by In the late 1960s, as rock music was reshaping popular culture, an unexpected voice offered one of the highest compliments imaginable. During live performances, Frank Sinatra praised the song “Something” as “the greatest love song of the past 50 years.” The ballad, released by The Beatles in 1969, had already become a standout track. But there was one problem: Sinatra repeatedly credited it to Lennon–McCartney.
The truth? “Something” was written by George Harrison.
At the time, the Lennon–McCartney songwriting partnership was so dominant that many casually assumed every major Beatles song came from John Lennon and Paul McCartney. Harrison, long viewed as the “quiet Beatle,” had only recently begun stepping confidently into the spotlight as a songwriter. “Something,” featured on the album Abbey Road, was his crowning achievement — a composition so emotionally rich and melodically refined that even Sinatra couldn’t resist performing it himself.
Yet each time Sinatra introduced the song under the wrong credit, it subtly reinforced a narrative that had followed the band for years: that Lennon and McCartney were the sole creative forces. For casual listeners, the distinction may have seemed minor. But for Harrison’s legacy, authorship mattered. In an era when songwriting defined artistic credibility, being overlooked — even accidentally — shaped public perception.
A recently resurfaced performance clip, now amassing millions of views online, has reignited debate. Viewers are stunned to hear Sinatra praise the song in glowing terms while misattributing it. Social media comments range from disbelief to frustration, with many arguing that moments like this contributed to Harrison being undervalued during his lifetime.
Was it intentional? Almost certainly not. Sinatra admired the Beatles but wasn’t deeply immersed in the internal dynamics of their catalog. Industry shorthand often defaulted to Lennon–McCartney. Still, the effect was powerful. In real time, one of the world’s most respected vocalists unintentionally reinforced a myth about who created one of the most beautiful love songs ever written.
Ironically, history has corrected the record. “Something” is now widely recognized as Harrison’s masterpiece — covered by over 150 artists and celebrated as one of the finest songs of the 20th century. The renewed attention from the viral clip doesn’t erase the mistake, but it does highlight how easily narratives form — and how long they can last.
In the end, Sinatra was right about one thing: “Something” was extraordinary. He just praised the wrong Beatle.
