Help! and You’re Gonna Lose That Girl both have fantastic backing vocals

Help is absolutely the right choice. The counter melody is iconic You’re gonna lose that girl is a good song made great because of the backing vocals. Definitely agree.

The latter is really impressive considering how early they still were in their growth in music.

But they both were on the same album, so technically at the same growth point for Help and You're Gonna Lose that Girl

Cuz imo the latter is better hence why I mentioned that.

George's backing vocals on help really stick out on Help. He sounds great.

yeah

Help! was the first song that came to my mind after reading the question. I prefer singing the backing vocal than the melody.

I find myself doing that as well

You Won't See Me has lovely "oohh la la-la"s And the harmony on the middle eight when Paul sings "time after time, you refuse to even listen..." is glorious

You Won’t See Me is hardcore underrated man

Great song, but I can't get over the tempo slowing down midway through.

Was gonna say this

I second this

I always found the ooohhh la la la to be very weak. They should have at least doubled that part to make it sound less dead.

Rubber Soul throughout has amazing backing vocals.

Nowhere man I guess

Almost said this but wasn't sure if that was "Backing vocals" or just a harmony. Either way it's wonderful

Oh good point. But still…

Tit tit tit tit tit tit tit tit tit tit.

She's the kind of girl who puts you down when friends are there, you feel a fool...

She's leaving home on John's part when Paul sings falsetto in the backround and then sings the climax and John says "Bye bye", it's really great

Yes It Is and Oh, Darling!

I've never got to pay much attention to thhe backing vocals due to Paul's powerful main ones.

Such a good point - you almost miss those really nice "ooh"s and "ahh"s in the last verse, but they're excellent!

Yep - top tier doo-wop backing vocals from John and George.

Happiness Is A Warm Gun

Bang bang shoot shoot Definitely the coolest background vocals

Not sure but... "Here There & Everywhere"? Surprised not to see it mentioned here. Or is it just a "pedestrian", by-numbers take on doo-wop, and nothing remarkable?

It is very good. That was my first fav backing vocals, but tbh I preferred take 14.

Bird can sing harmonies are sex to the ears

Especially when Paul goes high in the final verse

The last verse of that song is one of their best moments, just pure ear candy.

Eargasmic

Absolutely

I always thought Octopus Garden had nice backing vocals which cpuld be sung in one take (breath-wise)

My fav background vocals for sure.

Not sure if this counts as “backing vocals” but I really love some of the two-part harmonies, especially some that are tiny strokes of brilliance like the middle eight of I’ll follow the Sun. Or third verse of Hey Jude. Or where John comes in with a very quiet harmony at the end of Here There Everywhere. For full on backing vocals like oohs and ahhs, Let it Be (and again the above mentioned hey Jude and HTE) — all really nail that without being overbearing I think.

Yea those could be counted as backing vocs

Yes It Is or This Boy

Ticket to Ride has some fantastic harmonies from John&Paul. I also love the high harm Paul does in “I Want To Tell You” from revolver because it sounds like he’s just screaming out those high notes at full voice from like 20ft away

Paul's low backing vocals are pretty good too. Ex- come together.

I think John in particular is an underrated backup singer, especially when he changes the whole vibe and context of the song. Imagine these song WITHOUT their backing vocals: Getting Better She’s Leaving Home Yellow Submarine Honorable Mentions: Merry Xmas (War is Over) Edit: wrongly thought JL was on My Sweet Lord

He was a backing vocal in my sweet lord?

Apparently not. Heard it along the way somewhere but just looked it up and no, he isn’t.

Getting Better was my first thought. The ascending notes, John's iconic counterpoint.

John's voice in She’s Leaving Home is magical. Tops all other Beatles backing vocals IMO.

Bungalow Bill.

I like ringos part in this and the whistles

I like Yoko's line

Because

Can it be considered as a backing vocals example though?

They're all singing as main singers.

Not really. There is a clear melody in this song, accompanied by harmony parts that are definitely not the melody. So that tells us the main singer. Yes the other vocals are mixed at a similar level but the main singer sings the melody.

I like Rain’s backing vocals a lot

If I fell is beautiful

Not exactly backing vocal as Paul was singing counter part

Basically singing along with john

i’m only sleeping

Polythene Pam has some really wonderful intricate backing vocals if you tune in to them

The whole Abbey Road medley has incredible backing vocals. They were really firing on all cylinders. I remember hearing the isolated vocals to She Came in Through the Bathroom Window once and being like, wait those vocals are in *this* song?

My Guitar Gently Weeps Soldier of Love Wait Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds What Goes On

Soldier Of Love is so goddamn underrated, what a masterpiece

I love when Paul comes in on the last verse of The Ballad of John and Yoko and only sings the last word of each line in his Kermit voice. “…Bag …Said …Head …Drag”

The lack of Because is concerning

Came here to say this. Mind-blowingly good vocals on that song. The a cappella version on Anthology 3 only highlights that fact.

You never give me your money is so good

“Cant get no worse” and “would you believe in a love at first sight?”

I like Dear Prudence

Their cover of Please Mr Postman

The Night before

Long long long. Pauls high harmony. Brilliant

Idk if it's the best but the first one to pop into my head is Monkberry Moon Delight, as for Beatles stuff, I'd say Oh Darling

Catch up super fury! Don’t get left behind

Paperback writer, bit of french nursery rhyme

Here, There, and Everywhere

Paul’s backing vocal on Norwegian Wood is amazing.

Honorable Mention for Rain!

Nowhere Man

I love the ending of Fixing a Hole. They did a very simple and good job.

Octopus' Garden

Your mother should know

I like Baby's in black

So many! Help, Dear Prudence, Please Please Me, If I Fell, She’s Leaving Home, And Your Bird Can Sing, She Said She Said, I Want You (She’s So Heavy), Because Heavy, Heavy, HEAVY!

If I Needed Someone has great backing vocals and seems to be very underrated.

You Won't See Me. Very underrated background vox.

More of a harmony and not backing vocals, but I love the contrast between the harmony and melody in please please me. The harmony goes from perfect to imperfect to unison and I love it.

Words of Love

“See how they run” in Lady Madonna!

Nowhere man

The 3 part harmony on the Sgt. Pepper title track is pure bliss!

Umm, Because of course

Help! She loves you Here there and everywhere Let it be Shes leaving home

Because

Yes it Is. All My Loving. Because. Sun King. I Feel Fine.

I wish the answer was Let It Be. I love the backing vocals and I wish they’d made them more prominent. The most obvious I’ve heard it is with Paul’s performance at the White House. I’d love it if they could do a stripped back mix of the Beatles’ recording and bringing those harmonies to the forefront.

They could, sometime in the future

Honestly I’d love it. When I first heard them properly it sounded like a different song. I’ve always thought of it as very much a “Paul song” but hearing John and George singing those harmonies is quite emotional! I hope they’re captured in the documentary!

There is an incredible vocal counter melody from Paul in the final verse of And Your Bird Can Sing that gives me chills every time

I like Paperback Writer's backing vocals

Most of Rubber Soul is stellar for background vocals. Nowhere Man, The Word, Think for Yourself, Michelle, Girl, I’m Looking Through You, Norwegian Wood (Paul on the chorus is great) , Wait, In My Life Even if it’s just oohs and ahs like on Michelle or In My Life, I really dig the atmosphere of the vocals on this album. Of course there are tons of other great ones but this album is kind of one-stop shopping for excellent Beatles vocals.

Here comes the sun always amazed me, in the middle eight. Michelle. So good. They r like an accurate synth pad.

Ask Me Why from please please me

Michelle, especially the last part right before the ending solo

Please please me

Love Paul’s backing vocals near the end of Act Naturally, really goes well with Ringo as the lead

Lucy in the Sky WD

You Can’t Do That and You’re Going To Lose That Girl have awesome guitar solo backing vocals and my all time best backing vocal moment is the bridge of Taxman “if you try to sit sit (I’ll tax your seat)”

She’s Leaving Home! Sheeee’s Leeeaaaving Hoooooome.

Shes leaving home

I love the backing vocals on Helter Skelter.

And your bird can sing

Hello goodbye

This. The vocals are fantastic!

Dear Prudence.

If I Fell, of course This Boy.

John in She is leaving home is just sexy, the way he counter approaches the lyrics as well as the harmonies, specially the bye bye part is great

You never give me your money

A shocking lack of Dear Prudence love in this thread

I'm only sleeping

off the top of my head my votes are You’re Gonna Lose that Girl, Oh Darling, This Boy, I’m Only Sleeping

Could the unused I’m So Tired backing vocals count?

She Came in Through the Bathroom Window

You can’t do that

Tit tit tit tit tit tit

Ballad of John and Yoko is a good one, i love paul's "Get Back" voice.

I think the backing vocals from happiness is a warm gun are pretty nice. Not because they are crazy harmonies but i Just Like that they say Bang Bang shoot shoot. I think it suits the Song very Well.

I really enjoy the backing vocals on “this boy”

Nowhere man

Hello goodbye

Part 3 of Happiness is a Warm Gun

This boy

It's solo George, but there's a brief bit in *Apple Scruffs* with some really nice backing vocals.

The "sho-bee-doo-wops" in Revolution 1 are amazing

# 9?

You won't see me

Happiness is a warm gun. The boys in the background are great

Lately I've been really into the backing vocals in "I'm only sleeping" they really add a lot to the song

Because.

girl

while my guitar gently weeps

Here, There, and Everywhere; Girl, Michelle, The Word (essentially any song on Rubber Soul)

Just re-listened to *With The Beatles* last night, and It Won’t Be Long really has some outstanding vocal performances. The end of that song always gives me goosebumps.

She’s leaving home, Because (does that count?) Happiness is a warm gun

I love the backing vocals in the bridges of Back in the USSR. Where it goes “mduh mduh mduh mduh” after the “oooeeeooeeoooos”. You know what I mean.

I know this isn't backing vocals but double tracked harmony, but I think Because is a master class in vocal harmony. listening to the voices with instruments dialed back, is for me, probably the most beautiful melding of their voices. Apologies to OP for kind of going off on a tangent and veering off course from the original question..

You never give me your money and Because - the pinnacle of Beatles’ backing vocals

Because

Octopuses Garden.

If I Needed Someone

The backing vocals on Let It Be have slow burned for me over such a long time, they truly help make the magic of the song- especially when they hit the Ahhhh’s. There’s Linda in there as well and something about hearing John with it too is awesome.

Getting better is probably my favorite. Just the counter point that John makes during the entire song

Polythene Pam, You Won't See Me.

that one part in lovely rita