(Credits: Far Out / YouTube Still)
Sun 14 December 2025 14:00, UK
Notorious radio broadcaster Howard Stern is something of an aficionado when it comes to The Beatles, and as is the case with anyone who professes to have this level of fandom for the band, it’s one of his favourite topics to delve deep into with guests on his radio show.
Of course, an honourable mention must go towards two other behemoths of British rock music as being among Stern’s all-time favourites, with The Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin coming close behind as his runners-up, but there’s very little likelihood that anyone will ever dethrone the Fab Four from their position as the greatest band of all time in his eyes.
Not only is he utterly obsessed with the group and their music, but he’s been fortunate enough to hold court with the two remaining members of the band, interviewing both Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr on The Howard Stern Show and gorging on little morsels of behind the scenes information that they’re able to share on what it’s like to be in the band.
For someone so enamoured with the band, it must be a delight to get to discuss them on such a frequent basis, and while some of his guests might be bored stiff from having such an in-depth discussion forced upon them in close quarters, others indulge Stern and willingly shoot the shit about the band he claims to be so well-versed in the works of.
So when a guest asks him to name his favourite Beatles song of all time, like rising country star Jelly Roll did as a guest on his show in 2024, you’d perhaps expect him to have lined up a detailed response that examines the virtues of one song that has stuck out to him ever since he first heard it, or maybe one that has a strong emotional resonation for him.
In fact, his response couldn’t have been further from being elaborate, and despite giving an answer, it was disappointingly brief and unengaging for someone who has such a vast knowledge of their work. “Rubber Soul is such a great album, so maybe ‘Norwegian Wood’,” the broadcaster responded, before calling into question the possibility of being able to select a favourite song. “There’s no such thing as a favourite Beatles song. They’re all good. How do you write that many good songs?”
Now, this is the sort of answer that one might call a cop-out, or a shorter version of a discussion that he may be reserving for an occasion when he has more time to spend, but it would have been great to hear him speak at greater length as to why he loves the song so much, or for him to have shown an interest in Jelly Roll’s response to the same question, with his favourite being ‘Eleanor Rigby’.
It may be that his favourite has changed so many times that he’s now unable to pick just one, with him having previously called ‘Being For the Benefit of Mr Kite’ a “religious experience”, while also acknowledging that every song from Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band is a masterpiece.
However, it also wouldn’t be unlike the shock jock to randomly spout something without any nuance or thought, with him having also denounced other classic bands and albums as phoney or irrelevant. Stern has made a career out of being a vulture for other people’s opinions, but when asked for his own without any serious prompts, it appears he clams up and isn’t able to dive into why. If ‘Norwegian Wood’ is indeed his favourite song, then so be it, but he could at least pretend he cares.
Related Topics
The Far Out Beatles Newsletter
All the latest stories about The Beatles from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.