20 Favorite Beatles Songs
My tenacious twenty for the fab four. |
| 20 | | The Beatles
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
She's Leaving Home - The most touching Beatles song. The fab four: "Don't run
away from home, kids!" Me *sobbing* "I love you, mom and dad!" |
| 19 |  | The Beatles
Abbey Road
Something - George Harrison proved what a talented songwriter he was later in the
Beatles' career. Frank Sinatra and others have said this song is the best love song
in the rock n' roll era. I don't listen to gangsters, but Sinatra may have a point. |
| 18 | | The Beatles
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds - So what if it's code for LSD. Listening to this will
get you high faster. |
| 17 |  | The Beatles
Help!
Help - The Beatles wrote catchy pop songs right from the get go, but here they
took it up a notch. You can't possibly dislike the harmony in the verses and that
falsetto "PLEEEEE-EE-EESE" in the chorus. |
| 16 | | The Beatles
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Good Morning - Anytime elitists say that Peppers is overrated I laugh at their puny
minds. Just listen to this song. It's like a drunk marching band miraculously playing
proto-prog. Is that 9/8 time I hear? |
| 15 |  | The Beatles
Let It Be
Hey Jude - Released as a single in 1968, it's one of their most recognizable tunes.
JUDE JUUUDE A-JUUUDE -A-JUDE -A-JUDE-A-JUDE-A YAAAAOOW! |
| 14 |  | The Beatles
Rubber Soul
Norwegian Wood - Cited as the first pop song to be released featuring a sitar (The
Yardbirds chickened out), it's actually a really lush ballad that shows the coming of
maturity that The Beatles were experiencing during their middle period. |
| 13 |  | The Beatles
Revolver
Love You To - Though The Kinks' "See My Friends" gets my vote as the first raga-
rock song, it never sounded as good as Love You To. The Sitar never rocked so
hard until Harrison picked it up. |
| 12 | | The Beatles
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
For the Benefit of Mr. Kite - Circus rock fits the off-kilter feel of the Peppers album
really well. Scared of clowns? Good! Check this out. |
| 11 |  | The Beatles
Magical Mystery Tour
The Fool on the Hill - Flute! 'nough said. |
| 10 |  | The Beatles
The Beatles
Helter Skelter - Okay, so claims of it being the first heavy metal song are
erroneous. It's more like proto-punk/noise rock. Either way, it's downright
entertaining to hear Paul prove he's not a wimp. |
| 9 | | The Beatles
Magical Mystery Tour
I Am the Walrus - With nonsensical lyrics and a distorted voice effect, the Beatles
created a classic in experimental rock. That's how I like my Beatles. Gotta love it! |
| 8 | | The Beatles
Revolver
Taxman - In my opinion, this is the Beatles' best rocker. It has the biting social
commentary, a groovy bass line, and a very respectable guitar solo by Harrison. |
| 7 | | The Beatles
Help!
Yesterday - It's the most covered song in the history of rock n' roll, and it is
sentimental pop perfection. Paul, we wouldn't have complained if your songs were
all this good. |
| 6 | | The Beatles
Revolver
Eleanor Rigby - While other artists such as Roy Orbison and The Left Banke had
featured the heavy use of violins in their songs, Eleanor Rigby took it up a notch
and is a baroque pop classic. The song is so immediate and engaging that it takes a
while to realize there are no drums at all. |
| 5 | | The Beatles
Revolver
Tomorrow Never Knows - Tape loops, a "sick beat", and hypnotizing raga-inspired
sounds make this one of the Beatles most bizarre and creative songs. It's probably
the song that gets the reaction "Wait, THIS is The Beatles?" the most. |
| 4 | | The Beatles
The Beatles
While My Guitar Gently Weeps - Great songwriting is accompanied with a
spectacular solo by one of rock's original guitar heros, Eric Clapton. This is the
definite highlight of the massive White Album. |
| 3 | | The Beatles
Magical Mystery Tour
Strawberry Fields Forever - Inspired by The Beach Boys' studio wonder "Good
Vibrations", this is an equally marvelous studio track that introduced the mellotron
to the rock-listening public. The highlight would be the catchy chorus with its
change in instrumentation and its oddly dissonant "nothing is real." The freaky jam
at the end is also genius. |
| 2 | | The Beatles
Abbey Road
Here Comes the Sun - The Beatles (namely, Paul) were often criticized for writing
silly love songs, but they never completely outgrew it. They perfected it. George
Harrison structured Here Comes the Sun around an acoustic guitar hook so big it
could snare the leviathan. The production is flawless which is probably why it is a
favorite among modern-day fans. And who could forget that MOOG! |
| 1 | | The Beatles
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
A Day in a Life - The Beatles' experimentation culminated in the final track on Peppers.
A Day in a Life is a proto-prog rock masterpiece. Lennon's section is mysterious and
off-putting...and that's before the crescendo-ing orchestra comes in! McCartney's
part is more optimistic (love how the bass walks down as he says "found my way
downstairs"), but who isn't when they wake up in the morning...even when doom
awaits around the corner? |
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