Mojo Filter's Top 30 Beatles Songs

[mojofilter]

As you all know by now from my previous thread (http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?t=42727), my all-time favorite band are The Beatles.


http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RHX3Vlt1NIo/T6gR46h30yI/AAAAAAAAAOc/4KBJEPpdtVQ/s1600/1970_music_beatles_break_up_band.jpg

John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr made the most incredible music in history together.


The following are my all-time Top 30 favorite Beatles songs ...
(All the songs in this list are original compositions, no cover versions are included!)

30. YOUR MOTHER SHOULD KNOW
(Lennon/McCartney - 1967, Magical Mystery Tour)


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xycaGZtusmo

Magical Mystery Tour was a dreadful movie, but both the film and the soundtrack album had some really great moments, the highlight being this sweet and charming Paul-penned tune.

[mojofilter]

29. TICKET TO RIDE
(Lennon/McCartney - 1965, Help!)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUxs8Q6V6-4

John was the main songwriter of this classic. Paul's contribution, according to John, was the way Ringo "played the drums." Paul disagreed, insisting that both he and John wrote the song together, but crediting John for writing 60% of it.

[christine]

Looking forwards to seeing your list :)

[mojofilter]

28. SGT. PEPPER'S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND/WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS
(Lennon/McCartney - 1967, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7Yij10RbuI

Paul was the chief songwriter of and main contributor to Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, both the song and album, as well as the concept in which The Beatles pretended to be a different band. With A Little Help From My Friends was a product of John and Paul working together to come up with the right song for Ringo, playing the role of the imaginary character Billy Shears, to sing. The result was a phenomenal breakthrough and historical milestone in music.

[mojofilter]

Looking forwards to seeing your list :)


Thanks! Hope you enjoy it!


My last thread lasted about a month.


I'll try to breeze through this one :)

[mojofilter]

27. I'M ONLY SLEEPING
(Lennon/McCartney - 1966, Revolver)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnKu_dyqamE

John wrote this song about himself being physically lazy when not touring. The song, featured on the groundbreaking Revolver album, also marks one of The Beatles' first experimentations with Psychedelic Rock.

[mojofilter]

26. BLACKBIRD
(Lennon/McCartney - 1968, The Beatles)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAfrAfWXuRI

Paul wrote this song about the Civil Rights Movement and the racial tensions of the 1960's in America. With Paul's subtle and simple arrangement of acoustic guitar and foot taps, it's one of the most powerful songs on The Beatles' self-titled double album, famously known as The White Album.

[Beatle]

Nice. Can't wait the list.

[mojofilter]

25. RAIN
(Lennon/McCartney - 1966, B-Side to "Paperback Writer")

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZ1istTwUbU

John wrote this song during the Revolver recording sessions, but the song did not appear on the album. It ended up as the B-side to stand-alone single Paperback Writer. The song, recorded during The Beatles' experimentation stage, is famous for being the first ever recording in history to include backward vocals, courtesy of John and producer George Martin.

[mojofilter]

24. I WANT YOU (SHE'S SO HEAVY)
(Lennon/McCartney - 1969, Abbey Road)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZp_-7YUn-s

Contrary to popular belief that John wrote this song about heroin, the bluesy 8-minute epic is entirely about his infatuation with Yoko Ono. The song is considered to be groundbreaking and original in that it introduced the world to what would later be known as 'doom metal'. It's hard to believe and quite amazing that the same group that started off writing those fast pop songs like Please Please Me and She Loves You would sound like this just a few years later, but that's what makes The Beatles the best band ever.

[Beatle]

25. RAIN
(Lennon/McCartney - 1966, B-Side to "Paperback Writer")

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZ1istTwUbU

John wrote this song during the Revolver recording sessions, but the song did not appear on the album. It ended up as the B-side to stand-alone single Paperback Writer. The song, recorded during The Beatles' experimentation stage, is famous for being the first ever recording in history to include backward vocals, courtesy of John and producer George Martin.




I think Paul claimed he co-wrote even this one, like even 50-50.

24. I WANT YOU (SHE'S SO HEAVY)
(Lennon/McCartney - 1969, Abbey Road)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZp_-7YUn-s

Contrary to popular belief that John wrote this song about heroin, the bluesy 7-minute epic is entirely about his infatuation with Yoko Ono. The song is considered to be groundbreaking and original in that it introduced the world to what would later be known as 'doom metal'. It's hard to believe and quite amazing that the same group that started off writing those fast pop songs like Please Please Me and She Loves You would sound like this just a few years later, but that's what makes The Beatles the best band ever.




Ah, yes! It's the most "Pink Floyd" Beatles song. Criminaly underrated. Only John can write something like this.

[mojofilter]

23. MOTHER NATURE'S SON
(Lennon/McCartney - 1968, The Beatles)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FmkRY6h0hJE

This beautifully arranged acoustic number was written by Paul with, according to Paul, a little contribution by John during The Beatles' 1968 visit to the Maharishi in India. The song was recorded for the White Album by Paul with producer George Martin in the absence of all the other band members, to the dismay of John.

[mojofilter]

22. HERE COMES THE SUN
(Harrison - 1969, Abbey Road)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Q696HZAo2I

Even though he had written numerous songs before, in my opinion, 1969 was the year when George Harrison really blossomed as a singer/songwriter, with 2 of his songs, Here Comes The Sun and Something, landing on the album Abbey Road; both songs rivaling the best of Lennon and McCartney's catalog and being amongst the most relevant compositions of his entire career.

[mojofilter]

21. EVERYBODY'S GOT SOMETHING TO HIDE EXCEPT FOR ME AND MY MONKEY
(Lennon/McCartney - 1968, The Beatles)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1g8R2nCnfI

By 1968, John was known for writing the edgier and more straight-out hard-hitting rock songs, while Paul was known for the softer and much less subtle songs; that's not saying that John didn't write any ballads, and Paul didn't know how to rock out. Not only was Me And My Monkey one of John's hardest rocking songs, but it is the song with the longest title in the entire Beatles' song catalog. According to John, the track, like many of his compositions during the late 60's, is about him and Yoko.

[Beatle]

22. HERE COMES THE SUN
(Harrison - 1969, Abbey Road)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Q696HZAo2I

Even though he had written numerous songs before, in my opinion, 1969 was the year when George Harrison really blossomed as a singer/songwriter, with 2 of his songs, Here Comes The Sun and Something, landing on the album Abbey Road; both songs rivaling the best of Lennon and McCartney's catalog and being amongst the most relevant compositions of his entire career.


Ah, YES!!! One of the most beautiful songs ever written! I was just talking today to a guy, and it's his fave.

[cricket]

I never got into Blackbird¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[mojofilter]

20. I WANT TO HOLD YOUR HAND
(Lennon/McCartney - 1963, Meet The Beatles!)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipADNlW7yBM

John and Paul wrote this song together when The Beatles were breaking through to international fame. The song was their first hit in America. Beatlemania had finally conquered both sides of the Atlantic...and the rest is history.

[seanc]

Not many Beatle's songs I don't like but I Want To Hold Your Hand comes close. I really like the rest, Here Comes The Sun being my favorite so far.

[mojofilter]

19. I ME MINE
(Harrison - 1970, Let It Be)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIL75TnWtnw

George wrote this song about egocentrism. It was the last song ever to be recorded by the band, excluding John, before they officially disbanded in 1970. It is my all-time favorite Beatle George song.

[mojofilter]

Not many Beatle's songs I don't like but I Want To Hold Your Hand comes close. I really like the rest, Here Comes The Sun being my favorite so far.


I love all of their songs, but I am a bigger fan of their material from the 1967 - 1970 era. I Want To Hold Your Hand is an exciting pop song from early on that I couldn't help but include in my Top 30. My father used to love their earlier stuff, and this along with She Loves You were the first songs I ever heard by them.

[mojofilter]

18. REVOLUTION
(Lennon/McCartney - 1968, B-side to 'Hey Jude')

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihhCoJ72fQE

John wrote this in response to a question on where he, or the band, stands with regards to the anti-Vietnam War protests that were dominating the streets during the time. It was the first of many politically-charged songs John would write in his career.

[Beatle]

19. I ME MINE
(Harrison - 1970, Let It Be)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIL75TnWtnw

George wrote this song about egocentrism. It was the last song ever to be recorded by the band, excluding John, before they officially disbanded in 1970. It is my all-time favorite Beatle George song.



Mine too. It has an unbelievable feeling. Unbelievably underrated.

[mojofilter]

17. HERE, THERE AND EVERYWHERE
(Lennon/McCartney - 1966, Revolver)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4zn3g7DDHk

Paul wrote this searing ballad at John's house one morning while waiting for John to wake up and get to work on material for their 1966 album Revolver. The song, inspired by The Beach Boys' Pet Sounds album, is considered one of the greatest Beatles songs, and one of Paul's, and John's, favorites.

[Beatle]

I love all of their songs, but I am a bigger fan of their material from the 1967 - 1970 era. I Want To Hold Your Hand is an exciting pop song from early on that I couldn't help but include in my Top 30. My father used to love their earlier stuff, and this along with She Loves You were the first songs I ever heard by them.

Me too. 1967 - 1970 was the best period in human history.

[Beatle]

18. REVOLUTION
(Lennon/McCartney - 1968, B-side to 'Hey Jude')

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihhCoJ72fQE

John wrote this in response to a question on where he, or the band, stands with regards to the anti-Vietnam War protests that were dominating the streets during the time. It was the first of many politically charged songs John would write in his career.



Ah, yes! Don't you know it's gonna BE ...alright. It's also ambiguous. But when you talk about destruction, don't you know that you can count me out/in. In an interview he said he's not sure, but prefers non - violence, though. But that's John. My all-time favorite male person.

[mojofilter]

16. ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE
(Lennon/McCartney - 1967, Magical Mystery Tour)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBbHxPIiPN4

In the midst of the growing Hippy and Peace Movements, led by young kids who wanted to spread the message of peace and love, and express their opposition to conflicts and war, The Beatles were asked to provide a song for a British TV program called Our World that was to be broadcast to over 400 million people around the world. John responded, using the simplest lyrics, with this ultimate love anthem, and the greatest message of peace ever recorded. It is by far one of the most powerful songs John has ever written in his entire career.

[mojofilter]

15. I'M SO TIRED
(Lennon/McCartney - 1968, The Beatles)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZodBYQ4pJ0M

John wrote this song while in India with the rest of the band visiting the Maharishi. He was plagued with bouts of insomnia and thinking about Yoko and reading her letters. About the song, John has said, "One of my favorite tracks. I just like the sound of it, and I sing it well". I couldn't agree with him more.

[mojofilter]

14. HAPPINESS IS A WARM GUN
(Lennon/McCartney - 1968, The Beatles)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucPta4tIcSs

The White Album featured some of The Beatles' best songs, particularly songs written by John. Happiness Is A Warm Gun is one of the strongest tracks on the album, and reportedly the favorite track on the album for Paul and George. The song is like a puzzle, with John putting together three sections of different songs, and each section representing a different style of rock music.

[christine]

25. RAIN
(Lennon/McCartney - 1966, B-Side to "Paperback Writer")

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZ1istTwUbU

John wrote this song during the Revolver recording sessions, but the song did not appear on the album. It ended up as the B-side to stand-alone single Paperback Writer. The song, recorded during The Beatles' experimentation stage, is famous for being the first ever recording in history to include backward vocals, courtesy of John and producer George Martin.



I love Rain, and I love Paperback Writer. That summer of '66 me and my friend used to help this slightly older boy who we really liked do his paper round. He always used to sing Paperback Writer. It always makes me smile when I hear it, even tho I realised years later he was getting us to deliver all the papers while he sat on the wall at the bottom of the road :D

I love the early Beatles records. Every one of them brings back some kind of memories for me. I Wanna Hold Your Hand reminds me of my dad, walking with him in the park.

[mojofilter]

13. I'VE GOT A FEELING
(Lennon/McCartney - 1970, Let It Be)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RLexgtSMo4

This song is one of the rarest tracks in the 1967-1970 era that featured John and Paul actually collaborating on writing a song. I've Got A Feeling is technically a combination of two unfinished songs, the first being Paul's I've Got A Feeling, and the second being John's Everybody Had A Hard Year. In my estimation, it's one the best hard rock tunes The Beatles had ever released.

[jiraffejustin]

24. I WANT YOU (SHE'S SO HEAVY)
(Lennon/McCartney - 1969, Abbey Road)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZp_-7YUn-s

Contrary to popular belief that John wrote this song about heroin, the bluesy 8-minute epic is entirely about his infatuation with Yoko Ono. The song is considered to be groundbreaking and original in that it introduced the world to what would later be known as 'doom metal'. It's hard to believe and quite amazing that the same group that started off writing those fast pop songs like Please Please Me and She Loves You would sound like this just a few years later, but that's what makes The Beatles the best band ever.




Probably my favorite Beatles song. I am not much of a fan of the band, but this song is grand.

[mojofilter]

12. DEAR PRUDENCE
(Lennon/McCartney - 1968, The Beatles)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmF698mXzLg

When I was first introduced to the White Album, the one song that stood out for me was the second track, following the colossal opening track Back In The USSR, a little gem penned by John titled Dear Prudence. Everything about the song is astonishingly beautiful: John's mesmerizing voice backed by acoustic guitar and Ringo's cool drumming, and those lyrics. It later occurred to me that Prudence was a real person, actress Mia Farrow's younger sister, who refused to leave her tent while meditating in India with the Maharishi and The Beatles.

[mojofilter]

11. I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTER
(Lennon/McCartney - 1964, A Hard Day's Night)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goX9dESxLnU

In 1964, at the height of Beatlemania, The Beatles met American folk singer and legend Bob Dylan. The meeting with Dylan inspired John to write songs with more meaningful lyrics, the first of which was this song from the soundtrack of A Hard Day's Night, which was later followed by You've Got To Hide Your Love Away from the album Help. It turned out to be the highlight of the album, and the movie as well.

[Kaplan]

Besides "Your Mother Should Know", which I think is dreck, this is a great list, with many of my own favorite Beatles songs. Two Beatles songs topped my own top 50 favorite song list I finished up a couple weeks ago.

[cricket]

Just the fact that Revolution was a B side is amazing

[mojofilter]

Just the fact that Revolution was a B side is amazing


This heavier version was a B-side, and it rocks! The original version on the album is the slower version, and I was never a big fan of it. Revolution 9, on the other hand, was just terrible, even though I've heard it a million times. I don't understand avant-garde, and really don't understand what John found so inspiring about it.


Another B-side that was fantastic and is on my list is Rain.

[mojofilter]

Besides "Your Mother Should Know", which I think is dreck, this is a great list, with many of my own favorite Beatles songs. Two Beatles songs topped my own top 50 favorite song list I finished up a couple weeks ago.



I've always had a strange attachment to Your Mother Should Know. It is just something about that song that I love, and it's definitely not the video, which is straight-out embarrassing :)

[Beatle]

15. I'M SO TIRED
(Lennon/McCartney - 1968, The Beatles)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZodBYQ4pJ0M

John wrote this song while in India with the rest of the band visiting the Maharishi. He was plagued with bouts of insomnia and thinking about Yoko and reading her letters. About the song, John has said, "One of my favorite tracks. I just like the sound of it, and I sing it well". I couldn't agree with him more.



I might add it was due to meditation he couldn't sleep for three weeks.

You'd say I'm putting you on
But it's no joke
It's doing me harm
You know I can't sleep
I can't stop my brain
It's been three weeks
I'M GOING INSANE

insane

[Beatle]

I've always had a strange attachment to Your Mother Should Know. It is just something about that song that I love, and it's definitely not the video, which is straight-out embarrassing :)

I love the video and MMT film because I'm nuts.

[Beatle]

Just kidding. I LOVE that crazy film!

[mojofilter]

10. I AM THE WALRUS
(Lennon/McCartney - 1967, Magical Mystery Tour)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MP6npFTbtUM

Inspired by a Lewis Carroll poem titled "The Walrus and the Carpenter" and not realizing that the walrus was the villain in the poem's scenario, playground nursery rhymes ("yellow matter custard, dripping from a dead dog's eye"), a police siren ("mister city policeman"), and a couple of acid trips ("I am he as you are he as you are me and we are all together"), and incorporating sound bytes from King Lear ("...sit you down father, rest you"), and mostly nonsensical lyrics and sound effects ("goo goo g'joob", "ho-ho-ho he-he-he ha-ha-ha", "oompah oompah, stick it up your jumper" and "got one, got one, everybody's got one"), John created a rock masterpiece that was purposefully designed to confuse listeners, particularly those who tried to interpret every song they heard. The fun didn't end there. John made references to the song on the 1968 song Glass Onion to further confuse listeners, where he wrote, "I told you about the walrus and me, man, well here's another clue for you all, the walrus was Paul".

[mojofilter]

9. HEY JUDE
(Lennon/McCartney - 1968, Single)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSw0riQovOA

Mostly famous for the lengthy fade-out coda of na-na's, Paul wrote this searing ballad as a way to comfort John's son Julian during his parents' divorce. Initially titled Hey Jules, Paul later changed it to Hey Jude because he thought it sounded better. When Paul shared the song with John, John, at first, thought the song was about him and Yoko, and he insisted on keeping the lyric "The movement you need is on your shoulder" to the reluctance of Paul. Released as a stand-alone single in the summer of 1968, the song became the most successful single of the year, and the band's best-selling single to date.

[mojofilter]

8. WE CAN WORK IT OUT//DAY TRIPPER
(Lennon/McCartney - 1965, Single)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtyax6gffGE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTajbTWhMRc

We Can Work It Out and Day Tripper were released as a double A-side single in 1965, which is why they are tied on my list. Paul wrote the majority of the upbeat We Can Work It Out; John supplemented Paul's optimistic lyrics with a little bleakness and pessimism in his lyrical contribution "Life is very short, and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend". John wrote most of Day Tripper, another upbeat song and, according to Paul, one of The Beatles' "funny songs, songs with jokes in".

[mojofilter]

7. STRAWBERRY FIELDS FOREVER//PENNY LANE
(Lennon/McCartney - 1967, Single)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8RTwA3Wpo2s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qynql_KHms

In 1967, The Beatles got back together after a lengthy break following their final world tour to record songs, and for the next 3 years, the boys would reinvent themselves, and deliver their best material. The first release was this autobiographical double A- side single. John wrote Strawberry Field Forever about a park he used to play in as a child in Liverpool called Strawberry Fields. Paul wrote Penny Lane about the street where both he and John would hang out and catch a bus to Liverpool's city center. Because both songs were released as a double A-side single, and have an intertwining connection, they are tied on my list.

[christine]

Love Strawberry Fields and Penny Lane too Mojo. Strawberry Fields was a Salvation Army children's home with big grounds when we were kids. By our house we had so many parks to play in, Calderstones Park, the golf course, Woolton Woods, Allerton Towers, Clarks Gardens, as we lived up the road from them they must've played in the same places. My dad and brothers used to get their hair cut in the barbers on Penny Lane mentioned in the song. It was called Biolettis. There was a bank on the corner too, in fact there was two, but the fire station is much further along .

[seanc]

My two favorite showed up in your top ten. Strawberry Fields and Hey Jude are probably the two reasons I say I love The Beatles.

[mojofilter]

Love Strawberry Fields and Penny Lane too Mojo. Strawberry Fields was a Salvation Army children's home with big grounds when we were kids. By our house we had so many parks to play in, Calderstones Park, the golf course, Woolton Woods, Allerton Towers, Clarks Gardens, as we lived up the road from them they must've played in the same places. My dad and brothers used to get their hair cut in the barbers on Penny Lane mentioned in the song. It was called Biolettis. There was a bank on the corner too, in fact there was two, but the fire station is much further along .


Wow, Christine, amazing story to share, and I do thank you for sharing it!


It must feel great growing up in those places mentioned in the songs

[mojofilter]

My two favorite showed up in your top ten. Strawberry Fields and Hey Jude are probably the two reasons I say I love The Beatles.


seanc, genius minds think alike :)


Maybe, we'll have more Top 10 songs in common as the list continues...

[mojofilter]

6. NORWEGIAN WOOD (THIS BIRD HAS FLOWN)
(Lennon/McCartney - 1965, Rubber Soul)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79uBB4anxbE

Clearly inspired by the vocal and lyrical styling of Bob Dylan, John wrote the majority of this song about an affair he was having with an unnamed woman during the time he was married to Cynthia Lennon. The song is famous for being the first Beatles song to include the sitar, played by George. At the time of its release, many critics hailed it as a genius track that was one of the most original pop songs recorded to date. Those words still ring true 50 years later.

[Kaplan]

Lots of great choices for your top 10. And even though I long ago burned out on Hey Jude, and can't really stand it these days, I do appreciate its establishment in the Beatles mythology. As for the song "Revolution", count me out (in) as someone who thinks the single version is superior to the album version, which I love, love, love. I even dig the extended take 20 version which veers into madness and provided many of the sound clips used in the awesome "Revolution 9".

https://redmuzik.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/lennon.jpg

[mojofilter]

Lots of great choices for your top 10. And even though I long ago burned out on Hey Jude, and can't really stand it these days, I do appreciate its establishment in the Beatles mythology. As for the song "Revolution", count me out (in) as someone who thinks the single version is superior to the album version, which I love, love, love. I even dig the extended take 20 version which veers into madness and provided many of the sound clips used in the awesome "Revolution 9".

https://redmuzik.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/lennon.jpg

It's almost like you read my mind regarding Hey Jude. I too feel like the song has been overplayed to death, but I had to include it for what it is: a Beatles masterpiece and milestone, and a top tune.


I might have exaggerated how awful I thought Revolution 9 was. I've heard the song many times, and appreciated it as part of the White Album and the Beatles' vast and extremely eclectic styles of music, but the genre of Avant-Garde is something I am not a fan of. On one hand, it is a Beatles track, and on the other, it is avant-garde. A double edged sword...


By the way, is that picture of John during the recording of Revolution 9?

[mojofilter]

5. I FEEL FINE
(Lennon/McCartney - 1964, Single)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjVQwZKsbZI

As the band were in the studio recording songs for their 1964 album Beatles For Sale, John introduced the rest of the group to a song he had been meddling with that he actually thought was "lousy". After working it out, The Beatles decided it was worthy of being their next A-side single. The song turned out to be the massively successful feel-good tune I Feel Fine, which was the first track on tape to ever include guitar feedback as a recording effect.

[mojofilter]

4. TWO OF US
(Lennon/McCartney - 1970, Let It Be)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUmENnZwxmU

Paul supposedly wrote this acoustic feel-good gem of a song about his then wife Linda Eastman, although many lyrics, such as "You and I have memories longer than the road that stretches out ahead...", suggest he was referring to John. The fact that the song is entirely sung as a duet by Paul and John makes it even more suggestive that it's a two-way message of a strong friendship and bond, in spite of differences that arose after the band broke up, between the most popular songwriting partners in all of history. Another fact that the song ended up and became the highlight track on what was to become The Beatles' final album makes the song a bit bittersweet.

[mojofilter]

3. A DAY IN THE LIFE
(Lennon/McCartney - 1967, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAR9ZrrjNo8

John wrote the majority of this groundbreaking album closing song where he narrates a story he read in the papers about a guy who was killed in a car crash (inspired by the death of Guinness heir Tara Browne who was a close friend of John and Paul), a movie he saw about the English winning the war (inspired by the film How I Won The War, in which he co-starred), and a bizarre story about 4,000 holes in a road in Blackburn, Lancashire. Paul contributed the controversial line "I'd love to turn you on", a clear drug reference that resulted in the song being banned from radio, as well as the middle section "Woke up, fell out of bed...", which originally was one of his many unfinished songs. Paul's section was linked to John's section with an orchestral piece that gradually builds up to climactic high-pitched crescendo, something that was never heard nor experienced before in a rock song.

[seanc]

I haven"t been commenting on everything because I love almost every Beatles song. However, I will say Two Of Us is another of theirs that would make an all time favorite song list for me. So great.

[christine]

Can't wait for the top 2 :)

[christine]

by the way if anyone is interested in their very early years, their childhoods and the formation of the band, you should get old of The Beatles - All These Years: Volume One: Tune In (http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Beatles-These-Years-Volume/dp/0316729604) . It takes you up to 1962. I've read a lot about the Beatles, but I've never read something as well researched and as extensive as this.

[Daniel M]

A Day in the Life is probably my second favourite Beatles song, behind Something, which I hope is yet to show (ignore that I just saw what you said about "I Me Mine"). Lots of great songs on here, a great list, although despite being a massive fan I still have a lot of Beatles songs to listen to, some for the first time and some repeats before I could make a truly accurate list.

[Beatle]

9. HEY JUDE
(Lennon/McCartney - 1968, Single)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSw0riQovOA

Mostly famous for the lengthy fade-out coda of na-na's, Paul wrote this searing ballad as a way to comfort John's son Julian during his parents' divorce. Initially titled Hey Jules, Paul later changed it to Hey Jude because he thought it sounded better. When Paul shared the song with John, John, at first, thought the song was about him and Yoko, and he insisted on keeping the lyric "The movement you need is on your shoulder" to the reluctance of Paul. Released as a stand-alone single in the summer of 1968, the song became the most successful single of the year, and the band's best-selling single to date.



I think I heard Paul saying he's uncrtain about "the movement you need is on your shoulder". John told him it's the best line, so he decided to keep it. I think he also said he feels nostangic about John whenever he sings the line. I also think it's John's favorite Paul song.

[mojofilter]

Can't wait for the top 2 http://www.movieforums.com/community/images/smilies/smile.gif.pagespeed.ce.Oa2_sRhGxZ.gif


by the way if anyone is interested in their very early years, their childhoods and the formation of the band, you should get old of The Beatles - All These Years: Volume One: Tune In (http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Beatles-These-Years-Volume/dp/0316729604) . It takes you up to 1962. I've read a lot about the Beatles, but I've never read something as well researched and as extensive as this.


Top 2 will be coming shortly :D


Thanks for sharing info on that book. I'll check it out at my local library when I get a chance!

[mojofilter]

A Day in the Life is probably my second favourite Beatles song, behind Something, which I hope is yet to show (ignore that I just saw what you said about "I Me Mine"). Lots of great songs on here, a great list, although despite being a massive fan I still have a lot of Beatles songs to listen to, some for the first time and some repeats before I could make a truly accurate list.


Yeah, I might have hinted with that comment on I Me Mine about the George songs on my list -I'm also surprised you've been attentively reading all my comments on each video. Impressive, Daniel! :)


I'd like to believe I know 99% of Beatles' songs. There are some songs, especially from their earlier albums, that I do not care too much about, especially the cover versions, and there are quite a lot of those. Some covers stand out though. I like Twist And Shout, Please Mr. Postman, Money (That's What I Want), Roll Over Beethoven, and Rock 'N Roll Music.

[mojofilter]

I think I heard Paul saying he's uncrtain about "the movement you need is on your shoulder". John told him it's the best line, so he decided to keep it. I think he also said he feels nostangic about John whenever he sings the line. I also think it's John's favorite Paul song.


That's right, Beatle. I also read that Paul thinks about John every time he sings that line.


John has admitted to "liking" many of Paul's songs, amongst them are this one, Here There And Everywhere, Get Back, and, of course, Yesterday.

[Kaplan]

By the way, is that picture of John during the recording of Revolution 9?

It's supposedly him singing the album version of Revolution, too stoned to sit up. So they say.

And I love Two of Us. I think it's my favorite McCartney song.

[Kaplan]

I'd like to believe I know 99% of Beatles' songs. There are some songs, especially from their earlier albums, that I do not care too much about, especially the cover versions, and there are quite a lot of those. Some covers stand out though. I like Twist And Shout, Please Mr. Postman, Money (That's What I Want), Roll Over Beethoven, and Rock 'N Roll Music.

My favorite cover of theirs is You Really Got a Hold on Me.

[Daniel M]

Yeah, I might have hinted with that comment on I Me Mine about the George songs on my list -I'm also surprised you've been attentively reading all my comments on each video. Impressive, Daniel! :)


I'd like to believe I know 99% of Beatles' songs. There are some songs, especially from their earlier albums, that I do not care too much about, especially the cover versions, and there are quite a lot of those. Some covers stand out though. I like Twist And Shout, Please Mr. Postman, Money (That's What I Want), Roll Over Beethoven, and Rock 'N Roll Music.

I have a friend who is like that and has probably heard every song and knows an awful lots of facts. I would say that The Beatles are my favourite band, and there are plenty of songs that I love to listen to over and over again, but soon I'll actually sit down and go through the various albums. I have read all your posts, various bits I already knew but lots of other information that I didn't and so I've found it quite informative and fun. I have another friend who is from Liverpool and is a big fan, I think "Twist and Shout" is actually one of his very favourite songs from them.

By the way, your name, is that from "Come Together"?

[mojofilter]

2. COME TOGETHER
(Lennon/McCartney - 1969, Abbey Road)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1E6VVuNm39M

In his bid to run for the office of Governor of California in 1970, famed psychologist and psychedelic drug advocate Timothy Leary asked John to write him a campaign song with the slogan "Come Together". Leary's campaign was short-lived, and the song that John ended up writing became a timeless classic. About the song, John has said, "It's gobbledygook; Come Together was an expression that Leary had come up with for his attempt at being president or whatever he wanted to be, and he asked me to write a campaign song. I tried and tried, but I couldn't come up with one. But I came up with this...which would've been no good to him, you couldn't have a campaign song like that, right?" John's wittiness and knack for wordplay, as well as the song's bluesy rock feel and solid bass line, made it a Beatles signature song that's been covered by so many artists since, including Aerosmith, Tina Turner, and Michael Jackson. It's by far one of John's best hard rock songs in his entire career.

[mojofilter]

By the way, your name, is that from "Come Together"?



Wow! What a funny coincidence! You mention Come Together as I had just posted my Number 2 song, which is...Come Together :)


Yes, that's where my screen name comes from! It could have been Ono Sideboard, Walrus Gumboot, Bag Production, Spinal Cracker, Toe Jam Football, or Monkey Finger. But I thought Mojo Filter sounds a bit more dignified :D

[mojofilter]

Are you all ready for my Number 1 Beatles Song?


It's gonna be a BIG one...literally :)

[Beatle]

6. NORWEGIAN WOOD (THIS BIRD HAS FLOWN)
(Lennon/McCartney - 1965, Rubber Soul)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79uBB4anxbE

Clearly inspired by the vocal and lyrical styling of Bob Dylan, John wrote the majority of this song about an affair he was having with an unnamed woman during the time he was married to Cynthia Lennon. The song is famous for being the first Beatles song to include the sitar, played by George. At the time of its release, many critics hailed it as a genius track that was one of the most original pop songs recorded to date. Those words still ring true 50 years later.



According to the insiders the woman was actualy Maureen Cleave, hte same one to which he gave the notorious "Bigger than Jesus" interview.

One of my favorite tracks.

[Beatle]

Are you all ready for my Number 1 Beatles Song?


It's gonna be a BIG one...literally :)

Ah, I know. It's Across The Universe, right?

[Beatle]

5. I FEEL FINE
(Lennon/McCartney - 1964, Single)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjVQwZKsbZI

As the band were in the studio recording songs for their 1964 album Beatles For Sale, John introduced the rest of the group to a song he had been meddling with that he actually thought was "lousy". After working it out, The Beatles decided it was worthy of being their next A-side single. The song turned out to be the massively successful feel-good tune I Feel Fine, which was the first track on tape to ever include guitar feedback as a recording effect.



And the feedback was actually done by accident, right? I think it's in Anthology when Paul commented the reaction: "WHAT?! Can you put that on tape?" (Speaking to the producer George Martin)

[mojofilter]

1. YOU NEVER GIVE ME YOUR MONEY/SUN KING/MEAN MR. MUSTARD/POLYTHENE PAM/SHE CAME IN THROUGH THE BATHROOM WINDOW/GOLDEN SLUMBERS/CARRY THAT WEIGHT/THE END
(Lennon/McCartney - 1969, Abbey Road)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9L8En9dNHk

Fully aware that Abbey Road would be The Beatles' final album the band would record together, Paul and George Martin expertly crafted the album's B-side climactic 16-minute medley, which is famously known as the Abbey Road Medley, intended to be a big bang before it was all over. The medley begins with Paul's You Never Give Me Your Money, a song about the group's disagreements over who would manage their finances, followed by three funny numbers by John, the first being Sun King, a song that pokes fun at George's Here Comes The Sun with nonsensical Spanish sounding words, Mean Mr. Mustard and Polythene Pam, both about odd fictitious characters who happen to be siblings, and then back to Paul for She Came In Through The Bathroom Window, a song about a group of Beatles fans who once raided Paul's house through the bathroom window in his absence. The second half of the medley are all Paul songs: Golden Slumbers, a song inspired by a lullaby Paul found at his family home, Carry That Weight, a song talking to each member of The Beatles, including himself, that no matter what they do on their own, it would never equal what they had achieved together, and, finally, The End, a song that fittingly concludes the medley with a line that would seal The Beatles' legacy forever, "And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make".

[Beatle]

Ah, I know. It's Across The Universe, right?

Wrong. :)

[mojofilter]

Wrong. :)


Sorry for letting you down, Beatle :)

[gbgoodies]

I don't know a lot of The Beatles songs, (except some of their BIG hits), but I enjoyed listening to some new (to me) songs on your list.

I was at a garage sale late yesterday, and the guy just started giving everything away for free, and I got a free iPod Nano already loaded with music. It has about 2000 songs on it, and about 70 of them are Beatles songs. :)

[Beatle]

Sorry for letting you down, Beatle :)

haha it's ok, never mind. The REAL let down is that the pun song isn't even featured. You really let me down, mojofilter. ;)

[mojofilter]

It's been fun, MoFo's.


Here's a recap of my Top 30 Beatles Songs:


30. YOUR MOTHER SHOULD KNOW
29. TICKET TO RIDE
28. SGT. PEPPER'S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND/WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS
27. I'M ONLY SLEEPING
26. BLACKBIRD
25. RAIN
24. I WANT YOU (SHE'S SO HEAVY)
23. MOTHER NATURE'S SON
22. HERE COMES THE SUN
21. EVERYBODY'S GOT SOMETHING TO HIDE EXCEPT FOR ME AND MY MONKEY
20. I WANT TO HOLD YOUR HAND
19. I ME MINE
18. REVOLUTION
17. HERE, THERE AND EVERYWHERE
16. ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE
15. I'M SO TIRED
14. HAPPINESS IS A WARM GUN
13. I'VE GOT A FEELING
12. DEAR PRUDENCE
11. I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTER
10. I AM THE WALRUS
9. HEY JUDE
8. WE CAN WORK IT OUT//DAY TRIPPER
7. STRAWBERRY FIELDS FOREVER//PENNY LANE
6. NORWEGIAN WOOD (THIS BIRD HAS FLOWN)
5. I FEEL FINE
4. TWO OF US
3. A DAY IN THE LIFE
2. COME TOGETHER
1. YOU NEVER GIVE ME YOUR MONEY/SUN KING/MEAN MR. MUSTARD/POLYTHENE PAM/SHE CAME IN THROUGH THE BATHROOM WINDOW/GOLDEN SLUMBERS/CARRY THAT WEIGHT/THE END




I'll be listing my Top 10 Movies by specific actors in the near future...


Who do you think the first actor should be?

[Beatle]

I'll be listing my Top 10 Movies by specific actors in the near future...


Who do you think the first actor should be?

Alec Guinness.

[mojofilter]

Alec Guinness.

Not too familiar with his films.

I was thinking along the lines of Tom Hanks or Robert Deniro.

I'll probably start with Hanks

[cricket]

Walrus, Jude, Daytripper, and Penny Lane are some of my biggest favorites.

[SilentVamp]

Great job on the list! :up:

If my adding is correct, I believe we shared 13 of the same songs. And, truthfully, I love so many of the songs that you had that I didn't. I was very happy to see "I'm Only Sleeping" on this list.

I was also pleasantly surprised to see what your number one was. Great choice! I've always been particularly fond of "Golden Slumbers". Love it!


And I completely understand about what you said in my thread. 50 does seem like a lot, doesn't it? :) As I really got started with the songs it felt like it was never going to end. But I actually ended up speeding through it quite fast.

[dadgumblah]

I think I heard Paul saying he's uncrtain about "the movement you need is on your shoulder". John told him it's the best line, so he decided to keep it. I think he also said he feels nostangic about John whenever he sings the line. I also think it's John's favorite Paul song.

Beatle, I'd heard something similar about that line. I'd heard that Paul was unsure about it, but John said something like, "Don't worry, I know what it means." As for myself, it surprised me that Paul didn't understand his own line. I think since it was written for Julian when "Jules" was feeling down (maybe about his father not being around much), it meant that the "movement you need is on your shoulder" is about him wishing that his Dad's hand was on his shoulder, meaning that he missed or needed his father's loving touch. Who knows? So many Beatle songs have a line or two that are not about what we think or are exactly what we think. I have a book around here somewhere called "A Hard Day's Write," written by Steve Turner, which claims to be "The Stories Behind Every Beatles Song." A fairly good book but which is incorrect about certain songs. I've got the 1999 printing but I see there is a 2009 version on Amazon.com which I hope updates certain errors.

You did a great job, mojofilter! As much as I love the Beatles, I couldn't pick 30 favorites. It's a nigh-on impossible task for me. I'm glad to see a fellow Beatle lover succeed at such a list.

[mojofilter]

You did a great job, mojofilter! As much as I love the Beatles, I couldn't pick 30 favorites. It's a nigh-on impossible task for me. I'm glad to see a fellow Beatle lover succeed at such a list.
Thanks, dadgumblah!
It wasn't easy at all for me to compile this list, and, looking back, I could have easily made this a Top 40 or 50 list.
Maybe I'll revisit the Beatles Top Songs in the future, stretch it out, and make changes as my favorite songs are always changing, depending on my state of mind and what mood I'm in, and since I listen to them...A LOT! :)