The Beatles

Top 50 of my son:

1. A Day In The Life.
2. In My Life.
3. Strawberry Fields Forever.
4. Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight/The End *
5. While My Guitar Gently Weeps.
6. Something.
7. Eleanor Rigby.
8. Tomorrow Never Knows.
9. I Want You ( She's So Heavy).
10. Things We Said Today.
11. You Never Give Me Your Money.
12. And I Love Her.
13. For No One.
14. Here, There And Everywhere.
15. Let It Be.
16. Yesterday.
17. A Hard Day's Night.
18. Day Tripper.
19. Come Together.
20. Don't Let Me Down.
21. Penny Lane.
22. I'll Be Back.
23. Sun King.
24. Here Comes The Sun.
25. If I Needed Someone.
26. Norwegian Wood ( This Bird Has Flown).
27. I Saw Her Standing There.
28. All My Loving.
29. And Your Bird Can Sing.
30. Dear Prudence.
31. Helter Skelter.
32. Blackbird.
33. Back In The U.S.S.R.
34. The Long And Winding Road.
35. Paperback Writer.
36. We Can Work It Out.
37. I'm Only Sleeping.
38. Twist And Shout.
39. The Word.
40. Ticket To Ride.
41. No Reply.
42. Hey Jude.
43. Rain.
44. You Can't Do That.
45. Help!
46. There's A Place.
47. I Feel Fine.
48. Taxman.
49. Love You To.
50. Within You Without You.


Please, Please Me: 3 songs.
With The Beatles: 1 song.
A Hard Day's Night: 5 songs.
Beatles For Sale: 1 song.
Help!: 3 songs.
Rubber Soul: 4 songs.
Revolver: 8 songs.
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band: 2 songs.
Magical Mystery Tour: 2 songs.
The White Album: 5 songs.
Abbey Road: 7 songs (* Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight/The End counted as one song).
Let It Be: 2 songs.
Standalone singles: 7 songs.

John on lead vocals: 20 songs.
Paul on lead vocals: 18 songs .
George on lead vocals: 7 songs.
John and Paul, both on lead vocals: 5 songs.
 
The Beatles were my first musical love. I was about six when I first heard them, and I was nine or ten when I really got into their music. By 12 I owned all the studio albums plus some compilations. They led me to discover classic rock, and eventually that led to metal, so everything I know of music as a whole I owe to The Beatles.

(And also you guys know how obsessive I can be when I really get into something. I literally turned my friends into avid haters of The Beatles because I wouldn’t shut the fuck up about them. :D)
 
50 Twist and Shout / Please Please Me (1963)
This song is pretty repetitive but I like the intensity of it. Of course John gives it all (had nothing left afterwards; first take and that was it) but I also dig Ringo's drumrolls here. With headphones I can focus more on his playing, and it's good fun. The repetitiveness of the song, also of that riff and the sort of stoic backing vocals make an interesting contrast with the looser role for John and Ringo.


= = = = = = =
51 & 52: the two songs that just didn't make my top 50:

51 I Saw Her Standing There / Please Please Me (1963)
I like how this no nonsense approach sounds. Clear sounding, upclose electric guitars, neat, cool riffs (especially the fast one by Harrison?), fine solo.

52 You Never Give Me Your Money / Abbey Road (1969)
Really fine melancholic beginning with contrasting lyrics having a different emotion (rather angry instead).
The next jumpy section is sort of light and fun, not that much my cup of tea musically... then "Oh that magic feeling" is a fine part.
I also like the rocking section when Paul continues singing. Then that lovely guitar bit starting @ 2:48.
This one has good ideas, and I can see why people might have this higher. My son surely has this higher in his list which he is busy with at this moment. For me it is just not as grabbing as 51 other songs, and naturally this says a lot about the quality of the Beatles catalogue.
The One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, all good children go to Heaven lyric was taken by Bad Religion who were (especially Brett Gurewitz) big Beatles fans, and used in the chorus of their song Anesthesia (from the album Against the Grain, 1990).

53 and beyond: 53 plus 54-83 in chronological order.
"I've Got a Feeling" was the last of this bunch I doubted about, so that one can be considered as my number 53:

01 Please Mr. Postman / With The Beatles (1963)
02 Sie Liebt Dich / single (March 1964)
03 I Call Your Name / Long Tall Sally EP (June 1964)
04 Slow Down / Long Tall Sally EP (June 1964)
05 A Hard Day's Night / A Hard Day's Night (1964)
06 I Should Have Known Better / A Hard Day's Night (1964)
07 Honey Don't / Beatles for Sale (1964)
08 Bad Boy / Beatles VI (June 1965)
09 Help / Help! (1965)
10 I Need You / Help! (1965)
11 Yesterday / Help! (1965)
12 Think for Yourself / Rubber Soul (1965)
13 Michelle / Rubber Soul (1965)
14 I'm Looking Through You / Rubber Soul (1965)
15 In My Life / Rubber Soul (1965)
16 Rain / single (June 1966)
17 Love You To / Revolver (1966)
18 Yellow Submarine / Revolver (1966)
19 For No One / Revolver (1966)
20 Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band / Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)
21 With a Little Help of My Friends / Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)
22 Lucy Ia The Sky With Diamonds / Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)
23 Fixing A Hole / Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)
24 I Am the Walrus / Magical Mystery Tour (1967)
25 Back in the U.S.S.R. / White Album (1968)
26 The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill / White Album (1968)
27 Don't Pass Me By / White Album (1968)
28 Old Brown Shoe / single (May 1969)
29 Two of Us / Let It Be (1970)
30 Get Back / Let It Be (1970)
31 I've Got a Feeling / Let It Be Naked version (no. 53)
 
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49 Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown) / Rubber Soul (1965)
For a long while this song was not in my top 50. But it jumped in. The best part, by far, is the harmony.
The lyrics are very dry and give a good look into the mind (and drastic actions!) of the visitor.

= = = = = = =

50 Twist and Shout / Please Please Me (1963)
This song is pretty repetitive but I like the intensity of it. Of course John gives it all (had nothing left afterwards; first take and that was it) but I also dig Ringo's drumrolls here. With headphones I can focus more on his playing, and it's good fun. The repetitiveness of the song, also of that riff and the sort of stoic backing vocals make an interesting contrast with the looser role for John and Ringo.

51 & 52: the two songs that just didn't make my top 50:
51 I Saw Her Standing There / Please Please Me (1963)
I like how this no nonsense approach sounds. Clear sounding, upclose electric guitars, neat, cool riffs (especially the fast one by Harrison?), fine solo.

52 You Never Give Me Your Money / Abbey Road (1969)
Really fine melancholic beginning with contrasting lyrics having a different emotion (rather angry instead).
The next jumpy section is sort of light and fun, not that much my cup of tea musically... then "Oh that magic feeling" is a fine part.
I also like the rocking section when Paul continues singing. Then that lovely guitar bit starting @ 2:48.
This one has good ideas, and I can see why people might have this higher. My son surely has this higher in his list which he is busy with at this moment. For me it is just not as grabbing as 51 other songs, and naturally this says a lot about the quality of the Beatles catalogue.
The One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, all good children go to Heaven lyric was taken by Bad Religion who were (especially Brett Gurewitz) big Beatles fans, and used in the chorus of their song Anesthesia (from the album Against the Grain, 1990).
53 and beyond: 53 plus 54-83 in chronological order.
"I've Got a Feeling" was the last of this bunch I doubted about, so that one can be considered as my number 53:

01 Please Mr. Postman / With The Beatles (1963)
02 Sie Liebt Dich / single (March 1964)
03 I Call Your Name / Long Tall Sally EP (June 1964)
04 Slow Down / Long Tall Sally EP (June 1964)
05 A Hard Day's Night / A Hard Day's Night (1964)
06 I Should Have Known Better / A Hard Day's Night (1964)
07 Honey Don't / Beatles for Sale (1964)
08 Bad Boy / Beatles VI (June 1965)
09 Help / Help! (1965)
10 I Need You / Help! (1965)
11 Yesterday / Help! (1965)
12 Think for Yourself / Rubber Soul (1965)
13 Michelle / Rubber Soul (1965)
14 I'm Looking Through You / Rubber Soul (1965)
15 In My Life / Rubber Soul (1965)
16 Rain / single (June 1966)
17 Love You To / Revolver (1966)
18 Yellow Submarine / Revolver (1966)
19 For No One / Revolver (1966)
20 Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band / Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)
21 With a Little Help of My Friends / Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)
22 Lucy Ia The Sky With Diamonds / Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)
23 Fixing A Hole / Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)
24 I Am the Walrus / Magical Mystery Tour (1967)
25 Back in the U.S.S.R. / White Album (1968)
26 The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill / White Album (1968)
27 Don't Pass Me By / White Album (1968)
28 Old Brown Shoe / single (May 1969)
29 Two of Us / Let It Be (1970)
30 Get Back / Let It Be (1970)
31 I've Got a Feeling / Let It Be Naked version (no. 53)
 
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