George Harrison was always the "Quiet Beatle," but that label was a bit of a scam. He wasn't quiet; he was just waiting for his turn. For years, he sat between the massive egos of John Lennon and Paul McCartney, quietly stockpiling some of the best music of the 20th century because the band simply wouldn't record it. When the floodgates finally opened in 1970, the world realized that the guy in the corner had a lot more to say than anyone realized.
Honestly, if you look at the trajectory of songs by George Harrison, it's a story of a slow-burn genius finally catching fire. He wasn't just a "third songwriter." By the end of the 1960s, he was arguably writing better material than the guys whose names were on the front of the building.
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The Rejection Pile That Conquered the Charts
It’s actually wild how many legendary songs by George Harrison were originally passed over by the Beatles. We aren't talking about B-sides here. We’re talking about massive, era-defining hits.
Take "Isn't It a Pity." George wrote it in 1966. He tried to get it onto Sgt. Pepper. Rejected. He tried again for the "White Album." Vetoed. He even thought about giving it to Frank Sinatra because he was so frustrated that his own band didn't want it. John Lennon supposedly shot it down at least three times. When it finally came out on George's solo debut, All Things Must Pass, it went straight to No. 1.
Talk about a "I told you so" moment.
Then there is "All Things Must Pass" itself. The Beatles did a few half-hearted rehearsals of it during the Get Back sessions in 1969, but nobody seemed to care. It was a song about impermanence and moving on—pretty prophetic considering the band was falling apart at the seams. George eventually used it as the title track for his triple-LP masterpiece, which remains the best-selling solo album by any ex-Beatle to this day.
The Evolution of the "Slide" Sound
If you listen to songs by George Harrison from the 70s onward, you'll notice a specific sound. It's that "weeping" slide guitar. He didn't start out playing like that. In the early days, he was a rockabilly kid obsessed with Carl Perkins and Chuck Berry.
But after his deep dive into Indian classical music and the sitar, his approach changed. He started playing the guitar like a voice. You can hear it most clearly on "Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)." That slide solo is so precise and melodic that it feels like he's singing through the strings. It’s a technique called gamak in Indian music—a sort of fluid ornament between notes. He brought that to rock and roll, and it changed the vibe of his music entirely.
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Why "My Sweet Lord" Is Still a Mystery to Some
People often forget that "My Sweet Lord" was almost given away. George originally gave the song to Billy Preston, an Apple Records protégé. Billy’s version is great, but George’s version is the one that became a global phenomenon.
It was the first No. 1 single by a solo Beatle, yet it also brought George a massive headache. He was sued for "subconscious plagiarism" because the melody was too similar to The Chiffons' "He's So Fine." George didn't deny the similarity, but he argued it wasn't intentional. He ended up losing the case, but even the judge acknowledged George hadn't meant to steal it.
What’s interesting is how the song blends religions. It’s got "Hallelujah" (Christian) and "Hare Krishna" (Hindu) in the same chorus. It was George’s way of saying that all spiritual paths lead to the same place. It was radical for 1970. It’s still radical now.
The 80s Comeback and the Jeff Lynne Era
By the early 80s, George was kind of over the music industry. He was more interested in gardening and producing movies like Life of Brian. But then he met Jeff Lynne from ELO, and everything shifted.
The 1987 album Cloud Nine was a massive pivot. It felt fresh. "Got My Mind Set on You" became a huge hit, even though George didn't write it—it was a 1962 cover by James Ray. But the real gem was "When We Was Fab." It was George finally looking back at his Beatle days with a sense of humor instead of bitterness.
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The Traveling Wilburys Factor
You can't talk about George's late-period work without the Wilburys. Imagine being in a band with Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, Roy Orbison, and Jeff Lynne. That was George’s idea of a "fun" weekend. Songs by George Harrison from this era, like "Handle With Care," show a man who was finally relaxed. He wasn't the "underdog" anymore. He was the glue holding legends together.
The Final Statement: Brainwashed
George passed away in 2001, but his final album, Brainwashed, was released a year later. His son, Dhani Harrison, and Jeff Lynne finished it based on George's very specific instructions.
It’s a haunting, beautiful record. The song "Stuck Inside a Cloud" is particularly heavy. It’s a raw look at his battle with cancer and his thoughts on mortality. It’s not "commercial," but it’s incredibly human.
If you want to actually understand the depth of George's catalog, don't just stick to the radio hits. Dig into the deep cuts. Look for the live versions from the 1991 tour in Japan—the slide work on "Something" is arguably better there than on the original studio recording.
Next Steps to Explore George's Catalog:
- Listen to the "Early Takes" versions: Check out Early Takes: Volume 1 to hear the raw, acoustic demos of songs like "My Sweet Lord" and "All Things Must Pass." It strips away the Phil Spector "Wall of Sound" and lets the songwriting breathe.
- Watch the Concert for George: Filmed a year after his death, this tribute features Eric Clapton, Ringo Starr, and Paul McCartney performing George's hits. It's the best way to see the impact his music had on his peers.
- Compare the 1970 and 2020 Mixes: The 50th-anniversary remix of All Things Must Pass clears up a lot of the muddiness from the original production. It makes the guitars on "Wah-Wah" sound absolutely massive.