Today in Music (1969): The Beatles released the Yellow Submarine soundtrack

Yellow Submarine (soundtrack) The Beatles

Released: January 13, 1969 Recorded: 1966-1968 Peak: 2 US, 3 UK, 12 CN, 4 AU Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): 1.0 US, 0.1 UK, 5.94 world (includes US and UK) Genre: pop/rock

Tracks: Song Title (Writers) [time] (date of single release, chart peaks) Click for codes to singles charts. You can check out the Beatles’ complete singles discography here. Yellow Submarine [2:40] Only a Northern Song (Harrison) [3:23] All Together Now [2:08] Hey Bulldog [3:09] It’s All Too Much (Harrison) [6:27] All You Need Is Love [3:48] Pepperland (George Martin) [2:18] Sea of Time (Martin) [3:00] Sea of Holes (Martin) [2:16] Sea of Monsters (Martin) [3:35] March of the Meanies (Martin) [2:16] Pepperland Laid Waste (Martin) [2:09] Yellow Submarine in Pepperland (Lennon/McCartney, arranged by Martin) [2:10] Songs by John Lennon and Paul McCartney unless noted otherwise. Total Running Time: 39:16 The Players: John Lennon (vocals, guitar) Paul McCartney (vocals, bass) George Harrison (guitar, vocals) Ringo Starr (drums, vocals) George Martin (orchestral works)

Rating: 2.895 out of 5.00 (average of 6 ratings) Awards:

Yellow Submarine (songtrack) The Beatles

Released: September 13, 1999 Recorded: 1965-1968 Peak: 15 US, 8 UK, 12 CN, -- AU Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): 0.5 US, 0.1 UK, 1.28 world (includes US and UK) Genre: pop/rock

Tracks: Song Title (Writers) [time] (date of single release, chart peaks) Click for codes to singles charts. You can check out the Beatles’ complete singles discography here. Yellow Submarine [2:40] Hey Bulldog [3:09] Eleanor Rigby [2:11] Love You To [3:00] All Together Now [2:08] Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds [3:28] Think for Yourself [2:19] Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band [2:02] With a Little Help from My Friends [2:44] Baby You’re a Rich Man [3:03] Only a Northern Song [3:23] All You Need Is Love [3:48] When I’m Sixty-Four [2:37] Nowhere Man [2:44] It’s All Too Much (Harrison) [6:27] Total Running Time: 45:31 The Players: John Lennon (vocals, guitar) Paul McCartney (vocals, bass) George Harrison (guitar, vocals) Ringo Starr (drums, vocals)

Rating: 3.678 out of 5.00 (average of 13 ratings)

About the Album: This is the most unnecessary entry in the Beatles’ catalog. This soundtrack was released to accompany their 1968 animated film Yellow Submarine. Unfortunately, it only featured four new Beatles’ songs (none of which are vital) alongside two previously released songs (“Yellow Submarine” and “All You Need Is Love”) and a whopping seven orchestral pieces by George Martin. It wasn’t the first time a Beatles’ soundtrack had been padded with unnecessary filler from Martin; he also had numbers featured on the U.S. soundtracks for A Hard Day’s Night and Help! However, both of those could be avoided by going with the UK versions that were fully realized Beatles albums. A Keno’s Classic Rock Album Review in February 2018 says the album “isn’t anywhere as bad as some Beatles fans make it out to be.” KN However, Keno acknowledges that “if you aren’t into orchestral music, you won’t care for it at all.” KN An Overshadowed Release The movie premiered in London in July 1968. However, the soundtrack wasn’t released until January 1969. The album was apparently delayed so it wouldn’t clash with The Beatles (aka “The White Album”). However, that album wasn’t released until November 1968. A soundtrack – ideally an EP of just the new songs – could easily have been released to coincide with the movie and not take away attention from an album that was released four months later. The eventual release of the soundtrack was not considered very significant, and it was the only Beatles album to fail to top either the UK or U.S. album chart. A Potential EP An EP of the four new songs was considered for September 1968, which would have been a far better plan – and more respectful of fans. That plan, however, was scrapped, again because of plans to release The White Album. Once again, however, there were plans to release an EP, which would have also included the then-unreleased “Across the Universe,” in March 1969. Unfortunately, that release was scuttled as well. WK1 Yellow Submarine “Songtrack” Album In 1999, a re-envisioned version of the soundtrack was released that kept the six Beatles songs but eliminated the George Martin orchestral pieces, replacing them with the Beatles’ songs actually featured in the film, with the exception of “A Day in the Life.” It was omitted to avoid over-representation of songs from the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album. The New Songs Here are details on the four new songs from the soundtrack.

Only a Northern Song The Beatles

Writer(s): George Harrison Lead vocals: George Harrison Released: Yellow Submarine (soundtrack, 1/13/1969) Peak: -- Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 2.59 streaming About the Song: On the “subpar” KN “Only a Northern Song,” George sounds like he “might fall asleep before he finishes up singing the song.” KN It’s “really the only poor track on the entire album.” KN

All Together Now The Beatles

Writer(s): John Lennon, Paul McCartney Lead vocals: Paul McCartney with John Lennon Released: Yellow Submarine (soundtrack, 1/13/1969) Peak: 22 CL Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 6.95 streaming About the Song: A

Hey Bulldog The Beatles

Writer(s): John Lennon, Paul McCartney Lead vocals: John Lennon with Paul McCartney Released: Yellow Submarine (soundtrack, 1/13/1969) Peak: 11 CL Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 8.10 streaming Covered by: Dave Grohl with Jeff Lynne (2014)

Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

About the Song: John Lennon’s “Hey Bulldog” is “an excellent tune.” KN

It’s All Too Much The Beatles

Writer(s): George Harrison Lead vocals: George Harrison Released: Yellow Submarine (soundtrack, 1/13/1969) Peak: -- Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 3.40 streaming

Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

About the Song: George Harrison wrote this about the Summer of Love, which took place in 1967. KN

Resources/References KN Keno’s Classic Rock Album Reviews WK1 Wikipedia page for the Yellow Submarine soundtrack WK2 Wikipedia page for the Yellow Submarine “songtrack” album released in 1999 Related DMDB Pages: First posted 8/20/2025.