53 Years Ago, George Harrison's 'Give Me Love' Dethroned Paul McCartney's 'My Love' at No. 1
During their years as the biggest rock band in history, the Beatles, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr, scored 20 No. 1 hits together. After the legendary group broke up, each of them went on to forge their own solo musical legacies. 53 years ago today, two former Beatles went to metaphorical war over who would top the charts as Harrison dethroned McCartney in a historic moment that only happened once.
The 'Quiet Beatle's' Revenge: How George Harrison Toppled Paul McCartney's #1 Streak
Shortly after the world became obsessed with the Beatles, they were known for their often larger-than-life behavior while dealing with the press. However, that reputation was mostly earned by three of the iconic group's members. George Harrison ultimately earned a reputation that resulted in him still being referred to as the "quiet Beatle" in articles decades later. In many cases, he opted to let his music do the talking for him, as he did when one of his tracks dethroned a Paul McCartney song 53 years ago today.
On June 2, 1973, "My Love" by Paul McCartney and Wings reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song would become a huge hit that stayed at the peak of the music world for four weeks, making it one of his biggest solo hits. Its reign on top lasted until 53 years ago today when George Harrison's "Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth)" took over No. 1, knocking "My Love" down to No. 2. That marked the only time that two members of the Beatles had songs in the top two slots of the Billboard Hot 100 after battling it out for supremacy.
Interestingly, the two former bandmates battled it out with songs that shared a theme of devotion. As an American Songwriterarticle about the tracks notes, "My Love" was a song that McCartney wrote as a declaration of how much he adored his wife and bandmate, Linda McCartney. Similar to his previous hit "My Sweet Lord," Harrison imbued "Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth)" with his spirituality. In fact, before releasing his sophomore album that contained the hit, Harrison founded the Material World Charitable Foundation. All proceeds from the album Living in the Material World, including the single, went to the charity.
This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Jun 30, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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This story was originally published June 30, 2026 at 11:15 AM.