In a decade when rock guitarists were stretching three chords into endless, dr*g-fueled stage jams, The Beatles kept their eyes on the clock. Their lead work was brief, highly structured, and occasionally bizarre. By treating the guitar as a melodic paintbrush rather than a vehicle for speed, they delivered brief, unexpected instrumental breakthroughs that still sound utterly modern.
#21: “Till There Was You” — With The Beatles (1963)
Acoustic jazz was hardly standard fare for 1963 beat groups, which makes this nylon-string excursion so striking. Borrowing heavily from classical phrasing and sophisticated chord shapes, the solo brings a touch of cabaret sophistication to a Broadway cover. It proved early on that the band’s lead player possessed a technical versatility far beyond simple rock riffs.
