kind of modal sounding, and some tricky vocalizing.)
("Day Tripper" is the best Beatle song. John Lennon, stunt riffmaster.)
posted by Chitownfats at 2:33 AM on May 13, 2023
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posted by rory at 12:52 AM on May 10, 2023 [15 favorites]