 Playing The Beatles Backwards: The Ultimate CountdownBy
JBev Share:
Sphere: Related Content
(Page 14 of 20)
54. “Help!”
John Lennon described the period when he wrote the title track to The Beatles’ second film as his “fat Elvis period.” The sudden rush of fame had never quite sunk in and he still felt, for all his seeming bravado and confidence, like an insecure kid.
But that insecurity also steered him away from baring his emotions for the world to see. And so he couched his doubts and fears in a frenetic rush of a song that barely left one enough time to breathe while listening, let alone reflect on it. Lennon later expressed regret that he didn’t perform the song in a slower version so that people could concentrate more on the lyrical content. You can get a taste for what this might have sounded like in the final verse, when all other instruments are briefly stripped away and John sings earnestly about his carefree days and how he longs for them. I think that the faster tempo and poppy arrangement did him some favors though. Had the song been pruned to a folk confessional, it might have come off as a bit too “woe-is-me.” As it is, The Beatles created a song that could work on both levels: the insanely catchy #1 hit of a rock band at the peak of its powers on the surface and the cry for help of a confused and lonely man at the core.
53. “Helter Skelter”
For all of his unforced geniality and his everlasting image as the “nice” Beatle, Paul McCartney is one competitive mofo. John Lennon is often credited as having the inner drive to push the band to reach the top of the charts, but it can be argued that it was McCartney’s perfectionism and relentlessness that helped keep them there. A huge music fan, he simply couldn’t abide being left behind by one of his peers. As such, many of Paul’s finest works were spurred by a response to something he had heard, as if he were picking up the gauntlet. Paul once described the song as the sound of the fall of the Roman Empire… “Helter Skelter” came about after he read some press coverage concerning The Who and their new release at the time, which was supposed to be the loudest, most aggressive song in the history of the world, or some such hyperbole. Macca wasn’t about to let that stand, and since the White Album was in many ways a tribute to excess, here was the perfect fit for his new song. Paul once described the song as the sound of the fall of the Roman Empire, and the visual image of The Beatles playing while Rome burns is a good way to wrap your head around this tumultuous track. Or at least imagine the studio on fire; the session was reportedly notorious for the group’s chemically-induced high spirits at the time. Whatever works, I say. They walk the line of parody deftly without ever crossing over, even with all the fade-ups and fade-downs and Paul’s maniacal yelping of the lyrics. There is a ton of innuendo in the lyrics, but it doesn’t beat you over the head with its bluntness. It’s just simply four guys out to prove they could rock out harder than anyone else on the planet, and having a blast doing it. I’m sure Ringo’s blisters have sufficiently healed, so the song likely didn’t come at too great an expense. Let’s just be thankful that Paul hadn’t stumbled upon an article about a band claiming to be the most authentic purveyors of reggae-tinged polka in the world. Come to think of it, the Fab 4 probably could have pulled that off too.
52. “I Feel Fine”
You know that old word association game where someone says a word to you and you’re supposed to respond with the first thing that pops into your head. I think that if I were playing this game and someone said “Beatles” to me, the word that I would respond with is “joy.”
Now I can’t prove this to you because I’ve already ruined the exercise by contemplating about it, but my point is that the one thing that The Beatles did better than anyone else with their music was to evoke joy. Their songs sound joyful, and you feel joyous listening. That’s not an easy thing for them to have pulled off. Many songwriters will tell you that the rawer emotions like sorrow or regret are easier to write about. Maybe it’s like a play on the old Tolstoy quote about families: all happy songs are happy in the same way while each sad song tells a unique story. The Beatles bucked this maxim time and again, and “I Feel Fine” is one of the purest examples. The song exudes infinite goodwill and warm feelings without ever twisting your arm to get the job done. It’s very direct; it even uses simple words like “glad” and “fine” to get the point across. I can’t put my finger on it really. Maybe it’s in the way those harmonies just beam with brilliance. Maybe it’s the accidental feedback at the start of the song or that unforgettable main riff conjured by John Lennon. Maybe it’s Lennon’s penetrating vocal or that little “oo-woo” he lets loose in the fade-out. It doesn’t really matter how. It’s just there. That The Beatles could write so many happy songs and not have them sound like carbon copies of each other is a truly wondrous thing. Don’t bother trying to figure it out. But if you have a grin, prepare to involuntarily flash it while in the sway of “I Feel Fine.”
51. “Yesterday”
I’ve had a bit of an up-and-down relationship with “Yesterday.” When I was a kid, it was the end-all, be-all of Beatles songs for me. I wasn’t allowed to touch my Dad’s turntable, so I must have had my poor mother re-cue the song about a zillion times on my copy of Greatest Hits 1962-66, the album that first spurred my lifelong love for the group.
As I grew to be a somewhat morose teenager, I began to drift away from the song. Part of it was discovering the rest of the band’s catalog; part of it was discovering music in general outside The Beatles; and part of it was intellectual snobbery. I just felt like the lyrics were pretty basic, and I thought that the song wasn’t representative of the more complex Beatles songs with which I had become enamored. As a wise man once sang, “I was so much older than, I’m younger than that now.” In recent years as I’ve matured (although friends and family would debate that assessment), I’ve found myself gravitating back to the beauty of “Yesterday.” I’ve even forgiven the lyrics, choosing to see them as simple truths from the heart rather than the clichés and easy rhymes that I once considered them to be. And I can no longer deny the power of Paul McCartney’s vocal performance, which wisely never wavers from that heart-rending melody. Lennon once complained that the lyrics don’t resolve, but that’s part of what makes “Yesterday” so beautifully sad. The girl doesn’t give a reason for her departure, nor does the man know if she’ll be back. He is forever trapped in his memories, and the song is all the more profound for leaving him there. George Martin’s orchestration, subtle and perfectly-timed, accents this condition, and the influence of the arrangement on countless subsequent ballads is immeasurable. I can see where Paul is coming from. I wish I could go back, slap my younger self upside the head, and tell him to lighten up. But the rules of the game say that no one gets the chance to go back, and that’s the lovely quandary at the heart of this song.
50. “A Hard Day’s Night”
Has there ever been a chord in the history of rock that caused more speculation and consternation than the one at the beginning of this #1 smash? I’ve seen it described in about 47 different ways. A few times I’ve sat down at a keyboard and picked out the notes based on some of these theories and still it’s never sounded right. My best guess is that there are a few instruments buried in the mix in addition to George’s guitar. Or he briefly grew some extra fingers after being bitten by an alien rodent of some sort, which in turn led to a brief period of fighting crime. Either explanation seems perfectly feasible. …the track itself is pure propulsion, an all-out sprint that doesn’t relent until that guitar arpeggio spins into the air like a helicopter rotor. Regardless of what it was, it was like a clarion call to the world that The Beatles were back, not only with another big hit, but also on the big screen. Indeed it’s hard to hear “A Hard Day’s Night” without picturing the four Beatles dashing hurriedly through the streets. That’s partly because of the famous opening scene of the movie, but also because the track itself is pure propulsion, an all-out sprint that doesn’t relent until that guitar arpeggio spins into the air like a helicopter rotor. Ringo is responsible for the title; once again one of his malapropisms, a la “Tomorrow Never Knows” and “Eight Days A Week,” inspired a hit song. (Which begs the question: why didn’t Norm Crosby ever strap on a guitar?) John Lennon did the songwriting, graciously allowing Paul to sing the bridge because he couldn’t hit the high notes that he had written. Lennon does a marvelous job singing the rest though. The scream he lets out before the instrumental break is all harried frustration, a perfect fit for the theme of the song. Lennon famously referred to the group’s itinerary as an endless series of hotel rooms and cars, and the strain of being on the road fuels his lyrics. He uses someone missing a significant other to make the song more relatable; it gets downright lascivious with the line “’Cause when I get you alone/You make me feel okay.” So whatever that was at the start, there is no doubting what was there at the finish: “A Hard Day’s Night” is a soundtrack song that jumps from the screen to the radio and captivates long after the closing credits have rolled. 49. “Blackbird”
As they might say in the Old West, this here song is right purdy. (I admit that most of my knowledge of the Old West comes from Yosemite Sam, but that’s neither here nor there.) Using nothing more than an acoustic guitar and his tapping foot, Paul McCartney delivers an achingly lovely melody that ranks right up there with his very best, which is saying something. Using nothing more than an acoustic guitar and his tapping foot, Paul McCartney delivers an achingly lovely melody that ranks right up there with his very best… While John Lennon was the Beatle known for political statements, Paul got one in here subtly with a song inspired by the racial tensions in the U.S. at the time (1968). Paul made his statement via metaphor, honing in on the general sadness of the situation without getting bogged down in specifics. The phrase “sunken eyes” is poetic and evocative, but in truth it’s that pretty tune that does most of the heavy lifting here. On a recent solo song, Paul went back to the acoustic technique he used here of playing the bass notes right along with the main melody. The song, “Jenny Wren,” calls “Blackbird” to mind without being an exact copy. Not to go off on a tangent here, but those who have bailed out on Paul’s solo career are missing out on some fine late-period albums. As for “Blackbird,” I would remove the bird noises edited into the final mix. They just overdo the point and distract from the beauty of Paul’s singing and playing, which is so stunningly fine that it needs no embellishment.
48. “Revolution”
In the battle over “Revolution,” I think that time has proven that John versus Paul and George was a draw. Lennon was wrong when he balked at recording this song in a souped-up, radio-friendly version. Compared to the crawling pace of Lennon’s preferred version (found on the White Album, see #102 on this list), the single edit is ferocious. All those loud, distorted guitars and walloping drums imbue John’s message with urgency and fire.
On the other hand, if George and Paul, as legend has it, felt that this material was too incendiary for the group to record, they weren’t listening closely enough. Maybe they never got past the title, because a close look at Lennon’s words reveals a message that’s pragmatic and wise. He’s not really coming out on behalf of anything; he’s just advising those with big ideas to make sure they know what they’re doing. Grand intentions mean little without the proper method of implementing them and the right motives for achieving them, and Lennon wasn’t about to attach his name to any movement he considered foolhardy. And so we’re left with a rock song with something to say, which wasn’t that uncommon back then but is sorely lacking these days. The way John’s screams out the words “All right” at song’s end, it’s as if he’s trying to wish a happy ending into existence by the mere force of his voice. He knew that it wasn’t that simple though, as “Revolution” proves all too well.
47. “Getting Better”
This gem from Sgt. Pepper’s is beset by a split personality. Playing the Dr. Jekyll role is Paul McCartney, who optimistically puts his past indiscretions to bed and sees a positive future. But lurking inside of him is John Lennon’s Mr. Hyde, who refuses to let things get too sunny with half-hearted statements like “I can’t complain” and “It can’t get no worse.” “Getting Better” becomes a pop song with a damaged soul and a beating heart. The two wrote the song in tandem, but it certainly sounds like a McCartney melody, bouncy and clean. The spiky effect throughout the song that provides the clanking sound was achieved by George Martin whacking the strings of a piano with a mallet, just another example of the inspired studio craft to be found on this monumental album. But the inherent darkness is all Lennon. As we enter the third verse, the droning tamboura, courtesy of the band’s resident mystic, George Harrison, heralds a subtle change from the upbeat tune up to that point. That’s when Paul sings the gut-punching lyrics, “I used to be cruel to my woman/I beat her and kept her apart/From the things that she loved.” It’s a stunning admission in the middle of this seemingly lighthearted tune, and Lennon later explained that the lyric came from him, a reference to his awful behavior toward women in his past. I can see where this shocking confession might turn people off to this song, and certainly there is no condoning violence of that kind. But Lennon’s unflinching honesty gives this song a psychological depth that it has no right having otherwise. Suddenly this character goes from a Pollyanna to a real human being with deep flaws seeking redemption. Suddenly the line, “I’m doing the best that I can” is powerfully poignant. And suddenly “Getting Better” becomes a pop song with a damaged soul and a beating heart.
46. “Hey Bulldog”
There were only four songs that The Beatles left solely for the Yellow Submarine soundtrack, and they were all truly eccentric tracks. Topping them all, in terms of eccentricity and quality, would have to be the manically catchy “Hey Bulldog.”
Built around an attention-grabbing piano riff that is quickly doubled on electric guitar and tripled on bass, “Hey Bulldog” seems to upbraid a foolish girl and yet still offer a sympathetic ear in the end. John Lennon wrote the lyrics and the band fleshed the song out in the studio in just one evening, and the offhand feel to the recording is fetching. You’ve got some blistering lead guitar from John and Paul playing fantastic stuttering bass runs all over the place. In between all of the lunacy about bullfrogs and wigwams, a sneakily profound line like “some kind of solitude is measured out in you” finds its way into the mix. The group was on such a roll at the time that this was recorded that they could craft brilliant tracks almost by accident. All of which leads to Paul barking at John at song’s end in a hilarious finish. What inspired this is a mystery, why they kept it in is unknown, but why it worked is obvious: they were The Beatles. Duh.
45. “Good Morning Good Morning”
This peppy, horn-fueled romper starts with a death. “Nothing to do to save his life/Call his wife in.” John Lennon begins at the end, and then proceeds to run through a litany of the everyday banalities that make up a routine life. That Lennon was able to tap into this everyman attitude is either a testament to his imagination or an indication that he didn’t see himself any different than the average Joe working 9 to 5 and trying to steal bits of happiness anywhere he can. John Lennon begins at the end, and then proceeds to run through a litany of the everyday banalities that make up a routine life. No worries though, because the music provides happiness to spare as way of compensation. Starting with a rooster’s alarm call, a frenetic horn section blasts into action and provides the impetus for what’s to come. The backing vocals belt out the refrain to be heard above the din, Ringo’s snares are like bottle rockets popping, and Paul gets a chance at some lead guitar and charges into the fray recklessly in the solo. The narrator may be stuck in a rut, but the accompaniment is a fantastic adventure. It all ends with a menagerie being led on a cavalry charge by a bugler in the fade-out, a bizarrely apt way for this raucous track to wrap up. “Good Morning Good Morning” is a rather benign greeting for all the wonders that await the listener here.
Go to Page 15 (Songs 44-35) >>
Add a Comment
COMMENTS (421)
Cynthia said:
Excellent list. Truly! Ibetolis said:
What a fantastic read. I was infatuated with the Beatles from a young age and this has been a trip down memory lane. Of course our choices differ in places, my No 1,2,3 would have been Strawberry Fields, You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away and Tomorrow Never Knows but this is a small quibble because otherwise this has been an exemplary read and must for Beatles fans. Thanks. Mojomudcat said:
What an eloquent essay on the Beatles’ music! sleepybeepy said:
I guess it’s just one person’s opinion, but I really disagree with “I’m Only Sleeping” @ #80. A great song that’s largely overlooked because it wasn’t one of their “hits”. Alot of the song placements I could criticize, because IMOA, if you’re a true Beatles fan, none of their songs could be placed in any “best/worst” order, as they all have merit to a degree. Bree said:
He considers my favorite Beatles song of all time as one of the worst. “I Want You (She’s So Heavy)” as the 3rd worst Beatles song of all time (#183)? Really??? I’m afraid to read on…but being the ridiculous Beatles fanatic that I am, I know I will. Bob Bennett said:
I’ve not read through every last entry, but “I shall return”! Wondering if the Author, who has clearly studied and thought carefully about the Beatles Canon of songs, has any opinions on the LOVE remixes undertaken by Giles and George Martin. I think they’re spectacular and ingenious. Of course they are, admittedly, monkeying with history … but in a way that makes me appreciate the originals even more. Even though a fair amount of digital magic was applied to the LOVE tracks, the fact that the component pieces of the recordings still survive and are such powerful pieces to create a “new whole”. Okay, rambling ended. Discuss? Tom said:
I also am intrigued by this list. I can agree with revolution 9 as the worst Beatles song ever, but I was extremely surprised to see the next couple “worst” songs. Four out of the listed “worst” five I’d say I genuinely like, and some of which are among my favorites. It also seems that the ranking for Yellow Submarine was greatly inflated and the ranking for Magical Mystery Tour was greatly deflated merely because the reviewer did/did not like the movie. I consider Magical Mystery Tour one of my absolute favorite Beatles tunes. However, I guess this huge disparity of opinion is exactly why the Beatles had such universal appeal- somewhere in their vast array of songs, everyone can find something they like Darbalu said:
Wow,I’m stunned at this attempt at music criticism. Is it this person’s first listen to the Beatles catalog? Maybe you should hone your skills on some senseless pop before disassembling the Holy Grail. Cory said:
Wow. Impressive effort. I adore the Beatles and this list made me appreciate them even more because I completely disagree with his order! Everyone can agree that Revolution #9 is drivel, but I quite like Honey Pie, Heavy, Good Day Sunshine… This reinforces the fact that almost no other artist or band can compete in terms of the sheer volume of enjoyable and memorable music. I could listen from 184-1 and call that one fantastic day. And its fantastic to hear a meditation on each individual song regardless of whether I agree or disagree with the opinion. Calexander16 said:
“Now they know how many holes it takes to fill the Albert Hall…” My interpretation of that line is that it’s not just a farcical calculation of potholes, but John just doing another one of his fanciful wordplays in which the “holes” are the people who attend shows – perhaps they’re screaming Beatle fans, or perhaps anyone who tries to fill their empty lives through another diversion, especially society folks as the Albert Hall as traditionally been reserved for high-culture (harkening back again to the “man who made the grade”). In any event, a very engaging piece – and Sgt. Pepper’s was one of the first albums, if not the first rock album (leaving Dylan in the folk category for the moment), that invited this kind of literary criticism. “Day in the Life” – good choice. It does epitomize the Beatles with all their magic – capturing their evolution from a ‘boy band’ to mature artists creating interesting, thoughtful sonic landscapes. tony kinzel said:
sweet jesus, i only wish i had this amount of time to do things like this…. Basil Hayden said:
Nice work. Really enjoyed reading this. John said:
This is a very successful effort at reviewing and rating the Beatles’ songs. Though I love the Beatles, there are definitely songs I like less then others, and some I don’t like at all, so I could relate to that attitude and perspective. I enjoyed both the opinions and facts that were shared. I disagreed with a few things but it’s no big deal; I also learned a lot. Thanks to the writer for some excellent work! LOVE THE BEATLES!!! James said:
The songs should have all been 185. The Beatles sucked back then almost as much as they suck today. Reno Parker said:
Such an odd list. So what if every Beatles song isn’t a “Hey Jude”? So what if some are meant to be light and fun? Even, dare I say, meant more as a novelty tune. They’re ALL great to listen to for their own individual charms, and they’re all even more interesting when listened to in the context of the whole album. I’m especially thinking of the White Album, my fave. This is a pointless exercise in thinking about something too damn much. Oh, and “A Day In The Life” is #1. What a shocker! Such a display of courage and original thinking. *yawn* Jereemmy said:
Really dumb idea to get one person to do this. Its also stupid to try to put numerical values to songs. Tracy said:
1) James, stay away from the website if you don’t like them. John said:
All you need is shit at number 6? You’re an idiot. Luis said:
I disagree with your list so much I feel like shooting myself lol [...] friend of mine brought this article to my attention today: Playing The Beatles Backwards: The Ultimate Countdown. This is exactly what the title proclaims to be – the ultimate countdown. This amazing (or [...] Robin said:
I don’t think you can make The Beatles’ entire discography linearized into a numerical list counting the ‘best’ songs without having an enormous bias. Revolution 9 is evidently not a song being aimed at the pop/ rock audience but was part of the avant garde movement which Yoko was interested in. You should read about the direction of the song before making a mislead judgment. Brian said:
Although you can probably spend the NEXT 40 years arguing about the order of the songs, you have to admit that the effort the list is far beyond the call of beatlemania duty. By the way, as a true Beatle fan, I believe that no song can possibly named as the worst. Hannah said:
And I Love Her is a beautiful song. The lyrics might be a wee bit weak, but the instrumentals are simple yet eloquent and Paul’s voice is gorgeous. David said:
I would imagine that you may have listened to some of The Beatles’ songs that were all against doing this kind of thing. What made you think that it was a good decision to take brilliance and try to sort it out for yourself? I mean, their work was so good, that no matter of individual opinion about which song is their most or least favorite would have any bearing for anyone else. Garth said:
This list is completely biased and unnecessarily sarcastic. I am the Walrus? She’s Leaving Home? I am sure many people would beg to differ…And I don’t know what you mean by Across the Universe misinterpreting the songs, I think the talented singers and actors did the Beatles justice thru their performance, and captured the ideas very well…Like I said, a very opinionated list…you have to look at the song from different perspectives, not put a song on number 183 simply because you like the psychedelia more than the bubble gum, or you dont like ballads… Rob said:
Like many of the comments, I don’t agree with all your selections and ranking based on a linear scale is tough, but I thought you defended your opinions well. And I do agree with #1. Magical. Sean said:
Wow, this is an amazing amount of work and I’d love to talk to you about the whys and hows. I disagree, however, with about 70% of the order but The Beatles are personal to everyone and you’ve done an awesome job here. Jude said:
Are you kidding me? You Know My Name is a hilarious song. You simply do not have a sense of humor, sir. michelle said:
to james: per your statement, “The songs should have all been 185. The Beatles sucked back then almost as much as they suck today.” *you* can suck it, sir, tina fey style – all the way off the red carpet, away from the grammies or anything else of artistic quality – something for which you obviously have no innate relationship with whatsoever. -m Lauren said:
Um, this entire list is an OPINION. And not even a really educated one. Tom L. said:
I wish music reviews were written by people with either a music degree, or actually possess proficiency on an instrument. I read so many reviews that rate music on things like “emotion, feel, good beat to dance to, etc…”. Octopus’s Garden at #36? At least we had fun spinning the turntable backwards while passing the bong… #9, #9, #9. Peter Evans said:
Can you believe this? Although this is subject to opinion and I don’t agree with a lot of his choices, it’s still very very cool. jbev said:
Hi Folks, G2 said:
Well, although as you get to your top 20 songs, I find I am more in agreement with your observations, however I absolutely LOVE Revolution #9 (certainly not as a “pop” song, but as a sound collage/painting, it is a masterpiece of random sound edits (in much the same way as the one time only sound effects of Tomorrow Never Knows). Long Long Long, albeit as you say has production problems, is one of George’s best. Why no one remembers it I’ll never know. It is concentrated Beatle-esque. Stunning harmonies! And Old Brown Shoe is another one that gets forgotten by all too many. You’ll obviously have more people siding with your opinions than mine, as you’ll notice. The drum beat/rhythm is fabulous, the bass playing is exquisite. The Word can’t seriously be near the worst of your list. It is the forerunner of All You Need Is Love. Powerful. Ringo’s drumming is super, words are poignant. And again, we come to George: Don’t Bother Me. Too many books by lesser authors treat it so bad, it isn’t usually even mentioned unless it’s as a “that was his first attempt”… too bad more people couldn’t have first attempts as good as this! Sun King at 156? The only reason I’d give it a 156 placement is because it’s too short! Cry Baby Cry – one of THE best tracks on the white album. Dripping in atmosphere. Roni Arnold said:
“Revolution #9″ wouldn’t have gotten airplay except by some weird cult following if it hadn’t been done by the Beatles who were able to stick it on their album. The Beatles are the greatest band of all time, but I would be interested to know if anyone has seen interviews of them anywhere where they themselves comment on this. In my opinion, based on the criteria for something being a song, It was NOT a song; it was a totally weird, stoned-when-we-made-it-have-to-be-stoned-to-listen-to-it thing. Which isn’t to say it was a mistake to put it on the album. I just stand by my first sentence. Gazzaaa said:
Great list, totally agree with “Revolution 9″, totally agree with “Day In The Life”… but “Junk” not even on the list? Forrest said:
What an incredible list. It’s rather boggling taking the entirety of the Beatles and actually daring to rank them. I couldn’t do anything like this ever; I’d be second guessing myself too much. Many kudos for putting ‘For No One’ so high; it remains as one of the most under appreciated Beatles songs. I cried the first time I heard it. Joe said:
Oh my God! This list maker is a retard! I’m guessing this guy is not a musician. If he is, he is probably not a very COOL musician. If you don’t like a certain Beatles song, that’s fine, but don’t pretend you know all the emotions and thoughts going through Lennon and McCartney’s heads when they were writing these tunes. I think if you turned this list inside out, you might have a more accurate description of their songs, but this? This is terrible! Terrell said:
I was not feeling your list at all, at first. Yer Blues is much much much better than you’ve given credit for, and was done as a parody of American blues. But in the end, you’ve got it right. A Day in the Life is by far the best and she’s leaving is right up there too. Good work. Mick said:
This list is a joke, and the writer is obviously not a fan of rock and roll. Scott Schafer said:
This is an interesting project, but I have to strongly disagree with the ordering. “Honey Pie” may be a silly song, but it’s a truly catchy number that both my wife and I occasionally sing to each other. Yeah, the White Album was a total mess…but rate the songs, not the album. “She’s so heavy” has great guitar work and vocal harmonies, even if it uses somewhat dated slang. And “Old Brown Shoe” is a great little bluesy number that I’ve always enjoyed. My sense is that the author’s main problem with the song was that it was included on a Greatest Hits album, which really is no fault of the song. It at least belongs in the top 75%. Of the bottom of the list, there are several songs I like. Aside from Revolution #9, I’d give any of these songs a listen before, say, “Obla dee”. Antonio said:
I want you (she’s so heavy)or Yer blues among the worst songs??? helen said:
This list infurtiates me. You have all the hits at the beginning of the list. You’re not a fan because you don’t appreciate any of their quirky songs. You’re a writer. st_martyne said:
The only way to enjoy this kind of childish shit was to make in a humorous and light hearted way. You missed that chance, pal. Lenie C said:
Penny Lane at # 141? That alone negates the rest of this useless exercise. Whay don’t you begin rating the best insects next, starting at # 16,000,000 and counting down?! Lenie C said:
Oh, and by the way it’s not a French horn in “For No One”(#13) but a cor anglais or English horn. Mary said:
I had to stop at the half way point because they pay me to work around here. P.S. I agree completely with your choice of #1, although it has to be tied with “In My Life” for me. Rolls said:
Man oh man! What a daunting and ultimately thankless task you have set before you. You and I know how rabid we Beatles fans are about the “Not always so Fab Four!” Right now someone is smarting at your dismissal of “I Want to Tell You,” “Good Day Sunshine,” or “And I Love Her” and wishing you were as dead as Paul. Well that’s probably taking it too far but they probably are thinking: “Who the Hell is this guy?” And “Why does he think anyone would care what he thinks?” Good questions to be sure but overly harsh. You are a brave man! And though I disagree with a lot of your choices I applaud your obvious love for one of the most durable discographies in the history of pop. erica said:
i am woundering if this is one persons opinion or if this is based on some fact like number one hits? i totally dissagree with some of the “worst” songs, but in all reality the beatles did not put out any bad songs. well to each his own and i give big props to whoever made this list! RIGHT ON! Maggiee said:
I love that The Beatles are so unbelievably great that no one would ever agree on a ranking; favorite to least favorite. I actually did a list like this when I was in high school. It would be completely different now! Johnny said:
Apart from choices what is worst and what is best – this is great great great. Everyone probably has it’s own list at home, the one putting his list on site is definitely allowed to make “worst” what I like “first”. Love it. Should get some best site 2009 award. Jude's mom said:
Hey great idea of making a list! Everyone should make their own list as well. This way you idiots would quit criticizing him for ranking his favorites. To each his own right? If you don’t have the guts to make your own list then leave this one alone. He gave great arguments to why he ranked them. Ringo and George made the Beatles in my opinion. Love Paul and John but hey, that’s my opinion. Damian said:
Very good list, though I disagree completely! I love side 2 of The White Album and I actually CAN listen to Revolution 9 and enjoy it. There are plenty of (admittedly alternative) genres of music today that have their roots in that piece of music. And I’m not just being trendy – if I was, I’d say What’s The New Mary Jane was good. It’s not. Worst Beatles tune? Maggie Mae. Best? Day in the Life. Damian said:
“But, if you check the credits on the actual Let It Be record, you’ll see the songwriter listed as “Trad. Arr. Lennon-McCartney-Harrison-Starkey.” And the traditional folk ballad is “Maggie May,” spelled like the similarly titled but completely different Rod Stewart hit. By changing the final “y” in the name to “e,” The Beatles could get around come copyright issues.” Utter rubbish. No-one owns the copyright to traditional songs, so there are no ‘issues’ to get around. Chase said:
Hmm, this list is pretty solid, the only thing that dissapoints me, is the apparent lack of love for George Harrison, While My Guitar Gently Weeps as well as I Me Mine, are songs which I would put in the top ten, but whatever I suppose talis4 said:
I have a sneaking suspision that the individual that put this list together either simply listed the songs in a random order or is so abysmally clueless that his/her opinsion is worthless. Eamonn said:
Loved the effort and attention to detail, even if I didn’t agree with all the rankings. One I feel strongly about, however, is Wild Honey Pie. In my opinion, this is not only the worst Beatles song, but quite possibly the worst song ever recorded. Every time I hear it, I die a bit inside… Greg said:
in response to Gazzaaa: whoever wrote this clearly has never even heard “Junk.” the poor sucker probably doesn’t know it exists. also, to whoever said that one person should not do this, i agree. even in JBev’s comment, it is shown that the author no data, sales, or common popularity into this list. it is simply a person telling the world how they think the songs of the Beatles rank. personally, i dont agree with most of the list. although, A Day in The Life is a simple pick for number one. jessica said:
bravo for taking the time to go through and rank all of these songs… it’s an impressive feat to tackle, and you’ve done it well. sure, people will have a lot of disagreements, but this list is based on your own opinions of the songs. that’s totally fine, and i wish some people would realize that and simply agree to disagree. if it’s such a problem to disagree, they should come up with their own lists. i haven’t heard some of the songs in the upper part of the list, and because of that, i will go and listen to them and see what i think. couldn’t hurt, hey? again, just wanted to say bravo and job well done. Eimear said:
I agree with next to none of this….disappointing. timothy said:
Darbalou – it’s good to see that you are one of the few posting who actually recognizes the folly of this epic endeavor. Disassembling the holy grail is quite apt. Reverse ranking of the Beatles’ 185 songs from worst to first… and by who? That is the real question. We know the Beatles credentials as songwriters. Their distinguished track record as the most successful rock/pop group of all time and catalog of the greatest selling records of all time speaks for itself. On the other hand, the critic — although admittedly up to the task to thoroughly research and clearly a huge fan of the Fab Four — writes through such a narrow prism of subjective bias as to obscure the basis for his selections and conclusions. Critics and fans alike are certainly all entitled to their opinions. So, let’s just leave it at ‘keep up the diligent and outrageously distorted work’ and let the record/CD sales figures reflect the public’s actual view as the final word. timothy said:
JBev… You are a true fan of the Fabs. And, I truly appreciate the effort behind the scope and range of your project. Nonetheless, although you rightfully pose the question “Why should the Beatles be above critiquing?’you neglect to provide specifics as to the basis of your conclusions. We all subjectively experience music through the realm of our own individual senses. The phenomena of a vast collectively shared experience serves notice to the popularity of certain artists. Attempting to break down the constituent threads that hold together the broader cloth is not so much sacrilege or heresy, as it is trying to wrap your arms around foggy mists. Try as you might, your conclusions will be challenged, but your subject will spark a riot of controversy. If that’s your aim, than you’ve certainly hit the mark. Mark said:
Good start with Revolution # 9 but I stopped reading the article 2 paragraphs later after you ripped into the White Album as garbage and then declared I Want You (She’s So Heavy) the 3rd worst song….. its my 2nd favorite. gina said:
I have loved the Beatles since being introduced to them by my best friend in high school. I really appreciate the time you took to compile this list. I believe no Beatles fan will ever have the exact same list as another, but you did a great job with yours! Thank you for such a great time! Angelinne said:
I don’t agree with the placings of some of the songs but I agree that “A Day in the Life” is definetly the best song by The Beatles. I find it interesting that I’m listening to that song right now. I’ve also been the girl who is in her room for like 2 hours listening to “A Day in the Life” for the entire time haha Karu said:
As other people have said, I don’t particularly agree with the ordering of this list, but it’s great to see someone was actually able to go and rank them at all. But honestly, She’s Leaving Home is WAY over ranked, in my opinion. Never the less, good job and thanks for sharing! dg said:
ok now.. what’s the point in this? for example when you say it would just take a reel to reel machine, some classical music recordings and a chainsaw for you to be able to recreate Revolution #9. Firstly: I doubt that. Secondly: one thing is recreate, one thing is create it in the first place. How can you not appreciate the fact that The Beatles were pioneers in creating soundscapes in a “popular music” context? or when you give as a reason for Good Day Sunshine to be a bad song that it’s overhappy?? that’s ridiculous. you find it artificial, I don’t. and the way it ends kind of leaves the listener with a sense of doubt… to me, it’s probably to underline how happines can hit you unexpectedly and leave you the next moment, without even the time to grasp it… but that’s my opinion. I do appreaciate the idea of not treating The Beatles as untouchable gods, because they surely were immense but they were just human and what they made, albeit outstanding, is not perfect. Also, you replied that you don’t need a music degree for enjoying the emotion of music. That’s very true, but here you’re not enjoying music, you are rating songs. Now, to be totally honest with you, I don’t think it makes sense at all because it’s a matter of taste, even from the point of view of so called experts (I’m a songwriter, music producer, guitarist, music reviewer, so definitely my life is all about music) taste will always be crucial in all they say and write. But, if the magazine felt the need of some “ultimate” bullfeces kind of article to boost the number of hits from the readers, at least they could have hired somebody with minimum musical consciousness. Again, I’m not against the idea of expressing opinions, but an article is a further step in professionalism that requires awareness from the writer. That’s all. akduff said:
I agree with whoever said Beatles’ songs can’t be rated in “best/worst” order, they’re all awesome to a degree… akduff said:
P.S. clearly the author was more obsessed with the Beatles’ later works… dmbdork said:
The White Album is the one i listen to the most, i simply find it the most interesting and unique – i’m afraid i discovered early on into this list that i had no patience for it. obviously subjective, but i guess i was looking for more statistical data backing up the list – Ryan said:
Ok, #1 is in the perfect spot but seriously, I am the walrus is not the 2nd greatest Beatles song ever. I’d put it around 30 or 40. Penny Lane at 141??? Sgt pepper at 99, and yes I see the reprise a little higher. And come on. While my guitar gently weeps is one of the greatest songs by ANYBODY ever and you have it at #57. That right there shows that you don’t have much taste. Steve said:
We either like a song or don’t like a song, an artist, lyrics, composition, etc. Regardless of whether or not you have played an instrument, played in a band, studied music or critiqued music, it’s OK to state your opinions and it’s as good as anyone else’s opinions. Period. So, I will ignore the tiresome musical snobbery above and say thanks to jbev for his passion and effort. My 185 to 1 would be quite different but I plan to listen to every song again and read all of his comments. I simply love the Beatles and have sent this list to many friends who are also ecstatic and can’t wait to spend some time listening, reading and dissecting……. fendergibson said:
I was about 13 or 14 when the Beatles were all the rage. I loved em! I couldn’t wait until the next record came out. I would listen to Murray the K or Cousin Brucy play their songs every 10 minutes. Looking back it was all rather silly and their music was over rated. Silly songs. When it is all said and done they were far more a cultural phenom than a musical one. I like George Harrison’s stuff though. Some wretched Beatle songs. Mr. Moonlight-maybe the worse song ever Mr. Moonlight is actually anti life. the walrus said:
wow…i’m astounded by the number of idiots who respond negatively to this excellent list. after reading your spot-on analysis of “revolution 9″ i knew that i wouldn’t leave my laptop until i had read the whole thing (and i didn’t). while i don’t agree with EVERY SINGLE placement on the list (”don’t let me down” only at 74; “she’s leaving home” in the top 3; “let it be”, “help!” and “yesterday” don’t crack the top 20?), i must say that your explanations were wonderfully written and very thoughtful…especially the one about “in my life”. i had never fully understood that song until now. that revelation alone makes this list worth the read for me. plus, you got #1 right. Nooners said:
part 1: Jimmy Nicol said:
I can’t believe someone spent the time to put this list together. On the one hand, it’s impressive; on the other, it’s pointless to rank art. The most useful info I got from this was that the Beatles had 185 original songs. rob said:
this list is dumb as hell jbev said:
Hey Beatle fans, To DG: I thought I’d begin with you, since you had a pretty long criticism. First of all, it seems like you concentrated on the first page of my list. I’m curious to know if you delved further than that. I think you’d be surprised. Second of all, it’s not my website, so clearly some professionals thought it was worthy of being published. And, although this is a side-job of sorts, I do write for a living as a public relations pro who also has a weekly newspaper column, so I’ll happily stand by my writing ability. Third, if you read the other comments, I’d say that there are several people who do have interest in and appreciation for this list, which means that you’re knocking their “musical consciousness” as well. That’s an awful wide net to cast. I’m not sure to whom this list would be insulting, considering its done as a tribute to the Fab 4 and anyone who reads it in its entirety can see how much their music means to me. You may not like my writing; that’s fine. But the motives were pure as could be. I look forward to reading more of your comments. Have a good one. Clare said:
“She Loves You” and, worse yet, “Hey Jude” is better than “Across the Universe”!? That right there tells me you need a serious lesson in Beatles 101, my friend. JA said:
Great effort, interesting perspective, The order of my list has changed everyday for the last 38 years, depending on my mood. I do think Penny Lane is a great counterpoint to Strawberry Fields and should be much higher on the list. I also think Paperback Writer and And Your Bird Can Sing should be in the top thirty (at least). Now let’s talk about What’s the News Mary Jane and You Know My Name (Look Up The Number). BB said:
Nice Work. BrianX51 said:
As an “older” Beatles fan, I think you’ll find favorites changing over the years for a variety of reasons. Hannah Adams said:
This list is horrible in my opinion. All songs by the Beatles are fantastic! They shouldn’t be put into a stupid ass list like this.I’m surprised that that you made an attempt at this list. “Lucy In the Sky with Diamonds” should have been way higher! I would maybe next time get a group of people to do this to have various opinions or, just let someone more aware of the quality or great songs do it. Michael Vincent Dow said:
Nitpick: “Junk: remained “Junk” on McCartney’s first solo album, and did not become “Jubilee”. The devil’s in the details! adam said:
this list is completely out of order J.R. said:
Yeah… I was seriously considering giving you the virtual finger prior to reaching the top 100. Your opinions on a couple of my favorites hit below the belt (i.e., “I Want You (She’s So Heavy)”, “Good Day Sunshine”, “Long,Long,Long”). It was to the point of me seriously considering whether you’d ever even heard any of this music. Sam said:
I disagree! Old Brown Shoe is easily one of the very top Beatles songs, and certainly beats I Am The Walrus or Strawberry Fields! jbev said:
To Michael Vincent Dow: You’re right, I got it backwards. It was “Jubilee” in its early form before the break-up and then became “Junk” for Paul. Thanks for the correction. Raychill said:
Blackbird should have been wayyyyyy up at the top…along with yesterday, come together and many more, but everyone has their own opinions! Melinda said:
I was in the 2nd grade when the Beatles came out, so I literally grew up with the Beatles, The songs all mean something different to everyone depending on when and where you first heard them. To rank them will always be individual for each of us and I cannot imagine that we would ever agree on a list,as we all have our own. Interesting read, In my life always #1 for me Jeff said:
Piggies over Michele? You lost all credibility. Robert said:
It was interesting to sit and read an approach to catagorizing the Beatles from least to greatest. Growing up in the Beatles era, and in the many years since, I could never give a definitive answer as to what my “favorite” might be, for I have never been able to look at a singular track. I cannot go to an album and just listen to a song-I have to listen to the whole of it. Granted, there may be a song that I may not be in the mood to listen to at the moment, but that moment is rare. The only other band that compares to the Beatles in my mind is Zeppelin, for the same reason. There will never be another band like the Beatles (nor Zeppelin). If someone were to ask me to list the Stones from least to favorite, well, that would be easier, since I have never understood why anyone can stand Mick Jagger. There is no one Beatles song in my mind that is greater than another, and for me, the same can be said of their albums. Somedays, I will want to sit and listen to all of the White Album, and maybe on another “Beatles for Sale.” BTW-when I came to “Across the Universe,” I saw no mention of the version on “Let it Be Naked.” That to me was the best, just John and a guitar. Jeff said:
I don’t agree 100 percent with the list. But “A Day In The Life” is as good a choice as any to be Number 1. I would have moved up higher some of the early, high-energy songs like “She Loves You” or “Hard Day’s Night.” One of my favorites is “Happy Just To Dance With You” just because it sounds so happy. As a musician, I really admire most Beatles’ songs for the subtle, even organic songwriting. nirvana valladares said:
this is a total gimmick :::http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/gimmick. beatles+countdown will always yield millions of hits on any search engine. plus, it’s paid advertisement on facebook. i figured it out, they want you to hit heir zine. hahahahahahahahahah <———————–evil laugh Megan said:
I definitely disagree with this and cannot believe it’s on the aol page. To me you can’t put the Beatles’ music in an order of worst to best. It doesn’t make sense. dan said:
I love the Beatles. I listen to them everyday, and I realize that this list is truly one man’s opinion. Everyone has the songs they like and the ones they love. Yesterday is rated number 51, hmmm. Nobody’s list is going to be exactly the same. I’m not so fond of Act Naturally, but that might just be me. So it’s ok for everyone to have their own list in my opinion, as there will never truly be one “list” Joann said:
what about let it be? Mackenzie said:
I agree with Bree, and will rock out to “I Want You (She’s So Heavy)” any time. Call it “noodling and jamming,” but what it really is is uniquely honest and free expression. zeke said:
Ridiculous! Why is your opinion getting featured on myspace?! ALC said:
I found this list through a friends blog and enjoyably wasted most of an afternoon reading through it. After a while, I stopped paying attention to the numbers and just enjoyed reminiscing as I read the descriptions (kudos for going beyond a simple list and including impressions for each song). I would definitely call myself a Beatles fan, but fall short of fanaticism and thoroughly enjoyed reading about songs I either didn’t know or had forgotten. I plan to dig a little and find some of the lesser known songs. This, to me, seems to be one of the main reasons for this project’s existence. I have also been fascinated by looking at the rancor, vitriol, and outright insensible rage of the comments. Creating a list of this nature has absolutely no effect on the artistic merit of the pieces. If this type of exercise were as evil as some of you maintain, then AFI should be executed en masse for having the gall to rate movies in a million different ways (naming Citizen Kane #1 doesn’t mean that Casablanca The Godfather suck). A list of this nature should allow us to have a fun conversation, enjoy hearing another person’s perspective, and perhaps expand our own enjoyment. The author obviously spent a great deal of time and thought preparing this list, I feel it to be appropriate to take at least a moment to prepare a comment. [...] the ultimate countdown [...] Erin said:
i agree with most of the top songs… and She’s So Heavy near the bottom?! to sum up, this is stupid. there can never be a list like this for the beatles. it just doesn’t work. Ciara said:
This was a great summary and list on the Beatles, but what about Strawberry Fields Forever? One of their bests and it was based upon the Vietnam War which makes it even more appealing. David said:
Wow! A trip down Penny Lane. I lived through the Beatle’s era. I was in 9th Grade when I first heard “I Want To Hold Your Hand” and in my later years of college when I heard “Let It Be.” It is so hard to rank these songs artistically because as you grow with them they become woven into your life and its memories. Most of them some sort of special meaning as a apart of my life. As I read through the list, I argued. But when I hit the top two, I gave up on all my arguments. Both artistically and as growing with the Beatles, these two songs are the Beatles. When Sgt Pepper came out, we were entering a new world. The Beatles were right there leading the way. They never matched it again. Instead they became another part of that world. But at that time and those two songs, they were on top of the world. Great list and a great read. Stace said:
I enjoyed reading through the list. I listened to my favorite Beatles songs while reading it (AWWW). I can’t say that I would agree with all of your choices but it was a very thought provoking list! My first memories of Beatles music was my mother singing tunes to me. I liked reading about the emotional connection between you and the music. So many songs in the catalog have framed my life in different ways. It’s nice to see that someone else loves the Fab Four just as much. You have inspired me to sit down and make my own list. I just hope that everyone understands that if 246 people made their own lists, we’d have 246 totally different points of view. Hopefully no one thinks we’d all like the same stuff….. Dave King said:
Although I’m a huge Beatles fan, my least favorites Beatles song of all time is “Mr. Moonlight.” It’s just awful. Kevin Johnson said:
WOW. what a blast! Where was ‘Mister Moonlight’? A day in the life, of course it is number one, how can you possibly beat it, except maybe with number 2, Golden Slumbers, Carry that Weight and THE END. Thanks for getting me fired up again. I don’t agree with all of your list but I agree with the spirit. Kevin Johnson said:
Clearly Revolution Number nine is the worst song ever by any group. How could it have made it to vynyl, I will never know. It is a black hole on a white album. Kevin Johnson said:
old brown shoe sucks and it makes me mad that it shows up on so many beatle albums. Kevin Johnson said:
For your sweet top lip I’m in the Cue. LOL Jake said:
OKAY WHILE MY GUITAR GENTLY WEEPS IS IN THE TOP 5 AT LEAST! I mean come on, it was rated fith best guitar rock song of all time (the first one on the list from The Beatles) by Rolling Stone Magazine. With that fun little fact don’t you think it should have been a little bit higher up on the totem pole? Shaaron said:
Well, as long as you have taken the time to find what you LOVE, that really is all the matters. Anyone who disagrees just needs to make a list of their own. I love it all, have my favorites, each for very different reason and it’s all just so personal. Some because of what was happening then and some for how they make me feel no matter what. I am, finally, just eternally happy that The Beatles exist at all in this all too messed up world. devin said:
Wow, douchebag mcdoucherson, at least 7 or 8 of your twenty worst beatles songs would be at least in the top 50 of an intelligent persons list. wow, until i read this i did not realize how stupid a single person could be. please don’t reproduce, i wouldn’t want your stupid genes infecting another generation. please dont even breathe on anyone to hard you may harm their future children. you disgust me. Jon said:
That probably took a bit of time, eh? My comment on this list goes as follows: Jon Talon Carpenter said:
I have to say, at first i was skeptical of how credible this list was going to be. the fact that you put honey pie as second worst and not wild honey pie threw me off kilter for a second. but as i progressed i couldn’t pull myself away from the list. even now at 3:30 in the morning after reading the list for several hours i feel some strange compulsion to put in my word. your writing style is very commendable, and the subject matter equally so. i’v been obsessed with the beatles since probably the seventh grade and cannot think of a time in my life, even before then, that they have not had something meaningful and appropriate to describe it. i find myself unwittingly drawn to music that perfectly describes situations in my life, and with the beatles they have done so with ever single line they have ever uttered. the music is touching, and simple, even in it’s complexity. i disagree that i want you (she’s so heavy) should be so near the bottom, as well as julia (as you pointed out in your intellectualization of the song), but the top and bottom songs hold true to my opinion as well. personally, i believe that this list should never have been created because i believe that great art shouldn’t be intellectualized because to give it meaning, in turn, makes it lose it’s meaning. on the other hand, i agree that 90% of the songs are in the exact position i would place them. these four guys from liverpool have affected our lives in innumerable ways, and i also agree with your statement that there has been absolutely nothing since that has been on par with them on any level (though there are a few that come close). among the closest, in my opinion, being led zeppelin, pink floyd, and radiohead. with their genre trancendence and impeccable songwriting prowess. although, none of these will have a swan song as the beatles have had. both zeppelin and floyd’s final albums are inarguably their worst, if not downright tripe. radiohead is still kicking and i see no end coming (thankfully). when i read your segment about golden slumbers/carry that weight/the end i shed a tear. and every time i hear the end i do shed a tear. it is the most beautiful and perfect way to end such a great time not only in musical history, but in world history. the four fellows will hold their timeless place in history as not only rock ‘n’ roll greats, not only as pop culture icons, but true geniuses and visionaries. rest in peace john and george, you will never be forgotten. Talon Carpenter said:
to add more to this, i am very glad that hey jude was not number one. the entire time i was reading this list i feared it would be, which would affirm my original thought that this was goint to be another one of those rolling stone-ish lists where they list things in order of public opinion rather than merit. and for all of you idiots who stumbled upo this site only to insult it? what was the point in coming in the first place? do you get kicks out of making fun of shit that you dislike? get out of here. and to you others that critique jbev for creating this list i will say what he has said already: IT’S ALL OPINION! sure across the universe was a bit low on the list. john lennon said once that he felt that that was the greatest set of lyrics he’d ever written, but that was also HIS opinion. whatever the case, jbev is a good author and i would like to read some of his other stuff. i was also wondering if wwe get a response to one of these comments will we receive an email? if not, i would like to, but i can understand if you can’t meet a special request. good job and don’t stop writing or listening to the fab four. rock on brother. Gregg said:
Look, everyone is entitled to their opinion. But to anyone who might be reading this list who are not familior with these songs, the list is useless. For me, You Know My Name was their worst, and I Feel Fine was their best. One thing I think we can all agree on, the worst Beatles song is still miles above in terms of quality than any other group has put out. Jesse said:
o come on you prick. “good day sunshine” at 183? im nothing like you described as the person who would like it…infact almost opposite yet i still like that song. butch said:
“And I Love Her”? You thought it was worthy of 3rd grade love? You’re a fuckin IDOT. Daniel Plotkin said:
“A” for effort, a “D-” for results. Clearly the author of this knows his/her Beatles, but taste is questionable. To rank a song like “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” down at #57 is not a good placement and some of the lower songs are far better than they are ranked. Nicholas said:
Look- some of your writing is comical and I appreciate the hard work you put into this but you really want to put “I want you (She’s so heavy)” down at the bottom and “I am the Walrus” so close to the top? I think for your own sake you should take another listen cause you are missing out on a beautiful song in “I Want You (She’s so heavy)” Anyway, I just wanted to say this whole list is completely insane and inverted but I truly applaud the work you putting into making it (seriously). I’ve made so many music lists like this for myself (though none so comprehensive about one band) and it is cool you made it even if I disagree with everything on it. DAve said:
Wow. I am a die hard fan but I couldn’t imagine putting in this large of an effort. I disagree with some, but I cannot bring myself to write them because I am so blown away with the insights. Well done. How about ranking the innovations the Beatles brought to Rock & Roll, stuff like the feedback on “I Feel Fine” and the like? Hans said:
What makes thsi list odd and useless is that it is merely a summary of personal opinion. That is fine if you are 11 or 12, but this offers no attempt at establishing any kind of objective criterion by which a reader might develop some insight about the songs. All we are left with is an sequence of personal taste. The comments, too, are essentially narratives. What a meaningless endeavor! This might as well have been a list of favorite colors or numbers. andrew said:
this guy HAS to be on drugs dude Melody Dodd said:
Good Day Sunshine is many times better than Why Don’t We Do It In The Road. Nice try ranking this catalogue. Racketmensch said:
“Yesterday” at 51? “Two of Us” at 30? Wow, I think I have a much better grip on the word “subjective.” Emily said:
Excellent feat my friend. No, I don’t agree with a lot of it, but good music isn’t generic enough that everyone has the same opinion of it. The Beatles were amazing, and their work is much too dynamic for you and I to have all mutual favorites. That’s the beauty of it! Glen said:
First of all, great list; it’s obvious that you have not only a real and genuine command of the Beatles’ catalogue, but also the English language…a refreshing change on the internet. Alex said:
Like others said….great read! No, I don’t agree with a whole lot of the order of things, but the writing about each song is, well, fab. Thanks. Natalie said:
Glad to see my two favourite tunes in the top 10. Something, and A Day In THe Life. It truly is, the best Beatles song! Dave said:
FYI- It is indeed clearly a French horn (a brass instrument), not the unrelated English horn (which is a double reed woodwind, like a lower-pitched oboe) on For No One, played by one of Britain’s top practitioners of that instrument at the time, Alan Civil. While I of course don’t agree with all the song rankings, I appreciate the passion for music and the interesting criticism. All the best! carolann said:
This list is garbage. It’s all subjective. You lost me at #185. Go make a list of all the more productive ways you could have spent your time. chucky said:
171- Wild Honey Pie(???) It’s an opinion of one person: not important chucky said:
The Beatles are the only group or artist which all the songs are covered by others groups or artists. john carr said:
The guy who wrote this countdown is a non musical idiot. fendergibson said:
I’m thinking that OJ was playing ‘Run for Your Life’ on his I-pod as he was butchering Goldman and Nicole. fendergibson said:
It’s clear from listening to some of these songs for the 1st time in 40 years that Paul McCartney was the only musical virtuoso in the group. His bass playing is dynomite. beatlejonw said:
Isn’t great that 39 years after the breakup, the Beatles STILL generate this much “buzz” and conversation? Thanks for your thoughtful opinions and effort. I disagree with the order as well, but who cares…this is all about opinion sharing and enjoyment of the best rock band the world will ever know. I would be interested in hearing your opinions on the “Love” versions as well. thanks for taking the time to write this! Ken said:
i love the beatles, like many. i disagree with your ordering, like many. i understand that this is all your opinion, and your opinion is not the same as mine, like some. i think that the beatles linear track breakdown is a big read, and a monumental undertaking, like probably almost everyone. -Ken kmc said:
Wow, I am shocked at the negative, rude replies that have been written. Totally uncalled for. Conrad said:
Wow… just wow. Don’t necessarily agree with it much, but its truly amazing. Sorry, but way too long to read the entire thing. Congrats! Cathy said:
…this article made me a little mad and spew flames. Anyhow, it was a decent attempt. I can’t bash y Michael said:
I like the list but some of these are just so wrong. Abbey Road is definitely one of the if not the best albums and that is not what “heavy” meant. “Heavy” back then is like “hot” to us today. But still I totally agree that the top ten is pretty accurate Jen said:
GREAT list. Jo said:
I love the Beatles. But a day in the life is the best? No freaking way. Jen said:
I dunno. It’s at least ONE of the best. MY all time favorite was in the top five, so I’m happy. (Hey Jude…I clicked on “play here” just to hear it NOW. lol). I love that song (A day in the life). Sure, there’s others that I’d put in my OWN personal top five…and I’ve mentioned three of them. Yael said:
I can’t say I approve of the idea of ranking Beatles songs, and I do strongly disagree with many of your choices, but I’m still planning to bookmark this and go back to it to read through the explanations later. It is, after all, one person’s opinion, so who am I to argue with that? I do agree with your choice for worst- I am a passionate Beatles fan but I cannot bring myself to defend “Revolution 9.” It is not a song at all- it is, quite simply, John fooling around in the recording studio and deciding to stick it on an album just because he could. I don’t think I could choose a favorite Beatles song, but if I had to I would probably end up with “A Day in the Life.” It is without a doubt an unsurpassed (if not unequaled) masterpiece. In between the best and the worst, I have a good number of dissagreements (like your placement of “Wild Honey Pie,” the closest Paul ever got to “Revolution 9,” before “Honey Pie,” which is a charming song if lacking in genius) but to each his own. I commend you for taking the time and effort to do this. fernando said:
Worst List Ever! Tom said:
Interesting list but everybody would have a different list. This person CLEARLY doesn’t like the white album and has no time for experimental music. To that end, dear writer, if you’re reading this then DEFINITELY DO NOT ever bother listening to ‘Trout Mask Replica” by Captain Beefheart. Your head will explode. TT (By the way, the worst Beatles song is “When I Get Home.” Don’t argue with me. Using the phrase “love you till the cows come home” seals the deal.) Nick F said:
First of all I would like to say how childish it is to come on here and criticize someone who has obviously taken a great amount of time to create a list of songs by the band he loves so much. This is all a matter of opinion and nobody has the right to criticize someone else because they feel something should be different. cats meow said:
Geez! So many people take this thing too seriously – lighten up wouldja? The writer is a few years younger than me and I’m a little too young to have experienced the Beatles in the glory of the cultural context (I was born in 1965). We have a different perspective than those that were about the right age, probably born between 1945 and 1960ish. As do the kids that grew up during the 80s or 90s have a different perspective. I know my ranking (was I to undertake such an endeavor) has changed a lot over the years and probably changes day to day. I am one that wants to listen to an entire albumn, and one who had Magical Mystery Tour on 8 track as well as the red and blue albumns on disc (still have ‘em). I wouldn’t have picked A Day In the Life as #1 but that’s just because every time I hear it I think of a dumb skit my sister and I did in the living room “performing” for my parents. Across the Universe, Blackbird, and Revolution (single version) would have been my top three. If you’d ever listened to #9 on acid you might have a different opinion of it, though it is a little presumtuous of me to assume that you haven’t. My favorite songs to sing at the top of my lungs would be different too: Oh Darling, Rocky Racoon, and Everybody’s Got Something to Hide would be the top three there (unfortunately EGSTH is impossible to find at a karaoke bar). And my top songs to listen to when I’m down and need uplifting, top songs when your’e going through a breakup or starting a new relationship, top songs to dance to, top songs to put on when I’m cleaning the house… so many possibilities. The song I like the least has always been Run for Your Life, probably because I was stalked by a former boyfriend. It’s always given me the creeps. I’ve often said that the Beatles will survive for decades, if not centuries, to come. Could you rate Mozart’s catalog next? Andrew S said:
Great job! Can’t say that I’d agree with the placings but surely that’s not the intended point. Excellent celebration of a superb back catalogue. For what it’s worth the Beatles album rather than individual track that I go back to the most is ‘With The Beatles’ (UK release date 22 November 1963). John Lennon’s vocals were never stronger. I think the US equivalent was a combination of ‘Meet The Beatles’ and ‘The Beatles Second Album). Ken Weinkauf said:
While I (and everyone who reads this list) do not agree with the placement of all the songs, the great benefit jbev has done for us is to make every Beatle song available via YouTube! For that I am very grateful. I thought I knew some things, but you increased my storehouse of knowledge of everything Beatle. Thanks again. Magnus Svensson said:
First: Kudos for taking the time. Magnus Svensson said:
I get a lot of flack for being a hardcore Beatles fan, lots of people telling me that the Beatles suck. Dirk Hampstead said:
A labour of love for sure – and a near impossible task. I was so desperate to get to the end that I need to go back and read through each entry more carefully. Diana said:
not too bad. i’m glad that she’s leaving home got such a rating. it’s one of my all time favorites. the golden slumbers medley is also pretty much perfectly placed. but yer blues is definitely not that far back. nice job, any how. way to move some of the great obscurities to the top :] kmc said:
Well said Nick. Thank you for such an articulate post from a generation that I thought unable to communicate well. David said:
Lame list. Truly lame. #185 should have been a Ringo song. Period. As for the rest of the list? Equally lame. Terry Hurley said:
Can’t agree with your comments about Penny Lane – some of your others were spot on. Interesting article. Well done. Nathaniel said:
I doubt anyone will read this, as I gave up reading all of the above, but: Anton MacFarlane said:
I stopped reading at 182 the fact that I had already seen I Want You and Yer Blues is disgusting, horrible list. Bryan said:
Look revolution 9 isn’t filling the air ways – but it reminds me of DJ Shadow and i think it’s a precursor to a lot of the stuff Madlib and Shadow are doing out west. . . I also think you showed some heavy criticism of the blues oriented beatles songs . . . well, something has to go last – but not Yer Blues or I want you . . . i think you are letting your preconceived Paul-Bias influence you there. Erik said:
Congratulations on your exhaustive efforts. Each listen, to even one of their songs, is a fluid and unique experience. The apex of their musical achievements doesn’t diminish the spark they exhibited early on. Their failed experiments opened doors to marvelous creative and technical breakthroughs. Their trash was indeed another man’s (band’s) treasure. Successful careers were born by lousy imitators mimicking songs perceived to be duds in this list. eric said:
You’re not too far off until you rank “Magical Mystery Tour” as worse than “Blue Jay Way.” Absurd. youarealldouchebags said:
I agree with Enraged Beatles fan. The Beatles are awesome, and your ratings are serously messed up. Steve Howell said:
That’s enough. I can go no further. If the rest of the list is as awful as #’s 166 through 185 all I can say is WOW! Did you actually listen to these songs? Steve Howell said:
You are or have been to heavily influenced by “Top 40″ radio. “Think For Yourself” edward gagnon said:
This is great, thanks for pointing out so many songs, I hadn’t heard all of them before. fendergibson said:
after spending 4 days listening to these songs for the first time in 40 years, i’d say ‘things we said today’ is my fave. i don’t remember this song being so damn good. great tune. simple and very tasteful. Nicholas said:
I am astonished at the time and effort you must have put into this. I don’t agree with all your listings, but I loved the chance to hear these songs over again. I am old enough to have seen the Beatles live on stage and I shall be a fan till the day I die! Noah said:
i take it you don’t care much for the white album. it’s one of my favorites, but then again im kind of an insanity junky. props to all your top 10 picks. you really know your beatles! jbev said:
Beatle fans, Thanks to everyone who has commented, and keep ‘em coming. I’ll stay on top of them and give responses when I can. Dean said:
I appreciate the effort. It’s all opinion. Nobody will have the same list. The thing that stung a bit was Penny Lane. One of the best songs every written AND recorded. A definite Beatles top 10. But, that’s just my opinion. ece said:
ok, I disagree with you, but I also agree with the idea of making a list for Beatles songs, because all the Beatles songs are excellent (at least %95 of them, lol!) and everyone has their favorite songs, I felt very sad when I saw some of my favorites in the beginning of the list… ece said:
I appreciate your articles about the songs though, they are well done, thank you. but not the listing idea… Rhonda said:
Loved your article!! Here, There & Everywhere is my favorite Beatle song and was glad to see it at #20. Robin R said:
Every time I see one of these lists, it’s the comments at the end of it that make it even more….interesting. It always amazes me how a person will attack anyone who puts together a list like this and will criticize the author, even knowing that it’s based on opinion and not fact. A song may be “garbage” to one person and a “masterpiece” to another…and vice versa. It doesn’t make one person right and the other wrong, it just means that we live in a big wide world where opinions differ and that’s the beauty of it. With that said, thank you for the article! It was very interesting. My choices aren’t necessarily on par with yours, but it’s a fact that, even on their worst day, the Beatles were/are better than 90% of the bands out there today. They’ll always be the best in my eyes. Toppermost of the poppermost. enio martins said:
Dear JBev Greetings from Brazil! I just found out this amazing “Beatle-Treaty” yesterday. And can’t help myself from reading till I reach the very last line you have wrote (to be honest, I take showers, eat and stuff in between). Even in your ridiculous moments (like on “All Togheter Now” with your silly typical american insights bout soccer games, for i.e) I enjoy your point of view. The thing that really (marvellous) hooked me: a beatle analysis from someone who understands the music paths, chords, mixdown stuff, instruments. I’m a musician also and your perception about beatle techniques in the studio and as songwriters is superb. In resume: I don’t agree with your countdown list (I’m a big beatle-fan too, you know?), but I agree with macca on that his famous solo line: when you got a job to do you gotta do it well. Thanx for share your beatle state of mind, dude. [...] An interesting analysis. [...] BeatleBabe said:
I don’t agree with the ranking of most of your songs, but I am pleasantly surprised that I saw some relatively unknown to the popular masses, songs ranked fairly high (ie: You Won’t See Me). When I first started to read the list, I got angry that a lot of songs I really love were at the end. Then, I remembered that I love most of the Beatles songs and could probably only count on my fingers the songs I’ve skipped over on an album. I’ve tried my best to think up a top 10 ranking before, and have never been able to decide. I know my favorite is “Hey Jude” but after that, there’s a battle between “Sexy Sadie,” “She’s Leaving Home,” “For No One,” “You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away,” “You Never Give me Your Money,” “Anna (Go To Him)” etc etc etc. There’s just too many I love to ever rank them, so I applaud your effort, even though I don’t necessarily agree with it. (SERIOUSLY! PENNY LANE AT 141! AND FOR REAL! GOOD DAY SUNSHINE IS A GREAT SONG!) CAGold said:
My list would be different. Black Bird and Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown) would be in my top 10. I do agree that “She’s Leaving Home” deserves a top ten spot though. It is too hard. It really depends on ones mood. I commend you for your efforts. gringo557 said:
I think I disagree with the whole concept of this stupid article. You lost me completely when you put “I Want You (She’s So Heavy)” near the “top.” A dumb and pointless article, really. Joe said:
I am a huge beatles/john lennon fan and I gotta say my opinions are very different. I find that revolution #9 was infact an important track for the white album. You stated that nowhere today will you find the things that make up revolution #9? You are very wrong in that statement. Every major artist out there experiments with this type of work. even some rappers have dipped into it. I want you she’s so heavy does not belong that far back in the list. I have much respect for a fellow beatles fan but to be honest…to be honest with all of you…I’m a beatles fan that can honestly say I dont have a problem with ANY of the beatles songs and can listen and sing along to any one of them. especially post mop top era. Bickley said:
You have a point on some of these. However, I heartily disagree with Julia being considered one of their worst songs. It’s one of my favorite songs of all time. I loved it BEFORE I knew what is was supposed to be about. It’s a gorgeous, simple song. This is an interesting list though, even if I feel some songs do not belong on the list. If I see “Happiness is a Warm Gun” on here you’re going down! Luke said:
I hope not to be too much about this like the “Author” of this book but just to inform you and maybe some younger viewers and listens to The Beatles and their music . ” I want you ( She so Heavy ) ” the song itself is a ‘jam’, and a loud one at that.( PAul also tried to sing it. Jennifer said:
Although I don’t agree with most of your order (”And I love her”, “I’m a Loser” and “Yesterday” I thought should’ve all been ranked in the top 10), I found it impressive the amount of information you know about the Beatles. Obviously making a list about songs is so subjective that its practically impossible for two people to agree on the order. But great job ! PeterG said:
Truly admirable! Great commentary, even if you’re completely wrong about “Revolution 9″ and “I Want You”, and many others! Oh, and why aren’t the cover versions and the Anthology tracks on here? Billy Oatmeal said:
You have the worst taste in Beatles song ever. You put all the good ones near the back or somewhere in the middle and put the most boring songs they ever made in the Top 30. What the hell is wrong with you? Billy Oatmeal said:
I just realized this… Who the hell even tries to put what the beatles wrote in order of best to worst? Somethings just shouldn’t be done. zimm said:
Reverse the order and ya might have something. whumanbard said:
Although I have read through some of this list and haven’t admired the complete commentary, my question is ‘How old are you’? I agree that everything is well though out, but I don’t think you took enough time to listen over a period of a lifetime to even properly establish this list. fendergibson said:
the writer put rev9 right where it should have been. at the back end where excrement is expectorated. the only thing that could make it worse is if yoko started singing. Will said:
Wow. While I cannot agree with a lot of your order, I certainly appreciate the time, thought and dedication put into this project. Undoubtedly a lobour of love and a great read. Thanks for murdering my afternoon! My work beckons. CJ in PHX said:
JBEV is no musician. Clearly [...] JamsBio lists The Beatles’ songs from worst to [...] Martin said:
very diffficult to write a definitive list of Beatles best and worst, because its all very personal and I reckon impossible to be Objective about it especially for a Beatles fan because its almost like trying to talk about religon or politics!! And of course this is someones opinion!! Martin said:
Sorry that should be Mind and not Ming!!! (in the above comment!!!) Gus said:
Jeez, everyone’s a critic. I cannot believe the amount of “underappreciation” for this fantastic compilation. Sure there’s going to be differences of opinion about what is best; it happens all the Darius said:
To dismiss ‘Julia’ as spectral, is to miss the point entirely. Lennon never new his mother in any intimate way and so for him she was always a spectral figure, an idealised version of what a woman could be, a fantasy and a dream. This is exactly what the lyric and the melody brings out so well. It is like a nursery rhyme, it’s a display of innocence, of a peaceful, but none the less powerful, realisation that this vision of his mother is damaging to him and that he must relinquish it. At the same time it bares powerful testament to the power which Yoko Ono had over him and his devotion to her, that he was willing to give up the most important relationship of his life and start again. The primal scream radicalism of ‘Mother’ is another manifestation of the feelings which he carried around and which fed his melancholia, but is misleading as Julia was never his mother, but his best friend. The fact that he recognises these feelings as chimerical in ‘Julia’ makes it all the more emotive and moving. James said:
I really enjoyed this article. It’s entirely subjective, but interesting nonetheless. To all these people carping – do something better or shut up you joyless fuckers. dan said:
raccoons aren’t rodents. and “penny lane” is too low. good read anyway! Paul said:
jbev, Great list, thanks for the time and energy it took to create. The writing is fantastic and the stories insightful. Oh, and … what are you, tone deaf? Most underrated: other than a major overhaul of the 20’s and 30’s and maybe the bottom 20, this is 80% in line with my tastes of the greatest band ever. Nice job. DC said:
Where is I Need You by George Harrison track 4 on Help! i have gone through this list millions of times and can not see it if someone else can please confirm what number it’s at. Aaron said:
Am I missing something??? what about “Twist and Shout”? Aaron said:
oops nevermind, i see its ORIGINAL songs Bill Houser said:
I spent about 4 hours reading your list. I remember the Beatles being introduced on tha Ed Sullivan show in 1964(i was only 8 at the time).I was completely transformed. Although I might not agree with your list, it’s still a wonderful piece of work.It’s obvious that you took a tremendous amount of time on it (your list)Thank you fendergibson said:
“I Need You” is #88. The writer said that he included no covers and “Twist and Shout” is an Isley Bros cover. That’s why the wretched “Mr. Moonlight” is excluded. [...] crunched the numbers to determine their best albums. JamsBio Magazine has gone a step further and listed all 185 songs in order of goodness. My #1 song (”Two Of Us”) finished at 30 on their list. Also, [...] rigby said:
This list is a joke. The writer doesn’t even know that in the song “You Know My Name (Look Up The Number)” the lounge singer Dennis O’Bell is actually Paul McCartney, not John Lennon!! If this guy can’t even tell who’s singing the songs how can he possibly be qualified to rate them? Uggh!!! Walkathon said:
Granted, any list like this is gonna instantly divide people and alight the Internet with flames, but what’s specifically lame here is its same old tired, outdated, standard “rock critic” guard approach. The ones near the bottom are arbitrarily dissed, the ones at the top lauded for endlessly overtread and cliched reasons. “Penny Lane” at 141, eh? Pure prime knee-jerk melodic Paul rockist dismissal. The only true surprise (and modicum of praise I’ll admit to) was that with this general misguided malaise of reasoning, the sour piece of scuzzed-out dirty hippie claptrap that is “Come Together” wasn’t placed in auto-pilot mode straight at #1. [...] JamsBio-Magazine hat nun eine Liste online gestellt, die quasi hinten beginnt. Es werden zuerst die “schlechtesten Songs genannt [...] Joe - The Beatles Bible said:
Wow, what a thought-provoking exercise. Congratulations for writing it. You were never going to please everyone, and these things always encourage passionate disagreements, but I’ve got to admire your dedication in doing it. Brendan said:
This is a great list – I was also pleased to see so many tracks off ‘Beatles For Sale’ achieving such high ranking. It’s funny how opinions differ so much though. I would probably put ‘Penny Lane’ at number one and ‘I Am The Walrus’ at number two. And although I am a huge fan of Paul’s, my pet hate is actually ‘Hello Goodbye’. I would probably rate this as their worst original composition. Although the backing of the band is OK, the melody and lyrics are boring and repetitive. I was fascinated to read how much you love that song. I always wondered who liked it as it did make it to number one once! Ann Savage said:
Amazing list! Since the day the link was first posted on the Beatles “What Goes On” Web site I’ve come back to it almost every evening after work. Today, I will finish reading it! I’m almost sad I’m near the end. One reason it’s taking so long is that I’m savoring it, listening to many of the songs on YouTube while reading the author’s assessment. One doesn’t have to agree with the numerical of order each song to appreciate his reviews. I’d love to know how long this list took him to complete! [...] guy ranked all the Beatles songs, with extensive explanations for all of them. I only looked a few pages and disagreed with him all [...] [...] each. I’m only passingly familiar with the Beatles’ music, and even I got swept up. Get sucked in for [...] [...] links to a ranked list of Beatles songs, which has “A Day in the Life” at No. 1. I’ve always liked that song, but [...] Paul T said:
Brave but sooo wrong, as of course every real Beatles fan will realise. [...] + Non-sports: There is a Butt Hole Road sign in England. This is its story. {New York Times.} Ranking the entire Beatles song catalogue. {Jamsbio.} [...] Charley Parker said:
Astonishingly, appallingly wrong, particularly the top five. I can only assume that the author of this list is too young to have been a teenager when the Beatles started recording, and has no perspective of their music in relation to the times, or the progression and development of it over the course of their career and in the context of 60’s music as a whole. mangoduck said:
not that this comment matters, but i disagree so hard. sorry, but numbering the songs is a bit asinine. the subject matter, style, and overall presentation of each song will fall differently on each listener’s feelings. i’ve noticed this change for me over time, over years and decades, as i begin to tire of some tunes and really dig others because of where i am in my life and my alignment with the concepts and structures they’ve framed. that said, now to pick on the list, as objectively as possible: glass onion at 59? lovely rita at 61? rocky raccoon at 73? girl at 100? michelle at 126? dig a pony at 131? cry baby cry at 143? blue jay way at 146? flying at 154? long long long at 179? how do you pick on some songs for being so simple and throw-away in nature, then favor things like i am the walrus and all you need is love? wild honey pie is short and uncomplicated, but fun, goddammit! cry baby cry should be near sexy sadie. long long long should be near mother nature’s son. on and on. you know, i hated pulp fiction. gives me a sick gut that i see no purpose in. “well, that was crazy, i wonder why i watched it.” i know lots of people disagree. so be it, it’s opinion! a list is only a feud-starter. Mattynabib said:
Great list but… “Honey Pie” and “I Want You” (among others) at the bottom of the list, below things like “Wild Honey Pie” or “Why Don’t We Do It In the Road”?!? Surely you jest. They are both more melodic and more actual SONGS than either of those latter ones. Of course, actual mileage may vary – the Fab 4 have such a diverse catalog that everyone is bound to rate things differently. Nice work on this project! [...] Beatles Backwards For Beatle aficionados — a ranking of all the songs by The Beatles, from No. 185 (Revolution 9) to No. 1 (A Day In The Life) that is certain to spark endless debate, [...] Ann Savage said:
//Charley Parker said: I can only assume that the author of this list is too young to have been a teenager when the Beatles started recording, and has no perspective of their music in relation to the times, or the progression and development of it over the course of their career and in the context of 60’s music as a whole.// If you had read it, you wouldn’t have to “assume.” Leo said:
Wow: this comment section is entirely useless. I’d recommend trashing it. As for the list, great job. damon said:
“So “Long, Long, Long” has cost me many hours of sleep, probably taking years off my life in the process. I’m holding a grudge.” Awwww poor you. [...] Songs Ranked Let the debate begin! JamsBio magazine has ranked Beatles songs from #185 down to #1. This is an amazingly comprehensive list with each [...] 50Cent said:
The Beatles haven’t been relevant in decades, if they ever even were. [...] JamsBio ranks The Beatles’ songs from first all the way to #185 [...] Simone Alexander said:
When I look back at the Beatles and now listen to their their songs, I am able to relive different stages in my life. When I was 12, “She Loves You” sent me through the roof. In high school & college more introspective songs inspired me. Now in my 5th decade of life, I consider all of their songs classic(al). I’m not so much hung up on rankings but memories that I associate with their music at specific points in time. [...] Playing the Beatles Backwards: The Ultimate Countdown [...] andrew said:
With “And Your Bird Can Sing” absent from this list, the only possible conclusion to be drawn is that someone is playing a practical joke. No Oyster said:
Too many comments for me to scour to see if someone already mentioned this, and it’s a pretty minor quibble, but there most certainly is an intended moral in Carroll’s “The Walrus and the Carpenter.” It’s a thinly veiled jab at organized religion. This makes it a much more entertaining read (imho) but it also adds an interesting wrinkle to interpretation of the song. Mark said:
Just had to get a post in here…for posterity. Love(d) the Beatles for over 40 years. With great lead vocal(s), great harmony vocal(s), great drum/bass/rhythm and lead playing AND writing AND arrangements AND production – well, any list aside, they still made an artistic contribution that will NEVER be equaled in popular music. While I’m slightly in awe of the time devoted to create this list, I prefer to just enjoy the music, no greater than/less than necessary. As a thought provoker or conversation starter however, it’s great! bughunter said:
Wow. What an utterly craptastic job. First of all, there are at least three eras of Beatles songs, and it’s a nonsequitur to compare between them. Secondly, some of your comments at the lower ranks reveal that you really didn’t bother to even try and understand the songs you placed there. Finally, many of your comments are so subjective as to make your work worthless to your readers, and unfair to your subject. The only thing that keeps this from being a total failure is your earnestness… but then even that can be used to judge this work negatively. Him said:
Not much here about music, either in the body of the piece or the comments section. Seems to me to be one man’s opinion of the Beatles output as cultural artifact. As though Ringo, for instance, was on the same level as John, Paul & George, with no regard for the latter three’s very sophisticated musical skills and innate talent. The writer is reviewing ideas, perhaps, but ideas aren’t music unless they’re musical ideas. Utterly pointless exercise without any actual musical standard to measure against. meg said:
Loved the list. I found the comments extremely interesting. I was amazed at how many people had critisized it though, purely on the basis of THEIR own opinion. The Beatles are the greatest band of all time in my opinion, and the fact that over forty years later, devoted fans are still debating their songs….well, thats a lot of fans. It seems that any one of these songs is someones favorite of course, so saying anyone’s opinion is ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ is ridiculous. I think that if someone did a survey of every Beatles fan in the entire world, this list would be fairly representitive of the general rankings. I really agree with Revolution 9 as worst, and although Day in the Life is not personally my favorite, I agree that it is one of the best. That said, I liked your reviews on the songs, especially ‘I Will’, ‘For No One’, ‘Dear Prudence’, ‘Back in the USSR’ and ‘ob-la-di ob-la-da’, which I feel is hated upon far more than it deserves. I really admire Jbevs undertaking here as it’s apparent that he loves the Beatles, whatever some of the comenters must say. Thank you, and all the other Beatles fans who continue to preserve their legacy Chuck S said:
Thank you for this labor of love. mepresta said:
[...] Las 185 mejores canciones de los Beatles. Amplias críticas, tubos y criterio soberbio. Share and Enjoy: These icons link to social [...] beatles link « Crud said:
[...] http://magazine.jamsbio.com/2009/01/05/playing-the-beatles-backwards-the-ultimate-countdown/20/ Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)Cool Site!Blogging 2.0 [...] R.G.Daniel said:
…”This is not your run-of-the-mill orchestral crescendo. It sounds like the instruments are racing each other in a feverish effort to get to the necessary chord first. This brilliant flourish, conceived by McCartney, is a marvel of shambolic grandeur that seems to mirror the entirety of the human race rushing to find a meaning to their existence….” Brilliant bit of writing there!! Well done throughout, in fact, but that actually gave me goosebumps… Prioritizing a whole body of work like this is of course a fool’s errand, but it’s been done with such thoughtfulness that I won’t quibble, even where the ranking is clearly wrong. I will say this: Revolution #9, however out-of-place in the larger context of the band, or of pop music in general for that matter, was completely successful for the experimental soundscape and studio construct that it set out to be, and should have been recognized for its efforts and achievement ahead of the dozens of knockoffs and throwaways that placed higher. A. Jordan said:
I give you kudos for taking on the challenge but I feel that the list should have been made up of only songs written by The Beatles themselves, no covers. But, if you insist on critiquing covers, then where is Twist & Shout? Rosemary said:
Firstly congratulations and thank you very much for this fantastic list which I could (and probably will) spend weeks exploring! We can never really explain why one piece of music appeals and another doesn’t and I certainly respect the opinion of others but as someone who grew up with the Beatles, I can’t help but add a few comments. Ask Me Why rated # 180 is very unexpected. It’s a top song, great vocals, great backing, lovely modulations. In fact I can’t stop singing it now and would rate it in the top 20 or so. Others I think should be ranked considerably higher are: Long, Long, Long, Magical Mystery Tour, And I Love Her, There’s a Place, Penny Lane, Another Girl, Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, She Said She Said, Because, I Should Have Known Better. Other observations. Revolution 9 mightn’t be very whistleable but I’d still rate it more highly than a few others and I Want To Hold Your Hand is a much more interesting song than She Loves You so I’d probably reverse that order. As for the top of the list. I’ve never liked Dear Prudence but am very pleased to see Yes It Is included in the top 30. john said:
wow: “I just don’t get it and I never will.” i tried to get past the revolution 9 review, but it was quickly followed by ‘i want you’ and ‘yer blues’. so i take it that ‘rocky raccoon’ ‘when im 64′ ‘dont pass me by’ ‘you like me too much’ etc etc ETC, are all ranked HIGHER than these? sheesh! if he’s gonna say ‘i want you’ is some 60s cliche, he’d better have grim words about ’strawberry fields forever’ and ‘all you need is love’. by the way, DUDE, ‘yer blues’ started as a JOKE (on the british blues scene). if you’re gonna pick apart the psychology of what they were thinking, or trying to do, please learn the history first, huh? there’s one or two books out there about the beatles to read if you so chose. no mention of the sex (oral? manual?) in ’sunshine’… another little joke lost on our intrepid explorer. you CAN’T play the record of ‘long long long’ and be startled awake after. it’s THE LAST SONG ON THE SIDE. dummy. gee, sorry your nocturnes are disturbed by music. don’t blame george. and i guess you’ve never heard ’sister lovers’ (big star) or ‘carolyn’s song’ (the rain parade)… ‘long long long’ is one of the beatles very best songs/productions. it just sounds nothing like merseybeat– but so what? next time try to stay awake and LISTEN. forget where it is on the lp. just listen to it, by itself. okay, he doesn’t get ‘old brown shoe’. why am i reading this? why?? “I can sort of accept it being on Hey Jude”. well, thank goodness. at least the beatles don’t have to change their lp lineups for you, in this case anyway. aren’t the beatles lucky and blessed for your acceptance? and who are you, exactly? sorry that you AS A KID was infuriated that you had to wait to listen to HEY JUDE again for the zillionth time, but do you think you can listen to it now, more objectively, as an adult? can’t you try? if not, then why are you writing this? good lord. i’m starting to think that this list would work for me if it were reversed in order, ‘revolution 9′ at the being the top. that sounds a lot better to me. i’m not joking. i can not turn to the next page. thanks for wasting my time with a little-thought-out and poorly-researched RANKING piece of music sh*ticism. by the way, just so you know, i’m JOKING there, except about the ranking. John Irvine said:
Rank them any way you want, but they are all great. A far more interesting analyst of the Beatles canon is Alan Pollack, musicologist, who breaks down what’s going on musically in each song here: Even the most apparently simple and straightforward songs are actually quite unique and unusual in terms of composition. And I’ll take “Old Brown shoe” over “Hey Jude” any day of the week. kurt said:
I’m confused about how this person decided which was to rank them. I read through Revolution 9 and She’s So Heavy and it became very clear very quickly that this person (while they may be an avid beatles fan) is not a very big music fan, and it’s unclear as to whether any of this is relevant… [...] by Happy Camper I am the Walrus?` If you are a Beatles fan, you should really check this out: Playing The Beatles Backwards: The Ultimate Countdown | JamsBio Magazine Basically, this guy lists his favorite 185 Beatles songs. However, instead of just providing a [...] Sveinbjörn said:
I absolutely disagree with you on a lot of the songs, but I thank you wholeheartedly nevertheless for the list. I went through it in a couple of days, and discovered a lot of songs that i’d missed or forgotten. I’ve never given the early albums much credit, so I discovered some gems off them that i’d missed before. Again, thank you. Great work. DC said:
“AND YOUR BIRD CAN SING” IS NUMBER 34 WHI IS MAGGIE MAE ON THE LIST I DID NOT THINK THEY WROTE THIS ONE THEMSELVES? [...] here. I’m not a big Beatles fan, but it’s a shrine. Please treat is as [...] [...] Over the past couple days, it seems like just about everyone is linking to it. One writer ranks the Beatles’ songs from 185 to 1. Great list. I’ve been thinking, oh for about a year, about my own top five or ten Beatles [...] shay said:
HAHAHA! this has totally made my day! i’ve actually only read revolution 9 so far, but that has TOTALLY made my day! it was so funny! these are awesome! DaveFoll said:
Although I haven’t read every song review yet, I was impressed by your poignant analyses of your favorites (”Strawberry Fields Forever”, “She’s Leaving Home”, and “A Day in the Life” among many others). The obvious problem is that your nominees for the worst songs are other people’s favorites. There’s a bit of inconsistency: You rank “Revolution 9″ as worst at #185 because of its weirdness, while “I Am the Walrus” scores #2 because of its weirdness. Although “Rev 9″ wouldn’t make my Top 10 either (I could do without the shrillness of the final two minutes and the sloppy “block that kick” left-right panning), it wouldn’t be anywhere near the bottom of my list. I’ve always seen it as fulfilling the same role as your top-rated “A Day in the Life” did on Sgt. Pepper: the bold Lennon experiment that closes the show (with “Good Night” filling in for that long relaxing piano fade). You make a good point about it not becoming the music of the future (”here we are, 40 years later, and I don’t see the pop charts filled with experimental song collages …)” But let me make a film analogy. The great sci-fi movies of the 50s and 60s sure didn’t predict the future very well, but their visions of the future are fascinating and valuable in their own right. I’ll take Kubrick and Clarke’s vision of 2001 over the real 2001 any day — wouldn’t you? And while I’m on this subject: If you had asked me before November 2008, I would have said that the 20th century, thanks in no small part to the Fabs, kicks the 21st century’s pathetic ass to a pulp. And it appears that Pepsi agrees with me. Is their “My Generation” mini-tour of Century 20 the coolest ad ever, or what? [...] Via Tyler Cowen, a ranking of every Beatles song from #185-#1. [...] Dave said:
Wow, the comments were almost hysterical. People, people…the very nature of a list like this is that it’s one man’s opinion. The point is to encourage discussion, debate, and analysis. It’s amazing how so many of you seem so personally insulted that he didn’t rank your personal favorite song in the right spot that you dismiss the writer as uninformed, idiotic, or whatever. I may disagree with his rankings, but I enjoyed reading the list, went back and listened to some of the lesser known songs I hadn’t listened to in a while, and thought it was well written. And that, after all, was the point of the exercise. Ptrick said:
Once I saw Yer Blues listed as the 4th worst, I stopped reading. Whoever put this list together is a blithering idiot. soo said:
this was a beautiful read. i went over so many songs, years, memories. and though i disagreed with you a few times) it was truly lovely to listen to all these songs again. i tell you, we’re suckers for nostalgia! Ptrick said:
OK, I’m sorry but this list appears to have been compiled using a random number generator. I’m all for bumping up a personal favorite obscure song over a major hit, but She’s Leaving Home at #4 and It’s Only a Northern Song at least 20 spots higher than it should be…. j said:
these comments are funny, just let the guy have his opinion and get over it otherwise make your own list. 10. While my guitar gently weeps j said:
these comments are funny, just let the guy have his opinion and get over it otherwise make your own list. 10. While my guitar gently weeps but yeh I’d place she’s so heavy a little bit higher up (: dan said:
Thanks for all the time you spent on this – a most worthwhile way to spend a Sunday night, great idea having the links although having the album and year underneath each song would save a little head scratching… And I can empathise with your obsession – my parents bought me Sgt Peppers when I was 10 so I would leave the original EP’s alone. Thanks Again. [...] Playing The Beatles Backwards: The Ultimate Countdown | JamsBio Magazine "To most Beatles fans, choosing between the songs of the Fab 4 is a bit like choosing between children. But, on the JamsBio exclusive, Playing The Beatles Backwards, one intrepid fan dares to rank the original songs of The Beatles and give his reasons why in a worst-to-first countdown. Prepare to hit the message boards to defend your favorites, and follow the countdown all the way to Number 1." Oh, this could be fun. (tags: the_beatles) [...] Ken said:
Hes young! what can you say how many times have all of your presumed lists of fav Beatles songs change year after year decade after decade ?? Its true, One decade My fav album might have been Abby Road. The last 10 years it would have to be The White album. No way can I gauge my appreciation of Beatle songs in 185 increments cuz I love many of them the same. Also people like songs for a lot of different reasons. What might be the most important, most popular most creative might not be ones most favorite. You cannot take this kind of list to seriously but it is fun. There might be better and more complicated approaches to theyre songs then others no doubt but they are his favorites for what ever reasons. One thing is for sure his list will be different in another 10 years. For the Beatles are easily the greatest act in the history of entertainment. My favs but not necessarily the greatest or the most important 25. In no order If I Fell,Dear Prudence, Ill Get You, This Boy, Theres A place, Goodnight,No Reply,For No One, And Your Bird Can Sing,Abby Road medly,Oh Darling,The Long And Winding Road,Things We Said Today,I Need You,E Rigby,Ill Be Back, Hey Bulldog,I Will,I Am The Walrus,Paperback Writer, Dont Let me Down,Rain,Mr Postman,You Cant Do That,Nowhere Man [...] JAMSBIO Magazine, the top Beatles songs from #185 to #1. There’s an explanation for each; read this to get the whole [...] The ultimate Beatles countdown » The Sly Oyster | culture & entertainment on the sly » Blog Archive said:
[...] The Beatles are still fodder for discourse. So where do your favorite Fab Four songs stack up in a ranking of all the songs by The Beatles, from #185 (Revolution 9) to #1 (A Day In The Life). To novice Beatles fans, I warn you not to [...] Stacia said:
You concentrate too much on the lyrics and vocals of “Sun King”. Listen to the opening instrumental part in mono with headphones, and suddenly you are transported to something Yo La Tengo wished they had written in the mid 90s. Its extraordinarily detailed and deliberate bass and guitar parts are too brilliant to completely ignore in this otherwise splendid list. [...] Ultimate Beatles Countdown is an in-depth critique of the best work of the maestros complete with the audio tracks [...] jerry said:
Lennon was right. Revolution 9 is the music of the future. The future, of course, is now. Every time my teenage kids turn on the radio all I hear is a cacophony of noise that anyone could make. Other peoples recordings played as background to incoherent lyrics, stuff that anyone with a little bit of recording equipment and no talent could do on their own – that describes MTV and every pop radio station. [...] Someone ranked 185 Beatles songs. Link [...] [...] All of The Beatles 185 songs reviewed. A fantastic read. [...] Cynthia said:
“rating” Beatles’ songs? The ultimate pretense. Yawn. Joe said:
crap. When “Old Brown Shoe” is that low, and “she’s leaving home” so high…This is subjective obviously…and I disagree with alot of it. Gus said:
What a really fun list. Of course I disagree with the actual number rankings (She’s Leaving Home at 3?), but always fun to read what a true fan who has obviously listed to the Beatles at least as much as I have and has given each and every song a good deal of thought has to say. [...] $$$ Uncategorized Beatles songs ranked A list like this could spark endless debate:a ranking of all the songs by The Beatles, from #185 (Revolution 9) to #1 (A Day In The Life). To novice Beatles fans, I warn you not to [...] Ptrick said:
After discussing this list with my friends, there is one thing that we can agree on: Rocky Raccoon is the song that belongs in the exact middle. BD said:
While I appreciate the effort that went into this, and really enjoyed reading the list, I think ranking the entire catalog as a single monolithic group, 1 through 185, is confusing and actually stymies discussion and debate. I think what you need are rankings of each of the following sub-groups of Beatles songs (and perhaps many others I haven’t thought of): The best (and worst) Lennon songs I’d suggest you get in touch with a literary agent and try to get a book deal. Take your original list of 1-185 (with the commentary, of course) and work up a proposal whereby you would revise and expand it into a full-length book that would include all of the other rankings I’ve mentioned (or some variation of those). Doing a bunch of lists would help to avoid the apples-to-oranges comparisons that I’m sure must have come up when you were doing the 1-185 rankings. beejeez said:
The biggest mistake JBev and most people make in assessing the artistic value of the Fab Four is their notion that they got better as they went along. Hardly. The Beatles got more sophisticated or grown-up, maybe, but they didn’t get better. If they had done nothing but “She Loves You” and “I Saw Her Standing There” it would have been enough to make them first-ballot Rock & Roll Hall of Famers. There’s a reason the girls were screaming so loud back then. You would’ve been screaming, too. BD said:
BTW, in response to those who say there shouldn’t be rankings because ALL of the songs are great, what are you smoking? The Beatles recorded plenty of crappy music, even if crappy music comprised only a fraction of their total output. The vast majority of George Harrison’s songs up to a certain point in time is unlistenable. If he hadn’t been a Beatle, a lot of his songs would never have been popular, assuming they even would have been recorded. Don’t get me wrong: a lot of what George wrote later on was brilliant, but that doesn’t justify heaping praise on the crappy stuff he did. Another thing: If you’re going to judge the Beatles’ work at all, judge the song according to its own merits and not by whatever significance the song had in the history of the Beatles. The fact that “The Word” supposedly laid the groundwork for “All You Need Is Love” does not make “The Word” a great song. It is what it is. Keith Murphy said:
Congratulations on an honest effort. I can clear one thing up: Alan Civil plays neither an english horn or french horn: It’s a “Bach trumpet”, like the trumpet in the 2nd Brandenburg Concerto and, in fact, on Penny Lane. McCartney heard this instrument on the Brandenburg and asked George Martin if it could be worked into For No One; Martin, with his extensive network around the music community, found the great Alan Civil to do both performances. I agree that the performance and the song itself should be the chief criteria for JUDGING these songs. But opinions do evolve with time: Interestingly, the older I’ve gotten, the higher “Walrus” and “And Your Bird Can Sing” have climbed in my personal ranking. The latter is a brilliant put-down of a wealthy, self-centered, pretentious girl/guy who, however, is tremendously attractive physically. I’m a little puzzled by the high ranking of “She’s Leaving Home”, because Paul’s singing isn’t his best – a little too much of the quaver that he was getting rid of as he got older. Keep up the good work. [...] after distraction. Between IM, Twitter, Hulu, TechMeme, Google Reader, Pandora, and a ranking of every Beatles song ever recorded, it’s amazing that I ever write a line of programming code or change my kids diapers. [...] [...] Playing The Beatles Backwards: The Ultimate Countdown [...] [...] is here. Countdown starts [...] Tess said:
This list is completly wrong! All of their good song are at the bottom! Mark said:
Oh, man.. so much to say… Wrote in after reading the first page, wondering if this was worth reading all the way through. It was. Regardless of agreement or not, it was great to read someone else’s pure take – pro/con on the songs. After a point, the critical turns to myriad ways to praise the greatest musical *event* in history. Not an easy thing, and for that, kudos to you. Really enjoyed the way you saw Ringo as the glue and the “Beat” in “Beatles” – his was a profound contribution – good to see it recognized! Most important! I realized that while I have methodically collected the British release LP’s (I actually had my first Beatles LP – the frankenstein-like Something New in about 1965) I have totally neglected to get the soundtracks. There are about 20 songs I don’t have in my collection – for SHAME! Moreover, there are about 4 I HAD NEVER HEARD BEFORE! (i’m not worthy..) So, a million thanks for pointing that out – New Beatles material in my immediate future! Finally, I have a bootleg of Paul demo-ing the song For No One to George Martin. Just him at the mike with a guitar, where he plays it virtually exactly like the final recording. When the French Horn parts come in, he hums them EXACTLY like they are in the final recording – saying to George: “French Horn..” amid the humming to tell him the instrument. That should more than attribute the instrument. Let me know if you want that bootleg… Thanks again. Mark Catherine M. said:
I can’t believe I had no idea that “I Call Your Name” was a Lennon/McCartney tune. I also (sorta) can’t believe that you didn’t cite the accomplished cover of it by the Mamas & the Papas, which further extrapolates on the oddness of the composition by changing tempos aggressively throughout, among other things. (It was also one of the best Mama Cass vocal showcases in the M&P repertoire.) Check it out. Kurniadi Tan said:
Like everybody else, I agree with some of your list (A Day in the Life is also my No.1 favourite) and sometime strongly disagree with others. Clayton said:
Good list. VERY good list. Nicely done. I don’t agree with all the placements, but maybe on another day I might have agreed. That’s not the point. The real point is that you were able to support your opinions with clear, reasoned, informed argument. That’s a rare achievement on the Internet, and there should be more of it. Ignore the idiots who don’t understand the concept of discussion, and especially those who are too smug, lazy or self-assured to take the trouble to punctuate, capitalise, paragraph, sequence or even properly spell the words in their writing. Toneloc said:
JBev, RR Ryan said:
I could almost reverse the order and be as happy. The point, as many have said is that almost all of these songs have a special quality that most pop lacks. RR Ryan said:
And I have to agree with In My Life. I loved the melody but thought the lyric was a bit precious until I realized what he was actually saying. At which point I got a lot of dates in college. Ryan Anderson said:
Wow, thank you so much for the effort you put into this list, it was an absolute delight to read! Like most everyone else, I disagree with many of your selections (in a few instances, I disagree rather violently), but your written explanations were not only entertaining but also surprisingly persuasive. Thank you for giving a second life to some certain tunes that I thought I’d never be able to stomach again (i.e. “She’s Leaving Home”) And thank you for giving some credit to some of my own overlooked favorites (i.e. “Yes It Is”) Andy said:
JBEV, I don’t ordinarily comment on this site but, after reading that you do apparently read the comments, I thought I’d take a moment to say that I greatly appreciate your hard work on this list. I consider myself to be a big Beatles fan as well. The thing that I like so much about this list is that, contrary to the baseless freak-out comments, your reasoning shines through in the text of this list. You point out the things that you like and the things that you don’t like about nearly every song. That’s admirable and likely took a lot of work. It’s not surprising that some are accusing you of blasphemy in daring to have opinions opposed to theirs about Beatles songs. As the promo said, these songs are almost like children to some folks. I thought, since I’m at it, I’d state my disagreement with your ranking in one spot. I personally rank Let It Be ahead of Hey Jude. To me, Hey Jude gets a little redundant toward the end with all the na nas. I realize that Let It Be suffers from this same problem. However, the lead guitar work at the end (George or Paul?)during the instrumental solo break and final refrain really kick this song up the list in my book. Anyway, great list. Thanks again. Julian said:
Knowing that I’m sick to death of conversing over Beatles – and sadly, music in general – a close friend broke the code of honor and sent me the link to this site. She felt I should see how differently people view the music me father and his pals left for the world to enjoy. I was not surprised to see /A Day in the Life/ sitting at the top, as most people would be inclined to agree. What did surprise me is that lesser known tracks written by George, like /Long Long Long/ appeared so far down the line, all too close to the end. And (not to boost dad’s music above the rest) numbers like /Tomorrow N’er Knows/ and /Revolution #9/ were (and still are) very innovative, forward thinking tracks. Even for a Beatle, those numbers were a bit of a risk. They are in the top ten from my vista. Michael Byrne said:
I know this list is subjective but, it is ridiculous. How can you possibly rate Maggie Mae above The Word? At that point I decided the rest of it wasn’t worth looking at. Congratulations though for duping a lot of people into thinking you might have even the slightest bit of credibility. hugh said:
I disagree strongly with some of your rank assignments, but the analysis of each song is extremely gratifying. I spent two hours at work today just reading your comments on each song. angie said:
I just think that it’s interesting seeing the differing opinions of all Beatles fans. Part of the fun of this list to me was going through and saying, “wow, REALLY, that song that low?” or, “oh! I’d forgotten about that one…!” I think that people who say that this is a travesty, that the Beatles should never be categorized in this way do them a disservice. Music lives through its listeners – and those listeners will have differing opinions. I bet if you gave this list to 185 people, you would get 185 different rankings. Thanks for the efforts! Rose said:
I couldn’t get past the review of Revolution 9 without having to comment. So you think it’s the “worst ever” because you don’t understand it? That’s rather small-minded of you. As others have said, yes you may be a Beatlemaniac but your musical knowledge is clearly lacking. Revolution 9 isn’t meant to be aesthetically pleasing to pop music fans. Music, like any form of art, doesn’t always have to be. It’s about making a statement more than it’s about making you happy. Revolution 9 was the one closest to what “classical” composers of the time were creating, like Stockhausen. No one else in rock music was even interested in what was happening in the classical composition world, much less trying to emulate them. Something needs to be said for that, because over 40 years later this is STILL the case. On another note, I’m glad of the choice of A Day in the Life for #1, and while I’m undecided if that is my favorite it certainly was one of their most creative and “complete” works. This list has inspired me to think of what my own list might be… [...] 31 януари 2009 от An The Ultimate Countdown [...] Rose said:
Actually, now that I’ve read through the list more I’d like to retract some of my earlier comments. My frustration with your ranking of Revolution 9 aside, you show every else that you clearly do know a great deal about music and have a great deal of passion for the Beatles. I’m very happy to see how you chose their most musical offerings over the perennial favorites. I’ve always been a great defender, for example, of the “song cycle” at the end of Abbey Road and “I Am the Walrus” towards people who insist that “In my Life” and “Yesterday” are better. You clearly have an understanding of just what parts of the Beatles catalog made them the greatest composers in the history of rock, and the reason that musicians and music fans of all genres still regard them in such high esteem almost half-a-century on. jbev said:
Hey Beatle Fans, PurpleNeonLights said:
Can you imagine how many people out there who have the unfathomably awesome feast in front of them of discovering the Beatles for the first time? I’ve actually had dreams about hearing a new Beatle song for the first time. Alas, that will never happen. but for some, they can have the boggling experience of discovering the Beatles from the ground up. I am so happy you have taken time to do this JBev. I was born in 1956 and the Beatles imprinted on my brain at tender age of 7. My 16 year old sister played their albums constantly, crying for hours in her room next to mine. I saw them live when I was nine. I have marinated my consciousness in Beatle music my entire life. I remember the dark ages post-Beatles (the 70s and 80s in particular), and ranting about how all the stuff then just sucked and couldn’t hang with the Beatles. GIVE ME A BREAK. As if anyone is going to remember and revere Madonna, the Sex Pistols, rap, hip-hop and Nirvana 50 years form now. Sorry. Ain’t gonna happen. They just didn’t have the goods. To all of those who disagree with me: Sorry — you lose. The Beatles could’ve knocked out perfectly good copycat albums in any of those artists’ styles in a heartbeat. But could those artists step up to the level of the Beatles? Get real. I feel sorry for those who imprinted on such third-rate shoddy minor leaguers. To rehab their lives, first they have to do an intervention on themselves and face up to to the fact that they wasted their prime impressionable years listening to horsesh*t, then they have to repent and accept the Beatles as their only possible savior (yuk, yuk). JBev, it is people like you who will prove as the decades go by that the Beatles are the only rock band that will be dissected centuries from now, like Bach and Beethoven. (Incidentally I have similar rants about Jimi Hendrix when someone is so preposterous and lobotomized as to have the opinion that Robin Trower, Van Halen, Stevie Ray Vaughn, etc. are even in the same building with Jimi. You can’t be serious! But I digress…) Way to go, JBev. ben said:
Like that old homily “One man’s trash heap is another man’s Fort Knox” and visa versa. Was at a party recently where someone climbed up onto his apple crate and proclaimed “The Beatles were a talentless pop band. The greatest band of all time was Led Zep… and Kid Rock”. To make matters worse, the host cranked up a TIVO’ed Kid Rock performance onto the big screen. After about 7 minutes of watching him lumber about the stage (with an African American choir tossed in for some reason that made absolutely no sense) – his performance the equivalent of scratching his bum – I got up and announced “Life is far too short and time to precious to waste it watching drunken asses stumbling about on a stage”. The guy announced that I did not know what the frick I was talking about, as I retired to the kitchen to where all the wives and girlfriends were holding court. One by one over the next 20 minutes others bailed and joined our growing kitchen party. Finally the dummy is sitting alone watching Kid Rock make an ass of himself. He eventually comes in, grabs his wife who was taking to me, rudely announces “I don’t want to spoil the party – but I have to go”. I just smiled to myself. He made and song reference and was clueless that he had done so. rika :) said:
wow. serious props to you man. This is something I could never ever do, as you stated, these songs are so important to me it would be impossible to rank them! I applaud your efforts; this list was incredible. I have no idea why there is any negative feedback at all, it is only an opinion, and a very well thought out and researched one at that! Although I didn’t agree with all the placings (how could you!) reading this certainly was a highlight of my day whenever I could find the time! So thank you very much! P.S. I watched many of the videos included with the explanations, and I was curious as to where the recording was from with She Came In Through the Bathroom Window. I’m not very familiar with any of the Anthology releases (obviously, if that is where its from!) and was just curious ben said:
“honey don’t”? [...] Revolution links to a ranking that someone made of Beatles songs. Its definitely worth a read – it is amazing how diverse the Beatles music was, and how many [...] john said:
a friend’s comment drew me back here. while i appreciate responses to our comments, if this had been better-written and researched you wouldn’t need to comment back much. you would have said all you need to say in the first place. i will try not to pull any punches anymore. it looks like swearing on here is not a problem. oh, that was sarcasm i guess. somehow i almost missed it. although it’s true that ‘yer blues’ was written by john solo in india, probably in a ’sincere’ mode, it is also true that the arrangement recorded by the beatles was a parody of the british blues scene, according to Mark Lewisohn, who listened to all the beatles session tapes including their conversations between takes. it sounds like a bit of a parody, too, to me. i’m just one fellow, of course, no-one special, but he’s a ’scholar’. if you had kept the whole thing purely personal (”i’m holding a grudge”, etc), and not pretended to have an ‘objective’ voice (all the stuff about WHAT THE SONG IS, or MEANS, or WHAT THEY INTENDED, and especially WHAT IT MEANT IN THE ’60s –you were 9-years-old in 1980? what was your draft number?) it would have worked a lot better probably. for me. as john lennon said, “talking about music is like talking about fucking. fucking is fucking, and not fucking is not fucking.” as the rock-crits like to say in their stilted (and fake) folkishness, “’nuff said”. cc said:
Reference to “curse Sir Walter Raleigh” — this comes after the “have another cigarette” line. Sir Walter gets credit/blame for bringing tobacco back to the Old World from the Carolina/Virginia colonies… Jingo Barsky said:
This is very thoughtful and intelligent. Yes, we would all have our own rating list, but there are two things I should clear up. 1) “A Day In The Life” is the best Beatles song. That’s not an opinion, it’s simply a statement of fact. The rest could be rearranged infinitely according to opinions and emotional reaction. And 2) I must be on the same wavelength as the author here, because the best song IS “A Day In The Life,” and my favorite song is “I Am The Walrus.” cc said:
Thanks for putting together a thoughtful list, which you acknowledge must be subjective. Seth said:
This is an incredibly unadventurous, nearsighted list. The song, although mostly incredible, are not all wonderful, granted, but to discount the most exploratory, funniest and most innovative songs, relegating them to the bottom exposes someone who is probably admittedly a radio tending listener, and thusly someone who doesn’t understand. Boo, I say. Boo. MC Miker G said:
I disagree enormously with the list (how in even the most fetid imagination is “Hey Bulldog” a better song than “Yesterday”? etc etc etc etc etc etc), but nonetheless admire the effort involved. Marina M. said:
I think you made some good ratings, and some not so good. I would write more but I’m only 11 years old:) GBGB said:
You’re Hey Jude synopsis made me cry. Beautifully described. Martin said:
Every list is personal… Personally I’m not a big Beatles fan but having heard (or maybe it should be experienced) A Day In The Life recently whilst under the influence of a heroic dose (ask Bill Hicks) I have to agree it is truly a work of genius and deserves to be the no.1 kristal17 said:
183 and 182. You are talking complete and utter SHITE. Get a fucking grip of yourself. ellyn said:
“and i love her” these are uniformly underrated, complicated and beautiful beatles songs and are much too far down this list. but these sort of lists are always frustratingly subjective, and this is an impressive undertaking. james said:
Really enjoyed reading this, though inevitably I disagreed with some of your ratings it was a very pleasurable half-hour. Thanks for spending your time writing it, I feel like going home and making my own, though I supose it’s been done now. Richard said:
Altho, DagW00d Jacob said:
great list, agreed with most of them EXCEPT for I Want You (she’s so heavy) which in my humble opinion is one of their best songs! Paul’s bass playing on that track is simply gorgeous, while John and George’s guitars just fit together utterly seamlessly. Oh well, it just goes to show what a wide audience The Beatles invite, with one song being top of the list for some, while others rank it amongst their worst efforts! With you all the way on Revolution 9, although i think it might actually have worked if they had released it as part of a collection of the more avant-garde moments of the white album Ernie said:
A big THANK YOU for the effort to present this list of Beatles songs. I spent a good part of the day going thru each article and listening to each song. I had a lot of pleasant memories of when I first heard most of this music. A very nice time travel back. Thank you once more for your effort and do not let the negative comments bother you. Anne said:
Jeebus, why is everyone getting so worked up over this?? I don’t agree with all the choices either, but it’s a great, fun project, well-written and clearly done by a dedicated fan. I was obsessed with the Beatles when I was a teenager and have recently (at 28) started rediscovering them, partially after reading Philip Norman’s excellent biography of John Lennon. Those of you who are disgruntled because you disagree with the ranking, because you think it’s silly to rank all the Beatles songs (well – duh!) or because the writer sometimes imagines what the composers may have been thinking when they wrote and sang the songs – GET OVER YOURSELVES! I think it’s great fun; I especially like reading the reasons why he ranks some of my favourite songs relatively low. De gustibus non est disputandum and it’s refreshing to see things in a different light once in a while. JBev – thanks for making me smile!! [...] Playing The Beatles Backwards [...] Claire said:
Thank you for this, a good and long read! I agree with all of your top 3 placings, which is remarkable in itself as I think there are as many opinions on this as there are Beatles fans. An interesting thing to me is that despite A Day In the Life being my favourite track too, I interpret the lyrics almost completely differently to you. Not a bad thing of course, always interesting to read other people’s thoughts! Once again, thanks! Melanie said:
I agree, there’s no list of this sort that any two people could agree to. that being said, this list makes me so angry… For You Blue at 164 ?? Liz Jones said:
Dear “Jbev” – I was fascinated by your list, read every entry about every song, and listened to any songs I had forgotten, and the ones I didn’t know (there were more than I had thought!). OF COURSE I’m going to disagree with some of your rankings, and some of your comments. But I didn’t read this whole thing just to validate my own favorites, and I suspect you didn’t create this list just to validate your own! I took it as a very interesting and well presented overview, which ultimately HAD to be “biased” by your personal opinions (heck, you have to start SOMEWHERE), or how could you have accomplished it at all? DComedian said:
A simply fantastic piece of work…of course everybody will have (and is entitled to) their own opinions about the order of songs, but reading through your entries as I listened to the songs has given me a much greater appreciation of many of them. I just find it very sad that there are so many negative and inarticulate people wanting to deride your efforts…clearly the “All You Need Is Love” message bypassed many of them! [...] anyway, I’ve been listening to a lot of Beatles lately. I guess it was driven by this– I don’t agree with that guy’s aesthetics at all, but he writes well, makes some [...] Wardo said:
“PHONY BEATLEMANIA HAS BITTEN’ THE DUST” paul linton said:
absolute crap,this guy,s an idiot. Billy said:
What kind of idiot reads an obviously, unavoidably subjective list and types abuse in the comment section on the basis that the list is in a slightly different order to their own (which they never have and never will take the time and consideration to compile). That said, placing “Hey Jude” higher than 185 is inexcusable. Eric K. said:
Wow, lots of love went into this project for sure. Agree or disagree with the order, it only goes to confirm how greatness is measured… by discussion. Prove me wrong but what rock band 40 plus years later still has it’s songs dissected and analyzed as much as The Beatles…not even the Stones. Oh by the way where’s Free as a bird? Dave said:
A well done piece. Though I don’t agree with all of the placements, luckily he included all of the best! Ronen said:
Yer blues at 182…shit review Ronen said:
Across the universe after Octopus’s garden LOLOLOLOLOLOL Is he mad HF said:
What an amazing and overwhelming undertaking! While I certainly don’t agree with some of your rankings (Happiness is a Warm Gun should be much higher, for one, and there sure seemed to be a lot of White Album bashing), the entire list is thought-provoking and overall a fun read. Incredible that a group that disbanded almost 40 years ago still stimulates such interest and discussion between people of all generations. Gus said:
The only thing more predictable than the rush of idiots who want to pick a fight about the order is the ignorant poseurs who want to show how cool they are by saying the Beatles suck. The best think about this list is looking at the entire catalog. Holy shit, what a song catalog! Name me an artist with a stronger catalog. Dylan, maybe? Cole Porter, maybe? An amazing body of work put together over what, 7 years? [...] said that, Playing the Beatles Backwards is a wonderful retrospective with cool facts about every song on the list. All 185 of them. You can [...] Betty said:
Thanks for a great read! Exciting till the end, loved every analysis and anecdote. Lovely to live out my own inner Beatles nerd as well with this ambitious list. Leon in Nashville said:
I stumbled onto your list and spent half the night reading through it. I painfully agree with a lot of your comments, and I strongly disagree with a few, but more than anything I think you are a delightful writer. You made me laugh out loud repeatedly. (The lost guests of Blue Jay Way finding George face down on a G-chord….) You’re a courageous thinker to throw a glaring light of criticism onto these sacred songs. …One issue, if I may: I’d invite you to reconsider your dismissal of Old Brown Shoe. I think you’ve missed the subtlety of that over-looked recording. It represents where the Beatles were trying to move to, circa 1969-1970, and George –of all people, grumbling, malcontented George — was the one who could take them there. They had driven themselves nearly insane in 1968 doing the White Album, recording 180 takes of Obla-di-Obla-da. They wanted a more immediate result in the studio. They apparently felt like they had lost themselves somewhere. They wanted to be able to start the tapes and capture a sound. And that’s what Old Brown Shoe sounds like. It was recorded in just four takes. It’s a “hot” sound, almost live. (Ironically, that’s what had motivated the whole Get Back project, wasn’t it. They wanted to “get back” to that refreshing live Beatle sound of 1963 and 1964. And there it was, on Side B of one of their last and least noticed records.) Dan Wallace said:
Wow, I just spend 3 hours reading through all this — well done! Then I read through the comments and was shocked at the level of douchebaggery by some. I can’t imagine how long it took you to put this together, so congratulations, and I really enjoyed the personal anecdotes you put in alongside your commentary (the story for “I Will” was both relatable and extremely touching). That said, you ranked “I Want You (She’s So Heavy)” way too low. Liz said:
I have to comment again, because I,too, can not BELIEVE the nastiness (and, if I may say, stupidity) of some of the comments on this list. I’m SO GLAD that many people seem to appreciate all the time and work that must have gone into this list, and also, that people’s tastes are DIFFERENT (thank God!), and you don’t have to call someone bad names just because their opinions differ from yours. I already said that I found it fascinating that some of my opinions were right in line with this list, and some were the complete opposite! I think that’s neat – especially when someone goes to the trouble of EXPLAINING a bit about WHY they have that opinion! Again, I say, bravo! Jbev said:
Hey Beatle Fans, SONGS PEOPLE THOUGHT SHOULD HAVE BEEN RANKED WORSE Some Observations: vito Tomanelli said:
Great Stuff!! I truly enjoyed this very different TRIP down memory lane. Vito/NY [...] JAMSBIO Magazine s’est amusé à classer quelques 185 chansons des Beatles de la plus mauvaise à la meilleure. Bien sûr dans le but de faire réagir les gens. [...] [...] in Uncategorized at 5:39 am by Miko This is an excellent way to spend a boring Sunday afternoon. Don’t hesitate for a [...] McLerristarr said:
I would disagree with a lot of those placings but it is still a good read. He did not include their new songs like ‘Free As A Bird’ and “Real Love’ though. My favourite is ‘Helter Skelter’ – it’s so raw but done with such precision. But I do agree that ‘A Day In The Life’ is an excellent song with John’s artistic style and Paul’s cheery middle 8 and finishing with a high frequency note to annoy dogs and a repeating bunch of backwards gab. tunedin said:
I’ve always played the Beatles songs I did’nt like backways, or the same track frontways on one deck and backways on the other. Rev.No9 is great on L.S.D., much better than Hey Jude unless you play it really slow backways . [...] sport: Playing The Beatles Backwards: The Ultimate Countdown – [...] Terence said:
A lot has to do with where you were (physically and mentally) when the songs first came out. This canon of work has morphed into a lot of different mini periods (think Picasso). If you started to listen to the Beatles after they had broken up you miss a lot of the “rush”. We would actually wait up for cousin Brucie or whoever to “unviel” the latest Beatles track. You can not duplicate this euphoria later on by dissecting the albums and songs. This list is a personal appreciation by someone who was not there at the piovotal moment. Thus it is inherently flawed because the Beatles were very “timely” and this is what in turn makes them intemporal. Its futility reminds me of Robert Parker’s grading of wines. The ones that pay the most attention to these lists are those who have the least critical aptitude in forming their own opinions. Rock on George one more time for Ringo. Doug said:
Excellent work, mate! Of course I don’t agree with many of your rankings, but then, who cares? What you’ve written is nsightful, entertaining and thought-provoking, and isn’t that what these lists are all about? Thanks! aaron said:
tell me why taxman is in front of yesterday. Andy said:
got to get you into my life is the definiton of a pop song and its on arguably the best album (revolver) and its #117? this guy must not have liked paul very much, his best songs are behind some of johns mediocre songs, let it be isnt in the top 10, not even in the top 50? i love i am the walrus but it isnt top 25 and he has it at 2, im gonna do a list with my friends and it will be better, blackbird behind good morning? his list is bogus Andy said:
ok for no one is at 13, thats amazing, ever since the first time i heard it i was amazed, it never gets old Andy said:
yesterday, let it be, helter skelter, all way too low, i keep going through this list bashing how paul’s greatest songs are way too low, the long and winding road? where are these songs at? not where they should be, i dont listen to anythign other than the beatles ever, and if i do its beatlesque bands who sound similar, a day in the life is way too high, its the best song off their best album, but that doesnt make it number one, top 5 but not number one, most their best songs werent on albums anyways, hey jude is their most sucessful single, why sint that number one? i wanna know why the top songs are placed where they are, please please me shouldnt be in the top 25, it didnt even go number 1 and i was a single, one of the few that didnt, no single by the beatles that didnt top the charts should be in front of a number one, doesnt make sense at all Jbev said:
To Andy, Jen said:
The instrument in “For No One” is definitely not an English horn. Just wanted to clear up that ancient controversy. [...] list like this could spark endless debate: a ranking of all the songs by The Beatles, from #185 (Revolution 9) to #1 (A Day In The Life). To novice Beatles fans, I warn you not to [...] [...] list like this could spark endless debate: a ranking of all the songs by The Beatles, from #185 (Revolution 9) to #1 (A Day In The Life). To novice Beatles fans, I warn you not to [...] Andy said:
I dont agree with having shes leaving home towards the top, sure its a good song, but it isnt even top 5 on sgt peppers, theres a reason they didnt include it on the blue album Jonny G said:
Fantastically absorbing read! Ties said:
Hi Jbev, thanks for the hours spent in writing this, I got quite a few hours of enjoyment out of it. I’m not an extreme Beatles fan nor connoisseur of their material, so I used your list mainly to get to know them better. I could also listen to all of their songs on the albums, but this way I’ve got some background info and a nice read to go with it, so I agree with Johnny G. And you definitely reached your goal with me, trying to get people more acquainted! Thanks a lot, now off to listen to the Anthology [...] this year JAMSBIO Magazine posted a ranking of all 185 of The Beatles songs. My hat goes off to the author of this ambitious author, for I only own the musical catalogue of [...] Superllama said:
I do not agree with this at all. George wrote some of the really good songs (While my Guitar Gently Weeps, I Me Mine, Blue Jay Way) and some other songs were too low (Rain, Revolution, You Can’t do That). Also, Good Morning is HORRIBLE, and I Want You is awesome. There are a lot of things I disagree with. Superllama said:
It is amazing that you made the entire list! To catalog each original Beatles song takes a lot of work, so kudos to you. However, this is personal opinion. I found that a lot of your list was somewhat inverted or misplaced. For example, day tripper is a rather good song, and i am the walrus is not so much. I want you is good, as is you cant do that (should be much higher). George wasnt supported much, like I me mine and blue jay way were too low, but as i said, this is personal opinion. Andy said:
you must have hated the “let it be” album, just because there are many versions of those songs doesnt mean its a horrible album i feel harrison isnt appreciated as much as he should have been, something is probably the most time less song they had, you could release that single right now and it would top the charts, a day i the life never would stand a chance, its not radio friendly, its not fun to sing along too, it got old really fast for me Michael said:
This list is an amazing achievement and a delight! While of course (as an equally passionate Fab Four fanatic) I differ on many micro-details, I not only enjoyed it immensely, but agree with many of your less-obvious judgments. While I like-don’t-love “A Day in the Life,” hearing it as more a fascinating experiment than an all-time great song, your brave and brilliant placement of “Walrus” and “She’s Leaving Home” made me grin from ear to ear. Something to infuriate both John- and Paul-bashers, and they’re both incredible songs. By the way, you’ve got me working on a Who song ranking – stay tuned. (P.S. One can love John for his wild experimentation while still recognizing “Revolution 9″ for the complete piece of garbage it is. Stockhausen my arse.) El Beats said:
This has been an interesting read so far – a few things I’ve disagreed with and a few things have had me nodding in agreement. Reading about Penny Lane has prompted me to comment. The song may sound cheerful, idyllic and upbeat, and upon first listen the setting seems squeaky clean – but it certainly doesn’t lack a “dark” side. One thing in particular amongst the abstract references is the mention of: “Penny Lane is in my ears and in my eyes. This was a term for pleasuring a girl using your fingers kurt said:
Ultimate Beatle Trivia Question : If you put the 292 [ or so ] Beatle’s songs in alphabetical order,there are only 2 in the list that also appear back-to-back on an album—Which 2 are they ? Answer : Oh Darling ! and Octopus’s Garden,side A of Abbey Road kurt said:
I’ve seen a lot of Beatle web pages—this is by far the best for the insight it provides–a big shout out to “jbev” kyle said:
i’m putting this in my favorites toolbar, this is fantastic. even though i don’t agree with everything you say, i’m so glad you took the time to write it all down. The Beatles are the best band there ever was or will be. End of story. TrixRabbi said:
Happiness is A Warm Gun is Top 10 material. As is Piggies. I Want You (She’s So Heavy) is an excellent song and belongs in the top 50 at least. She’s Leaving Home is plain boring, as is Hey Jude especially with 4 minutes of “Na na na na Hey Jude!”. Come Together and With A Little Help From My Friends should both be way higher. Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da is bottom tier should not rank higher than certain songs it does. Also, Octopus’ Garden is nothing but proof that Ringo should not write songs. I agree with A Day in The Life. Mike McCollum said:
I would have to rate “Mr. Moonlight” as the worst Beatle song. “In My Life” is my favorite. Geoff said:
Your list is great, there is soooo many amazing beatles songs. Heres my top ten as of right now. 1) A Day in the life Donny C! said:
I totally agree with “I Want You(she’s s heavy)” First thing, very good song. But i know what you mean when the song ends and the way you feel when it eventually happens! “Wow man, too heavy for me man” as in the the atmosphere that over takes you along the time of the song. You get into it, but it ends right on time before you get lost forever in an eri enironment of all eternity! Tim Hall said:
Stevie Wonder’s version of We Can Work It Out is better than the original Ross said:
Your a f-ing moron. You had no business making this list. Your obviously not even close to being a big enough fan, none the less educated on the matter. What a waste of your own time. PS No song is better than the original. Because it’s ORIGINAL. Tim Hall’s a fool too. Rob O'Boogie said:
First off, you have an excellent list. As tough a job it is to place the Beatles songs in order, you did a great job. I don’t always agree with your placement, but I respect your arguments you use to defend the placement of some songs. I can’t fall behind you on your placement of “Girl,” however. Izella said:
I personally enjoy revolution 9 you idiot. Beatle Books « Old Rope said:
[...] tragic suicide, it remains the undisputed king, blowing all competition out of the water. An amateur version of the same idea still managed to provoke genial debate online as late as last year. On [...] ela said:
I disagree with most of the songs in order particularly “For You Blue” and “I want you (She’s so heavy)”… but I loved the effort. I’m a Beatles fan and I must say it really takes time and a lot of energy just to spend with this blog entry. But everything all boils down to one thing no matter how people agree/disagree with this list– all the Beatles songs are immortal! Period. Renee K. said:
Jbev, Thanks for writing this list. I had a lot of fun reading it, and your reasons for each placement. I don’t agree with most of them, but then again even the worst Beatles songs are far better than what most bands ever create, so in a way they are all in the top 10. Sorry, I know that doesn’t quite make sense. What I’m saying is, even Revolution 9, which I agree is among the worst Beatles song, is still better than many non-Beatles songs. Okay, I’ll stop trying to explain myself better now. Have a good one! livexlaughxlovelife said:
Nice list but I do disagree with you at some points… but that’s what’s amazing about opinions–every song is wonderful by different people! That’s why musicians are big hits with most of their songs This must have taken you a long time! How can you ever find so much time to do this?? Kudos to you! Wolfe said:
Jbev - First I’d like to congratulate you on your list. It was a hefty endeavor and a fine one at that. I’ve noticed a lot of people on here who try to characterize which songs you like (by album, by time period, by writer, etc.), and it seems that most have them have been unfounded. You have a good mix of all the Beatles’ work, and for that I applaud you. I did notice an interesting trend towards the top of your list, however. Just taking a look at the top 10 on the list, I notice that nine of them have at least some orchestral instruments in the background, some more prominent than others. This isn’t criticism, just something to think about. Again, great list. –A.W. Wolfe Markster said:
You put ‘Long Long Long’, ‘Yer Blues’, ‘I Want You’ and ‘Revolution #9′ in the bottom ten, and then place mush like ‘Octopus’s Garden’ in the higher echelons? Something, my friend, is not right. At the beginning of ‘Woman’ from “Double Fantasy” whispers “Women Hold Up Half The Sky”, an aphorism from Mao’s Little Red Book which astutely describes the forgotten work that women did in stopping the world from crumbling. In a similar way (and I know I’m stretching the analogy somewhat) it’s easy to cling to either the joy or the complexity of the Beatles’ most famous works whilst forgetting that part of their reputation and worth is based on their feral, haphazard and occasionally chilling exploration of the darker half of our lives. As the second part of an unexpectedly beautiful diptych which follows on from ‘Helter Skelter’, ‘Long Long Long’ describes Harrison’s emergence from a life which spanned banality, ambition, early excess and the anihilation of his privacy and identity into a world of spiritual re-birth. Bizarrely, however, you choose to ride slipshod over it because it’s a bit quiet, overlooking it’s deft, tiptoed alchemy. ‘Yer Blues’, recorded live by the group in one booth with no overdubs or separation, not only provides the best recorded evidence of the “tight-but-loose” power that made the young Beatles such a compelling live force in Hamburg, but also exposes the ferocity and self-loathing that drove Lennon’s musical ambitions, and which makes latter day pretenders like Ian Curtis and Curt Cobain sound like Laurence Welk. “Revolution 9″ might sound indulgent, but it is still an indulgence without peer. As Ian Macdonald astutely observed, ‘Revolution 9′ remains the most widely distributed avant-garde artefact in our culture, and it retains its power because the untutored and un-self-conscious impetus that led to its creation gives it a soul that is absent from the work of The Beatles’ peers in the ’serious’ field, such as Stockhausen or Cardew. Even now, after 30 years in its company, I still can’t bring myself to listen to it alone, at night, and that kind of power cannot be disregarded. As for “I Want You”, well; listen to it again, in light of Lennon’s oft-overlooked heroin addiction during 1969, and it takes on a gravity and intensity that sets it apart from the usual sub-standard white-boy blues-sludge which you’re right in identifying as the fad of the era. I invite you to reconsider not only these disappointing judgements, but your view of The Beatles as a whole. Not because I feel obliged to prove you wrong, but because I feel you could be getting so much more from them. Miche said:
Markster: Could your post be any more pretentious? I think not. As for how Avant-Garde Revolution 9 is, well, Lennon should have listened to his earlier self who said avant garde was French for “bullshit.” As for “I Want You,” I can listen to about 2 minutes of it, before it just gets irritating, like repetitive elevator music. I think this list was a tremendous undertaking, and I really enjoyed reading it — even though i would have ranked things differently. But then, this author never claimed it was anyone’s opinion but his own. What an excellent and informative read. lemmoth said:
this is fun and I’m sorry I never came across it before. So far, no arguments on the bottom rung save one. I really think I want you, she’s so heavy is a great jam band song – not that I’m a big jam band fan. But I really like the song. Will said:
I can’t believe you haven’t got to Maxwell’s Silver Hammer yet! haha_lala12 said:
WAIT–where’s Please Mr. Postman????????? Jbev said:
To haha_lala, No cover songs were included. Jon said:
Wild Honey Pie is better than Honey Pie? …Right…. >.> Jack McHugh said:
I have to put mytwo cents in now after the first “bottom” 20. The first 10 I couldn’t agree more with. However, Don’t Pass Me By by Ringo? Come on man, you just don’t dis Ringo, and that song goes along with the free for all that the White Album is. It’s like The Beatles “Exile On Main St” with weird dittys thrown in for good measure. It’s a cake reciepe. Also “And I Love Her” I’ve heard at weddings and (for it’s time) it’s a classic. That being said, you’re a great reviewer! Edimervaldo said:
What a great work!! Of course I don’t agree with some of the placements (specially the bad ranks of most Harrison songs and high placements of You mother should know and Rocky Racoon),but nobody is meant to. And since the beginning I took it as a personal list (as every list in arts actually is) and saw no problem at the differences between the reviewer’s list and mine. I’d just like to say it was difficult stop reading this work when I first started and I loved almost all of the reviews. The personal touches in songs like “Yellow submarine” and “I will” make this list even more tasty and shows how their songs take part in our lives. And I thought I was the only person in the world to think that “I don’t want to spoil the party” and “Not a second time” are really special songs. I would rant about the #4 for the Abbey Road medley, but the explanation really changed my mind. Very very nice stuff!! I think I could read it again and again (even if now I know the results…) Edimervaldo said:
Ah, and I forgot. You got exactly into the point of the White Album, some brilliancy mixed with some songs that are there “just because they exist”. I couldn’t agree more Paul S said:
I actually wept upon reading your writeup on In My Life. This is despite me not viewing anyone who doesn’t like the Beatles (let alone Springsteen)as a functioning member of a rational society. Well done. [...] a ranking of Beatles songs, unsurprisingly. One of the more notable complete lists can be found here. The author of this list has one major complaint about this song, and I share it. Neither of us can [...] [...] stumbling around the internet I came an impressive undertaking: a countdown of every Beatles recording. Each song is accompanied by some interesting commentary, I spent quite a bit of time with it last [...] Matt J said:
An excellent list with effort put into the commentary for each and every song. Having said that, I vehemently disagree with quite a few of your rankings and feel you were unnecessarily harsh on some later period work and far too easy on earlier period work. I can only assume that the microscope you use on later work is far more discerning than the one you use on the earlier tracks (e.g. you’re more forgiving to the nascent Beatles sound). I mean come on, “Magical Mystery Tour” is one of the absolute worst songs ever recorded by The Beatles? Seriously? I think you need to give your perspective a check and re-examine much of the very early Beatles catalogue. There’s a lot of throwaway, filler tracks on those early Beatles records and you know it. Lastly, I feel that it’s unfair to individualize some of the tracks in the Abbey Road “medley” while combining others (Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight/The End). The medley begins with “You Never Give Me Your Money” and ends with… “The End”. And one helluva glorious medley it is (and my favourite piece of Beatles music – in its entirety)! A noble, colossal effort but I feel a lot of your list is contrarian for the sake of shock value. Then again, I wonder if I’d have as much as you seem to have to say about each song – and for that, I give you much thanks for an oft frustrating, but never boring read! Bravo, sir! moopig said:
OK, kudos for making this, it must have taken you forever. But there are a couple of inexcusable choices here – “I’ll Get You” above “I Want to Hold Your Hand”?? “Good Morning Good Morning” beats “Yesterday”?? This is totally ridiculous, and I have to assume, only done to be contrarian. And “I Don’t Want to Spoil the Party” at #22??? I’m sorry, that’s just stupid. I might retract my kudos… [...] 33 1/3 Favorite Beatles Songs Inspired by an article I posted last week, I decided to compile a list of my favorite songs by the best rock band of all [...] [...] to rank all 185 recorded Beatles songs from worst to best. That’s the ambitious mission of Playing The Beatles Backwards, a series that cropped up earlier this year but is loads of fun to revisit this [...] simon lawlor said:
Revolution #9 is a lot better than some of the mindless pop songs from their earlier records – Bit of a cop out picking it as the “worst” – I love listening to it – It’s the paranioa that peaks its head all throughout the White Album, but thrown in your face, right at the end White album, as it is, is my favoutie beatles album But congradulations on compiling this – I don’t agree with most of what you’ve said, but it’s a great piece of work to put together. juswannacagudgame said:
your rankings, taking only the self-penned songs, and assuming a linear relationship between the relative positions in your list, implies the following ranking for average quality of songs on each album:- 14 With The Beatles Had “The Beatles” been a single 16-track LP using your 16 best rated tracks it would have just pipped Sgt Pepper to first place. Had the “Let It Be…Naked” track listing moves that collection up from 12th to 10th. juswannacagudgame said:
My biggest disagreements with your rankings:- Too high:- Too low:- juswannacagudgame said:
The way those album rankings turn out from a couple posts back Yellow Submarine and For Sale are too high while The Beatles and Hard Day’s Night are too low for my liking. Phew, it’s hard though. Looking at your top 20 I’m sure I wouldn’t have the following in there:- I’m sure I would have included in the top 20:- But more than that? Just too tricky…and too arbitrary! Great series of postings though. Enjoyed reading the whole thing lots. Thank you! Max said:
Congratulations on pulling off a major feat. You have managed to convey the excitement that listening to the Beatles brings to the listener because of the ingenuity and diversity of the songs concocted with the help of George Martin.I particularly liked the inclusion of the EP/singles cover art and the links to youtube. loving234 said:
nice just one quick question–how did you manage to wrtie out this list? did it take you a couple hours or days? curiousity DOES kill the cat you know [...] different with The Beatles: Rock Band, though. Since the Fab Four only released 185 songs* in its short career, the potential space for downloadable songs is pretty limited. Take away the [...] Wilburrr said:
Clearly a labor of love, and a great read. Gray said:
Absolutely brilliant read, mate. Remy K said:
Thanks so much for taking the time to devop this list. I grew up with the Beatles, but never owned one of their records. They were just something in the background that I never took the time to appreciate. With the release of the remasters, I’m now taking the time to listen, learn, and appreciate the brilliance, using your reviews and commentarys as my guide. What a ride! Curtis said:
John intended “Revolution 9″ to be a sound picture; Paul was not involved, and also objected to its melodic deficiencies. But the White Album gets progressively darker, and it was clearly meant to be more disturbing than pleasurable, with the prior lyrics preparing us for the quasi-musical freak-out. Lennon found noises he wanted for specific reasons, hearing it all as mixed together produces an emotional reaction, beyond the aesthetic shock. We may think the craft here is pedestrian, and the same goes for some deceptively simple abstract art: but it’s really difficult to reproduce a Polloch or Rothko – and maybe “Revolution 9″ HAS influenced sound in FILMS, becoming more complex and chaotic with overlayering of tracks and looping. If we could unlock the secrets of the Beatles songs, this ‘experimental’ track might be found to possess the same properties, just with a different message, perhaps one inconsistent with any controlled form. I knew someone who hated it for the obvious reasons, and was otherwise a fan, except for also feeling “A Day In The Life” was impaired by the dissonance of the crescendoes – most people find the effect of those sound monoliths mesmerizing or exhilarating, so reaction to music is very subjective. I wonder how criticism would go if it was accepted the artist achieved a goal, and the reviewer had to guess what it was. JR said:
“Old Brown Shoe” is one of their better later numbers my friend. Just a solid powerful truck, great fade out. “I Want You She’s So Heavy” is another late classic. Have to totally disagree with those two snubs. JR said:
“She’s Leaving Home” rated so highly is absolutely nuts. Rated ahead of “Hey Jude” makes me ask you to turn in your Beatle badge. Everyone’s entitled to their opinion of course. I’d put Paperback Writer, Nowhere Man, Eleanor Rigby, A Day In The Life, Day Tripper, Can’t Buy Me Love, Penny Lane and Ticket To Ride near the top of any such list. No problem with your #1, but I’d put “Hey Jude” atop my own list. Revolution 9, You Know My Name, Within You Without You, Wild Honey Pie would be near the bottom. Let’s face it though, I can even find sentimental value for songs that I don’t like as much. A true Beatles fan can do that. Anyway, fun reading but your list is way different than mine. JR said:
Re your Lady Madonna question, the problem with modern music is that the songs are turned up way too loud which buries the details, plus the kitchen sink is thrown in right away instead of slowly building (see your Hey Jude comments), and finally, rock and good pop music died about 20-25 years ago, it’s a dirge of mediocrity today. Pretty well all of it. JR said:
Finally there is a different take from different generations. I caught the end of the Beatles era, and could remember how big they were. In 1973 the release of the red and blue albums reinforced this. Later generations naturally have a different view of things. Those of us who remember them when they were still together have sentimental attachments for certain reasons, the record art, where we were when we first heard the singles etc. For those much younger than me who are immersing themselves in the Beatles for the first time, enjoy it, read up on them, learn the context, look past the cliches. JR said:
Wilburr, you criticize people who don’t respect dissenting views than you criticize town hall people who have the nerve not to agree with Obama’s socialist policies. Make up your mind. lucien said:
I like “Revolution Number 9.” Really. I like how abrasive and creepy it is. It presages a number of musical styles, though it may not be the progenitor in all cases. Also, this ranking/review is totally awesome. PurpleNeonLights said:
Two things about Revolution 9: 1) I very seldom choose to listen to it; 2) No smusical work has ever given me the creeps or just plain scared me like Revolution 9. When I was a kid, my friends and I actually would put on Rev 9 with the lights out just feel the unsettling intensity. So, we have a musical work I don’t listen to, but one that is like no other in the capacity to unsettle me. How do you rank that? Real hard. I guess a gold medal is in order for that capacity to make me uncomfortable, but a two thumbs down because, who wants to listen to it? For sure, for better or worse, it is a work of genius. Lennon consistently had, to me, that ability to to reach out deeper into the realm of the transcendent and otherworldly than did McCartney. Thank god for McCartney’s keen commercial sense, and common sense (and George Martin’s and Brain Epstein’s, and Alistair Taylor’s, etc.). They provided a vehicle and a counterbalance for Lennon’s expressions of far-outness. Georgia said:
I’m new to the world of the beatles, and have been reading about the Paul McCartney death hoax. I foundthis quite interesting, and hope to listen to all 363 beatles songs there are. That must’ve taken you a while… thank you. Garrett said:
WHAT!!! I Agree with Revolution 9, but I Want You (She’s So Heavy) 3rd WORST!!!! NO!!! And Love You To at 174!! My FAVORITE SONG EVER!!! You sir are clearly not a musician! |
Buffers, Bridges & Bubbles
Love is Strange
The Birds, the Bees & Me
Recent EntriesDateTitle11 | 06Oasis: (What's the Story) Morning Glory? 11 | 05Set the Controls to the Heart of the Sun 11 | 05Weezer: Raditude 11 | 04The GWAR of Tailgaters and Other Traffic Terrors 11 | 03Everything In Its Right Place 11 | 0311-03-09: From Brasil to Blaxploitation 11 | 02Mission of Burma: The Sound, The Speed, The Light 10 | 30Flaming Lips: Embryonic 10 | 29Thelonious Monk: The Life and Times of an American Original 10 | 28Hopelandic Rising |
But I shall return. I thoroughly enjoyed your interesting list, even if I did have a few disagreements. But of course a band that inspires a rabid “who is your favorite Beatle” (John!) ranking amongst its fans is likewise bound to inspire many differences of opinions on which songs are great and which not so great. I can say this – I’d rather hear a “bad” Beatle song than most other band’s good ones! 
While two of my favorites (Ob la di, ob la da & and All my lovin) were pretty far down the list, I completely appreciate the work and reflection that went into this list. The fact that people are screaming and yelling and spewing such hate about one person’s opinion kind of bothers me. Don’t like it? Make your own list. Sure, you there’s going to be some things that you don’t agree with (I noted mine earlier). But it’s not like this is the “definitive” Beatles list. It’s the opinion of the writer of the piece. If you don’t like it? Do all of the listening to songs, and in-depth research that he’s done. Easy enough, right?
But still. The work and reflection that went into this list is pretty awesome. I still say WELL done. And if you don’t like it…do your own list. I’d be happy to read and critique it. 
Hard days night
