Ranking the Beatle's Songs

[Jolly Blue Giant]

I've visited three different sites (Ultimate Classic Rock, The Vulture, and The Rolling Stone, and they are as different as day and night. The only thing they agree on, is that their no.1 is "A Day in the Life", which will be played a hundred years from now and still loved by music enthusiasts. I also believe "Yesterday" will be played a hundred years from now.

One site has "Yesterday" at 4th place, behind "I want to Hold Your Hand" and "Strawberry Fields Forever". I doubt either of those songs will be played in the year 2124. https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/100-greatest-beatles-songs-154008/in-my-life-181605/

One site has "Yesterday" at 5th place, and "Hey Jude" ahead of it. Personally, I wouldn't have Hey Jude in the top 30. https://ultimateclassicrock.com/every-beatles-song/

Yet another site has "Yesterday" at 39th https://www.vulture.com/article/best-beatles-songs-ranked.html

One of my favorite songs by the Beatles that's a little obscure, but I like it for the tune and that John Lennon played the lead instead of Harrison, and he did so on Harrison's 12-string Rickenbacker; however, it doesn't get much love. The "Vulture" doesn't even list the song in the Beatles top 214 songs  The other two sites include it, but it comes in 123, and 70. It's one of Lennon's first anti-love songs and on the flip side of "Can't Buy Me Love". It's called, "You Can't Do That"

Another interesting note, "Revolution" and "Back in the U.S.S.R" gets zero love and at the back end of lists

I know everything is a matter of taste, but how would you rate that top 10 songs?

[ozzie]

In my opinion the Beatles were so great and just so talented on top of being so culturally important that the vast majority of their music will still be played 100 years from now. I think musicians of every genre will know who they are / were.
As far as top 10 goes...
You can ask 100 people and get 100 different answers. Their output was massive and covered different styles and I think it's hard to whittle it down where folks will agree on a "Best".
As far as my tops:
"I saw her standing there" is my favorite. Just one of the all-time great pop songs.
A couple more from my list are
"The Night Before"
"You're gonna Lose that Girl"
"Let it Be"
"Day Tripper"
"While my Guitar Gently Weeps"
"Revolution"
And too many more to continue.

[Jolly Blue Giant]

When I was a child, riding in the backseat of my parent's 1958 Oldsmobile, I heard the radio play Sinatra, Elvis, Tom Jones, Dean Martin, and basically solo artists from the 40's-50's, except for Elvis and Jones, who didn't play in the 40s. When I rode in the old bullet nosed pickup with my father, the radio was turned to Hank Williams, Patsy Cline, Conway Twitty, George Jones...and occasionally I would like a song that came on by Roger Miller (I still like him). At that time in my life, I was between 5 and 10 years old

Then there was a life-changing moment for me. My parent's said they were taking us to Binghamton (this time, in our '62 Olds 98) to a 50's style diner that served "Coneys" (white hotdogs with spicy brown mustard). It was 1964 and I was 11 years old. On the way, the radio played "She Loves You" by the Beatles. All four of us kids in the backseat (3 brothers and a sister) perked up and loved it. We laughed and sang "yeah, yeah, yeah" along with the song (the only words we had figured out). We asked my dad to turn it up and he told us it was "junk music", but turned it up for us anyway...LOL

At the diner, we could play the juke box from our table and a song cost a nickel or a dime (I don't remember). My father splurged and played "She Loves You", (after I begged him) while we ate our Coneys. That day, was the single day that I discovered that I liked...even loved...music. It wasn't until a little later that I discovered there were other stations on the radio besides WKRT, the "best country music station...". I discovered 1430 WENE ("weenie"), a radio station that played pop rock. It played the Beatles, the Beach Boys, Jan and Dean, Marvin Gaye, The Who, etc.

They say you can only remember things from the far past that had a major influence on you, or you witnessed something out of the ordinary. And here I am recalling a memory that is 60 years old, and I can recall every detail of that day. That's how powerful the Beatles were when they came on the scene.

Bottom line: Everything about what I thought about music (and even parts of life) changed that day...and it was the Beatles that awakened by kid brain. When the Beatles were on Ed Sullivan, I would sit waiting for the moment they were introduced and become mesmerized by them. My father was disgusted with their hair and constantly said they "needed a haircut". But even my old dad (seemed old then, when he was in his late 30s, early 40s), he recognized that the world of music was changed forever. The next six years of my life would dramatically change, and the journey of my early teens was a ride along with the Beatles' heyday...that and the 60s hippies, flower children, protests, riots, and the Vietnam War

And the "Fab 4" has been a staple of my taste in music for the next 60 years. I tried to play guitar when I was 16 on my brother's guitar that he never played. I taught myself how to play the riff to "Day Tripper". Then I never picked up a guitar again until I was in my 70s...and now it's an obsession

My 10 (always subject to change):

A Day in the Life
Strawberry Fields
She Loves You (huge sentimental song to me)
All You Need is Love
Day Tripper
Paperback Writer
All My Lovin
Ticket to Ride
You Can't do That
Yesterday (I can't play that over and over, but it's a classic with a message that will stand forever)

[Bob In PA]

Impossible for me to rank, for two reasons.

(1) they're almost all great (my admiration for what they, and producer George Martin, did is endless).

(2) I compose their kind of music (mostly) and know how hard it is to generate even "good" results.

Bob

[Jolly Blue Giant]

Impossible for me to rank, for two reasons.

(1) they're almost all great (my admiration for what they, and producer George Martin, did is endless).

(2) I compose their kind of music (mostly) and know how hard it is to generate even "good" results.

Bob

I know you're a pianist Bob, and I would love to hear something you wrote. I have the makings of a song on the piano that I started at least 30 years ago, but I could never find the additional melody to go with the part I created. My daughter has begged me to finish it, or at least put the part I have written down on sheet music so that she can fuss with it. Something I need to do

The Beatles were prolific songwriters...everything from Yesterday, to A Day in the Life, to Rocky Raccoon. They wrote nearly 300 songs, and more as solo artists after breaking up. And 60 years later, Paul has helped Taylor Swift with songwriting and many others (Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, etc.). He's a genius as well as a top-notch person



When a deranged person shot and killed John Lennon, it hit me as hard as Kennedy's assassination...probably more, because as a kid, I knew nothing of politics and only that he was our President

Paul was uber-talented. When he cut the record, "Band on the Run", he played the drums and guitars for all the music, and of course sang. His wife Linda played the keyboard and joined him singing in a couple of parts. But the song is classic and had a Beatles' feel to it...even though the song is telling a message, including the breakup of the Beatles

[Sem]

Like Bob there's no way I could ever rate my favorite Beatles song. Just no way. While probably not my personal favorite band, they are undoubtedly the greatest band ever, and are still influential to a significant number of new and upcoming songwriters.

Speaking of Ric's favorite, "You Can't Do That," I was first introduced to that song when I was 7, when my grandparents bought me The Beatles Second Album, (actually their third US release), for my 7th birthday. I played that album on my small plastic turntable until you could practically see through it. Despite that, I never owned another Beatles album. Well, my wife brought a few with her when we were married, so I guess I did "own" some.

And Ric, speaking of WENE brings back memories for me, such as in my very early youth, discovering the radio, I thought it was amazing that such a small local station could actually bring in so many artists to play on-air. It didn't occur to me that I was listening to a recording. 
Also Ric, do you remember around 1970 or '71 a local WENE DJ named Doug Tracht? He was then an Ithaca College student who had a summer job as DJ on WENE. He was developing his on-air persona of The Greaseman, and would eventually go on to become one of America's highest paid DJ's, working out of D.C. and with a huge audience-following, and a salary nearly rivaling Howard Stern and Don Imus.

[Bob In PA]

I know you're a pianist Bob, and I would love to hear something you wrote.

Jolly: I've written music recorded by singers and also co-wrote some with singer/songwriters (I doubt you never heard of any of them). A lot of styles (my college degree was in music composition).

One easy thing to do is google Lisa Craze (not a pseudonym). She wrote some, I wrote a few and we also wrote a few together. From Seattle. You'll find a bunch of sites, and on at least one (maybe BandCamp) much of her music can be heard free of charge. Keep looking. If you can't find them let me know. Her twin sister (now deceased, sadly) sang for one of my bands (about 40 years ago lol).

I recorded (piano demos only, not for the public) almost everything I've written. We just moved. Once I get unpacked I will re-record anything deserving of that kind of time and attention as "finished products." This time, it will be "for keeps."  I'll write lyrics for those not written to be instrumental & also (heaven help me) sing. I have a lousy voice (not being modest). My wife also recorded songs to which she wrote lyrics, but my skill and experience as a recording engineer is almost zero, so I feel I did her performance an injustice (as a result, we sent the finished albums only to friends/relatives as Christmas presents - or as torture, depending on your point-of-view). Regardless, I'm not counting on being happy with (or proud of) the final outcome. The point will be to leave my daughter and her child with something to remember me by... but I'm going to do it anyway. lol

Bob

PS. My cousin Denny Seiwell was for a good while McCartney's drummer during his stint as a solo artist.

[LennG]

Sorry I'm a bit late to this.

For me, I like most of the Beatle's music but I am more of a fan of their 'later' style, than their 'earlier ' style and songs. Songs like Standing There, She Loves You, really aren't on my top-anything list.

If I had to pick one or two 'older' songs, Yesterday would be one, and Words of Love would be another.
My favorite Beatles album is Rubber Soul and I love many of the songs on that album, Norwegian Wood, Girl, You Won't See Me, Nowhere Man, Michelle, I'm Looking Thru You, In MY Life, and several others. All might make my list of Best Beatles songs.

That said,
Some of my all-time favorites (besides the above-mentioned)
Day In The Life,
Get Back
Elanor Rigby
While My Guitar Gently Weeps
Here Comes the Sun
Let It Be
The Long and Winding Road
Carry That Weight

And when I was YOUNGER,  When I'm 64 (now that I'm 78, 64 would be a God send, but at the  time, didn't we all wonder how we would be when we were 64?)

[Jolly Blue Giant]

Jolly: I've written music recorded by singers and also co-wrote some with singer/songwriters (I doubt you never heard of any of them). A lot of styles (my college degree was in music composition).

One easy thing to do is google Lisa Craze (not a pseudonym). She wrote some, I wrote a few and we also wrote a few together. From Seattle. You'll find a bunch of sites, and on at least one (maybe BandCamp) much of her music can be heard free of charge. Keep looking. If you can't find them let me know. Her twin sister (now deceased, sadly) sang for one of my bands (about 40 years ago lol).

I recorded (piano demos only, not for the public) almost everything I've written. We just moved. Once I get unpacked I will re-record anything deserving of that kind of time and attention as "finished products." This time, it will be "for keeps."  I'll write lyrics for those not written to be instrumental & also (heaven help me) sing. I have a lousy voice (not being modest). My wife also recorded songs to which she wrote lyrics, but my skill and experience as a recording engineer is almost zero, so I feel I did her performance an injustice (as a result, we sent the finished albums only to friends/relatives as Christmas presents - or as torture, depending on your point-of-view). Regardless, I'm not counting on being happy with (or proud of) the final outcome. The point will be to leave my daughter and her child with something to remember me by... but I'm going to do it anyway. lol

Bob

PS. My cousin Denny Seiwell was for a good while McCartney's drummer during his stint as a solo artist.

Great story Bob. How'd you ever get into lawyering? Regardless, Seattle (the home of Microsoft, coffee and Grunge music) is a rough place to make it as a folk singer...I would think anyway. I listened to 5 or 6 of her songs...kinda liked the "Homewrecker Flu", but overall...I don't think I'll download her music to my set list...sorry    However, I'm impressed that you have given music writing a whirl 

Your cousin was lucky to have worked with McCartney. Man, what a memory to have and share with grandkids

When you write, do use pencil and blank sheet music, or do you connect your keyboard to a computer and let the computer write the music for you (in the right key and the right timing)? I've thought of getting the software to write the music for me, but haven't gotten that far yet. Man what a quick way to put the sound in your head to a sheet of paper. Technology at its best. Last time I wrote out music on a sheet was when I took a music theory class at college. It was actually a fun class compared to a lot of the crap I had to sit through

Check out Beethoven's original music score. You need AI to descramble and uncode it. Not what you'd expect from a master of music. If I turned that in for a homework assignment, I'd be thrown out of class...lol



Paul McCartney was such a prolific songwriter, that he wrote this song in a day. He couldn't read music, but read the lyrics on a sheet on a piano while at his step-sister Ruth's home. It was "Cradle Song" by the 16th century dramatist Thomas Dekker. He liked the lyrics so much, he wrote a tune to go along with it, altering the wording here and there, and called it "Golden Slumbers". Here's what he wrote in just a few hours

[Bob In PA]

Great story Bob. How'd you ever get into lawyering?
I'm a serious cheapskate.  My dad said he would pay for law school if I went. 

I listened to 5 or 6 of her songs...kinda liked the "Homewrecker Flu", but overall...I don't think I'll download her music to my set list...sorry
Sounds like you found her first album... I worked with her on the 2nd and 3rd albums. Eventually I'll find the site containing the songs I (or we) wrote and which she recorded, or post a list of the song names so they're easier to track down. I have another cousin (from Texas) who was fairly well-known in NYC - a true rocker.  I don't know if you can hear her without buying the albums; her stage name was Lani Ford (if you want to search) & her group was called Stark. I begged her for many years to write lyrics to some of my music but it never happened.

When you write, do use pencil and blank sheet music, or do you connect your keyboard to a computer and let the computer write the music for you (in the right key and the right timing)?
Neither. It's all stored "inside my head" and I've only hopelessly "lost" (forgotten) three or four songs out of hundreds composed. When I have written lyrics, of course, I write those down. The best way to do it for you is probably to get a DAW (Digital Audio Workstation - software that allows you to record, edit and produce files to burn onto CD or you can just deal with each as a separate *.wav or other type of audio file). You'll also need a mic and just play/sing/whatever and record digitally onto a PC or MAC hard drive. You can't lose anything that way, which brings me to Beethoven...

Check out Beethoven's original music score. You need AI to descramble and uncode it. Not what you'd expect from a master of music. If I turned that in for a homework assignment, I'd be thrown out of class...lol
I can relate. It's short-hand. Back then, there was no recording, so he scribbled down his ideas to bolster his memory while in the process of engaging in the tedious process of writing out something other musicians could actually read.

Paul McCartney was such a prolific songwriter, that he wrote this song in a day. He couldn't read music, but read the lyrics on a sheet on a piano while at his step-sister Ruth's home. It was "Cradle Song" by the 16th century dramatist Thomas Dekker. He liked the lyrics so much, he wrote a tune to go along with it, altering the wording here and there, and called it "Golden Slumbers". Here's what he wrote in just a few hours.
Golden Slumbers is on Abbey Road. It's part of the long medley of Abbey Road songs my one band played.

[Jolly Blue Giant]

Bob, your life story is fascinating! Thanks for sharing all that information

[Bob In PA]

Bob, your life story is fascinating! Thanks for sharing all that information

Jolly: Needless to say, "fascinating" is not a word I'd use to describe it. lol

[Jolly Blue Giant]

Jolly: Needless to say, fascinating is not a word I'd use to describe it. lol

Well, everyone has their own interests. I happen to find law fascinating, and my recent readings as well as favorite television shows, are centered around law (Suits, Lincoln Lawyer, The Good Wife, etc) and in books, authors Micheal Connelly, John Grishom, Scott Turow, etc.

And I've always loved music and played piano for 65 years, and in the last several months, have been learning guitar...and I've spent like a drunken sailor on equipment far beyond my ability. Sorta like a kid learning to play piano on his own personal Steinway Concert Grand...LOL

[Bob In PA]

Well, everyone has their own interests. I happen to find law fascinating, and my recent readings as well as favorite television shows, are centered around law (Suits, Lincoln Lawyer, The Good Wife, etc) and in books, authors Micheal Connelly, John Grishom, Scott Turow, etc.

And I've always loved music and played piano for 65 years, and in the last several months, have been learning guitar...and I've spent like a drunken sailor on equipment far beyond my ability. Sorta like a kid learning to play piano on his own personal Steinway Concert Grand...LOL

Nothing wrong with having the best equipment.

It can inspire trying harder, or perseverance, or improve the quality of your results because it just plain sounds better in general.

You can tell if you're really interested in law by trying to read authors who are primarily professors who only occasionally practice retail law. There's a certain amount of tedium in most retail law (I'm probably in the minority on this issue) and a lot of repetition. Pick a book of your choice by Alan Dershowitz. If you suffer from insomnia, however, I heartily recommend choosing one written by me (all relate to Pennsylvania criminal law and procedure). If I could bottle the contents of any of them, I'd be Elon Musk's neighbor (and everyone else would be fast asleep lol).

Bob

[Jolly Blue Giant]

Nothing wrong with having the best equipment.

It can inspire trying harder, or perseverance, or improve the quality of your results because it just plain sounds better in general.

You can tell if you're really interested in law by trying to read authors who are primarily professors who only occasionally practice retail law. There's a certain amount of tedium in most retail law (I'm probably in the minority on this issue) and a lot of repetition. Pick a book of your choice by Alan Dershowitz. If you suffer from insomnia, however, I heartily recommend choosing one written by me (all relate to Pennsylvania criminal law and procedure). If I could bottle the contents of any of them, I'd be Elon Musk's neighbor (and everyone else would be fast asleep lol).

Bob

Ha, ha...I'm sure there's a boring side to all of it. I was an engineer for years and was the company guru on GD&T, so ended up teaching other engineers, which they referred to as like studying a law book, and most of them hated it. But I was a math major and found it interesting; however, the engineering part does gets tedious, especially when the best laid plans/ideas fail gallantly. I think all jobs become tedious once it becomes a daily routine to make a living

Love Alan Dershowitz, BTW. I took elementary law in college and didn't care for it. I guess it's the drama in the courtroom that I now find interesting...having sat in on a couple of murder cases, as well as being on a jury and unfortunately, also being dragged before the judge myself (nothing close to a felony mind you)