Helter Skelter

With only four chords — E, E7, G and A — 'Helter Skelter' strips harmony to its barest bones. As musicologist Walter Everett noted, 'There is no dominant and little tonal function; organized noise is the brief.' The ♭III (G) borrowed from E minor gives the progression its menacing, proto-metal weight, while the bluesy E7 adds raw tension. The harmony's power lies not in complexity but in sheer repetitive force, anticipating the riff-driven minimalism of heavy metal.

Paul McCartney read an interview in which Pete Townshend described the Who's single 'I Can See for Miles' as the loudest, rawest, dirtiest song the band had ever recorded. Intrigued, McCartney envisioned creating something even more ferocious. When he actually heard the Who track and found it relatively polished and sophisticated, he decided the Beatles should make the truly screaming, chaotic record Townshend had described. McCartney took an existing song idea called 'Helter Skelter' — named after the British fairground spiral slide — and reimagined it as a vehicle for maximum volume and distortion.

Released on the Beatles' 1968 White Album, 'Helter Skelter' was McCartney's deliberate effort to create the loudest, rawest, dirtiest rock song possible. Built on a relentless four-chord riff and screaming vocals, it is considered a foundational influence on heavy metal and hard rock, proving the Beatles could match anyone for sheer sonic aggression.