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John Lennon's Beatles songs, or Paul McCartney's Beatles songs?
- Thread starter Jack Remington
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T
Transhuman
Unconfirmed Member
I'm amazed by the way I love you, blamespace
That's what I always thought. Debatable, but I'd say Paul's stuff was commercially more successful.
As someone who grew up listening to the Beatles as they evolved, I'd say my young self preferred Paul's stuff but definitely grew to appreciate Lennon as an adult.
But it's the Beatles. They're all brilliant and together made a huge library of great music.
BigWeather
Member
Lennon > Harrison (though he wrote few, wow, some stunners there!) > Paul >>> Ringo (alas, poor Ringo!).
Lennon's work is just more experimental and I really dig it. Plus "Rain" is my favorite Beatles song (mainly due to the amazing bass line, thanks Paul!).
Lennon's work is just more experimental and I really dig it. Plus "Rain" is my favorite Beatles song (mainly due to the amazing bass line, thanks Paul!).
Michael F. Assbender
Banned
John. He didn't stop at pop.
Paul's stuff was instantly listenable, but I often prefer songs that challenge me versus easily digestible stuff.
That's not to say everything John wrote was good and everything Paul wrote was bad. If anything, their teaming up produced some of their best work, and their rivalry pushed each to continue growing.
They were two fantastic craftsmen who we were lucky to have witnessed work.
Edit: Also, holy shit at that bump.
Paul's stuff was instantly listenable, but I often prefer songs that challenge me versus easily digestible stuff.
That's not to say everything John wrote was good and everything Paul wrote was bad. If anything, their teaming up produced some of their best work, and their rivalry pushed each to continue growing.
They were two fantastic craftsmen who we were lucky to have witnessed work.
Edit: Also, holy shit at that bump.
Professor Crate
Banned
John all the way. For Tomorrow Never Knows alone.Glass Onion also another Beatles favorite. Love psychedelic Beatles. Loved when they pushed it. Paul was tame in comparison.
GhostWriter24
Member
Poor Ringo. Lol.
T
Transhuman
Unconfirmed Member
They're gonna put me in the movies
They're gonna make a big star out of me
We'll make a film about a man that's sad and lonely
And all I gotta do is act naturally
TheAtomicPile
Member
Another vote for John. Just thinking of some without looking:
Happiness is a warm gun
She's so heavy
Tomorrow never knows
Help
Lucy in the sky with diamonds
Don't let me down
Revolution
There's definitely a lot of great Paul stuff (Helter Skelter), but Paul's highs aren't as high or as frequent as John's. He also has far more skippable songs than John (When I'm 64).
John also had a much better solo career, though I don't know if people even really debate that.
Happiness is a warm gun
She's so heavy
Tomorrow never knows
Help
Lucy in the sky with diamonds
Don't let me down
Revolution
There's definitely a lot of great Paul stuff (Helter Skelter), but Paul's highs aren't as high or as frequent as John's. He also has far more skippable songs than John (When I'm 64).
John also had a much better solo career, though I don't know if people even really debate that.
Gnome Scat
Member
Probably John by a hair.
Atom Heart Mother
Banned
George wrote "If I needed someone" so he gets my vote
Banderdash
Member
Paul wrote Yesterday... so, that's that then.
Gnome Scat
Member
They're gonna put me in the movies
They're gonna make a big star out of me
We'll make a film about a man that's sad and lonely
And all I gotta do is act naturally
He didn't even write that one lol
He only wrote Octopus's Garden and Don't Pass Me By. He did help with a lot of big ones, though.
Madison Paige
Member
God, seeing the songs in a list like that is so difficult. I've always been more of a McCartney fan, but I think Lennon's tracks are much more complicated and artistically intriguing. Still have to go with Paul as a personal preference (his contributions to the Abbey Road medley are what sealed the deal for me), but if, say, picking one meant the other songs completely vanished, then I'd have to go with Lennon.
SallyIsNow
Banned
Ringo cause of Don't Pass Me By alone. GOAT Beatles song.
TheSkullPrince
Member
George, because Here Comes the Sun is there most beautiful songs, and of the most beautiful songs ever.
not psycho
Member
To expand on my earlier list, it's John by an enormous margin.
Yer Blues
Happiness is a Warm Gun
Im So Tired
Dear Prudence
Across the Universe
Strawberry Fields Forever
I Want You (Shes So Heavy)
Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey
Norwegian Wood
Sexy Sadie
Revolution 1
Don't Let Me Down
I Should Have Known Better
Ticket To Ride
Julia
Because
Sun King
Mother
Working Class Hero
Mean Mr. Mustard
Polythene Pam
vs
Helter Skelter
Yesterday
Back in the U.S.S.R.
Hey Jude
vs
Long, Long, Long
Here Comes the Sun
Something
While My Guitar Gently Weeps
Yer Blues
Happiness is a Warm Gun
Im So Tired
Dear Prudence
Across the Universe
Strawberry Fields Forever
I Want You (Shes So Heavy)
Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey
Norwegian Wood
Sexy Sadie
Revolution 1
Don't Let Me Down
I Should Have Known Better
Ticket To Ride
Julia
Because
Sun King
Mother
Working Class Hero
Mean Mr. Mustard
Polythene Pam
vs
Helter Skelter
Yesterday
Back in the U.S.S.R.
Hey Jude
vs
Long, Long, Long
Here Comes the Sun
Something
While My Guitar Gently Weeps
Sarcastic Poster
Member
Hahahaha only 4 songs for Paul!?
Damn, you use the two weakest parts of the Abbey Road medley as a positive for John, but nothing for Paul. This hurts my soul.
Anyway, Paul was the driving force of Sgt Pepper and Abbey Road which makes him my choice. But at their best they were both excellent and completed each other well. I think Strawberry Fields/Penny Lane is the prime example.
j and p wrote and tweaked their stuff together so much, i would say lots of johns stuff wouldn't be as good without the paul wall to bounce sounds off of.
i personally like paul's work better, but john was tapped into another level. he probably had higher potential had the beatles (and himself) taken a different path. The pop and money did him no favors.
i personally like paul's work better, but john was tapped into another level. he probably had higher potential had the beatles (and himself) taken a different path. The pop and money did him no favors.
Screaming Meat
Unconfirmed Member
Sammo_1987
Member
Veeery very difficult choice, I always thought I was more of a Team John guy, but I think I might be more in the Macca Camp these days!
I have a top 15 playlist for each of them plus George (Beatles era), so I'll list them out as a starting point..
McCartney
Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight/The End
I've Just Seen A Face
Helter Skelter
Paperback Writer
Blackbird
Can't Buy Me Love
All My Loving
I've Got A Feeling
Hey Jude
Got To Get You Into My Life
Rocky Raccoon
And I Love Her
Lady Madonna
I Saw Her Standing There
Here, There and Everywhere
Lennon
Revolution
Day Tripper
Norwegian Wood
I Feel Fine
I Am The Walrus
Strawberry Fields Forever
A Day In The Life (always seen it as a Lennon track)
Ticket To Ride
Tomorrow Never Knows
Don't Let Me Down
All You Need Is Love
In My Life
You've Got To Hide Your Love Away
Happiness Is A Warm Gun
Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds
Harrison
While My Guitar Gently Weeps
The Inner Light
If I Needed Someone
Piggies
Something
I Need You
Here Comes The Sun
Within You Without You
Taxman
I Me Mine
I Want To Tell You
It's All Too Much
Savoy Truffle
Don't Bother Me
Think For Yourself
I think Lennon and McCartney really are almost neck and neck, most of my favourite Beatles 'rockers' are Lennon tunes, but then Macca has some of the catchiest tunes of them all, plus the Abbey Road medley.
I think I'm going to give the edge to John actually... by a hair's breadth!
Special shoutout to Inner Light by George, one of my favourites :-D
I have a top 15 playlist for each of them plus George (Beatles era), so I'll list them out as a starting point..
McCartney
Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight/The End
I've Just Seen A Face
Helter Skelter
Paperback Writer
Blackbird
Can't Buy Me Love
All My Loving
I've Got A Feeling
Hey Jude
Got To Get You Into My Life
Rocky Raccoon
And I Love Her
Lady Madonna
I Saw Her Standing There
Here, There and Everywhere
Lennon
Revolution
Day Tripper
Norwegian Wood
I Feel Fine
I Am The Walrus
Strawberry Fields Forever
A Day In The Life (always seen it as a Lennon track)
Ticket To Ride
Tomorrow Never Knows
Don't Let Me Down
All You Need Is Love
In My Life
You've Got To Hide Your Love Away
Happiness Is A Warm Gun
Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds
Harrison
While My Guitar Gently Weeps
The Inner Light
If I Needed Someone
Piggies
Something
I Need You
Here Comes The Sun
Within You Without You
Taxman
I Me Mine
I Want To Tell You
It's All Too Much
Savoy Truffle
Don't Bother Me
Think For Yourself
I think Lennon and McCartney really are almost neck and neck, most of my favourite Beatles 'rockers' are Lennon tunes, but then Macca has some of the catchiest tunes of them all, plus the Abbey Road medley.
I think I'm going to give the edge to John actually... by a hair's breadth!
Special shoutout to Inner Light by George, one of my favourites :-D
PHOENIXZERO
Member
Not really debatable when it comes to commercial success, Paul had nine albums go Platinum in the US by 1984 (using that year because of Milk and Honey's posthumous release) while John had two with Imagine and Double Fantasy with the latter probably doing so for obvious reasons. Granted, John wasn't aiming for the mainstream crowd for the most part.
Always-honest
Banned
Well they both lifted each other to a higher level. They also always sing at the top of their abilities. They'd record songs 50 times before either being satisfied or realizing the song just wasn't good enough for the album.
"I Should Have Known Better" is a great Pop song.
Lennon was the main writer on most of the Beatles early number one pop hits. I think people confuse the way Lennon talked about his music in 1970 and the kind of stuff he made to help the Beatles become the biggest act in the world.
A Hard Day's Night was mostly a Lennon written/sung album.
Lennon was the main writer on most of the Beatles early number one pop hits. I think people confuse the way Lennon talked about his music in 1970 and the kind of stuff he made to help the Beatles become the biggest act in the world.
A Hard Day's Night was mostly a Lennon written/sung album.
These are all great, but Think For Yourself is an underrated song. Often seems to be forgotten in these lists.
Oh, wensIsNow.
hydrophilic attack
Member
i like them both, but i find john's songs more interesting
SallyIsNow
Banned
Leave this in the ring!
Poor GRIMES
Banned
As someone who isnt a fan of the Beatles at all, the only songs of theirs I like at all are George Harrison's.
Hissing Sid
Member
How is this even a question?
Chocolate beats Vanilla.
Water is wet.
Fire is hot.
Lennon > McCartney.
Fond recollections of my mums expression when she found I'd used all her Beatles albums as frisbees and left them in direct sunlight afterwards.
Ah the memories, how they come flooding back.
Chocolate beats Vanilla.
Water is wet.
Fire is hot.
Lennon > McCartney.
Fond recollections of my mums expression when she found I'd used all her Beatles albums as frisbees and left them in direct sunlight afterwards.
Ah the memories, how they come flooding back.
Early Period Paul - Middle Period John - Late Period Paul - Post-Beatles John
Of course their work was completely collaborative, they assisted each other on so many songs, even in the later years when the two could barely stand each other.
"The movement you need is on your shoulder" is such a brilliant line from Hey Jude that John gave Paul. It still boggles my mind how one group could have so many great musical minds (including George Martin) all working at their peak creative capabilities for a decade.
Of course their work was completely collaborative, they assisted each other on so many songs, even in the later years when the two could barely stand each other.
"The movement you need is on your shoulder" is such a brilliant line from Hey Jude that John gave Paul. It still boggles my mind how one group could have so many great musical minds (including George Martin) all working at their peak creative capabilities for a decade.
Didn't Paul already have the line, but said he was going to change it to something better but John told him it was already the best line in the song?
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