The 50 Greatest Beatles Songs
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I disagree with this article that "In My Life" is their greatest song. It's a bit dull compared to a lot of theirs, I think.
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SusyLuvsPaul wrote:
I disagree with this article that "In My Life" is their greatest song. It's a bit dull compared to a lot of theirs, I think.
I don't think they were listing them in any particular order. Just 50 of their greatest songs. That was my impression anyway, I could be wrong.
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They put "In My Life" first and they said they think it's the Beatles' best song in their little write up on it. Unless I'm seeing things...go read it and see...
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Nancy R wrote:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/entertainment/news/the-50-greatest-beatles-songs/ss-AAHX1xH?li=BBnb7Kz
This is one of the polls about the "Greatest Beatle Songs" that I think is quite good and better than most I have read. The first song that I wanted to see where it was ranked was "Here There and Everywhere". I had seen a couple of Rankings where they had HT&E ranked in the 80's for God sake. This poll had the song at #8 which is where it should be at the very least. Personally, I always had HT&E in my Top 5. I like it better than both Yesterday and Something.
I also liked the fact that it had a different Beatle song at #1..."In My LIfe". Normally you get "Day in the Life" at #! on most polls like these. It was nice that they chose "In My Life" which is also a great song and very deserving. It was also important that they brought up the fact that the melody of "In My Life" is disputed between Paul and John. Paul has always said that he wrote the melody to John Lennon's beautiful set of lyrics. Think about it...Paul wasn't the type to talk or bragg about his imput on many of John's songs. When it was a "primary" John Lennon song Paul would say it like it was. He always was very complementary about John as a great writer and that he was proud to work with him as a writing partner. In this case specifically about "In My Life" I believe him when he says that he wrote the melody. But as a Beatle fan, what do I know? In answer to this question, I would believe much more from someone who really knew John and Paul (he was right there in the thick of things) and what he said on the Siriius Radio Show as an MC on their own "Beatles Greatest Songs" Special. His name is Peter Asher (famous half of Peter and Gordon and a great Record Producer for the likes of James Taylor and Carole King etc). Peter has always been a big fan to all the individual Beatles and Paul McCartney actually lived in the Asher home (his sister is Jane Asher) around the time of the making of Rubber Soul. When "In My Life" was introduced as part of the Sirius Show, Peter Asher said that he knows that Paul played a big part in the melody of "In My Life". Living at the Asher home, Paul was playing the melody of "In My Life"at their house way before the album came out. Peter was more specific talking about the parts of the song that he know that Paul had written. I'm not saying that John Lennon wasn't a big part of the song because they were his great lyrics but "In My Life" from the words of Peter Asher was a true Lennon-McCartney partnership similar to "I Want to Hold Your Hand" and "She Loves You".
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?SusyLuvsPaul wrote:
They put "In My Life" first and they said they think it's the Beatles' best song in their little write up on it. Unless I'm seeing things...go read it and see...
Sorry, you're right - I didn't read carefully enough. I really like In My Life, but would pick Here, There and Everywhere as their best. There are SO many great ones though!
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These polls are so subjective anyway. You couldn't go wrong with any of the top 10 in the #1 slot. Personally, it would be between Day in the Life, In My Life and Here There and Everywhere. But when you see a Poll that has Here There and Everywhere in the 80's (that was a Top 100 Beatles Songs Poll) you know there is something suspicious with the poll/results.
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I consider "Yesterday" their greatest ballad or "slow" song. It's been recorded by different artists more than any other Beatles song, by an astounding number of artists. "Here, There and Everywhere" is also an exquisitely beautiful love ballad, but I'd still place it second to "Yesterday," personally. I had a wonderful book devoted solely to the song "Yesterday" that made me cry reading it. I can't recall who wrote it and can't find the book, having moved around so often I lost a number of books. Ray Coleman? Might have been its author. "Something In The Way She Moves" I'd certainly place in the top three of Beatles love songs. "Here Comes the Sun" and "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" certainly deserve very high ranking, more great Harrison songs. "I Am the Walrus" was placed high on this list; I consider that song very striking, but a little too "weird" sounding to be among my very favorite Beatles numbers (remember Queen Elizabeth said something along the lines of, "What happened to the Beatles? Their songs have gotten very odd" when their psychedelic drug-inspired style was launched). Its lyrics are poetically abstruse to a high (pun) degree and not easily understandable or relatable. "Walrus" is still quite special largely because of that, as is "Come Together." I agree with BJ and Nancy that this particular list seems quite well done, overall. Well thought out.
While of course music appreciation remains quite subjective. Still some things can be generally agreed on.
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This is all so subjective. My personal best Beatles song would be Let It Be because it's my favorite, song, period. But you can certainly make a case for In My Life, which would absolutely be in my Beatles Top 10.
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Oh Yes, "Let It Be," how could I forget that one--like "Yesterday" it can make me tear up, as does "The Long and Winding Road." I was trying to think of some of John's that can elicit tears in certain moods. I just came up with "Working Class Hero" (though it's not a Beatles song) but there must be more. Some of George's spiritual efforts like "All Things Must Pass" and "Beware of Darkness" have done that before; again, not Beatles songs, but should have been.
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Bruce M. wrote:
This is all so subjective. My personal best Beatles song would be Let It Be because it's my favorite, song, period. But you can certainly make a case for In My Life, which would absolutely be in my Beatles Top 10.
Thanks Bruce. "Let It Be" brings me back to a personal memory way back in 1989 I believe. Although always a huge fan, It was my first time seeing Paul "live". It was a "Stadium" show in Philadelphia where I grew up. It was also at a time when there was no "Setlist" debates. Most of the 50K plus in the stadium were first timers also hearing a broad mix of Beatle songs and Solo/Wings Paul songs.
To this day, my favorite song of the night was toward the end of the show when Paul sitting "at the piano" hit the chords to "Let It Be". In unison it seemed as though all of the 50,000 fans went crazy with just the introductory melody. Talk about a "melody"... does any song have a better and most famous melody? Well, it's all subjective for sure but on that night it was definitely a highlight and to me it was the top song of the evening. I was still hearing "Let It Be" at 3 in the morning when I was trying to go to sleep.
Susy...great arguments for Yesterday. But as I said, there isn't a song in the Top 10 that wouldn't be deserving.
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It would be interesting to see a list ranked by a musician, from their point of view. I play the piano, but just for enjoyment, so I don't consider myself a musician per se, just a music obsessive ! The Beatles songs I find most challenging to play are Something and Here, there and everywhere. The chord structures are very interesting, and I've had to work harder on those than most. I play music of all types but mostly the Great American Songbook, Beatles, Bacharach, Brian Wilson and basically any popular song that has a good melody. In my life is one of those songs that has become a standard in the last few decades after being pretty much overlooked for a long time. That would probably be in my top 5, it's interesting to play.
