Can you guess these Beatles songs in reverse?

Start learning how to play the piano today with flowkey: go.flowkey.com/davidbennett 🎹😁
The Beatles were famous for using reversed or "backmasked" clips in their music but can you name these Beatles tracks after hearing a 10 second clip played backwards?
Thanks to David Hartley for putting these reversed clips together. Check out his Pink Floyd Guess The Song video: • Can You Guess These Pi...
The outro music to this video is my track "The Longest March" which you can hear in full on Spotify: open.spotify.com/artist/0wKKJ... 🎶
And, an extra special thanks goes to Douglas Lind, Vidad Flowers, Ivan Pang, Waylon Fairbanks, Jon Dye, Austin Russell, Christopher Ryan, Yu Kyung Chung, Toot & Paul Peijzel, the channel’s Patreon saints! 😇
SUPPORT ME ON PATREON: / davidbennettpiano
0:00 Introduction
0:39 Track 1
1:53 Track 2
2:44 Track 3
3:39 Track 4
5:18 Track 5
6:00 Track 6
6:46 Track 7
7:59 flowkey
8:30 Track 8
9:53 Track 9
10:35 Track 10
11:27 Track 11
12:11 Track 12
13:15 Track 13
14:52 Track 14
15:45 Track 15
17:19 my final score!

[@javiecija96]

This was easier than I expected, there are key elements that sound very similar when played backwards: tempo, percusion, voices, to some extent chords and even some melodies are easy to figure out..

[@Irys1997]

That's why I definitely think it would have been more difficult had it been focused on the first 3 albums and singles of that period. The Beatles only got more distinctive as they went, so focusing on mid- and late- period made it a lot easier

[@javiecija96]

@Justin Case helter skelter is fun because the guitar melody is very clear, just ascending instead of descending

[@iBlooket]

I would like to try this challenge but instead of 10 seconds it’s only 3 seconds

[@ThatManSteel]

😂 why not try it where you have to guess by only looking at the grooves on the vinyl? 😂

[@babylonian.captivity]

And instrumentation/color/timbre especially. That's maybe the most difficult to disguise or obscure in reverse.

[@michaelchester2073]

Next video: Can you guess these Beatles songs with negative harmony? Superb as usual

[@MarkusHorror]

That's a hell of an idea!

[@blankknalb4249]

seY seY seY

[@johannsebastianb4ss]

omg what a great idea. That must be very difficult

[@lynnturman8157]

What's negative harmony?

[@jajames0696]

​@@lynnturman8157 I think it'd be changing all major chords into minors and all minors into majors

[@JayForeman]

15/15 mate

[@loveclassicalmusicalot]

Very nice, Jay! Btw, I watch your videos a lot.

[@Logan912]

Me too. I *almost* missed Track 13 at first because I wasn’t thinking that album, but it was obvious on the second listen.

[@bajhi_]

woop woop

[@MossW268]

Yeah, because this comment.. definitely isn't in English and definitely means "dead"

[@luisjalabert8366]

13/15 😭

[@rockpaizis4088]

I missed 2, but I'm 64-yrs old and started obsessing on The Beatles at age 5. David, you amaze me. A youg, trained musician who totally gets why the Beatles were so great AND you know their songs! I wish there were more musicians like you!

[@chjoel7803]

The riff from track 13 appears in both 'You never give me your money' and 'Carry that weight', so not a bad guess at all!

[@somerandomgunship9601]

But the part where Paul sings/chants "Came true, today" during the segment is definitely from YNGMYM

[@Fuzcapp]

Yeah - the tough part with that song was it was the outro just before they go into Sun King. So all you can hear in your head is the beginning of the next track in the segue.

[@abbeybelanger8118]

Yeah, in Carry that weight though its more melodic from what I remember

[@ccalvac18]

The vocal is what gives it away. Upon hearing it my brain immediately went to what shortly follows that section "1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7,..."

[@jordanwelch3832]

@@ccalvac18all good children go to Heaven ;)

[@jprg1966]

The vocal textures are SO distinctive. Even when the instrumentation doesn't give the song away, the vocals have such strong signatures.

[@JKenjiLopezAlt]

Great stuff as always. I’ve loved every one of your Beatles quiz videos! As a giant Beatles nerd myself, If you ever want to do a fun live or prerecorded head to head version of this kind of challenge, I would love to! In this challenge I found tempo, key, and most of all bass line to be the biggest giveaways. If you can remember 5-6 notes of the reversed bass line and flip then back around in your head, it’s a dead giveaway for a lot of them. A testament to how unique Paul’s bass arrangements were.

[@BHHartman]

I made your chx wings and they were a hit! Also, ❤ the Beatles!

[@Walletperson]

holy shit you're here

[@alonkatz4633]

15/15. I guess all those thousands of hours of listening to Beatles songs paid off! This was really fun, I I'd love to see more of these

[@amtlpaul]

I got 14 out of 15. I was stumped by "Can't Buy Me Love". A couple of others, I had to hear twice. But it was surprisingly easy for the most part!

[@martifingers]

It was pretty easy - a tribute to the care they (usually) took to make individual tracks have a unique character?

[@amtlpaul]

@@martifingers Yes, I recognized tracks based on the instrumentation, feel, and even the style of singing- all recognizable even when played backwards!

[@somerandomgunship9601]

Same here! although I messed up at "All My Loving" I would have guessed it right, not through the vocals but to the very distinct rhythm guitar sound; but I didn't listen very well :/

[@Garro2]

Yeah same here, "Can't Buy Me Love" was the only one I missed too, though "You Won't See Me" took me a few listens to get it. I think early Beatles instrumentation is not distinctive enough to easily make out backwards, and Paul's vocal sounds surprisingly snarky in reverse 😅 Quite a different vibe than it does normally.

[@SpaceCattttt]

Yeah. I was certain it was "She's a Woman". Similar beat. Same tempo. Paul vocal. Dammit!

[@herrp8765]

This was by far the most entertaining episode. Totally engaged to the information. Great game! Thanks much, David.

[@XCodeHelpHub]

Turn me on dead man would be easy!

[@zzzaphod8507]

13/15 for me. Great idea for a quiz! If David Hartley ever does this for you again, maybe one of the songs could be a bit of backmasked track (Rev 9, Rain, etc.). It would make that particular one easy to get, but would be a fun surprise to hear something sounding forwards in the middle of all these backwards clips.

[@plemplem]

15/15 but damn this was weird! I couldn't tell the name of each song based on the reversed recordings but it somehow recalled the actual song in my mind and after singing it to myself I could easily name them. It's insane how recognisable each and every single one of their songs is. I don't consider a single Beatles track as bad or forgettable and they are the only band whose entire catalogue I can at least hum along. That's why they will always hold a special place in my heart and are surely one of the greatest bands of all time.

[@Irys1997]

I think it would have been a lot harder had it focused on the first 3 albums. The mid and late Beatles had so many distinctive rhythms and textures and instrumentation that you can get a lot from that alone. And when you couldn't, there was still an "oooo la la la" that stands out in the background even in reverse and tells the tale. The only one I missed was Can't Buy Me Love (because: early)

[@wandajames143]

There’s some bad songs on the white album and get back

[@Senor_Gago]

12 out of 15, i based my guesses off of vibes, i never noticed how each album has its own distinct sound until you have to recognize the songs just off of the instruments

[@tyrannosauruszeppelin2205]

''All My Loving'' in reverse sounds like a bit like ''With A Little Help From My Friends'', the part from 6:04 to 6:06 especially, when ''With A Little Help'' changes to the f-sharp minor chord in the verse.

[@wyattstevens8574]

It really does!

[@tomaszmakowski2766]

It means Paul is dead

[@tyrannosauruszeppelin2205]

@@tomaszmakowski2766 Not that nonsense again.

[@tudortopan3055]

I had the same feeling

[@tudortopan3055]

A feeling I can t hide

[@PHONOPOP]

All My Loving in reverse has a very interesting melody!

[@chuckpoore]

I got 12/15, but the thing that made me happiest, is because I had the exact same trouble as you, when I knew that I knew the song and just COULD.NOT.THINK.OF.THE.NAME! The difference for me is that I am 63 years old, so I attribute my brain lock to age. But seeing a young guy like you have the same problem on virtually the same songs made me feel better! Thanks!

[@franciet99]

…when I’m 64…❤

[@markmorris8532]

On a couple of them, I had to stop the video so that I could sing the whole song to myself, til I got to the part with the title 😂.

[@alejandroc4960]

15 out of 15! Woo! This was trickier than hearing a couple of seconds, but super fun. I definitely had to rely more on the instrumentation textures and voices to tell which songs were which.

[@stevenroberts]

same!

[@Freidlon7]

Got all 15 but weirdly I thought it was far easier than short clips - you just pick out a sound or part that’s unique to the song like triplets in All my loving, harmony in Oh Darling.. piano in Good day sunshine etc good fun as always.

[@tomdg13]

Bravo! That's amazing

[@jejmoss11]

Yeah, right.

[@drakekarr5349]

Prove it

[@johnrodriguez5092]

Always love a David Bennett Beatles video

[@caiomonteiro1647]

I wish he keeps on making Beatles videos! The one with I am the walrus is my all-time favorite!

[@eastwind32]

David, Would love to hear your take on what made John and Paul’s songwriting so far above everybody else’s music at the time. Why are their songs so recognizable and enjoyable still when so many other good songs have been forgotten. Everyone at the time tried to copy them but few succeeded. Enjoying your videos, thanks

[@TheVaultable]

These are so fun to play along to! Loved the video

[@ziggystardog]

Good Day Sunshine was easy for me. The rhythm of “I took a walk…” got me there.

[@herothecrow994]

It's interesting how you can still get the general feel of the album when it's reversed, especially those first two. I thought "oh, this one's from Rubber Soul/Let It Be, but I can't remember which one". When you can't actually tell which song it is, you get the pure, concentrated feeling of the album itself. I got 13/15, messed up on I'm Looking Through You and Can't Buy Me Love.

[@whichgodofthousandsmeansno5306]

I just enjoy watching a young musician not only being as knowledgeable if not more then those who grew up with their music, but as big of a fan as well. The Beatles music will always be timeless and inspirational. They were that rare of a group.

[@dublinbluetune]

Being 68 years old, I've had a lot longer to listen to them. I got them all except "Can't Buy Me Love". It actually has a decent melody backwards. That's probably what threw me off.

[@marusyaknop]

Hey! I've literally only found your channel today, loved it and then this video comes out :D I'm a Beatles fan since i was a kid. Too bad I don't know all their songs by heart, so didn't score much

[@Alex-oq4mt]

14/15, Can't Buy Me Love was surprisingly tricky so I dropped the ball on that! This was even more fun than the 1 second ones, please do more!

[@johndavidtice]

15/15!!! I love that you do these, they're always so fun!

[@jamesdrynan]

Thanks, David! Another interesting quiz. 14 out of fifteen for me. Extraordinary how deeply involved people are in compositions by the Beatles. Being 72, they were the meat and potatoes on my music menu. Beatles forever!

[@podchauffe]

Which one did you stumble upon? I also did 14 (somehow din't recognise Good Morning)

[@topbobscasinosecrets]

7 of 15. Same problem on some where I recognized a part, but couldn't quite place the right song. This could definitely be a nearly endless quiz topic.

[@theodoreplayspiano3029]

This was absolutely brilliant , can’t believe you didn’t get good day sunshine . Keep up the great work ❤

[@francocivica5929]

Another brilliant video, David. It's very interesting to follow your original channel. I learn a lot from you. My thanks from Italy.

[@SevenStarsAndHalf]

I have had so much fun with your quizz(s) ! thank you ! and love your spontaneity and honesty in the answers, even when you miss the mark !

[@randomchannel1566]

Full marks Can't Buy Me Love was the hardest to get, that and Oh! Darling

[@onelonelypebble5629]

I thought "Can't Buy Me Love" was "The Night Before"

[@randomchannel1566]

@@onelonelypebble5629 You were closer than me, I was thinking White Album at first. Had to play a bit of it forward in my head for it to click.

[@dampersand]

I only got seven of these, but I did manage to guess one that you missed. My main takeaway is that it's been too long since I listened to many of the Beatles albums, because I had forgotten that a lot of these songs existed.

[@caiomonteiro1647]

This is amazing!!!! I was wrong in two of my guesses, but I nailed all the others very quickly. 🙂 Your performance was superb as usual, David. I particularly loved the way you were able to establish the style and different phase each song belonged to. This one was way more interesting than the last Beatles challenge. And way more doable. Thank you!

[@bobhecker1132]

More than anything, every Beatles song had a unique sonic footprint, different drum sounds, vocal treatments, etc. Made this fun little quiz incredibly easy. 15 out of 15

[@saitoyuki]

11/15 - I recognized all 15, but couldn't come upon with the names of four. These were more well-known songs, so on general it was easier than the short-clip quiz, which featured some more obscure tracks. For the same level of notoriety, I think short and forward is probably easier. Thanks for this, it was a lot of fun!

[@robgrabowski2572]

I got 10/15 too, but got different ones wrong. It's a testimony to how many songs they recorded, that I'm *still* hearing Beatles songs I don't recognise at all 😂

[@andreapepato6473]

Here there are some good ideas for new songs lol it is incredible how paul songs in reverse are melodically and harmonically consistent

[@mvrabreu]

12/15. Love it! Love your channel!

[@seancostello7608]

I got 11! Wow, you could make some awesome songs out of the backwards progressions!

[@tyjuarez]

15/15, yay! here's how i did on the ones David missed #7 - Almost thought it was a different Revolver track, but noticed it was Paul singing here and not George. #8 - The choice of song section was strange but once I heard those backing vocals they were unmistakable. #12 - That infectious bassline works even in reverse #13 - Just a matter of remembering which part of the Abbey Road Medley has that passage WITH lyrics. #15 - It's okay David, some of the song titles blend together for me as well, especially with Rubber Soul cause that one's less hook-heavy and more storytelling.

[@Fuzcapp]

I thought track 12 was She's a Woman, which if you have another listen, is very similar in the chorus to the actual track played here.

[@karen4you]

Really my favorite in this series. Thank you. Only got five but I started singing the song the usual way and fun to figure out. Such a clever video.

[@llamalice6114]

Thanks very much! Your Beatles videos always have a little something special. This one was soooo entertaining and challenging ! I got 12/15, with 2 "close" guesses. However, I couldn't think of anything about track #12.

[@Mel-ql6gl]

14/15, Lovely Rita threw me but this was very entertaining and a lot of fun! Would love to see more quizzes like this on the channel!

[@ringi1970]

Same here! I missed exakt only that song. I recongnized it and remembered how it sounds forward, but didn´t get the title.

[@jonessperandio]

Same here, if it was a different part of the song though, I'd have gotten it.

[@PabloFranquez]

15 out of 15 for me!!! This is fun, keep them coming! :)

[@billiswillis8293]

Track 7 is from the time when Paul started experimenting with "misterious" clues to entertain superstitious people. "I buried Paul" and "Turn me on, dead man" came later. But in 1966 the game was more innocent. He was thinking of palindromes, that's why he initially proposed REVOLOVER as the title for that album. He also started thinking of the USSR. Hence he seems to be singin in Russian when reversed. Добрый день, солнышко.

[@astrorad2000]

This is great fun! Now I have to listen to all of our Beatle's vinyl back from the days of our youth.

[@schaddalton]

As someone who has recently been obsessed with "I've Got a Feeling," specifically the bass part, I recognized it almost immediately, even backwards. It's funny which parts stand out in each clip to help identify it.

[@schaddalton]

I'm also shocked David missed "Good Day Sunshine." That piano, even backwards, seems so recognizable to me. I'm also unsure if I should feel pride or shame at getting most of these so quickly while David struggled.

[@None-lx8kj]

That's funny. 'I've Got a Feeling' is one of the few that I knew, but it was entirely because of the guitar. There could have been no bass at all and I don't think it would have made a difference to my brain.

[@Deu_terio]

14/15! I missed Can't buy me love, mistook it for She's a woman

[@ignatiusjackson235]

It was fun playing along with you, because I ended up with the exact same score (10/15), but we got nearly all the different ones wrong! At one point, you had a perfect score and I had already missed three!

[@johannsebastianb4ss]

11/15, that's all right I think haha this was very fun to watch because we also can participate on the video. I'd like to see more of this soon :)

[@MinimGuitars]

I got 13. The only one I didn't recognise as a song was I've Got a Feeling, though I also didn't know that part of the medley was from You Never Give Me Your Money - I got Good Day Sunshine immediately though. I did pause your video a couple of times so I could drag out the names before you revealed them!

[@JBDazen]

15/15 🙂 I think I missed one in the one second clips. The formant of each Beatles song is so distinctive, they really tried something else with every song. So backwards is easier I guess.

[@williamgeorgefraser]

I began listening to reverse music 50 years ago. I had a 4-track, ie 2x2 stereo reel-to-reel tape recorder. I discovered that if I twisted the tape and read the recording through the back, I could listen to the music backwards. As soon as I was able to record my own music, I loved using reverse guitars and drums.

[@katyburrows1079]

I love your Chanel it’s so awesome I loved watching this 🙂❤️❤️

[@owenmartin3307]

First one is I'm looking through you, I can identify it by the tone of Paul's voice and acoustic backing

[@colinbaker3916]

You shouldn’t give any away.

[@thegothaunt]

I didn't get Rita but I got Oh Darling and Good Day Sunshine, so I am so weirded out and impressed with myself. This was fun! A couple I couldn't recall the song name but I was singing along with the lyrics as it played. 😂 12/15, not bad for me! I'm better at recognising bits of musical makeup than lyrics and song names any way 😂

[@alicec1533]

Yes, I was screaming 'Oh! Darling' at the screen when David didn't get it. I didn't fair that well though, overall. Was fun playing along.

[@hawkings22]

10/15, you had some problems with obvious ones to me, and you instantly got a few I couldn't even guess

[@user-ck8jr7ct8l]

i loved that very much thanks! i realy learn a lot of stuff from you .

[@JBDazen]

I never realised John imitated Bob Dylan's voice in You've Got To Hide Your Love Away! Took a backwards playback to hear it! EDIT: I typed the above before I heard you say this! NEVER heard this before! Wow!

[@iluvausten40517]

Too bad that we did not hear Rain where you would suddenly hear a lyric in the correct direction . . . 😀

[@DavidBennettPiano]

That would have been great 😂

[@lucesgalvarino315]

Or Revolution N9

[@TheHutt]

10/15 for me. Some songs I could not guess were the same as the host's, some were different. But oftentimes I struggled with the same dilemma: knowing the song but having forgotten the title.

[@vickiannemalone592]

Amazingly, I answered them all! I loved this challenge as well, as the others.

[@maximilicich]

Hahaha you people do realize how sick we are of listening to these noises and recognizing almost all of the songs hahaha. Ive made 13 of 15. It was really fun! And...is it me or these reversed songs sound also great? They should publish them as a reversed beatles album collection hahaha I would definitely buy it. They should name it SELTAEB EHT 😂

[@jackspnc]

Whoever did these really dislikes John

[@ysgol3]

Great quiz, thank you!

[@elzuzo]

WOW! A lot of fun!! Really difficult one. 13 of 15... Thank you very much Dave!!

[@faustbos]

12/15 for me. This was a blast!! I was really impressed that you could pinpoint the albums on the songs you didnt get. I missed the first one but kicked myself after hearing it. Also missed 8 and 13. Same problem on 13 with me. But as soon as you played it forward I remembered which track, I thought it was a different. You've encouraged me to listen to ALL beatles songs backward. Regarding John sounding like Bob Dylan.... especially backward haha.

[@magneto7930]

Every single one of those were extremely easy for me. But then again I've been listening to them all non-stop, inside and out, backwards and forwards, from 1964 onward. I got them all within seconds except for track number 12. That one I had to listen all the way through before I got it. There are definitely some distinctive characteristics that give it away. For example, vocal harmony isn't going to sound that unusual in reverse. Great upload!

[@Sannahmusic]

It was very interesting to watch, although I was completely lost. Have a great Christmas season! 🎄

[@davidmason7765]

jeez that was fun! 13 from 15 , missed one really obvious big early hit and was utterly convinced one mid period song was another. Harder than the one sec clips for sure. Thanks.

[@stevenking4617]

I feel like that's one more testament to how great The Beatles were, some of those parts are just so distinctive that the impression is indelible even backwards. I feel like All My Loving is the best example in this set.

[@ciolasorpresa6799]

Great Video! I got full marks on the first listen. It's pretty easy thanks to the distinct instrumental sound of each song. I guess listening to the entire Beatles discography multiple times really gave me the edge.

[@Rickyjay23]

Great video! I got all of them right but you definitely hinted me on track 2 cause I was totally lost until the second listen.

[@drakekarr5349]

Fun!!! Love it!

[@dezwatson6993]

Similar score to you David and struggled on almost identical tracks. Easily the best Beatles quiz so far.

[@jeffcole2860]

14.5 b/c Carry That Weight refrain is the SAME chords as the outro to You Never Give Me Your Money...!!!! Great video. Thank you so much for all you do! You channel is definitely one of my favorites.

[@MrJamonDavid]

Love this!!!

[@brucekukuch6929]

I, too, an enthralled with all of your Beatles quizzes. I only got 5 right, but 4 of them were ones you missed!

[@user-bw8su6ii1m]

The `organ' sound in "Baby You're a Rich Man" was a Clavioline, an early synthesizer instrument. I would love to own one! ~

[@seldonsinq]

15/15. Each song had some distinctive element that gave it away

[@AngelloMaggio]

I feel like I just went through this journey with you, I literally talked back to the video lmao great video

[@milosit]

That was a great episode! Between my wife and I we got them all except "Can't Buy Me Love" and we mis-named "You Never Give Me You Money" with "Carry That Weight". A lot of fun. Please do more.

[@chrishb7074]

Fascinating - I found this really difficult - maybe my music memory is primed by melody and sequence much more than it is by harmony and chords. But now I have several backwards Beatles earworms in my head.

[@kenreeve32]

That was a lot of fun! 14/15 so I'm pretty proud of myself.

[@lindadee2053]

That was very difficult! I got 5 out of 15 right, and I think I just got lucky on those 5. The biggest clue for me was a small part of an instrumental section that I could recognize (if one existed), such as on "For No One" and "Good Morning". Definitely harder than the 1-sec forward Beatles' clips.

[@christophercobb6352]

it's interesting how the timbre of an instrument, even for a moment, can give it away.

[@PaulinaAngel]

Got a perfect score, it’s easy to figure out as long as you recognize distinct elements

[@jean-robinmerlin1694]

i found it easy. you just have to care on the beat and the sound and it is almost as easy as not in reverse. i found them all. thank you david for the video !

[@beatrixwickson8477]

I would watch more of these videos.

[@tomdg13]

14. You've totally made my day. This was amazing.

[@harryfitzgerald26]

15/15 that was so hard a few of them were guesses just by some background noises like the percussion in you've got to hide your love away and the harmonies of you won't see me. i found this way harder than the one second clip but it also felt like a fresh take on a challenge like this that i really enjoyed!

[@JoeM390]

Paul's bass gave CAN'T BUY ME LOVE away.

[@reginaldperiwinkle]

14 out of 15. I blew the second one, but David was on point about just listening to the backing track. Once I did that, I got them all.

[@pgm1899]

12/15. Its incredible how some songs can be so recognisely in reverse

[@TommRemm]

Missed this one video, great to have mentioned it in the latest blind test! :-) Way much easier than the others, got 15/15, before the end of each excerpt, except for Can't buy me love on the second listen. Thanks!!

[@DavidBennettPiano]

Nice one 😀

[@ricopaulson1]

Holy shit. Got 15/15. I was not expecting that. All those years of obsessing over their music finally paid off.

[@walrusgumboot]

Got 15/15, found it fairly easy tbh but I did have the same issue as you identifying Lovely Rita, knew the part but took me a moment to get the name in my mind especially as it’s the outro which is quite different to the main song. I found tempo, vocalist, instrumentation, chord changes and even key moments of the melody really gave most of them away pretty quickly. That was a fun video!

[@caiomonteiro1647]

Great nickname, by the way!

[@robertharkins5737]

I got 11, 4 on the drum quiz, a mere 1 on the baseline quiz. These videos are so much fun!