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Sat 3 January 2026 17:57, UK

“Sir George Martin is God,” said Al Kooper when dishing out praise for Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, “[It] could not have been made without him.” 

While to the point, his comments resonate on a deep level with fans of The Beatles, as regardless of the talent on display within the band, Kooper is right: none of it could have happened without George Martin floating somewhere above the four starlets. And the praise didn’t just come from beyond, as Paul McCartney put it, “If anyone earned the title of fifth Beatle it was George Martin.”

In fact, he was commonly dubbed the fifth Beatle by his fellow musicians. George Martin produced the majority of the band’s tracks, working with them from before anyone knew their name until their last numbers. During that period, he was exposed to an array of different Beatles tracks, the majority of which he loved; however, some ended up getting on the wrong side of the legendary producer.

One of the reasons Martin was such a good addition to the band is that he could listen to some of their outlandish suggestions for songs and help them find form. Whether that meant using large string sections, unique recording techniques, or fleshing out a track, the Beatles’ willingness to experiment is what made them such prolific songwriters. However, when you are willing to push the boundaries of music, not everything you do will sound fantastic.

Since Martin was the first person to hear many of these ideas, he was subject to some of The Beatles’ most inspiring and most lacklustre moments. And he was never afraid to be critical and honest. He was a producer, not a mascot. Even when he was asked to name pop music’s leading genius, he looked beyond the band and opted for Brian Wilson instead.

With that in mind, below we’ve compiled the moments in the Fab Four’s magical back catalogue that he was less than complimentary about. These are the five sorry Beatles songs that the late, great George Martin hated.

The Beatles’ songs George Martin hated:

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