The late George Harrison was "the serious and quiet" Beatle. He was a great guitarist, understated, the antithesis of flash. And he loathed the spotlight. Thus, he was the most underappreciated of The Beatles' songwriters. He wrote many brilliant songs for the band, but they were generally overshadowed by the genius of Paul McCartney and John Lennon. It wasn't until the band's end, on the Abbey Road album, that Beatle George made his defining statement - "Something," a song that stands alongside McCartney's "Yesterday" as the most covered of all Beatle songs. Harrison died Dec. 1, 2001, felled by cancer. It is typical of Harrison's quiet way (he often worked under aliases) that he has not been canonized in death, unlike Lennon, murdered Dec. 8, 1980. And that's fine. He would have hated it. Still, on this day, celebrate his beatific smile, his humor and his songs, a list of which follows. The songs speak for themselves.
1. "Blue Jay Way," The Beatles, on Magical Mystery Tour
2. "Only a Northern Song," The Beatles, on Yellow Submarine
3. "Sue Me, Sue You Blues," George Harrison, on Living in the Material World
4. "Beware of Darkness," George Harrison & Leon Russell, on Concert for Bangladesh
5. "Crackerbox Palace," George Harrison, on 33 & 1/3
6. "For You Blue," The Beatles, on Anthology 3
7. "Something," The Beatles, on Abbey Road
8. "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," George Harrison, on Live in Japan
9. "I Me Mine," The Beatles, on Let It Be
10. "If I Needed Someone," The Beatles, on Rubber Soul
11. "Taxman," The Beatles, on Revolver
12. "Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth)," George Harrison, on Living in the Material World
13. "Wah-Wah," George Harrison, on All Things Must Pass
14. "Within You, Without You," The Beatles, on Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band
15. "Here Comes The Sun," The Beatles, Abbey Road
16. "Isn't It A Pity," George Harrison, All Things Must Pass
17. "I Want To Tell You," The Beatles, on Revolver
18. "All Those Years Ago," George Harrison, on Somewhere In England
19. "My Sweet Lord," George Harrison, on All Things Must Pass
20. "I Need You," The Beatles, on Help!
(Bonus "Requiem for Hari Georgeson" track: "All Things Must Pass," Paul McCartney, on Concert for George)
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