“In My Life” isn’t close to the Beatles’ biggest hit numbers-wise. It doesn’t even rank, for instance, among their 50 best-performing singles on the Billboard charts. To some connoisseurs, however, the song is nevertheless considered one of the best the Fab Four ever recorded.
Perhaps its most notable professional accolade is the number-one spot on Mojo Magazine’s list of the 100 greatest songs of all time. Meanwhile, Rolling Stone ranked “In My Life” fifth on a list of the 100 best Beatles songs. A poll on the Indieheads subreddit rated the song similarly, earning the third-most votes behind only “A Day in the Life” and “Strawberry Fields Forever.”
Just like an insanely expensive piece of Beatles memorabilia on “Pawn Stars,” licensing a Beatles song is pricey. So, beyond the song’s theme and positive critical reception, Amazon’s use of “In My Life” in its 2023 holiday ad is also sort of a flex. Of course, Amazon is no stranger to licensing popular music, employing a Queen song in its mustache commercial directed by Olivia Wilde. In “Joy Ride,” the company likely wants viewers who recognize the tune to associate the Beatles’ reputation as the greatest rock band of all time with the Amazon brand, perhaps justifying its cost compared to an exponentially cheaper recording that might communicate a similar feeling.
