# In 1969, The Beatles copied a Fleetwood Mac instrumental. In 2026, both songs have become very different classics

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/in-1969-the-beatles-copied-a-fleetwood-mac-instrumental-in-2026-both-songs-have-become-very-different-classics/
- Published: 2026-11-10T17:00:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-10T17:55:58+00:00
- Original publisher: Far Out
- Original article: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/1969-the-beatles-copied-fleetwood-mac-instrumental/
- Topics: Entertainment, Music

## Key points

- ‘Albatross’ inspired the guitar sound in ‘The Sun King’.
- Harrison said the Beatles began by imitating Fleetwood Mac.
- The two tracks evolved into distinct classics.

## Summary

George Harrison said Fleetwood Mac’s 1968 instrumental ‘Albatross’ inspired the guitar sound at the start of The Beatles’ ‘The Sun King’, recorded in 1969. The connection shows how the band, despite their influence on other musicians, also drew ideas from contemporary artists.

Harrison recalled that the group began by trying to play ‘Albatross’, whose reverb-heavy guitar sound had caught his attention, before the piece developed in a different direction. John Lennon later dismissed ‘The Sun King’ as “a piece of garbage”, while Beatles fans have since embraced it as a cult favourite; ‘Albatross’ is described in the article as the best-selling instrumental track of all time.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.