Ballad of John and Yoko, The by The Beatles – ****

First released: 1969

It’s absolutely amazing that a song hailing the relationship of John Lennon and Yoko Ono would only feature John and Paul. It’s kind of ironic. As for the song, it’s a solid 50s inspired rocker whose success in the US was cut short by the frequent use of the word “Christ” in the lyrics. Of the numerous number one hits by The Beatles over the years, this is only one of a couple that was never performed live. Of course, the autobiographical nature of it all and the impossibility of Lennon singing it now, curtailed this possibility. Originally just a single, the song made its album debut on the "Hey Jude" compilation. It's also on "1967-1970". It first appeared on CD on "Past Masters, Volume Two" in 1988, and it’s on the "Imagine: John Lennon" soundtrack from 1988, 2000's "1", and "The U.S. vs. John Lennon" from 2006.